Chapter 86

Chapter 86
(Kaeleigh’s POV)

I felt his canines sink into my marking spot and heat rushed all over my body as I finally understood what they talked about with energy. I could feel Chase’s essence coursing through my… well, everywhere. I cried out and felt him arrive too, and his seed rushed in to complete the bond with his essence. And then…

… White hot searing pain rushed through me. It was like what was so perfect and amazing, was suddenly like acid burning its way through my body, eating me from the inside out. I screamed in pain and lost full control of my body as all my muscles felt like they were trying to push away the burning acid and the pain. I could feel a tension, like something was trying to get through, and then suddenly it felt like a door was slammed shut and the pain intensified. I couldn’t stand it anymore and felt myself retreat into the black hole of my mind to escape from the pain. I was enveloped in complete black, no sight, no sound, no feeling, nothing.

I woke up with a start and sat up, panting. My body felt like it had gone ten rounds with a bear, or an elephant, and I was dripping in sweat. I was in bed and naked, and the room was dark. I was struggling to think what had happened before I had fallen asleep and it took a few seconds for the fog to lift and then I gasped. Chase marked me! Everything flooded back in, the fight, the sex, the feel of his canines as they grazed my marking spot. I shivered at the memory and reached up to my neck where my mark was. 

Or should have been! I jumped out of bed, wincing at the pain, and ran into the bathroom. The auto lights came on and it took a second for my eyes to adjust. I searched my neck in the mirror for the sign that I had been claimed, half thinking that I needed to do my claiming right back. But there was nothing there. My skin looked completely clear, like there hadn’t been a set of Alpha canines piercing it recently. 

“What the hell?” I was confused. The claiming mark didn’t fade. It healed of course, but it left a mark, a pattern that was unique to the marking party. But nothing! 

“We rejected it,” I heard a familiar voice and looked around before realising the voice came from inside my head. 

My wolf!

“Oh my goddess!” I exclaimed, “Erm… hi?” I said tentatively, and I heard a melodic chuckle in return.

“It’s nice to finally talk to you too,” said the voice I had only heard a few times, but was oh so familiar and I knew a part of me. “My name is Ana,” she said, and I smiled. Ana, what a lovely name.

“Wait!” I felt excited. “You’re free! This is amazing!” I was ready to rush to find Chase to tell him the good news.

“Hold up there, red!” Ana called. “I managed to get part free, but I’m still in the cage. I can feel it trying to pull me back, but I’ll stay as long as I can, I promise.” I stared in the mirror, sadness creeping in as my elation was so short-lived. I looked at where the mark should have been again.

“What do you mean by we rejected the mark?” I asked. 

“The curse,” she said. “It turned his marking into poison. If we hadn’t been as strong an Alpha as we are, then it would have killed you, killed us.” I could feel the tears slipping 

“I hate this curse!” I whispered, “So he can only mark me in wolf form?” 

“I’m afraid so,” she said sadly.

“Ana?” I asked.

“Yeah?”

“Is there any other way to get you fully free?” I closed my eyes and prayed to the moon goddess.

“Yeah, there is another way,” she said, “but you won’t like it.”

“No.” I said straight away. She was my wolf, therefore she was me. I knew what she was thinking.

“I said you wouldn’t like it.” 

“Chase is my mate. Onyx is your mate,” I said. “Are you really good with taking another who isn’t our mate?” 

“I’m not happy with you suggesting our mates take another, but you still did.” She sounded annoyed and I could feel my anger rising in response. I took a deep breath to calm myself as she whispered,

“I just want to be free,” and I felt all the sadness, all the pain, all of it. I closed my eyes against the pain as the tears slipped out.

“We need a powerful Alpha to unlock the spell, be he shadow or be he light,” she said, adding the quote from the prophecy.

“We need Chase,” I responded. “I need Chase,” and I felt her sigh.

Maybe having Ana more connected would make a difference. We could talk to Elaina, or Jensen’s witch friend. Maybe there was something we hadn’t thought of yet. 

I went to look for Chase. Slipping on some pyjamas quickly, I went searching the apartment. The first place I looked was Chase’s room, which was empty, but as I was walking to the living room, I heard voices. I slowly moved towards the room and could tell that it was Chase and Jensen talking. From what I could gather, they were in the dining area and a quick glance confirmed this. I stood out of sight as I listened.

“... that’s one hell of a plan B man,” Jensen said, his tone serious, “but just so you know, I wouldn’t go.” 

“Don’t make this difficult man,” Chase sighed. “This is the best alternative.”

“You could just do as she said,” Jensen countered.

“It’s not going to happen, and Onyx agrees, he would rather die than mate with anyone other than Kaeleigh, and so would I.” He was so determined, I could tell the truth in his words. 

“Well, if you go ahead with the plan you likely would die,” Jensen snapped “with that timeframe you would be so much weaker, and then you are gonna have fifteen hundred connections broken on top of that, it’s fucking suicidal man.”

“What would you have me do?” Chase growled, “Let all those people lose their wolves because I couldn’t bear to lie with another woman, because I couldn’t ever hurt my mate like that?” I heard him sigh. “It doesn’t matter. My mind is made up. Either we find a way to bring Kaeleigh’s wolf out in the next month or the Dark Moon pack dies with me.” 

“And me,” Jensen said quietly. 

I gasped into my hands and felt tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Chase was willing to let his wolf die, and die himself rather than mark another. 

“See he is too stubborn,” Ana whispered in my head, not they could even hear her “and Jensen too, are you willing to let them both die when you can fix this?” I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I rushed back to my room and collapsed onto the bed before I allowed the sobs to come out. I avoided it, but Ana was right. If there was no curse, then they wouldn’t have to sacrifice the pack, or themselves. 

“And..” Ana whispered again, “we would finally be activated in our true, powerful destiny.” 

“I don’t give a shit about that,” I snapped at her. “This is about Chase, and Jensen, and Zoey, Ivy and Kierra, and Meagan and Molly and her sweet little newborn, and the rest of the pack.” This was about my home, even if it meant me leaving. Sacrifice the one for the many. I didn’t know who said that, but it made sense right now.

My mind was made up. I quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a black top. I sat at my desk and wrote Chase a letter. Tears slipped from my eyes as I wrote. I signed the letter. 

“I love you forever, always yours, Kaeleigh.” Because I was, no matter what this decision meant. I would always be Chases, even if I could never have him again. I just hoped that even if he couldn’t forgive me for what I was about to do, he would at least find happiness somewhere else.

I couldn’t stop the sob from escaping my throat as I slipped the engagement ring from my finger, and Ana whimpered along. I put the letter and the ring into an envelope and put it on my bedside table. With one last look, I let myself out of the apartment and quietly made my way out of the pack house. 

Ana was quiet as I made my way across the park and over the bridge. It wasn’t long before I found myself in front of the thick iron door in the woods. I took a deep breath. This was going to be the test right now. I scanned my ID card over the keypad, and the light turned green. I had a feeling that the Alpha had authorised me access the last time I had tried. The door opened, and I slipped into the building. I made my way down the stairs and along the corridor to the cell at the end. The lights switched on as I walked under the sensors. 

The last light came on and I saw Adam still hanging from the chains. He looked like he had been asleep, or passed out. He glanced up and I could tell when his eyes focused on me because his face broke out into a wide smirk and he tried to stand straighter.

“Well hello again, beautiful,” he cooed. “I didn’t expect a visit so soon, but I can’t say I’m upset.” I tried to keep my face emotionless as I stared at him, but I felt like I was going to throw up. He must have known, because his smirk softened and a concerned expression fell across his face.

“What is it, beautiful?” He said “Talk to me.”

“Are you still able to mind link the Crimson Shadow pack?” and he frowned.

“Not with my accessories,” he said, jangling the chains.

“But if you weren’t chained?” He nodded his head, and I took a deep breath. I was really going to do this. Even if I was caught now, this was an act of treason against the pack. I swiped my ID card over the reader and the cell door opened. 

I entered the room and moved slowly towards Adam as he watched me. I looked at his restraints, knowing I would have to break them. A normal werewolf would be unable to break them because silver took your super strength, but I wasn’t a normal werewolf and silver didn’t weaken me. In fact, I suspected Silver improved my powers. I leaned up to the first cuff, needing to lean my body against Adams, and pulled. It was hard, but it did eventually snap and I moved to the next one. The second gave a little easier. Enough that I wasn’t expecting it, and I stumbled slightly when the resistance broke. Adam quickly caught me in his arms before I fell face first on the floor and I quickly scrambled out of his touch, moving to the back of the cell. 

He chuckled and followed me, and I immediately regretted it as I realised I had trapped myself. 

“Now beautiful,” he said, standing right in front of me close enough that I could feel his breath. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he moved in closer and I could see he was sniffing the surrounding air. “We could still leave, just me and you, and put this whole thing behind us.” I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away slightly.

“I’m not doing this for me, I am doing this for Chase,” and he closed his eyes and nodded sadly.

“Ok I’ll pass a message, I can already feel that he is close by waiting,” and then he grabbed my chin with his finger.

“It’s a different life over there, so know now that you will still have my protection. I will still protect you with my life.” 

“Is this Adam talking, or Jonathan?” I asked, as he moved closer to me. 

“I’ll always be Jonathan for you, beautiful.” Then he moved forward and pushed his lips against mine and pushed his tongue into my mouth. I pushed against him, but he wasn’t budging. I did the next best thing I could do. I brought my knee up sharply into his private parts and he grunted before falling over, doubled in pain. 

“Fuck!” he grunted as he composed himself on the floor. He grinned at me as He dragged himself off the floor. 

“Still worth it though,” and I glared at him. He chuckled and dusted himself off before looking at me again.

“Ok then, beautiful,” he said. “What’s the message?” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them again and said. 

“Tell Asher that I am ready to accept his offer.”