Kyle's point of view.
Faith rested peacefully in my arms. She looked so untroubled when she slept. It made me happy to see her relax finally. She has so much weighing on her already, and today was unbearable. When she is awake, worry lines crease in her forehead. Although she tries hard to hide it, I can still see it. She was beautiful like this. I could stare at her forever. Her plump lips look ripe for the kissing. I had never seen lips so tempting before. I wanted to lean down and place mine upon hers, to feel her supple lips against my own. But I don’t want to risk waking her, so I don’t. She deserves her few hours of bliss.
I can’t believe Declan and her trashy sister had invited her to their ceremony. Did they think they had won some game? Were they bragging? I don’t see how either one of them thought they were a prize, an abusive prick and a slutty power hungry backstabber. They go well together, actually. Or were they just trying to hurt Faith further? The mere thought that Faith was pining over Declan tore my heart in two. Luckily for me, Duke had spoken to Sapphire, and the pair of my girls thought he was vile. Not that I ever doubted Faith. I could sense how much she cared for me through our bond.
Once again, I find myself regretting showing him mercy. If I had off just killed him when I had the chance, he wouldn't be able to toy with her like this. I thought of Faith punching that wall earlier, her tiny little fists clenched and dripping blood. She was that protective of me. While I wish she didn't hurt herself, it made my heart warm and tingly to see her display so much emotion for me. She cared so much for me that, at times, it was hard to fathom how she could still love so fiercely after all she went through. She is a true warrior. I don’t care about the rumours so much. Those who know me know that I am not capable of abusing women, let alone my mate, and that’s good enough for me. I would ring James later, however, and have him cut ties with Jackson as well. James and I aren’t close, but he’s smart, and he knows that if I say Jackson is bad news, that he’s not an alpha he should associate himself with. He will listen to me, I’m sure of it. Once I tell him my side of the story, he will help me spread the truth, some will choose Jackson, of course, but I’ll have to cross those bridges when I get to them.
I feel useless just laying here in this bed staring helplessly at my mate. I’m not getting anything done here, I need to plan, to think, to move forward in some way, and I knew just the place to start.
Are you still awake? I felt bad reaching out to David so soon like this. He was supposed to be spending this time getting to know Ingrid, and I was breaking my promise to him in less than a day. But I had to. Faith would understand why I did this, I am sure of it.
Yeah? David’s groggy voice replied. What's wrong?
His voice suddenly snapped alert once he realised who it was.
Look, David, I know that it's a lot to ask, but could I speak to you and Ingrid in my office as soon as possible? I hope I don't piss her off.
What? Like right now? I could tell he was surprised. It was well past midnight. After all, everyone else was sleeping.
Yes. I want to talk about something important, without I almost didn't want to say it. It felt wrong to go behind her back like this, but all I was doing was talking with them. I wouldn't make any final decisions unless she were with me, without faith. I sigh, but it does nothing to release the heavy feeling in my chest. But if I could get a plan in place, maybe she wouldn’t worry so much.
Oh wow. From the tone of David's voice alone, I could tell he was upset by this, David liked Faith, and she was his Luna. He wanted to be loyal to her. But he was my friend, and I was his Alpha, so I knew that despite his reservations, he would still help me.
I know man and I’m sorry. But you’ll understand. He would do the same for Ingrid. I know that he would.
Ingrid says that she will meet with you, but she doesn't seem very happy about it, and j don't think it has anything to do with the fact that it's 2 am.
She doesn't have to like it. She just has to come. I hope she likes Faith enough to help.
I'll take what I can get. I will see you in my office then.
I slid my arm out from underneath faith as carefully as I could. I felt my heart constrict, and my lungs stopped when she wiggled, and her eyes began to flutter. I froze as still as I could, worried that I had woken her up, cursing silently in my mind. But she rolled over and went back to sleep. I stripped my shirt off and lay it on the pillow beside her. My scent was all over this room, but I wanted to make sure Sapphire slept peacefully as well, so I gave her a little extra. I tipped toed to the closet and slipped on a clean t-shirt and some grey trousers. Faith loved it when I wore these. She wouldn’t tell me why. Whatever it was made her blush, and I enjoyed the Rosey pink in her cheeks, so I wore them as often as I could around her.
I waited in my office with a glass of scotch for David and Ingrid to arrive. The ice clinked against the glass as I swirled the cool amber liquid in my hand. I found small menial things like this helped me focus when my mind was otherwise feeling chaotic.
Alone in this room with Eloise on my mind, all I could think about was how I tore her apart, the blood that soaked my hands and her feral skin under my nails. Her death was brutal and violent. I was desperate, angry and heartbroken. I lost complete control of myself and Duke that night. I don’t regret her death. She deserved it after all the people she hurt and manipulated, but I curse myself for not being smarter. I could have made her remove the curse. But I didn’t know that it wouldn’t die with her. I slam the scotch down on the desk as my frustration spills over. My drink splashes out the side as the glass cracks.
Knock knock knock sounds against the door.
“Come in,” I reply, throwing back the last of my drink and throwing away the broken cup.
“I know what you are going to ask me.” Ingrid walks past David and straight into the room, chin up, staring daggers at me. David was right. She doesn’t seem very happy.
“And what is that?” I rose from my seat, keeping my voice as non threatening as possible.
“You want me to try it, don’t you, you fool?” She continued to glare, but I pretended not to notice. It was considerably harder, considering Duke was upset. He felt like she was challenging him. And an alpha never backs down from a challenge, but we had no reason to harm Ingrid.
“You want me to try to kill you and then bring you back. You don’t want her to see it, and that’s why you have had my mate summon me here in the middle of the night! To go behind her back! I warned you this could break the mate bond. It will destroy her and her wolf. This is a decision you would seriously make selfishly on your own.” She huffed angrily.
“What” David almost shouted in surprise. “Dude, no way, you can’t be serious?”
“No. No,” I denied adamantly. Although I had considered it, Ingrid was right. That wouldn’t be fair to Faith. She should get to be a part of the final decision. It was her future as well as mine.
“But I do want to break this curse. Declan’s squared away now. He’s marking her sister and making Samantha his Luna. I can not tell you how happy I am that he’s finally giving up on my mate. She’s free from him. I want to be free for her, too. I don’t want my past influencing my future in any way. I want to give Faith all that she ever desires, and what if one day that thing is a pup of her own? She’s happy to adopt, I know, and I am too, but she doesn’t know how she will feel 15 years from now. She may regret not having her own pup. I won’t be the one to take that from her. I can’t be. I know she doesn’t want to discuss it, but I do. I have been mulling this over all day. You can’t kill me in a traditional way, like a stabbing or wolfsbane a broken neck etc., you couldn’t guarantee that you would be able to save me after the point of death, there would be too much damage to my body for that, and I need to be dead to break this thing. You have to have some potion or something that can help. Or a spell” I almost recoil at the expression on Ingrid’s face. She was a beauty, but boy, did she look dangerous right now. However, the Alpha in me wouldn’t allow me to back down.
“That is extremely dark magic. I will not stain my soul with it. You have no idea what you are asking. To bring back someone from the dead with magic? The evil that would plague you and I, your entire pack, your entire world is unfathomable. No, I won’t do it.” She seethed.
“David, help me out?” He understood what I meant and placed his hand inside of hers. Her heavy breathing quietened to a normal level, and the darkness left her eyes. His touch was able to calm her down already. That was a good sign.
“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Your right. I don’t understand magic. But please, you have to help me. This is all your daughter's fault. I gave her everything. My mark, my love, my f.ucking virginity all because I believed she was my mate! It should have been Faith, and it makes me sick that it wasn’t, and now I can’t even give her a pup if she wants one.” I wasn’t meant to say all that, I was angry, and it all kind of just slipped out.