Chapter 3 A Shocking Surprise
INDIE
I stared at the screen of my phone, my vision blurring in and out of focus as I stared at Zade's name. With one tap, I would hear his voice again. And he would come to me right away. I sniffled, my chest tightening at the thought of him. West had locked me up again in the storage room despite rejecting me. Just what did he want from me?
Was this really okay? Wouldn't getting my stepbrother involved confirm what I've been accused of?
Besides, West was the kind of man who played dirty. What if he harms Zade because of me?
No. I needed survive. It didn't matter how. Instantly, I tapped his name, my heart beating wildly in my chest as I waited for him to pick up.
"Bunny?"
Emotions exploded in my chest at the sound of his baritone voice, fresh tears instantly clouding my vision.
"Z-Zade," I croaked.
He sucked in a sharp breath and I squeezed my eyes shut.
"You're crying."
They were only two words but I could sense the unadulterated fury behind them.
"Who do I have to kill?" He said slowly. That's the thing about my stepbrother. He never yells. Ever. And somehow that is even scarier.
"Can you come get—"
The door jerked open and West stormed in, slapping the phone out of my hand. He crushed it with his foot without a second thought.
Then he slapped me across the face, hard. I gritted my teeth against the pain, refusing to let out a sound.
"You sly wench. You really think your lover can get you out of here. Dream on! If you think I'd let you run away after poisoning my pack, you're deceiving yourself!"
My eyes went wide.
"P-poison? I didn't—"
"Shut up!" He roared. "Eight people are in crisis because of your so-called healing potion. Just how long have you been planning to destroy this pack?"
I shook my head in disbelief. It can't be. I meticulously put all of my effort into healing others. Why would I do such a thing?
"You will clean up your own mess, Indigo. There is no escape for you," he growled.
Then he turned away from me. I grabbed at his ankle to stop him from leaving.
“Let me see my daughter!” I cried out, and he yanked his leg free, his features twisted in disdain.
“What? So that you can taint her too? You disgust me,” he spat and stormed off, slamming the door shut behind him. I flinched, curling into myself.
I stared at the wall, shivering from all of the abuse and torment my body had been subjected to.
“It hurts,” I croaked, my eyelids slipping close.
“I know, bunny. You can’t fall asleep.” Zade’s voice reached my ears, and I forced my eyes open. But I was all alone. I guess I was desperate. So much that I was hallucinating.
How had I become so pathetic? Was I ever going to escape this place?
The Ironfang pack was strategic about security. It was impossible to sneak in or out without alerting the warriors.
'That man deserves to die,' Rain, my wolf, said as I wiped at my tears.
'He's still Lila's father,' I pointed out, weariness sinking deep into my soul.
Rain's grief bled into mine, my lungs feeling like they were filled with ice water.
…
The door jerked open after what felt like an eternity. And there stood West in a black suit, shirt and tie.
He stared at me in silence for a moment. Then he sighed.
“Get up,” he said, and I struggled to a sitting position, terribly sore.
“Did you not hear me?” He demanded, and I grunted, reaching for the wall to push myself up. My knees buckled, and he grabbed me to steady me, our gazes locking.
“What do you want?” I rasped, swallowing past the lump in my throat.
“Tonight is the red moon ceremony. An important guest will be visiting tonight,” he said.
I stared at him, blankly. I was unsure of why he was telling me this. The ceremony was usually done to appease the goddess of fertility and prosperity. Sometimes other neighbouring packs visited during the event.
“What do you want?” I repeated.
He pursed his lips for a moment.
“I want you to attend the ceremony as my Luna for the last time.”
For the last time? Why?
“Won’t you be embarrassed and ashamed in front of your pack?” I asked, and his grip on my hand tightened.
“Just do as I say. Now go and wash up.”
Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I limped away from him. I could feel his gaze lingering on me until I was out of his sight.
I proceeded to take a shower, the hot water soothing my agony. I had just stepped out of the bathroom when I heard a knock on the door. I flinched, tightening my grip on my towel. West had made sure we started sleeping in separate rooms ever since his mother's influence began. He rarely ever came here.
"Open up, Indigo," he said.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat. I limped over to open the door, afraid that he would break it down.
Casually, he held out a large bag to me.
"W-what—"
His blue eyes met mine, and for a second they softened.
"Take it," he said.
With shaky hands, I took it. But before I could turn away, his hand gripped my wrist.
He opened the door wider, stepping into the room. My heart pounded faster, my throat going dry. Was he going to hit me again—
My thoughts trailed off as he cupped my cheek with one hand, still gazing deep into my eyes. Gently, he brushed my hair away from my face, his touch tender. Tears welled up in my eyes as I was hit by a ton of flashbacks.
"You made me hurt you, Indie. You turned me into this," he said softly, and a tear rolled down my cheek.
He wiped it away carefully.
"I miss you," I croaked, and pain flashed in his eyes.
"I miss the man who used to sing me to sleep. I miss the man who used to laugh with me, the man who panicked whenever I felt the slightest pain. But I can see it now. He's a ghost."
A muscle ticked in his jaw, his hand drifting from my face down to my neck, his thumb grazing his mark on my neck. He said nothing for a moment.
"Wear the dress and the shoes," he simply said and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
I stared at the door. Then I let out a humorless laugh.
"How convenient," I muttered, opening the bag. I stared at the plain yellow turtlenecked ankle-length dress in disgust. Then I took out the yellow kitten heels in the bag and let out a deranged laugh. It wasn't even my size. It was clear that he didn't purchase it himself.
Whoever this guest was, he seemed to be important enough for him to bring these pathetic items to me. If he thought I was going to wear them, he was in for a shocking surprise.
When the guest arrived later that night, I sensed it. The omegas were all working tirelessly, running here and there. So, I took my bath and got dressed. I chose a red mini dress with a plunging neckline.
Then I slipped on my largest hoop earrings and pulled my hair up into a high ponytail. By the time I was staring at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't recognize it. I tried not to cry and ruin my makeup because I couldn't remember how it used to feel to look like that.
Slipping on my six-inch heels, I headed for West's study, where I knew the visitor would be. Then, I knocked on the door.
"It's me, Alpha," I said, and then he responded.
"Come in, sweetheart."
My stomach tightened. Sweetheart? West hadn't called me that in so long. Just who was this guest?
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked in. My knees nearly buckled at the sight of the familiar face in West’s study. A face imprinted in the back of my mind. Shocking violet eyes and nape-length black hair that curled against his collar and messily fell into his left eye. Elegant nose and a killer jawline. And perfect kissable lips.
"Zade," I gasped, suddenly unable to breathe as he rose to his feet, towering above me.
"Bunny."