Chapter 9 You Don’t Own Me
INDIE
Relief seeped through me as I curled deeper into the bed. The ache had dulled, but the fever lingered. And when I'd gone to the bathroom earlier and realized that my period had ended, I'd nearly cried from gratitude.
For the first time in days, I felt... a little calmer.
I pulled the blanket up to my chin, breathing through the dizziness still lingering behind my eyes. Breakfast sat heavy in my stomach, but I'd kept it down. That alone felt like a small victory.
Maybe today wouldn't be so bad. Suddenly, an intense scent hit me. My eyes flew open, my heart skipping a beat.
West.
Cold unease crawled up my spine, raising goosebumps along my arms. My pulse roared in my ears as I sucked in another breath, hoping and praying that I was mistaken.
I wasn't.
I knew that scent the way I knew my own heartbeat. Pines and rain. It didn't belong here. It couldn't. Panic consumed me in full force.
West was in Mooncrest territory.
My breath came out in a shaky gasp, dread sinking in. Zade would kill him without hesitation.
My hands trembled as I shoved the blankets aside, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. The room tilted instantly, black spots dancing at the edges of my vision.
I pushed through it, planting my feet on the floor and forcing myself upright. The weakness protested immediately, my knees threatening to buckle, but fear was stronger than dizziness.
Zade would never allow West into the pack house.
Never.
Which meant—
"The gate," I whispered hoarsely.
My heart lurched painfully against my ribs.
I didn't stop to grab a robe. Didn't stop to steady myself. I rushed into the sitting room, my bare feet slapping softly against the floor as I staggered towards the doors.
Each step sent a wave of nausea through me, but I couldn't slow down.
The thought of West standing at Mooncrest's gate—angry, desperate, and stupidly brave—made my chest ache with dread.
He didn't understand what Zade was. Or what he could do.
I burst out of the Alpha quarters, ignoring the startled looks from passing warriors as I moved down the corridor. Whispers followed in my wake, the air thick with tension and curiosity, but I didn't care.
My only focus was the scent growing stronger with every step.
West was close.
By the time I reached the outer doors, my lungs burned and my head spun. I braced myself against the frame, swallowing hard, forcing my vision to clear.
Please don't let him provoke Zade.
Because if he did—
I didn't know if I could survive letting Lila lose her father like this. He might have been a terrible husband, but he was a great father. She would hate me even more if I—
No. I couldn't let it happen.
I pushed forward, stepping out into the open air, my heart pounding as the sounds of raised voices carried from ahead.
The gate.
I skidded to a stop, a gasp slipping from my throat at the sight of the scene before me.
West was pinned to the ground at the base of the gate, Zade's boot planted on his throat, crushing down mercilessly. Blood smeared West's lips, dripping down his chin and staining the dirt beneath him. His eyes were bulging, red-rimmed, and glassy.
There was not even a spark of defiance.
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.
"Zade!" I screamed.
I ran.
The warriors shouted, someone reached for me, but I twisted free, dropping to my knees beside him. My hands shook as I pushed at Zade's leg, my palms slamming uselessly against his thigh.
"Stop! Zade, stop! Please!" My voice broke, panic tearing through me. "You're killing him!"
Zade didn't even look down at me.
"Don't bother, bunny," he said flatly. "He's already a dead man."
West choked beneath his boot, a wet, rattling sound slipping from his throat.
"No!" I sobbed, grabbing Zade's pant leg now, desperation gripping me. "Please. Please, I'm begging you."
Zade finally looked at me.
Those pitch-black eyes locked onto mine, unreadable and cold.
"I warned him not to cross my territory," he said. "He chose not to listen."
"I'll do anything," I blurted out, the words tumbling out without thought. "Anything you want, just don't kill him."
Zade's gaze sharpened. I'd probably regret this later. But for Lila—
"Anything?" he echoed softly.
My breath hitched but I nodded frantically.
"Yes. Anything."
For a second, he studied me. Then, slowly, he lifted his boot. West coughed hard, sucking in air like it was the first breath he'd taken in years. He rolled onto his side, gagging, blood and spit oozing from his mouth as he clawed weakly at the ground.
Zade stepped back, never taking his eyes off me.
"Indie," West rasped, dragging himself up onto his knees. His voice was wrecked and raw. He reached for me, his eyes full of desperation. "Please. You have to come back with me."
I recoiled, stepping out of reach. Confusion sank into me because suddenly, I couldn't recognize him. The same man who had humiliated and abused me was now begging for my return.
What cruel joke was this?
"I can't," my voice shook as I took another step backwards.
I didn't stop him from being murdered because I wanted him. Was he so delusional that he didn't understand that?
He swallowed hard, blood staining his teeth. "It's Lila."
My stomach dropped.
"She's very sick," he said hoarsely. "She won't eat. She won't wake up half the time. And it's not just her." His hands shook as he braced himself on his knees. "A plague is spreading through Ironfang. Men and women are collapsing. Children too."
My breath caught in my throat.
"It started after you left," he continued, desperation bleeding into his voice. "Everything's falling apart, Indie. The elders think it's connected to you."
I shook my head slowly, dread seeping into my bones.
"No," I whispered. "That's not possible."
West crawled closer. "Please," he begged. "Come back. Even if it's just for a day. They think you're the key."
Zade's presence loomed behind me, heavy, his silence far more dangerous than his violence.
Slowly, I turned.
His gaze was locked on West now, something dark stirring in his eyes.
"A plague," Zade said.
West flinched.
"And you thought," Zade continued, "you'd walk into my territory and demand what belongs to me... because your pack is rotting?"
He took a single step forward. West shrank back instinctively.
"She is still my wife," West rasped, his pleading gaze locked with me. I nearly burst out laughing.
Was he really listening to what he was saying? How dare he try to play smart with me? This was a trap, wasn't it? Lila wasn't sick. There was no plague either! He just wanted me back to torture me! I would never let that happen again! Over my dead body.
"No, West. Your wife is dead. You..." I pointed at him, fury boiling in my chest. "You killed her!"
He lowered his head, his shoulders slumped.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Sorry?!" I roared, my temper fraying. "Sorry is for when you forget a birthday. Sorry is for when you step on someone's foot and don't mean to."
I stalked closer before I could stop myself, pointing straight at him, my hands shaking with rage.
"Sorry is for accidents. For mistakes you make once and never repeat."
My vision burned.
"What you did to me?" I laughed humorlessly. "That wasn't an accident. That was a choice. Every insult. Every bruise. Every time you made me feel small just so you could feel big."
West's shoulders caved in further, his head hanging low.
Tears streamed down my face, but I didn't wipe them away.
"Sorry isn't going to fix this. Sorry won't undo what you broke. And sorry will never bring your wife back."
“For the sake of our daughter—” West started, and I turned away, refusing to listen to any other word he had to say.
“Get lost,” I droned. “Zade, let’s go,” I rasped, my body shaking from the adrenaline.
“Toss him outside my territory,” Zade ordered the warriors. Then he proceeded to follow me back into the pack house, his presence wrapping around me like a soothing balm.
My knees buckled at the entrance of the alpha quarters, and he instantly held onto me, his arm around my waist.
Then he leaned in, his lips brushing my ear.
“Aren’t you curious, bunny? Don’t you want to know what I want from you?” He asked, his deep voice rumbling in my ear.
My legs went weak, the heat in my blood spiking. I turned to meet his gaze, refusing to give in to the desire coiled tight in my belly.
“What? You want to turn me into your personal whore?” I demanded, breathless.
He stared at me for a moment. Then he chuckled. “How I love that mouth of yours.”
Rain whimpered as my heat suddenly worsened. Zade was holding back, I could tell. And the sluttiest part of me that was hidden deeply didn’t like that.
“You don’t own me,” I spat, and he slammed me against the wall, his expression stony.
“Were you ever going to say it? Or are you really that ashamed of the fact that we’re mates?” He asked, and I froze.
Shit.