Cheryl’s POV
My heart is pounding and I can tell from the equipment that I am hooked up to, that my heart rate is high. I heard Raven’s calm voice say, “It is Ok Cheryl. You are not in trouble. The council is not here to punish you, we just need to talk. I put my number into your phone. Along with Brandon’s, and Justin’s cell numbers too. You have been under too much stress, and you have got to calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you, you are safe here. You were only wanted for questioning, not to be put to death. They were always just after Graham, and Reagan. They were the ones who were going to be in trouble”. My heart rate dropped some and I grabbed my phone to text Raven, “Thank you for telling me that. But I had to do something today to get free of my pack. I will have to be punished for that. But I had to get Kevin to freedom. Thank you for taking care of him.”
They were in kind of a V formation behind Raven so they could all read the texts at the same time. Raven nodded at me and said, “We will ask questions, and you can text your answers, OK?” I nodded and Cole immediately asked me, “Do you know where Graham and Reagan are?”
“Yes, I was Luna for Black Moon pack, Graham, Cassandra, and my parents were all there” I texted them back.
“But not Reagan?” Cole asked with a frown. I shook my head no, and texted back, “She drugged my mate to do him like she did Justin. Blake was furious and wanted to kill her, but instead sold her to his cousin at Blood Tracker, as a breeder. Graham didn't want her to die, so he begged for her life to be spared.”
I blushed a little at it, as that was the worst thing that we had thought of doing to her, and it was a very bad punishment. Plus that was going to bring back some bad memories for Justin too. Just as expected their reaction was complete shock at hearing about Reagan's punishment.
“Those were two of the 5 packs we were watching, Cole” the council member stated, and it was my turn to be shocked. I had no idea that they even suspected where we were. We all thought that we were completely off their radar.
“Sounds like she didn’t learn her lesson after all, and was taught a hard one from it,” Justin said in an angry tone. I am sure remembering what she had done to him, was a very bad memory. I nodded at him, and he suddenly smiled and said, “Did you and Blake come up with it?” I nodded and send the text, “Blake wanted to kill her for it, but Graham paid him a quarter of a million dollars not to kill her. So she lived, but some of our men, who didn’t like her kind of set her up. So between jealous she-wolves and a Delta with an agenda, Reagan got hurt. She was pretty badly hurt, actually. I felt very bad for her, as I didn’t know any of that was going to happen to her when she went there. She has a chosen mate there now, Clive. She is a warrior and learned to fight after her incident. She has had 12 children now. Four for Alpha Aaron, three for his Beta whose chosen mate could not bear pups, and the rest for Clive her chosen mate who have a total of five pups. She is happy right now, Clive loves her”.
It was a long text, but no one spoke while they waited for me to respond. I saw Raven’s surprised look, as she probably couldn’t believe that Reagan was a mother, especially to so many pups. I felt I needed to send another as they were still reading the last text I sent. “She is a surprisingly good mother. As I said, she has changed. I guess her almost being killed by two crazy she-wolves, can do that to you.”
I see an even bigger response from that text. I cannot hold my tongue anymore. I have to admit to what I did, and I started texting again. “I have a confession to make. In order to be able to escape, I killed three Black Moon pack members earlier today.”
I hit send and held my breath, I can see the shock that was all over their faces. Brandon was the first to speak. "I believe that you are under too much stress, we can talk later, Cheryl. You need to stay calm, that doctor was very clear on this fact". It was almost like he was trying to give me an out. But I cannot take it. I needed them to know, and I need to apologize to Raven. She has been so sweet to my boy, and I knew that they will be taking good care of him. He had a shower, new clothes, a meal, and a haircut all in I am guessing a short amount of time. I will start there.
“How long was I out?” I asked.
“About 3 and a half hours,” Raven told me. That was a little bit of time, so it is still the same day.
“I am very sorry, Raven. I had to do it, and I believe that the Goddess had let her know that she was to play a part in it. If there was any other way, I would not have done it.” I texted her, and I see another frown. I was evasive, but I needed them to know that I was really sorry for what I had to do.
“I was not allowed to leave the pack. Blake was terrified I would escape, and Graham had spent the last several years working to get my relationship to break. He wanted to hurt Blake and me for Reagan being made a breeder, and for the attack on her at Blood Tracker. He blamed Blake and me, for both incidents. He told me since I hurt his child he was going to hurt mine.” I texted them.
“Kevin?” Brandon asked and I nodded. “Is he your only child?” Brandon asked me and I shook my head no.
“Graham got Blake to think that I had cheated on him, with Brandon. He got Blake all worked up in anger and jealousy and got him to tell the whole pack that Kevin was not his. He spent years emotionally abusing me trying to get me to admit that I had cheated on him. I have 4 pups. Forest is our oldest, then Kevin, then Robert, and then Casey our only girl who is out youngest at 10 years old” I texted them, and this should be a good show. I can see the moment that Brandon and Rave saw what I texted. They couldn’t believe it either.
“But he never felt the pain of it, is he stupid?” Justin was finally the one to ask. If I didn’t have a tube down my throat, I would probably have laughed.
“Clearly he is. I never left the pack, especially in the first 5 years. It is a known fact. We had no trespassers so it was impossible for it to have happened. But Blake was jealous and irrational. He didn’t like any of the male wolves to even brush past me. Graham told him that I was a liar and a cheater and that nothing that I said could be believed. My boys look just alike, only Kevin had my coloring. Blake was so blinded by anger and jealousy that he believe it all. He told the whole pack I cheated, and that Kevin was not his son. We have been ostracized completely for the last 4 years” I texted them back.
“I had Graham recorded as he admitted to his whole plan, what he had done, and what his plan fully was. But I never got to play it for Blake as he would react violently when we argued. I was scared that he would destroy the evidence and make a plan to escape. I knew the end was near as he got Blake to do something that I never thought he would do. He started cheating on me with several of the she-wolves in the pack about 6 months ago. Even though he knew it was my bottom line. I could come back from anything but that. But your dad had already warned me that he would get Blake to do it, years before he did. I never thought Blake would ever hurt me so much. All in an effort to “break” me. Blake insisted that as long as I apologized to him that he would keep me, but Kevin had to come and live with his dad” I sent out the next text as they were reading the last one. It was silent in the room, and I knew that they felt bad for what Kevin and I had to endure at Black Moon.
“I am so sorry for what you went through. I have felt that pain, it is excruciating and memorable. I am sorry that Graham is still an evil bastard, and I promise you that I will be taking care of him personally” Cole said to me. I felt his concern for me, as that has been my life for the last 6 months. “Thank you” I texted back.
“I have felt it as well, and dad isn’t lying, it is the worst pain that I have ever felt. Just like childbirth, but not as long as childbirth” Raven said, and I nodded. It is very similar.
“Was that the end of Graham’s plan? Because knowing him, it can’t be, or you would have left when the cheating started” Cole said, and he is sharp. He got it quickly. I nodded no to his question and started typing again.
“His end game was to have my oldest, Forest, kill Kevin in a fit of anger. Blake loves Forest, and would not have punished him for it. He really believe that Kevin was not his son, no matter what I said. Don’t worry, he knows now, or will soon. I left a DNA test with him, so he would know. I also had Kevin send all the things that I had saved as drafts to him while I was driving away, as well as the video recording of Graham admitting his whole plan. I made sure Blake knew when it happened as I filmed the time and date on my laptop before I put my phone down to record our conversation. Blake is probably now aware of what a piece of shit Graham is now. Blake has a vicious temper. I am pretty sure that Graham is locked up now. I just wish it has never happened. Kevin left my phone on the side of the road across the street from the entrance to Black Moon. I was not going to take a chance on him tracing me with it. He knew I was going to leave him after the Reagan incident. But he has always been swift with punishment. I am sure that he knows just how big of an idiot he is now” I texted them. They all silently read the question and then Brandon looked up.
“If he is that possessive and controlling how did you escape?” he asked the burning question and the tears start falling again as I told them what I did to get us free.
“I always had warriors with us when I gave driving lessons to Kevin. The night before we escaped he slept with his #1 girl who was a warrior and had asked at dinner to come with us. I refused, the car was full. I had my plan in place and I wasn’t going to deviate from it. I had stopped ordering so many of our regular extras, the dry goods, for the pack. So I could funnel some money for us to be able to run away. I was always ahead so no one noticed, as we still had plenty, we just worked out of my stockpile, instead of the new stuff. She slept with Blake and he told me when he came to our bed, that she was coming with us the next morning. We had a fight, but I will not lie. Shooting her was not hard for me to do. The other two were” I texted them. This is it. No coming back from it. While they read what I typed I continued typing my confession.
“My mom and Cassandra had come with us. We were only 5 miles from the pack and I didn’t have time for us to fight both warriors. I was weak, and I wasn’t going to be able to do it, and I couldn’t take the risk of Kevin getting hurt fighting with the male warrior. I took Blakes's gun the night before I left. I knew he was busy with her, I could feel it. I used my keys to get into his office, and into his locked drawer. I feel horrible that I had to kill an innocent warrior and Cassandra, but Graham had put me through hell for the last 7 years. He didn’t care what he did to who, as long as his bottom line was not touched. I am so very sorry Raven. I am. She didn’t deserve it, she deserved better than Graham. But he needed to feel the same pain that he has caused so many others with his vicious plans. Cole, I am sorry to you as well” I was crying as I was typing and took a deep breath before I hit send. It was all done now.
I watched the shock come over their faces as they read what I had sent them. I wanted to get ahead of it, so I started typing again. I wanted to give Raven some peace, and Cole as well. I know it had to have hurt them both to see what I had done. I saw the tears in Raven’s eyes as she realized that Cassandra was gone. I felt the tears sliding down my face, but I didn’t wipe them off. I was sorry and I wanted her to see how sorry I was. "I could have driven off, left her there on the side of the road with mom. But that would have left Graham off, scot-free. He would have received no punishment at all for all his heinous acts. I needed him to hurt like I did. He set this all in motion. His need for vengeance over anything else. I needed him to lose his mate too, to know how I felt when he took mine away. When he forced him to betray and abuse me with his actions. I will never be the same, why should he? I may not have been thinking clearly at the time. He had slept with Kara the night before, and then again right before we left the pack for the driving lesson. He showed me over and over how little I mattered to him, just following Graham's instructions to the letter. Never allowing me to leave. Forcing me to stay, be tormented by the pack, and feel the pain from his sleeping with others. I wanted him to realize that his actions were the direct reason that he lost his mate too. I hope the Goddess punishes him in this life, and the next.” I texted Raven.
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Cheryl. I knew you were trapped, you had no choice but to do what you could to try to escape your situation. I know very well how Graham is. She stood by him in allowed him to have me tormented and abused on a daily basis. I was almost killed by Reagan. They never punished anyone. I am more sad that I couldn’t ask her why she allowed him to do that to me. I was just a child. She never once stopped him or protected me. I am sadder at the missed opportunity to get some closure than I am about her death. She was never once a mother to me. I have no fond or sweet memories of her. Only the abuse and watching her stand with Graham, and have no concern at all for me. She always backed him, and I didn't matter to her, at all. I have a mother. Her name is Olivia. She has been the one there for me from the moment I met her. I only wish that she could have been my mother from the start, not Cassandra. Cassandra was Reagan’s mother, and I accepted that fact a long time ago” Raven said, and I can hear the pain in her voice. I can also hear the truth in it too. She only wanted some closure, and I realized that I could give that to her. I started typing quickly again.
“Two months back, I spoke to Cassandra. It was our first real conversation actually. Blake was cheating on me at that moment, and I was in a lot of pain. She told me a lot that day. She stopped because she knew what was happening to me. I had never spoken to her like that ever before. She told me how Graham cheated on her, and her dealing with the same pain throughout their relationship. How she was angry with him for a long time for his betrayal but eventually forgave him. How she told me that I could choose to do that as well after Blake proved to me that he could be the man he once was. She made Graham wait for over 20 years to atone for his mistakes. But this is the weirdest part. She knew. She knew what was going to happen. She knew that for me to escape. I had to kill the guards. She knew that to get Graham back, I was going to be killing her too. It was like the Goddess showed her exactly what was going to happen. She told me that I was going to have to make tough choices soon. No one knew we were leaving. It was just me. I hadn’t even told Kevin yet. I just told him two days ago so he would be ready to go, and know his pain was almost at an end” I sent the text to them, and immediately started typing again.
“I know it sounds crazy. I know it does, but she was so calm and matter-of-fact when she spoke to me. She was in a good place and told me that she only had two things that she regrets in her life. That is what she did to you two. She said she was a young and spoiled girl and Graham promised her the moon. She made the wrong decision, and she said that rejecting you and not defending Raven, were the biggest mistakes of her life. Those were the two biggest regrets in her life. She made mistakes, she acknowledged that. She said that she wouldn’t be able to tell you how sorry she truly was, and thought that you two would never believe her even if she did. But it was the craziest thing for her to approach me and say all that, and then encourage me to make the hard choice. There was no way that she could have known what I had planned. I was very careful, I have to believe that the Goddess let her know what was going to happen. Still knowing that, she asked to come with us anyway. Even knowing that she would not be returning from it. What I did was hard. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life. My heart is hurting over my actions. I am not a violent person. But after I shot Kara and the warrior, Cassandra had time to try to argue with me. Try to reason with me. But she said nothing. It was like she knew that for Graham to finally pay for his actions, she had to die. If she had spoken or said anything to me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it, and Graham would have dodged his punishment. No one facing the threat of being shot doesn’t try to reason with the person behind the trigger. She didn’t, she knew what Graham had done to us, and I bet she knew his plans for my son. She seemed to be at peace, despite how crazy I am sounding to you” I sent out the text. I know that they are going to think that I was completely crazy. I was there, and it didn’t make sense to me.
Only the sound of breathing was heard in the room. No one spoke. I knew they were going to think I had lost it. I guess instead of a cell, I will get a nicely padded room. They had all stopped after reading the last text and were looking at each other with stunned expressions on their faces. They don’t believe me, I knew they wouldn’t. They seemed shocked by what I had just alleged, but I was not lying to them. I felt I needed to send out one more text.
“I swear to each of you, that I am not crazy. I swear she knew it, without me telling her. I never mentioned it to anyone. I tried to make it as painless for her as I could. I told her I was sorry to do it to her. I am sorry for any pain that I have caused you.” I hit send and watched them check her phone again.
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