Chapter 242
Jaselyn's POV
Seeing my reluctance, Rion continued, filling the silence with his calm, steady voice. “After the doctor called me and gave me the address where you were being held, I rewarded her handsomely for her help and left Mother to handle the arrangements,” he explained. “You were being held in a small cottage on the mountainside of the Rock Hill Pack. It’s a small pack, just beyond Blue Solstice, one of the colony-like packs that depend on us. I felt so stupid for not realizing how close you were.”
I listened quietly, absorbing his words as he recounted everything that happened after he found out where I was.
“Erik, a few warriors, and I left for the Pack after I sent a message to the Alpha of Rock Hill. He was more than willing to let us search his territory. It didn’t take long before we found the cottage. But when we stormed in, it was empty.” Rion’s jaw clenched, his expression darkening at the memory. “There was blood on the bed sheets, and for a moment, I was terrified that something had happened to you.”
The image of that room flashed through my mind—my blood staining the sheets, the pain, the fear. But it wasn't my blood he had seen, it must have been Zane's after I shot him in the shoulder. I shivered involuntarily, pressing closer to Rion as he continued.
“Erik suggested that whoever took you might have gotten wind of us coming and moved you somewhere else. But I knew that wasn’t the case. Your scent was still fresh in the room, especially on the sheets. There were signs of a struggle. I was sure you hadn’t gone far.”
I could feel the tension in his body as he spoke, the anger and frustration radiating off him. “I trusted Alpha Fredrick,” Rion added. “He wouldn’t betray me. He knows what’s at stake.”
His grip tightened on my hand as he continued. “Erik had the other warriors search the house for clues while he and I went out to search the area. We split up—he went left, and I went right.”
I could hear the strain in his voice, the raw emotion as he relived those moments. “While searching through the forest, I heard your scream. My heart nearly stopped. I ran as fast as I could, following the sound. And then I heard a gunshot.” He paused, his voice thick with emotion. “I thought… I thought you might have been…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but I could hear the fear in his voice, the pain of that moment still fresh in his mind. “I got there just in time to see you firing bullets off the cliff,” he said softly. “I saw you scream in pain, saw that mark on your neck burn off. I caught you before you fell. After you passed out, I carried you to safety.”
He pulled me closer, his voice trembling with a mix of relief and anger. “When I looked down the cliff, I saw Zane’s body impaled on a tree stump. That’s when I realized he was the one who kidnapped you. It all made sense—the attack on the border, the way you were taken… It was all his plan. He knew exactly how to get to you, to hurt you.”
Rion’s eyes darkened with fury, and I could feel his anger simmering just beneath the surface. “Seeing you in that state, knowing what he did to you… I wanted to kill him all over again. I wanted to make him suffer for what he put you through.”
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Erik asked what we should do with Zane’s body, and I told him to leave it. I sent a message to Alpha Fredrick, telling him that if anyone removed Zane’s corpse, they’d have the Blue Solstice Pack to deal with. Let his body rot. Let the birds and the scavengers feast on his remains.”
A shiver ran through me at his words, the finality of them sinking in. Zane was gone. Truly gone. I was free of him, but the fear still lingered, the trauma still fresh.
Rion’s voice softened as he looked down at me, his eyes filled with concern. “When I brought you back, everyone was worried sick. They’re all anxious to see you, but I told them to give you some time.”
I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. “I don’t want to see anyone,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I just… I just want your warmth, Rion. Please, just hold me.”
Without hesitation, Rion lay down beside me, pulling me into his arms. My head rested on his chest, and I could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear. It was comforting, reassuring, a reminder that I wasn’t alone. That I was safe.
I closed my eyes, trying to focus on his warmth, seeking comfort in his scent. I relished his presence, letting it wash away the horrible memories of Zane. I wanted to forget, to erase everything that had happened, but the fear still clung to me, a shadow I couldn’t shake.
Suddenly, the words spilled out of me, a whisper filled with pain and uncertainty. “Rion… would you leave me if I’ve been… defiled and cheapened?”
I felt him stiffen beside me, his hold on me tightening. I didn’t dare look up, afraid of what I might see in his eyes. Afraid of the answer he might give.