CHAPTER 24

**ABBY POV.**

“WHAT?!” Demanded alpha Marius and Marcus at the same time as gasps filled the room from the guards. I stood there, dumbstruck and in shock. This couldn’t be true! I thought to myself but at the same time I felt it to be true. Something inside me knew that my mother was telling the truth. “No!” The small word left my lips as I felt myself starting to shake. It must be the shock because I can feel the weight of the truth weigh down on my shoulders. “I… No!” I stuttered as I turned to look at Marcus. He stood there in shock as he stared at my mother until his eyes came to meet mine but he didn’t speak. I didn’t like the way he looked at me… like he was suddenly afraid of me, but at least he didn’t let go of my waist.

“That’s not possible!” Said Marcus’s father as he marched to the cells angrily but I could also see fear in his eyes. ”You are lying!” he said and pointed at my mother. “Alpha Donavan killed his destoned mate to take a chosen mate and you are very much alive!” He sneered and my eyes sought out my mom’s again. That was right. That is what the alpha said before we came down here. My mother shook her head and the alpha slowly dropped his pointed finger from her.

“He wanted to… but he gave me a choice.” She said and more tears ran over her cheeks as her husband comforted her. “When I told him I was pregnant, he nearly killed me.” She said sobbing now and my heart broke for her. “He told me that if I didn’t… abort, then he would finish the job.” She said and wiped furiously at her face. “So, I left the pack and ran away.” She said and looked up at the man that I have known all my life as a father. She smiled up at him. The love that shone in her teary eyes nearly broke my heart again.

“That was when I ran into William.” She spoke and my dad snorted in good humour. “You mean that was when I ran you over?” I said playfully and my mother gave a short laugh. Dad looked at me. “I nearly ran off the road when a huge wolf suddenly ran into the road and I hit it with my car.” He said and I looked wide eyed at them. “James was asleep in the back seat and woke up at the commotion. I told him to wait in the car as I got out and imagine my surprise when I got out only to see the animal that I hit, start to turn into a beautiful young woman.” He said and smiled down at my mom. “For some reason, I knew I couldn’t take her to the hospital… so, I took off my jacket, covered her and put her in the back seat with James and we took her home.” He said and dropped a kiss on my mother’s forehead. “Since then, I didn’t look back and I don’t regret one thing.” He spoke and more tears ran down my mother’s face. “Not even if it will mean that you are going to die?” She asked and this seemed to shake me out of my shock as my dad shook his head in the negative. “No one is dying!” I said, interrupting their moment. I didn’t even realise it, but I had tears on my face as well and I quickly wiped it off my cheeks as I stomped past alpha Marcus, towards the guard and stretched my hand out to him. He looked at me in shock and took a step back.

“Give me the keys to their cell!” I said and his eyes darted to his alpha but a growl escaped my throat, shocking everyone in the room. “NOW!” I demanded, making him jump in fright at my tone and he quickly handed the them over. Everyone watched as I marched over to my parent’s cell and fiddled with the keys to unlock their door.

I unlocked the door and immediately I hugged both of my parents. They tightly hugged me back. “Come on, we are leaving.” I said as I turned to Marcus. He still had not spoken a word since he found out who my real father was and fear gripped at my heart that he was going to turn on me too, just like his father apparently did.

Our eyes locked for a moment and in those few seconds, something passed between us and decisions were made and I breathed a sigh of relief when Marcus nodded at me and turned towards his father. “We are leaving.” He said and I swear alpha Marius turned even whiter. “What? No, you can’t.” His father said but Marius straightened his back and took my hand in his and pulled me to his side, with my parents coming to stand behind us. “Yes, we can and we are.” Marius spoke with determination and started walking with my parents following.

The alpha grabbed his son by the arm when we passed him, turning us around with our backs to the basement door. “Are you out of your mind, boy?!” His father chastised in anger and fear. “He will kill all of us for this!” He said and Marcus shoved his father’s hand of his arm. “Then you should have kept quiet about all of this!” Marcus snapped back and the alpha’s mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish out of water. “I am getting Abby and her parent out of here while there is still time.” Marcus said. I knew what this meant to him and how much this must hurt him to go against his father. We were about to turn away from his father when I saw the alpha’s eyes widen in fear as he looked behind us and a sharp intake of a gasp from my mother made my heart sink to my shoes…

“No one is leaving! At least not alive, that is.” said a calm but cold voice, raising the hairs at the back of my neck.