Chapter 58 Chapter 58

Chapter 58 Chapter 58
Tara leaned on the doorway as she stared at the emaciated man on the bed. He was covered in cold sweat as he squirmed around in pain, the chains on his hands and legs making noises due to his movements.

His temperature was high, and he was sick, yet he had refused to take anything—not food, not water, not medication.

But as he squirmed around, all that left his mouth was painful moaning of Jeremy's name.

Tara watched him for a while before walking up to him and sitting on the edge beside him.

"Chris," she whispered softly as she trailed her slender hand up his arm. "I think I've lost this fight" her eyes glistening "I want you so bad, but I do not want a shell or a broken version of what you are." She let out a breath as a single tear rolled down her cheek and reached into her pocket to take out a key, which she used to unchain him.

"From today," she said as she let the chains fall to the ground, "I break the shackles that bind me to you, Alpha. You're free"

With that, she walked out. And a few minutes later, a doctor and a nurse walked in, checked his condition, and set up an IV line for him.

A day later, he woke up, feeling weak but alive. When he sat up, he noticed the chains were gone and, ignoring his weakness, immediately sprang into action.

He threw the duvet off, got off the bed in his boxers, and walked towards the closet but found nothing that could fit him. He was going to walk out anyway when Tara walked in, almost colliding with him at the door. She eyed him before throwing them on the bed.

"Freshen up and come downstairs."

Chris looked down at the clothes. It wasn't a mistake that his chains were gone. Tara had something up her sleeve, or so he thought.

He took his bath, dressed in the comfortable sweatpants and sweatshirt, and walked out of the room and down the stairs to see Tara sitting at the head of the dining table.

"Come sit," she commanded as she slowly swirled the wine in her glass.

Chris looked around. The fancy-looking mansion was filled with alpha guards, all high-tier soldiers, and in his current state, Chris knew he wouldn't be able to take down enough of them to escape.

"What are you up to now?" he asked the omega as he took his seat at the far end of the table opposite her.

"Lunch will be ready soon. Let's share a meal."

"I already told you. I'm not eating."

Ignoring him, she waved her chef over, whispered something into his ear, and soon the table was filled with all kinds of food.

"Tara..."

"I'm letting you go, Chris," she sighed. "I just want you to eat before you leave."

Chris scoffed disbelievingly.

"I don't call your bluff."

Tara made a signal, and a bodyguard walked over to him and handed him his passport, travel ticket and some cash.

It was all real.

Chris slowly lifted his head to look at her, waiting to hear the catch.

She sighed as he immediately got up and turned to leave.

"You were right, Chris. The Moon Goddess did make a mistake in pairing us up," she said, making Chris stop in his tracks. "But I don't think she made a mistake with Drey and Jeremy. They are perfect together, and you don't stand a chance of getting in between them."

Chris said nothing for a long while until eventually he said,

"The moon goddess doesn't have a right to determine or even influence our life choices Tara." He turned and gave her one last look. "I pray that you find someone who desires you, someone who deserves you."

With that, he walked out of the house, leaving the omega who sniffled.

"But I loved you even before the Moon Goddess paired us, Chris," she wiped at her face as she ate her food, but the tears kept running down. "Why can't you be the man I deserve?"

She sniffled and continued to eat as a sad song filled the mansion, making the sight sadden even the toughest of hearts.

Chris arrived home two days later, looking beat and tired. Yet once he got into the house, he began to yell Jeremy's name.

"Jeremy!"

He yelled once he opened the door to the house and ran up the stairs to Jeremy's room.

"Jeremy!" he yelled as he walked into the room.
Jeremy had been there recently, but his scent was faint and corrupted by Drey's alpha scent.

"Chris?" Julianna called from the door, and he turned around to face her impatiently.

"Mom, where's Jeremy? He's back, isn't he?"

"Calm down, Chris. Yes, Jeremy came back a week ago, alive and well, and is with his mate now. What happened to you? You look so frail."

"It's nothing, Ma," Chris said as he rushed past her to the place where they kept their car keys and took one only to run out of the house to the car and seconds later he was driving out.

"Aren't you going to ask about your father?" She sighed "Oh, these kids aren't going to kill me," Julianna muttered as she flopped down on her sofa and looked up at the big portrait of Ramsey on the wall.
"What do I do, Ramsey? What do I do?"

Chris arrived at Drey's mansion close to Lihra Lake an hour later after finding out from a maid at Percy's mansion that the household's young master had built his own house and moved out.

He found Jeremy leaning over the rails of the lake, staring at the beautiful carps swimming around like he used to do when he was younger.
Chris suddenly felt déjà vu as he stared at the younger man from behind some trees.

When they were younger, Jeremy would sneak out just to be alone at the lake. He'd spend hours cleaning and tending to flowers until it became one of the most beautiful places in the pack. You could not talk about the Lihra Pack without mentioning Jeremy.
When Jeremy would sneak out, Chris would secretly follow, and every time he watched the younger stare doe-eyed at the fish, flowers, and light reflecting on the water, he'd offer prayers to the Moon Goddess to make Jeremy his.

He slowly walked over to Jeremy, who seemed lost in thought. But when he got so close, Jeremy gasped and turned around, his eyes widening when he saw the alpha there.

"Chris..."

The alpha immediately pulled him into a hug, burying his face in his hair as he sighed in relief.

"God, I'm so glad you're alright, Jeremy. You have no idea how scared I was because I couldn't do anything to help you in that battle or after."

Jeremy stood still, but his eyes was full of relief. Chris was alive and well

"Where have you been?"

Chris swallowed and tightened the hug.

"I got lost. I couldn't find my way back. I'm so sorry for leaving when you needed me."

"No, I'm so glad you're back now" Jeremy sighed but the next minute his face contorts and he shakes the older off and took a step back. He looked up at him, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Chris panicked seeing this and was going to reach out to him when Jeremy slapped him hard.

"Chris, you are a monster. You manipulated everything—my life, Doctor Jenny. You set everything up, didn't you? You watched me live like a rat for years, running from one place to another just to survive. You pushed me into your trap and kidnapped me."

Chris's head dropped, and he sighed defeatedly.
Jeremy really did get back his memories.

"In all the years we lived together, did you ever consider me family, or was I always a figment of your desire?" Jeremy's tears finally rolled down. "Did you ever see me as just your younger brother Chris?"

Chris let his fingers brush through his hair slowly. He sighed and then looked at the younger man, his eyes filled with emotions, especially sadness.

"I did see you as a brother, but the more you grew, that feeling shifted from just taking care of you to wanting to protect you and hold you Jeremy. It couldn't be just brotherly cause I felt a lot Jeremy... I... I... love..."

"Shut up!" Jeremy screamed, taking another step back. "Just shut up Chris!"

"I couldn't stop it, Jeremy. I couldn't stop my feelings from growing until eventually it became an obsession. When you said you wanted to study abroad, I figured it would be my only chance to step up and get you. Doctor Jenny, the entire building—I arranged it so you wouldn't panic more and lose yourself. I'm sorry, Jeremy. Please forgive me."

Jeremy said nothing, his eyes empty.

"Say something, Jeremy."

The omega stepped back again when Chris tried to reach for him.

"Leave, Chris. I'm glad you're safe, but I don't ever want to see you again."

He said and turned around to leave, but Chris ran ahead and held him by the shoulders to keep him from walking away, making Jeremy flip around and shout,

"Let me go, Chris!"

"Hit me, curse me, Jeremy, but please don't walk away from me."

"Let me go, Chris! You're hurting me!" Jeremy yelled, trying his best to fight off the bigger male who was trying to hug him. But Chris was adamant, he didn't like the angry look on Jeremy that was directed at him and so he couldn't take it.

Drey had to pull him off and dealt him a blow before jerking him by his shirt, his eyes burning red with anger.

"How dare you touch my mate?" He asked as he delivered another punch until the alpha was lying powerless on the lake bridge floor. "Don't let me catch you here again," Drey said, and with that, he pulled Jeremy along to the gates of the house and banged the door closed after them.

Chris stared at the sky, lying there for so long he didn't know how much time had passed, he felt so weak which was understandable considering he hadn't had anything to eat for days. But instead of leaving he walked close to the gates and simply sat there.

Jeremy saw this from his bedroom balcony but paid him no attention. But when it got late and he was still lying there like a dead man, Jeremy decided to call his mother.

"Ma."

"Jeremy? You called?"

"Ma, it's Chris. Can you come get him from Lihra Lake? He doesn't look good."

Minutes later, Jeremy watched from his window as the Luna pulled over and rushed over to Chris, trying to get him up, but he had gone completely limp that Drey had to go over and help get him in the car.

Before she got in and drove away, she glanced up at Jeremy on the balcony, an apologetic and sad look on her face before she was driving away.

"Good riddance. First the council of elder and now Chris" Drey said as he walked into the room and sat on the bed while staring at his mate.
"Jeremy?"

The omega turned to the alpha, a tear falling down his cheek.

"Drey, Delrago suddenly feels suffocating. Can we go somewhere else? Probably somewhere far away?"