Chapter 61

Talia PoV

The walk to the park was strange, not because Zade was rude or aggressive like father would have been, but because my little wolf asked a thousand questions and he answered them all without second guessing himself. Honestly, they were questions I should have asked myself.

He told her all about his home, about his mother and his pack. He didn’t want anything to do with the man who raised us, he was only interested in Aria and me.

He was going to help me kill the men responsible for our imprisonment, but he didn’t tell her that part. There are some things that kids shouldn’t know.

“Zade?” Aria whispered, pulling her down to his level. “If you’re really an alpha, where are your warriors?”

He smiled at her, a real smile, my father would never have done that. He never once smiled at her, not in all her years of life. And I don’t think he ever smiled at me either. He was a cruel man, and hatred is all he will ever know.

It’s a shame he’s the way he is, when I was younger I always thought he’d be a good father if he just took a moment to try. That hope faded quickly. When the lash tore my skin from my bones because I looked at him the wrong way.

“My warriors are resting, Aria. They came a long way to get here.” Zade says, his voice soft like silk. “But you can meet them whenever you are ready. None of them will hurt you.”

Aria is silent for a moment before she jumps, pointing to our left. “Look red! It’s the park.” She practically screams.

“It is.” I say, a smile already on my face. “Go ahead and play, we won’t be far behind you.”

Aria nods and runs as fast as she can to the gate surrounding the playground, she barrels through it and heads straight for the slide. It’s been her favourite part since she got over her fear of heights a couple of weeks back.

James and his mate bring her here a lot to play, she’s a little shy with other children, but she’ll happily play with kids her age now.

That’s all I ever wanted for her.

“She’s a bundle of energy.” Zade says, leading me to a bench where we can sit together. “I didn’t expect her to ask for many questions.”

“She’s been through a lot, but she’s never allowed it to change her heart.” I say softly, staring at the little girl is happily die for. “When she’s comfortable, she doesn’t stop talking.”

“Does that mean she’s comfortable with me?” He asks, eyes on the ground. “It’s ok if you don’t think so, I understand that trust takes time to build, especially with abused children.”

Abused children. Those are words I didn’t hear until I came here, back home, beating girls and locking them away was perfectly normal. No woman had freedom, not except for my mother. But even she was on a tight leash. She wasn’t allowed to leave without my father, or her personal guard, and she was never allowed to visit us. It was strictly forbidden.

I often wonder if she would have chosen to be a mother to us if she had the chance, but she was brainwashed to believe that we were worthless. Less than dirt. Nothing.

But that wasn’t true, just because we weren’t boys did not make our worth any less. We matter.

I matter.

“Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I never got us out of there.” I whisper, tears sliding down my cheeks. “I don’t think Aria would have survived there without me.”

“You did what you could to protect her, which is more than I can say for your mother.” Zade growls the last part. “Mothers are supposed to protect their children, not hand them over to be abused.” He takes my hand. “You got away, both of you. That is what matters most.”

“You’re right.” I say and wipe my eyes, “but escaping doesn’t erase the damage he’d caused her. That he’d caused me.”

Aria shouts for us to watch her, and we do, silent for a moment because we both clap at how high she can jump.

“You’re doing amazing little wolf!” I shout, clapping again.

“Do you want him to suffer?” Zade asks me, “do you want me to make him suffer for what he did to you and Aria?”

I shake my head, “all I want is his life.”

“Maybe that isn’t enough.” He replies, taking my hand, “maybe you need to give him a piece of his own medicine.”

I shake my head again. “That is your hatred talking.” I say. “It is enough for him to die, and for me to know that he will never hurt another person.” I sigh. “Mostly that he will never hurt me or Aria again.”

“Ok.” Zade nods, deep in thought. “Because I am going to kill him slowly, I’m going to make him suffer.”

“Won’t that make you just as bad as he is?” I ask, looking over at him. “I don’t want you to lose yourself to that hate.”

“It doesn’t make me as bad.” He says, voice a little confused. “But it does make me cruel, and whilst I never want to be like him, sometimes you have to be cruel to the enemy.”

The enemy.

When did my father become someone, I have to fight against just to survive?

He was supposed to protect and love me, but he did neither. He doesn’t have a bone in his body that can express love.

Zade’s mother did the right thing by taking him away whilst she could, I’d hate to see who he would’ve turned out to be if he were raised by our father.

He’d be cruel, cold, he’d be filled with hatred.

He’d be nothing like the loving, kind man he is now.

Zade squeezes my hand, “don’t be afraid Talia, you won’t have to go anywhere near him during the fight. I’ll make sure of it.”

“I’m not afraid.” I whisper, but it was a lie.

“Tell me what you want, do you want him to suffer like you did?” He asks, pressing closer and lowering his voice, “do you want me to make it harder for him to deny what he did?”

What do I want?

I don’t know.

I guess all I want is to be free from him.

How it happens doesn’t matter to me.

“He needs to die.” I finally say, “I don’t care how it happens, but he needs to die.”