Chapter 110

Hannah

I could hear the chanting of the protesters from outside the palace gates. The gamma warriors have been good at keeping them away from our property, but occasionally they will still sneak through. Magnolia was transported to the king’s prison last month, but if she were here, she would be loving it. She was finally getting what she wanted, for the kingdom to view Sebastian as a vicious wolf king. Jack has been nowhere to be found, but I had a feeling he would be making an appearance soon. Once he realizes that the kingdom was going to need a ruler. I’ve been keeping Sebastian locked away in our bedroom for not only his safekeeping but for the safe keeping of everyone else too.

There was no telling what his madness would do. He’s just been in so much pain these last few months. So much so that he could hardly function. Arnold has been taking over his work as he recovered but I wasn’t sure when he would be okay again. Every time I think we would make some sort of breakthrough; he would be in severe pain all over again.

As I was researching, I noticed that his symptoms don’t line up with the symptoms he has with his actual madness. He never once complained that his face was burning on fire and that his scars ached during the full moon. He wouldn’t feel sick to his stomach and vomit everywhere; he doesn’t ‘have a loss of appetite. It only happens on the days his madness isn’t affecting him.

It’s leading me to believe, that there must be something else wrong with him. Something that doesn’t include the madness. I think I know what it is.

“The moonstone scepter,” I told him, folding my arms across my chest. He rolled his eyes before gazing back at me.

“That again?” He asked, sounding annoyed. “I already told you…”

“Obviously the moon goddess is punishing you for having it. It’s causing you to be sick. You need to get rid of it.”

“It’s not the scepter,” he muttered, turning away from me in bed.

“What else could be causing this illness? You aren’t yourself and we can’t keep pretending it’s the madness. It’s not the madness. It’s something else, Sebastian.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” He growled, sitting up in bed and glaring at me. I stood my ground, refusing to show him any kind of fear. “The scepter helps me; it isn’t making me like this.”

“Then explain to me what is,” I demanded, folding my arms across my chest.

“If I knew that I wouldn’t be lying here while you poked around at me like some sort of lab rat!” He hissed; I could see his eyes flashing scarlet for a moment.

I took an unsteady step away from him; he was angry.

“Just calm down, Sebastian,” I said to him, raising my hands in defeat.

He took in a steady breath and his eyes went back to their normal blues.

“We will figure it out,” I said hesitantly, turning away and running from the room. I couldn’t be in there with him right now. I had to get out of here.

I could feel my baby stirring in my stomach. She was big now and so was my stomach. It wouldn’t be long until I give birth to her. She was going to be born into a world with a cruel father and I feared for her. I hated that I was bringing her into this kind of life. I was hoping that I would be able to cure or at least manage his madness by now. But now it seemed like not even my scent was keeping him calm.

I held onto my stomach and allowed tears to wash over my features. I just wanted everything to be okay for our daughter.

“Hannah?”

A familiar voice roamed through my mind from the mindlink. My heart sank into my stomach.

It was Henry.

“Can we talk?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” I said in return, wiping the tears from my eyes as I pressed my back against the wall outside my bedroom door.

“I’ve been watching the news. I can’t stand by and watch while my mate is tormented by this vicious…”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Henry. You have no right to say anything about my marriage,” I growled through the mindlink.

I could feel Nora’s apprehension and I took in a deep breath to calm her.

“It’s not safe for you there,” he complained. “Especially while you are pregnant…”

How did he know I was pregnant? I don’t remember telling him that. A knot formed in my stomach and my breathing grew shaky.

“How did you know that?” I asked in a whisper, trying to keep the nervousness out of my tone.

“Because we are mates. I feel what you feel…” he said to me softly. “Can we please talk? I have to tell you something. It’s about the night Sebastian was found with blood on him…”

…

As soon as Henry said those words, I knew I had to go and see him. Sebastian didn’t tell me anything about that night because he claimed he couldn’t remember. But according to Henry, he saw Sebastian that night and he had something to tell me about it. I managed to get to Herny’s house without any detecting me; I didn’t even tell Sebastian I was leaving. I knew he would try to stop me if he knew where I was going.

As I pulled into Henry’s driveway, he was sitting on his front porch. He was staring down at his hands, and he looked upset. There was a part of me that felt bad for denying him. He was my mate after all, but then there was an even bigger part of me that didn’t trust him and still wanted nothing to do with him. But I was there for Sebastian, and I needed to know what he had to say.

I sat beside him on the porch and sighed.

“What is it, Henry?” I asked, impatiently.

“He came to see me that night,” Henry explained.

I shot him a look; I wasn’t sure if I believed him or not, but I wasn’t having much of a choice at that moment.

“What do you mean he came to see you?” I asked, raising my brows.

“He came over and threatened me; he told me to say away from you because you belonged to him,” Henry explained.

I shuddered at the thought; I didn’t like the feeling of ‘belonging’ to anybody. But I understood that Sebastian was only trying to protect me.

“What happened after that?” I asked, eyeing him carefully. “Did you do something to him?”

Henry looked shocked and a bit hurt at my accusation; he shook his head, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

“No, Hannah. I didn’t do anything to him. He was in all this maddening pain; I was terrified for my life. He shifted into his wolf, and I locked myself in my house. It has a protective shield so he couldn’t get in. But once he turned into his wolf form, he disappeared. I saw the news the next morning and it made a lot of sense.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I said. “Sebastian wouldn’t hurt anyone. I know what the rumors said about his past and I know how it looks, but he isn’t as violent as everyone says. He’s caring and gentle, and…”

“Dangerous,” Henry cut me off. “He’s dangerous, Hannah. He’s going to eventually hurt you and he’s going to hurt your baby if you don’t get out of that mess…”

“Don’t listen to him, Hannah,” Nora complained. “Sebastian would never hurt us. He loves us. Henry is nothing more than a liar.”

“Hannah…” Henry said, cupping my chin in his hands and facing my head to meet his eyes. “As your fated mate, I need you to trust me. He took your fated mate from you. He marked you with force, making it impossible for you to have real happiness with your real mate. But I’m not giving up on you. We can go to the courthouse this afternoon and file for divorce. It’ll be simple and I can get you out of here where he will never find us…”

“No…” I said, standing to my feet quickly. “I can’t leave my husband. I must go back.”

Henry stood as well and grabbed my arm.

“Hannah, please…” he pleaded. “Just think about it. I would hate if anything were to happen to you.”

He didn’t release my arm right away, instead, he pulled me close to him and kissed me.