Chapter 84

Helen POV

I backed up further against the far wall, watching the Alpha King every carefully. “What—What are you talking about?”

He snickered a waved a hand in the air, as though in dismissal of my concern. “Relax, Luna, I’ve got it all figured out. I can’t possibly kill me son! What kind of Alpha King would I be? But his own mate, defying the bond and killing her Lycan mate—that is very news worthy.”

“I would never!”

He shrugged. “You have no choice.”

I could see movement behind him, a force that wasn’t a wolfen that I could recognize. His scent was strange but also familiar in some ways. I watched him approach the bars, one hand stretched through and into the cell.

His fingertips burned bright yellow as they casted out in my direction.

My throat felt like it was being pinched, my lungs burning straight fire as I was forced to stand, pressed against the wall like I had been chocked. There was no one in the cell near me, though.

What was he doing to me and how was he doing it?!

The man flicked his wrist sideways, my chest pressed against he wall while my wrists, one of them still fractured in pain, crossed behind my hips on command.

“Ah!” I screamed, not in control of my own body anymore. I panted to breathe, crumbling as the unforeseen power had me pinned against the wall. “STOP IT!”

The cell unlocked and Juden approached, leaning on the wall where I was pinned without a single hand on me. He reached forward, brushing his knuckles along the bloody streak on my cheek.

“I really love wizards,” he said through sinister smirk. “They do whatever I want, without even having to lift a finger. I could tell him to do anything I want with you, Helen. Anything at all.”

I collapsed to my knees, forced to do so under the overwhelming sensation of power through my body. My hands stayed pinned behind my back, no matter how much I fought them.

The Alpha King purred a noise of pleasure, tipping my chin up effort with a single finger while I struggled to break the power consuming me.

“You better be glad I’m somewhat merciful, Helen. I could do some despicable things to you in this position,” he snarled, staring at me naked on my knees before him. I winced at the thought but the power held onto me tighter, choking me. “We will save it all for the big event, though.”

“What—event—” I fought out of my lips. I inhaled, wheezing while spots lined my eyes.

This traitor of a wizard was going to suffocate me to death!

He leaned forward, speaking practically against my bloody forehead. “I’m going to use my new power and have you displayed for the world to see, just in perfect camera view, where everyone will watch you kill the Last Lycan.”

“NO!”

He cocked his palm back, striking me at once. The power over my frame kept me still and I spit out a strain of spit and blood, unwavering from my place as the Alpha King slapped me again, just to laugh at how I couldn’t even fall over.

“This is too perfect,” he laughed, looking toward the wizard.

I peered sideways, unable to move my head but plenty capable of glaring sideways. He grinned in a pleased manner, snapping his fingers as the light from his fingertips glowed brighter.

My body went flying, slamming into the furthest wall where my spine cracked, my shoulder blades sore and crooked as I writhed against the ground in agony.

“Dammit,” I panted, the pressure finally off my lungs but that meant I could feel all the pain as I failed to sit up, laying worthlessly on the cold, grimy floor at the Alpha King’s every whim. “You’re going to die for this.”

Juden barked a laugh. “Oh really? Kind of like you and your Lycan did to Scott?!”

He charged forward, slamming a kick into my jaw. I rolled over, spitting out the hot, irony blood while I recoiled from him. He stood over me, somewhere I knew he loved to be.

“You killed my best little aggressor against my son, but that’s fine, I think with my new friend the wizard, I won’t have to worry about that happening again.”

“Scott deserved to die,” I snapped.

“So. Do. You.”

He reeled back, kicking me relentlessly. The power came back over my body, forcing me to take most of the brunt of his kicks and punches in the ribs and face. I knew it was going to be severe if I got caught, but I didn’t know I would be restrained from not fighting back.

Juden finally exhausted himself, kneeling beside me while he caught his breath. he slid his palm over my bloody, broken face. He grabbed a chunk of my hair, positioning me just right so I could see him, no matter my heavy sobs.

“I will not be beat by my monster of a son, or his pathetic, tri-color mate,” Juden spit. He let go of my hair at once, my face hitting the ground in a useless fall. “Let’s go Mateo,” he hummed, waving over his wizard friend. “I think she’s learned the gist of what will happen if she tries to escape me.”

The wizard chuckled, flicking his fingers once.

A shock of agony jolted through my body, like an electric jolt.

“Oh, and how could I forget,” Juden growled, opening the barrack doors to the outside while another warrior returned to lock my cell door. “I brought you some company, poor daughter-in-law.”

I could only see through one eye, catching a glimpse of two familiar faces outside the barracks, sneering a similar look between them in utter hatred.

I croaked, desperate for their help, “Mom? Dad?”

Kelley laughed, hanging onto my father’s arm as they lingered in the doorway, greeting the Alpha King with smiles and false greetings of contentment. They’re angry people, both of them monsters, especially after Justin and I took their entire pack away.

My false mother walked to the cell bars first, my father and Juden happily laughing at my poor, pathetic state on the Alpha King’s floor.

“You killed my last child,” she griped. “Scott was a good wolf, he would have made a great Alpha with Diana! Now they’re both dead because of you!”

“I didn’t—”

“Shut up,” she snapped. She turned quick, finding Mateo near the Alpha King. “Make her suffer, now! She killed my beautiful baby and the next Alpha of our pack! Hurt her!”

A wall of pain strode through my veins, choking my neck until I thought my bones would break. I blinked back horrible, painful tears, rattling all over while I scratched at my neck, trying to force the air back into my body.

My back arched off the floor, my body turning blue and purple from the lack of oxygen.

“You’re only worth living in pain,” Kelley hummed. “When that Lycan atrocity is finally dead, I’m going to make sure you suffer for years until you finally die for what you’ve done to my family.”

I finally inhaled, being dropped of the manipulation hold over my throat. “I thought I was family,” I breathed. “I am—his daughter—I am—pure now—”

“You’re a runt,” my father snapped. “And I’m just glad we finally have a use for you. Killing that Devil will bring my pack back to me. You should be glad I even want anything to do with you anymore after killing my son, Scott. He would have made a better child than you would have.”

“Dad,” I panted, my body creaking as I felt death creeping up into my system. “Please, dad. I just—wanted to—be loved.”

Kelley laughed so hard that I carried through the barracks right as I was passing out for good. “Oh, Helen, no one could love you. And after you kill your mate, no one will love you ever again.”

Darkness greeted me with open arms.