Chapter 51 Cures and Soulmates

Chapter 51 Jagged Scar

~Anna~

I opened my eyes to meet an unfamiliar ceiling.

How many more times must I wake up to this?

I could already tell from the colors around the room and the layout that this was neither back at the Red Claw Pack nor the White Lake Pack.

We were well on our way, with me crying on the backseat like a baby when from out of nowhere, wolves attacked.

Before I knew how to react, the car swerved out of the track, into the woods, before finally crashing into a tree. The impact knocked the air out of me.

Carson was quick on his feet. He hurriedly got out of the car and went to my side to help me, but the door wouldn’t budge so he ripped it out.

The rogues surrounded us. Five of them and two of us. As always, I was the useless one. He told me to stay close behind him, and he did what he could to keep me safe. The last thing I remember was lying on the ground after getting hit in the head, my consciousness seeping out of me, Carson’s bloody face across mine.

He couldn’t have died, right? He was strong. He was Beta. And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might never see him again.

The door opened. I turned to my side. Without having to look, I knew it was an Omega here to bring me breakfast. Two warriors were by the door to ensure I wouldn’t try to escape. I had the curtains drawn – looking at the unfamiliar faces outside further reminded me that I was being held captive. I was no one. What importance I held to them, only they knew.

The Omegas never talked. They merely shook their heads and ran out the door as quickly as they could. I hadn’t given up. I’d get out of here, one way or another. Their Alpha was yet to show his face. I needed answers, but right now, I had to plan.

Once the door was shut, I got out of bed and ate breakfast. The food was decent and so far, none of them tried to do something to me.

Since I had nothing else to do with my time, I tried to practice what Lexy taught me. Apparently, her magic had limitations. She believed my blood was magic, and if I could channel it out of me, I could use it to heal the way she did with Liam.

So far, it wasn’t working. I couldn’t feel the warmth and cold and something about a pull that she talked about.

Pushing thoughts of Carson and Liam out of my head, I peeked out of the curtains to see what the pack was up to.

It didn’t appear to be a huge pack like the Red Claw, and it was smaller than the White Lake Pack.

Whatever this pack was, they weren’t looking to be in good shape. Less than twenty warriors were training by themselves on the front lawn, and most of them looked too young. Again, no one of rank showed up. No Head Gamma, no Beta, and no Alpha.

At least it was livelier during the day. At night, there would be a man out in the open drinking alone. He’d sing some songs I didn’t recognize, and when I listened hard enough, I could make out the sadness in his voice.

Sighing, I moved away from the windows and to the closet. Whoever was keeping me here didn’t think about undergarments – all it had were ankle-length dresses. I didn’t bother with the tight-fitting dresses or those that revealed too much skin. At least most of these hid my scars.

I went to the bathroom and did my business. Staring at my reflection, Liam’s mark stood out, sending a shooting pain at my heart. I shook my head. He was happy now and that was all that mattered. As for me, I had to get out of here.

I froze by the doorway as a man stood in the room. With his back to me, the necklace dangled in the air as he held it by a hand as if expecting it.

“Where did you get this?” he asked, growling. His hair had gray streaks, but he appeared to be fit in the blue suit he wore.

“My father gave it to me,” I replied. I wanted to snatch it from him. He had no business with what belonged to me.

“What’s your father’s name?”

It triggered something in me, and I was suddenly angry.

“I don’t have to tell you. Who are you? What did you do to my friend?”

He chuckled dryly then opened the cap.

“Give it back!”

“Dear, I gave this to your mother,” he said.

My eyes narrowed at him. Did he know my Mother?

“Your Mom and I knew each other since we were young. I loved her dearly.”

Father didn’t talk much about Mother. It always saddened him whenever he talked about her, except on times when he seemed to miss her so much that he’d tell me things.

“You knew my mother?” I asked slowly.

“She’s my wife, my mate, my Luna. I loved her dearly until the day our link broke,” he said, then turned to face me.

I gasped when I saw him. I’d recognize it anywhere – that ugly scar – roughly cut down his left eye. It haunted me for months.

“Hello, Bella.” He smiled at me. “We finally meet.”

Crows- feet lined the corners of his tired eyes. While he looked physically well, his face showed a different story. It seemed like he’d seen all the cruelties this world had to offer, and maybe he had, for his smile felt nothing less than genuine.

“Your mother wanted the name ‘Bella’ for you. She said it was the combination of our names, but I doubt it.”

He laughed lightly after, and I was lost on how to react. He could be lying, but he was the only one who shared this much about her.

My mind cautioned me, this was the man who killed my father and Alpha Fraser. He was the reason I was degraded, but my heart ached to learn more about the woman I killed.

“I don’t know her name,” I replied, the words leaving my mouth before I could stop them.

“Arabella. She said the ‘he was mine, as in Emery,” he said fondly.

Opening his arms, he stepped towards me. I remained frozen on the spot. He wrapped those arms around me. He smelled of aftershave and evergreens and sap. His hug was warm, tight, one long overdue.

“I thought I lost you both,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m sorry, dear. I’m sorry I gave up on you.”

This couldn’t be happening. All my life, all this time, was a lie? My father… was not my father?

“I don’t understand,” I said weakly.

He pulled away from me and held me by my shoulders, leaning to level with me. I kept my eyes down, staring at his polished black shoes.

“I see,” he said softly. “Come. I have something to show you.”

He held my wrist and pulled me out of the room. The guards by the door simply closed the door. Looking around, we were in an empty hallway.

“Where are you taking me?”

He looked back at me and grinned. “You’ll see.”

He took me through turns until we came upon a wooden door.

“Go on,” he said, motioning for me to enter.

I looked at him in hesitation, but I sensed no malice in his eyes. It was strange how I wasn’t scared of him. He made me feel safe like a father did. Was it our bond? Was he really…

I shook my head and opened the door. It was a… library?

“This was her favorite place,” he said as he closed the door behind us.

It had shelves upon shelves of books and more on the second tier. It was bigger than the one back at Liam’s. There was a round table at the center, with books on top of it and one hardbound book opened. Near the tall glass windows was a loveseat, with an unfolded blanket. It felt cozy…

“She loved to read books, any kind of books as much as she loved collecting them. I had this built for her. She always told me you’d grow up here and I’d be searching the entire house for you only to find you here,” he said, laughing.

At the table, to my right, I saw a painting mounted on a wall. It was of a woman. She had pretty brown eyes, a straight nose, and pink lips. Her heart-warming smile sent a jolt of pain in my heart, but I found myself smiling back at her. Long black hair that ended in curls bounced off her shoulders, a contrast to her milky skin.

“Your mother,” he said quietly, confirming my thoughts. “You’re the spitting image of her.”

I shook my head at that. I looked nothing like her. She was… she was really pretty, and I killed her.

“This can’t be happening,” I whispered. “You’re not my Father. She can’t be my mother.”

Pain flashed in his eyes and I almost regretted what I said. “Bella –“

“Don’t call me that! Only Carson can call me Bella!”

Why am I suddenly mad?

He smiled gently at me and I felt guilty.

“Is he your mate? I can see that you’ve been marked.”

My hand immediately went to my mark, but my mouth continued to spit words.

“He’s my friend that your men beat up! Where is he? What did you do to him?”

“Calm down, dear. I understand you’re upset but –“

“Upset?” I repeated, cutting him off.

My voice rose as I screamed my thoughts. “I’m Anna Bella Fiora, daughter of the former Head Gamma of the White Lake Pack, Aiden Fiora. I’m not your daughter and I demand to know where you’re holding my friend hostage!”

“We don’t have him here,” he said quietly. “You’re the mission. You have my word that my men didn’t kill him. We don’t kill unless we have to.”

They left him back there. He – he could still be alive. Carson could still be alive!

“Bella, I understand that this isn’t easy for you to take. We’ve been separated for twenty years,” he said as he took my hand and patted it with his free hand.

The veins at the back of his hand looked painful, bulging from the skin like that. “I will never learn or understand why your mother betrayed me, but I’ve never been this happy in years. You, my daughter, are alive and well, and… and… look at you! You’re all grown up now and you already found your mate and you –“

“You killed my father,” I said icily as I pulled my hand back harshly. “You were the black wolf with that ugly scar who ripped my father’s throat open and killed Alpha Fraser. And you would’ve killed me if they hadn’t sacrificed themselves. You’re not my father. You are a murderer.”

His eyes widened and his eyes avoided me. I knew it.

“I’m going back,” I said as I passed him.

I only have one father and I never knew my mother.

He grabbed my arm, but I yanked it away from him.

“Leave me alone!”

“I have left you alone, Bella!” he roared. “I’ve left you alone for eighteen years thinking you were dead. But you weren’t. I’ve left you alone for two more years, thinking you had gone rogue. You were alive this whole time and now you’re here.”

“I am not your daughter!” I yelled. Why was it so hard for him to understand?

“Do you why I killed this man you call ‘father’?” he asked with a cold calmness as he stepped closer to me. Onyx's black eyes kept me in place.

“Because he took my wife away from me when she was a month away from giving birth. She’s a Luna. You know how dangerous it is for her to carry a child.”

He stopped in front of me, his eyes never leaving mine. It was dangerous, but weren’t those just stories?

It is said that bearing the child of a ranked wolf, especially an Alpha, posed additional risks to their mate. Her spirit is split, as a part of her is imbued unto the child. It was how the Goddess blessed us with our wolves. Just as She was our mother, so did our mothers bless us through birth. Sadly, it required immense energy from them, and it almost always took their lives. It was how Flynn lost his mother; it was how I lost mine.

Tears pricked my eyes, and I was forced to hold them back.

“Did you think you killed her?” he snarled.

Father cared for me a lot and never made me feel that it was my fault Mother was gone. I kept it to myself for even as a child, it was what we were told. Flynn’s mother was a Luna, and I was the Head Gamma’s daughter. However, whenever he spent some nights drinking himself to sleep as he held her necklace, I couldn’t help but feel aversion towards myself for taking my own mother away from us.

“You didn’t,” he whispered then pulled me into a hug.

He stroked my hair lovingly and I sobbed. He was the enemy – he kidnapped me, left Carson to die, killed… but he also felt like someone I’d known for a long time. He whispered sweet nothings in my ear and lifted the guilt off my heart. That it wasn’t my fault. That my Mother loved me. That she wanted me.