Chapter 69 The Unforgiven

~Flynn~

I sighed. “Father, please take your meds.”

He turned on his side with his back to me. After what happened in the Blue Moon Pack, I told him everything, and he hadn’t talked to me since.

His wolf had weakened. He was dying, but he refused to take his medicines and he wouldn’t eat.

The pack healer said he could die at any moment. It wasn’t helping that he was being stubborn. He even refused to look at me now. This must be what Anna felt like all those years. I was paying for what I did to her.

“Father, if you take your meds, I’ll give the Red Claw Pack a call and ask for Anna.”

I could tell he was thinking about it. The last time he spoke to a person was when Anna came to visit him. She left teary-eyed, and I didn’t dare ask her what they talked about. Hopefully, she at least forgave my father for hiding the truth from her.

When they found out that Myron lied, they were risking their alliance with the Red Claw Pack and the Blue Moon Pack. Father and Head Gamma Aiden knew about their real intentions and couldn’t let the pack undergo the same fate as the Black Mist Pack.

Myron was right. It was an awful, awful game. We were all players whether we wanted to be or not, but we could change the course of the game to ensure a better future, where no other child would have to go through what he did, what Anna did, what other children out there did.

No more victims.

Liam kept his promise and convinced Anna to talk to me. We talked in private and I told her all that I kept from her for two long years and more. I asked for forgiveness, for a second chance, to be her friend again, but she wasn’t ready to forgive me just yet and asked me to give her time. Hopefully, the day would come. I’d wait until my last.

“Thank you for letting me talk to her, Alpha,” I said to Liam.

“I gave you my word. But it wouldn’t have worked if she hadn’t agreed. You should be thanking her instead,” he replied.

I held my hand out and for a handshake and he accepted. It was at least a start. Our short truce was over, but there was a mutual understanding between us which was better than a fragile alliance.

I saw Anna over his shoulder walking over to us. There was something different about her now. I suspect it had a lot to do with Liam. I was glad to see she was happier than when she was with my pack.

“Thanks for taking care of her,” I said.

“Don’t worry about her now,” he said. “Congratulations on finding your mate.”

“Right.”

I turned around and opened the door to my car.

“Flynn,” he said as I got in. “Take care of her.”

“I will,” I said then drove away.

Father turned to his back. Then he slowly sat up, took the pills and the glass of water on the nightstand, and washed the pills down with the water. He didn’t look at me.

I forced a smile.

“I’ll let you know how it goes,” I said.

He lied on his back and closed his eyes.

The man that I admired and dreamed of surpassing – even on his deathbed, I was still beneath him. He made mistakes, he had his fair share of sins, but none of them were greater than mine. His impending death loomed on my mind, every corner of the mansion reminding me that I wouldn’t have these moments of outright rejection.

Still, a part of me hoped that he’d at least hug me one more time. Strangely, these brief painful encounters brought about a small comfort – he was still alive.

I quietly left his room, then made my way out where my mate was waiting for me.

It was definitely a surprise. I hadn’t expected the Moon Goddess to bless me with another after what I did. I took it as a second chance – maybe She saw something in me and believed that I was worth a mate.

When Salina and I got talking, I learned that she was in many ways like me. We were fair reflections of one another, and so we felt a deep connection. I’d fallen for her, and now I wish happiness for her. I hope she felt happy around me. She always had this smile only when she was with me, like right now.

“Hello, beautiful,” I said, kissing the top of her head.

She wore comfortable clothes – my sweatpants and my shirt that were too big for her. She smelled like lilacs and sunshine. It suited her.

“Hello, handsome,” she replied, kissing my cheek.

We decided to take things slow – get to know each other more and just be there for each other until we were both ready to fully commit.

Farrell wanted to mark her, claim her as ours. After a long discussion, he gave in.

He actually started talking to me again, and we were repairing our broken relationship. I missed my wolf. My head was lonely without him. Getting him back made me happy beyond belief.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked, looking into her beautiful emerald eyes.

“I’m ready,” she said.

She discussed her plans with me after Liam declared her as the new Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. He could’ve taken whatever he wanted, took over the pack, did anything he wanted. Instead, he left the pack alone and relinquished control to her.

The pack was still recovering from the battle, but her people accepted her as their leader. I couldn’t be prouder. My mate was an Alpha.

The drive to her pack was silent. She fell asleep on the way, allowing me about an hour to admire her beauty. The more I spent time with her, the more I told myself that I didn’t deserve her.

When we reached her pack, she led me down into the dungeons. The smell was atrocious. She didn’t seem to mind.

“Leave us,” she ordered the guard on duty. He left immediately.

I held her hand as we went inside a cell.

“Well, isn’t this nice,” said a hoarse voice. “A visit from the Alpha herself. I’m honored.”

“I thought about forgiving you,” she said. “I thought about it day and night, Daddy. I really did.”

Myron scoffed. He was constantly sedated with wolfsbane – the effect must’ve worn off.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting soft, Salina. Is the Alpha going to pardon this lowly prisoner?” he mocked.

“No,” she said, pulling off a handgun from its holster which was strapped to her right leg. “I can’t, Daddy. I tried, but I really can’t.”

“Don’t cry, sunshine. You should save your tears for the future. When you’re all alone at night and all your sins come to haunt you.”

Her hand shook and she swallowed, hard. “I didn’t want to do them, Daddy. You know I didn’t.”

Myron smirked. “But you did, sunshine. You were a part of it all. You could’ve said ‘no’ but you didn’t. You could’ve defied me, but you didn’t. You could’ve asked for help, but you didn’t.”

“I was afraid of you,” she replied, her voice breaking. “You would’ve killed me.”

“But your conscience would’ve been clean,” he said in a bored tone. “Go on. Convince yourself that you had no choice. Tell yourself that you did it because I told you to. You didn’t want to do any of it?”

He laughed mockingly. “You loved Liam. You were jealous of Sarina. Admit it, sunshine. You wanted to take her place so badly you wanted her dead. Why else would you lead her into the woods, far from the safety of the pack? I almost thought you betrayed me when you gave her the antidote.”

“I couldn’t –“

“That sickening Rose… hypocrite! And that Fraser and Aiden… nothing ever washes the stink of blood, sunshine. You have to kill that bitch.”

My hands balled into fists at what she was calling Anna. My jaw clenched so as not to interfere.

“You are a good girl, Salina.”

“I didn’t know you would kill her! I-“

“A-a-ah… you knew very well.”

“She was pregnant with your granddaughter, Daddy,” Salina cried. “I didn’t think you’d be so heartless as to kill her.”

His lips curved into a frown. “Ah… well, the sacrifices we make… for the sake of a better world.”

“You did it for you, Daddy,” she whispered. “Was Mommy Julia a sacrifice too? I thought you loved her. She accepted Sarina and me – we saw her as our mother.”

“Julia…” he drawled. “Sweet innocent Julia. It was for her own sake, sunshine. She didn’t understand my dreams. She would’ve betrayed me given the chance. Just like how you betrayed me… like how that bastard Myron betrayed me. Haha! Did he kill my men to protect your mate’s Beta? Ha-ha! Hypocrites! Who would’ve thought his daughter was Rose’s Luna, huh?”

Salina placed a hand over her mouth, her handshaking.

“You’re different, sunshine. Unlike our innocent Sarina, you’re more like me. You’re Daddy’s good little girl.”

“Don’t call me that,” she spat. “You’re an evil man.”

“It doesn’t matter now, sunshine. Pull the trigger if you think it’ll help you sleep. The deed is done. Seducing Liam, getting into that bitch’s head, successfully getting her out of Liam’s hands –, “Myron let out a laugh then continued, “-you’re such a good girl, Salina! I’m not mad at you for betraying me. You know what they say, ‘an apple doesn’t fall far from its tree’.”

Salina let out a breath. Then she fired. Myron grunted.

“That’s for Mommy Julia,” she said firmly.

Myron laughed hysterically. “Go on, sunshine.”

Another gunshot. “That’s for my niece.”

He muffled a scream, the chains holding him rattling. Then he let out heavy breaths.

“Be a good girl and kill your Daddy,” he said, growling.

She sniffled as more tears fell on her cheeks. “I can still remember who you used to be, Daddy. I remember you spinning me around and cooking me waffles and braiding my hair. I remember you reading us bedtime stories and tucking me in bed. I remember all the good you’ve done, Daddy.”

“All the good I’ve done…” he repeated, his lips curving into a smirk.

“Please… Daddy… let me talk to him…” Salina cried.

Myron shut his eyes, seemingly remembering the things she mentioned. When he looked at her again, his face softened, and he smiled genuinely as a proud father would.

“You’ve grown, Salina. Have I ever told you, you look just like your Mom? Your real Mom, Janice.”

Salina shook her head.

“Ah… well, I’m in for one of her cold treatments,” he said, chuckling.

“I can’t watch you die slowly, Daddy. The world doesn’t want you anymore. You have to go.”

“Hold the gun steady, sunshine,” he said softly, no trace of the man he was moments before. “I taught you better than that.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said.

My heart was breaking from their words and her tears. I could stop her now, but it wasn’t my decision to make. Watching her father suffer a slow death was torturous, and I couldn’t let her go through the same.

“Don’t cry, sunshine. Don’t waste your tears on me,” Myron said, smiling. “Take care of my daughter, kid.”

I held her hand. “I will,” I promised.

She held my hand tighter. “I love you, Daddy,” she said.

“I love you, too, sunshine.”

She pulled the trigger.

It was a straight shot to his heart. The gun fell on the floor and so did her tears. Her knees gave away and I caught her in my arms. For the next hours, I held her in my arms, comforting her as best I could until she passed out.

I carried her out the dungeons than to her room. I laid her on her bed, and sat beside her, stroking her hair.

Me and my mate – there was just the two of us now – two Alphas who had nobody else but each other.

Carson left me. He deserved better and I was happy for him. The pack understood. He left with no hard feeling between us. We were still friends, but some things just couldn’t be fixed.

I laid beside her, staring at the ceiling as I thought about my life and what was next for me.

While it troubled me that she used to be in love with Alpha Liam, she still recognized the bond between us. Both of us were shrouded in shadows, and there was no one I’d rather be with than her. She stirred hours later when it was dark outside and so was the room.

Her arm fell around my waist and she rested her head on my chest. I kissed the top of her head.

“How are you feeling, beautiful?”

“Not good,” she replied.

“Do you want me to get something for you?”

“No, just stay here,” she said, taking a deep breath then relaxing.

“What are you thinking of?” she asked, minutes later.

“Of us,” I said. “What do you think?”

“I think we should merge our packs.”

That would pose new problems. Our packs used to be in alliance with each other. Conflicts might arise from within, weakening the pack instead.

“Don’t you want to be an Alpha?” I asked.

“I just want to be with you,” she whispered. “Do you see me differently now?”

“No, beautiful. You did what you had to,” I said, pulling her closer.

“He’s gone now.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No,” she said, propping herself on her elbows. “I think he’s happier with his family.”

I smiled, even though she couldn’t see it.

A family, huh.

“What do you want to name our pack?”

“Mm… it’s really dark in here,” she said.

“That’s a long name,” I said, chuckling.

“Turn on the lights.”

“A little shorter.”

She slapped my chest. “Flynn!”

“It’s a new moon, beautiful,” I said. “It’s a moonless night.”

“That’s it!” she exclaimed.

“That’s what?”

“New Moon Pack,” she said.

I repeated the name.

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s perfect,” I said.

I felt her breath on my face, then her soft lips pressed against mine. I turned us over, so she was under me. “Just perfect.”

She giggled. “Not tonight, handsome,” she said, pecking my cheek.

“I understand,” I said then I captured her lips again. I rolled off her and pulled her close to me.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked. “Daddy has done a lot more, and he has more rogues under his command. I don’t know if they’d obey me… or you.”

“We’ll make it happen, my lilac… together,” I said.

She yawned and stretched.

“Together,” she said, rubbing her face on my chest.

Maybe… even if just by a little, we could change the course of the game.