Chapter 2 Choose Your Fate

FRANK's POV

I look out the window looking back to the past months since the deaths of the shifters had begun. True, since the death of the three ones, she knew she had not spoken, and my son didn't like it.

He had been bringing one doctor after another to check on her, but even with the silent treatment, she seemed to have had him wrapped around her little fingers.

I'm not saying that I hate it cause I have seen the change in Rham. He was barely giving me a hard time about anything else that has to do with hunters, only when it came to her.

Financially he had the control, and I had to give in to his demands, such Serenity is not to be touched or man handled by anyone, even me- especially me.

I snickered, remembering how he stormed into my office when he arrives, finding out about me abducting another girl.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"... make sure she doesn't escape, keep a silver on her always and-"

the door burst open, and Rham stormed in, still with his coat on.

"What the hell, dad?!" he screamed, "Another one? Seriously?"

I sighed and signaled for my men to leave us be. "What is it now, Ramsey?"

"Another girl, dad? Seriously?" he repeated.

"Ah," I grinned as I grab myself a drink at the corner of my room, "so you have heard..."

"A little bit too late, apparently," he shouted, roughly removing his coat.

I raised a brow. Too late?

Hands-on his waist glaring at me, "I've seen her state! It’s a surprise that she's still breathing!" he snapped, "I thought you were stopping?!"

"I was until they attacked us."

"They attacked us cause you had, yet again, attacked them." he shouted, emphasizing on again, "Just let it go, dad, I told you, they did nothing-"

"They caused your mother's death!"

"You shot her!" he snapped.

"I wouldn't have if I didn't think that you weren't in danger." I snapped, "He was close enough to slash your throat!"

"He had a chance to do so when he found me," he says, "but he didn't. He just wanted to help me and brought me back to camp. If you would have just listened, then none of this would have happened, mom would still be here and-"

"Shut up!" I snapped. "I will not be blamed for her death, never."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*end.of.flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was a lie, of course. Somewhere deep inside of me, I knew that I was at fault. I didn't even know what came into my mind during that night. Maybe it was because my dad was breathing down on me again about not accepting his offer to be his heir. Back then, I thought he was going crazy.

Don't get me wrong. I knew werewolves, vamps, and the likes are real. I've seen my fair share of fiction in my life. But I didn't want anything to do with it. It had ruined my childhood, and I wouldn't want that to happen to Rham.

But that night, I can't help blaming myself. I failed to keep an eye on Rham, keep my cool on my dad, and protect my wife.

There was no other way to make me feel better but to put all the blame on the shifter that probably did save Rham.

Since Rham's arrival, he had not left her side longer than half an hour. It was easy to say that he doesn't trust my men or me. And I'd be crazy to ask him to finance much more to be my heir.

But lucky me, I seemed to have taught him some bit of sympathy as he had never left me despite the killing spree I had started among the shifters.

But with the looks of things- meaning, him and Serenity being too acquainted, that may change soon- a very near future, and I wouldn't have that. How come these shifters seem to plan everything to ruin my life? I thought.

Then again, Rham could have been right about me standing at what I believe before that shifters had every right to live like us. They do have their human life, too, don't they?

Still.

I'd rather do this than be forever haunted by the fact that I killed my wife.

A knock on the door broke my thoughts; I turned and saw two of my most trusted men, Harry and Neil step inside. Both have a scowl on their faces.

"Is she ok?" I asked.

Harry raised a brow, "You getting attached to her as well?"

I shrugged, "As much as I don't want this, Rham do. We can't get him any angrier as he already is." I said, "And we need her."

"You very well know that that is a lie." Neil says, "We use to be ok with killing sprees and attacks on the shifters, not caring of anything before she came. Now she also made financial problems worse."

I frowned and gave them a look, "Just give Rham what he wants, then we won't be having that problem."

"From where I'm standing, I have to disagree," Harry says, and Neil nodded. I both gave them a questioned look, "Seriously? You don't see it?"

"Or are you also in denial like your heir?"

They had never been fond of Rham since that night we came home from camp. It grew worse when we found out that my wife had given him practically every penny that was supposed to support our family.

I've always thought that the only reason my dad agreed for me to marry a stranger to this world of fantasy is because of her money. He was running out of funds, and he thought that I'd be taking over

him, thus me having a rich wife can help the hunters.

Somehow, it was good that my wife did what she did, or I'd probably be on the most wanted list right now. I probably already am.

"You really don't know, do you?"

I groaned, seeing the glint on their amused faces. "Please don't tell me..."

They laughed, "He had." Neil confirmed. "We've had our doubts, but seeing how he handles her. I won't be surprised if I'm not mistaking. He's giving up his med school for her? That isn't like him."

I groaned again as I make my way to the chair.

Of all girls in the world.

"So, we suggest that we get rid of her," Harry says. "We'll make it look like it was an accident, that she was killed by a wolf that went crazy mad for fooling him..."

Then I sat up an idea popped into my mind.

"I think I have a better idea," I said.

"What the hell happened?" I looked up and saw Rham fuming mad as he storms into my office.

I smiled and leaned back, dropping what I was working on, "Is this some new fad of greeting me, Ramsey?"

"What the hell happened to her?" he snapped.

I sighed, "She went out of line. She had to be punished."

"She's black and blue all over," he says.

"Well, if I tell you that she didn't even let out a groan or a tear the whole time, would that make a difference?" I asked.

He glared at me before taking a deep breath and closed his eyes, calming himself.

"I swear," he says, "if her case gets worse-"

"What would you do, Rham? Help her escape?" I snorted, "Maybe give her back to her family? Where would that leave you?"

He frowned, "What do you mean?"

I gave a dramatic sigh, "I told you to stay away from her, Rham."

"So that you can kill her?" he says, sarcastic.

"No." I said, "You know, it’s sad when your heart yourself betrays you, don't you agree?"

He frowned, and in a second, turned pale.

"Now, I know that you didn't mean for it to happen." I stood up and walked toward him, "But there's still time, just pick up where you left off at Med school, act like you never met her, and I'll make sure that you'll never see her again-"

He turns to me, worried, "What are you planning to do to her?"

"To her?" I shook my head, "Nothing. You, on the other hand, I'm saving you from misery, a possible heartbreak, and a life long of regret and guilt of betraying the hunters-"

"What are you saying?"

"Son, she has a mate. It is engineered in their system. You can't mess with that," I said. "Once you take her home, you will be nothing to her. She'll go to her mate and-"

"No." he snapped. "Shut up. That isn't the point here-"

"Isn't it?" I asked. He stared at me, not knowing what to say now, "For once in your life Rham, listen to me. I only have what's best for you in mind."

That earned me another one of his glares, "That's a little too late now, dad."

With that, he turns to leave.

"Rham?" I called out, and he stopped by the door without looking back, "Just remember that you will always have the hunters behind you."

He shook his head and left, with me smiling as I watch him go. Unfortunately, my little moment to praise myself was cut short with Harry storming in with a look that I was just too familiar with.

"What is it?"

"Shifters within the perimeters." he said, "Looks like a search team."

I frowned. How did they find us?

"Should I call in the men?"

"No." I shook my head, "Bring her to the garden."

"What?" he asked, surprised.

I smirked, "They came all this way to see her. Why not let them give a sneak preview of what she has been up to?"

I was on the porch five minutes later, looking at the vast land beyond the quaint wooden fence.

I hear a struggle and yelling from inside and knew who it was.

"Get your hands off her!" Rham shouts. "Where are you taking her anyway?"

"Oh, just a little fresh air." Harry says, "That's what you have been asking for, right? To help with her healing or something."

They finally came through the door, Rham glaring at anyone in sight.

"What are you doing now?" he shouts at me.

I smiled at him, "Nothing, I just thought that the princess might want to see the moon tonight."

She looks up at the sky, and as easy as that, she relaxed, and a small smile escaped from her.

"See?" I said, "I'm not so bad."

She then stepped away from Harry and was about to grab her again, but I raised my hand to stop him.

I watch her as she steps down the stairs and to the garden, standing in the middle, her feet bare, but she didn't care less.

I caught her, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and let it out.

And as if on cue, I caught a shifter jump over the fence, and in the same moment, he was brought down. More came, all trying to make their way to Serenity.

"Get that!" I shouted.

One of the shooters hiding up at the roof shot at the shifter who reached Serenity's side. A second later, Serenity could have been shot at.

"I told you not to shoot at her!" I shouted, not taking my eyes from the mess in the garden. Then two shifters shifted mid-air and reached for Serenity, dragging her to the fence and shifted again.

"Get them!" I ran off to follow the other hunters who had already started running after them.

It was one thing to run after a shifter; it was a whole different thing if they reach the woods.

"Don't let them reach the trees!" Neil commanded as he took a shot at one of the shifters protecting the one carrying Serenity.

"Stop!" I said and smiled as more hunters step out from the trees and shot the remaining shifters, the one carrying Serenity growled and slid her down and laid her on the ground, standing over her.

"Please..." Serenity's voice was raspy due to not speaking for days. "Please, let him go..."

"You promised Serenity," I said.

"I didn't-" The shifter then growled at me.

"No... please don't." Serenity reached for the wolf's main, and he turned to her and calmed but shook his head. "Just go home and don't tell anyone what you've seen."

The wolf shook his head again.

"Go home." Serenity repeated. This time her voice was stern. The wolf whined and hesitated. "Go home."

I caught the wolf stiffen and start to move back to the trees. The hunters raised their guns. I grinned and grabbed Harry's gun and shot the wolf right between the eyes.

"No!" Serenity screamed. She crouched and hit her fist on the ground as she shouts and cried. "You promised-"

"I never said I would let him go free."

"He wouldn't have told," she argued, "I commanded-" she stopped, her eyes widened.

"You commanded?" I asked, "So you can command them as well. Is that your alpha blood, or is it because of what you are?"

She sat there, defeated.

"Take her back to the house," I commanded and handed the gun back to Harry. I turned and bumped into Rham, who was angrier than ever.

"This is the last," he said, "I'm not gonna have anything to do with this."

Then he walked past me and pushed Harry away from Serenity as he picked her up and carried her bridal style back to the house.

We watched them, still hearing Serenity's sobs.

"You got what you need?" Neil asked as he walks up to us.

"Right where I want him," I said, resting my sight on my only child.