I stared at her like a fish out of water. Letting go of the man who killed my father? Can I….Can I really let go? Can I really do something like that?
No….No….
I’ll cut his head off! Then I’ll stab him repeatedly, watching as life drains from his body. I'll make him suffer just like he made my parents suffer.
I’ll make sure he’s dead a hundred times over and I'll erase his whole existence from the face of earth.
That's what I will do.
"So please...please spare my mate's life. We'll accept any punishment, just don't take him away from me. I beg you, Ivy, have mercy. Tell Alpha Cassian to not take his life. I'm not asking for forgiveness, just a chance for my mate to live. You know what it's like to love someone, to want to protect and care for them. You have a mate and a pup, don't deny me the same chance at happiness. Don't take away my chance to be a mate and mother,” Liya's words poured out in a desperate plea, her sobs echoing through the room.
My grip on my pup tightened as I stared at her, a conflicting feeling brewing in my mind.
“Ivy, are you seriously considering this?” Ruth asked, her eyes wide with disbelief, as if she couldn't fathom that I might actually be swayed by Liya's words.
I swallowed hard, my mind racing with conflicting emotions. A part of me still seethed with anger, demanding justice for the attack on my mate and pup. But another part of me, a softer part, understood Liya's desperation. She had wronged me, yes, but does she truly deserve to lose the one she loves for it?
“P-Please…” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “We'll accept any punishment you deem fit. Just spare his life...that's all I ask...please…” Her eyes lingered on my pup, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of longing in her gaze. “I want to know what it's like to hold my own pup, to feel that love and joy. Please, Ivy, don't take that away from me.” Her words made me freeze for a moment, and I felt my resolve wavering.
“Ivy, think carefully about this,” Ruth cautioned, her eyes filled with concern as I struggled to get out of the bed, my injuries still tender. Lily rushed to support me, helping me balance as I swayed. “This isn't a minor offense, Ivy. Are you sure about what you're planning?” Ruth's words were laced with worry, her brow furrowed in concern.
“I don't know, Ruth…” I sighed, my voice heavy with uncertainty. “A part of me wants him to pay for what he's done, but I understand Liya too. How different is he from my mate? If I have the chance to be a mate and mother, doesn't she deserve that same chance? Doesn't she deserve to experience the love and joy that comes with it?”
I know I'm only thinking with my heart right now and I know this might sound stupid to anyone but I'm an empath like that and I can't help it.
Ruth's lips parted as if to argue, but she hesitated, her gaze drifting away as a frown made way onto her face. The silence between us was heavy, the weight of my decision hanging in the air like a thick fog.
The short walk to the doorway felt like an eternity, each step agony as the pain between my legs pulsed like a raw wound. My weakness was a constant reminder of my vulnerability, and the slow healing process felt like torture. But nothing could have prepared me for the scene outside.
A sea of faces surrounded Cassian and the rogue, their cheers and jeers fueling my alpha's rage as he fought with a ferocity that made my blood run cold. Cassian's punches and kicks landed with precision, his eyes blazing with a feral intensity that made him almost unrecognizable. The crowd roared, egging him on. I'm once again reminded why they named him ‘the predator’.
I heard Liya gasp behind me. I turned to see her swaying, her eyes fixed on the gruesome spectacle, her face drained of color as she watched her mate's brutal beating. She looked like she was about to collapse, her legs trembling, as if the sight of her mate's suffering was enough to shatter her very existence.
I drew a deep breath and stepped forward, the crowd parting like a wave as they gasped at the sight of me with my pup clutched tightly in my arms. Whispers and murmurs erupted as they strained to get a glimpse of the little one. But their eyes fixed on me felt like a thousand piercing needles.
I tried to stand tall, despite the pain that made my knees tremble, my grip on my pup tightening as my omega started acting up. Lily shadowed me, her hand hovering inches from my elbow, ready to catch me if I faltered even a bit.
I scanned the crowd nervously, searching for a friendly face, but Stella and the other omegas were nowhere to be seen. I think they were ushered to safety at the time of the attack.
The pack warriors loomed around me, their dominant pheromones suffocating, making my stomach roil and my head spin. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of hostile gazes, my knees buckling under the weight of their collective stare.
It was hell to get through it but when I got closer to Cassian and got his scent, everything started to calm down.
Ruth's grip on Liya's arm turned tight, holding her back as she struggled to reach me. “Ivy, please, I'm begging you...if you don't say anything, your mate will kill him. Please…” Her voice cracked with desperation.
Ruth's frown deepened, “Ivy, are you certain about this? He's not a good man. You know that,”
I looked down, my thoughts heavy with the weight of my decision. “Who’s truly good among us?” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
Ruth's expression turned skeptical, her tongue clicking in disapproval. “What if you spare his life and he comes after you again? Are you willing to risk your mate's and pup's safety for her sake?” Her words sounded like a warning, and I felt the burden of responsibility settling upon me like a shroud.
My gaze shifted to Liya, who crumpled to her knees with a heart-wrenching sob, as if Ruth's words had struck her like a physical blow. “He won't hurt you ever again, I swear it! I'll make sure of it! I promise with my life!” Liya desperately tried to convince me, her eyes pleading with me to spare her mate's life.
“Please, Ivy, tell Alpha Cassian to let him go before it's too late! I beg of you!”
I exhaled a heavy sigh before looking at Ruth. “I have to do this, Ruth,” I said, my voice firm but laced with a hint of fear. My eyes then drifted to Cassian, who was circling the rogue with a sinister smile, his eyes gleaming with a predator's intensity. His dominant pheromones filled the air, making my stomach twist with a mix of fear and unease.
I drew a deep breath and called out my mate's name, my voice clear and firm, “Cassian!”
But my mate didn't flinch, didn't even acknowledge my presence. The crowd around us exchanged confused glances, whispering to each other, wondering what I was trying to do.
Didn't he hear me?
I swallowed hard, my heart racing, and tried again, my voice a little louder this time, “Cassian!”
Still, no response.
A shiver ran down my spine as a chilling realization dawned on me. He was too far gone, consumed by the thrill of the fight, drunk on adrenaline and dominance. His eyes were glazed, his movements mechanical, and I knew I was losing him to the beast within.
My hand tightened around my pup, holding the little one close as I took a step forward, my heart racing with every fiber of my being screaming at me to flee to safety. My omega instincts were going haywire from stress. Stepping into the midst of two alpha wolves fighting was sheer madness, but I couldn't turn back now.
Cassian's kick sent the rogue crashing to the ground, the man's groan echoing through the air. A menacing murmur rippled through the crowd as someone tossed a heavy metal pipe to Cassian, who caught it with ease, his grin twisting into a sinister snarl as he loomed over the rogue, ready to strike the final blow.
Cassian raised the pipe, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the rogue’s skull, who was already battered and broken. I heard Liya let out a cry as she fought to break free from Ruth's grasp. I knew I had to act fast, or it would be too late.
With a surge of adrenaline, I took another step forward and screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing through the tense silence.
“Alpha, stop!”