Maddox POV
"Hey," Gage said catching hold of me in the hallway as I attempted my escape still clutching my aching ribs. "I thought I sent you to medical?" His brow furrowed, he tapped his foot on the stone floor, crossing his arms.
"I'm fine," I insisted, "your healer gave me a potion and diagnosed broken ribs. I'll take it when I get back to Mountain Ridge. I'll be healed in no time."
"You'll take it now," Gage insisted, "and you're staying the night. Will will show you to your room and I'll have some food sent up to you."
As eager was to get back to Mountain Ridge I conceded, allowing Will to lead me up the stone staircase. Kayla followed behind us. chewing on her lower lip. Will pushed open a door at the endof the hall, revealing an intricately decorated room with embroidered throws hanging from the stone walls and thick handwoven rugs covering the floors. An antique four-poster bed dominated the room.
"Lena and Blak
Blake POV"What do you mean there there?" I asked my stomach twisting. Vomit rose in my throat. I balled my fists, digging my nails into my palms. Maddox looked at me with tears in his eyes and pain etched into his face. Lena threw herself into my arms sobbing."Blake, I'm sorry," Maddox told me trying to take my hands. Lena stroked her hands down my back."No," I whispered, "my dad is dead. He died. He was murdered. He just wouldn't...""He was there," my wolf whispered, "and deep down I think you know it."He'd been torturing me with this devastating truth since we left the woods. I tried to block him out, focusing on Kayla's new powers but he still whispered to me in the back of my mind-crushing my world and everything I knew. Tears built behind my eyes. My throat tightened. The massive bedroom started closing in around me. My eyes scanned the room seeking an escape. The sobs and heartfelt pi
Maddox POVBlake's shoulder slumped as he threw our gear into the back of my car. Lena shot me a concerned glance. He'd barely spoken a word all morning and hardly touched his breakfast. Blake could be dying of the black plague and he'd still manage to eat everything that wasn't nailed down. As much as promised he was okay we all knew he wasn't. He faced having to go and explain to his mother that her husband lived and had devoted his life to destroying ours. It wasn't a task I envied him for."Food for the trip," Gage said passing me a massive hamper."We live about an hour's drive away," I grinned taking the hamper from him."Yeah, I told my healer that but she insisted. Don't worry, it passed the sniff test. She's not trying to sneak pain relief into you via chocolate chip cookies."I grinned, feeling my cheeks flame, as I pressed my hand against the pocket holding the potion the witch gave me."Tell her thanks," I said.
Blake POVI dropped my eyes to the ground as my mother raced down the stairs towards me grinning, completely unaware of the utter devastation I was about to throw on her. Will shoved past me as I stood, arms folded, shoulders hunched wishing the ground would swallow me whole. My siblings trailed behind my mother. My oldest brother sported his usual scowl whenever Maddox included me in anything without taking him. He always envied my status of Beta Male, arguing that as a young, inexperienced Alpha, Maddox should have picked someone older and wiser like him. A day ago I thought my father was the wisest man I knew and he turned out to be an idiot."Hey," I heard Will's voice squeak. I followed my mother's gaze as she slowed her descent towards me to study the strange new male in our space. Will stood in front of Amber rocking side to side, chewing on his lip. Amber ground her toe into the hardwood floor."Hi," she smiled."I'm W
Maddox's POVBlake's mother volunteered to be questioned first. Unwilling to expose them to King Casper's cruel temper and the accusing gaze of their pack mates I took back to the packhouse the back way, sneaking in through the cellar. The dungeon wasn't the most comfortable place to be interrogated for a crime worthy of banishment or execution by a man you looked upon as your own son but it would keep their secret from the rest of the pack until they had time to process."In here," I said softly, guiding Mrs Elliot into the largest of our three cells. Kayla grabbed a spare blanket from one of the other cells. She rested the folded blanket on the cold, stone bench which stretched across the back wall of the cell, making a cushioned seat for Blake's mom. She threw the other blanket around her shoulders protecting her vulnerable frame from the wicked breeze flowing through the barred windows. Mrs Elliot hu
Maddox's POVSamson barrelled into the cell, barging into my shoulder as he passed. The chair I sat on spun sideways crashing to the ground as I jumped to my feet. Samson dropped to the bench, scowling at me, his arms folded across his chest and his jaw clenched."What do you want?" He snarled."I apologise in advance for the questions I need to ask," I said trying to smooth things over. Samson scowled in response. "Did you know Henry was alive?""Do you see his dead body laying at my feet?" Samson hissed. "My father betrayed my family. The next time I see him he's a dead man.""So you haven't been in touch with him since he left?""No, Mason, I haven't been in touch with him. Have you been in touch with your father? Has your grandad?""Not that I'm aware," I said fighting to keep my building frustration from edging into my tone. "But my family will be questioned next.""By who? B
Maddox's POV"Really?" Blake grabbed my shoulder spinning me to face him. His face was drawn and tired, his brow crinkled with concern. "You're really doing this now? After I've just found out my father betrayed you're gonna put me through this?""I'm not going to kill your brother," I said shrugging his hand off my shoulder. "I would never do that to you. I made it clear the challenge was not to death.""It's not Samson I'm worried about," Blake hissed grabbing my shoulder again. "Look, I know I should have told you but Sammy's been building his own army. Mad, he trains every day. Hard.""Thanks for the vote of confidence," I huffed."Call it off, Maddox, this is suicide," Lena begged grabbing at my hand. "I do not want to abandon my pack.""Then don't," I frowned."Then don't force me to serve under Samson. The guy is insane. I'd rather be rogue than live under him.""Hey, he's my brother, remember?" Bl
Kayla's POVTime seemed to slow down. My body refused to move as quickly as I commanded it to. Will and Blake struggled to hold Maddox up. His glassy eyes stared ahead, unseeing."Lena," I begged, "I can't lose him.""He's lost a lot of blood," Lena said, "and Shadow can't heal him. I'm sorry, Kayla.""Bull," Blake snapped. "He's stronger than this Lena and you know it. He promised me it wasn't a fight to the death. He promised."A heavy lump formed in my throat.Maddox's grandparents raced towards us. His grandfather scooped his lifeless body into his arms and sprinted into the woods."Send the Lycan boy to meet the witch," his grandfather called back, "bring her to my cabin. He wouldn't want the pack to see him like this."When we reached his grandparent's cabin Maddox was laid on the sofa, glazed eyes still open, his arm flopped over the edge and blod dripping in a steady flow from his side landing in a stic
Maddox's POVThe scent of Kayla washing over me brought me back from the darkness. Her soft touch brushed my side. Her silky hair brushed my cheek as she dropped something sweet into my mouth."Help me to help you, Maddox," she whispered as she rubbed a warming lotion onto my skin. "Fight. Fight to live."Whatever she poured into my mouth woke Shadow."Our mate needs us," he growled. His pain mixed into mine, whirling around me in a tornado of agony as he strained to heal my wound. Kayla's touch, the pastes she patted into my injury warmed my frozen skin. My limbs were numb and heavy. No matter how much I fought to move, to speak, to focus my vision my body refused to co-operate. The pain was more than I could bear. It consumed every inch of my body racing through like wildfire. My blood boiled like acid in my veins. Each beat my heart made forced more of the wolfsbane around my system.Ka