CHAPTER 18: CHAPTER 18: THE SURPRISING DEAL

HARLEIGH’S POV:

My wolf’s agonizing growl stirs me awake.

My body feels weak and heavy, as flashes of memory from before I passed out rush through my head.

I’m in a bright, windowless room, shackled to the bed.

Am I a prisoner now that Atticus is the acting Alpha? But why here and not in an actual prison?

Suddenly,...

Harper’s face surfaces in my mind.

I struggle against the restraints to free myself and look for her, but it’s no use.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I force the words from my dry throat.

Then,...

The screen mounted on the wall flickers, and Atticus’ hard face appears. He walks at the head of a long table, surrounded by the council, except Damian, who I remember was tranquilized too.

I doubt Atticus would ever dare kill him, but I still worry for him, and I hope he’s doing okay now.

The council members glance up at the screen, aware I’m watching.

Atticus begins to address them, arguing that instead of killing Harper and me, they should capitalize on our cursed bloodline. He speaks of experimenting on us, duplicating our cells and injecting them into their own warriors to strengthen their pack’s military.

"No! Harper hasn’t wolfed out yet! Besides, there’s no guarantee she will have the ShadowBind like I do! Spare her, please!" I shout.

But,...

It seems I’m on a mute button, so I won’t distract them, since no one seems to be hearing me.

A heated exchange erupts among the council members. Most refuse Atticus’ wild scheme.

"We worked so hard to keep Alpha Torrin’s power a secret to protect our pack from envious packs, who may deem him a danger! Now you want us to obtain the Shadowfang curse into our bloodline, the same curse that once united all packs to annihilate them?!" one voices out angrily.

Stunned, I echo, "Power?"

Alpha Torrin has a special ability like mine?

"We can be vigilant, so what happened to the Shadowfang Pack won’t happen to us," Atticus argues coldly. "I considered doing it with Torrin’s power a long time ago, but we can’t afford to destroy our memories just to gain physical strength and sharper instincts."

The more I learn about Alpha Torrin’s situation, the more I wanna save him so he can lead his pack again.

The council’s debate goes nowhere; neither side will cede ground.

When their discussion ends, everyone disappears, leaving Atticus alone, who then steps closer to the camera.

"I’ve been generous enough to let you know about my plan. Let’s make a deal. I’ll spare your sister and Torrin’s lives, send them away from here, if you fully cooperate with the experiment." He leans in and whispers. "Don’t worry about my council. The final decision rests with the Alpha."

"And you’re not the Alpha!" I hiss.

He smirks eeriely. "Not yet, but I will be soon. Do you think I’ll let Torrin return and take what’s always been mine? Now choose before my patience wears thin: their lives or yours?"

Tears spill down my cheeks.

If this experiment fails, I may die. And I don’t wanna die, I have too much to live for even if my life has been so hard. Harper is too young to be alone. Torrin and Damian’s wolves would suffer, Torrin most of all, given his current condition.

However,...

If I refuse Atticus’ greed, then death will be certain for the three of us.

Finally,...

I force out my answer, "Fine. Do what you must with me. But first, I wanna see with my own eyes that Harper and Alpha Torrin will safely leave this pack’s territory."

"Sure," he begins. "One more thing. No one, especially Damian, must know about this deal."

About an hour later, two Gammas enter the room and unshackle me.

I try to wolf out and escape, but the tranquilizer they injected still lingers in my system. My wolf doesn’t respond to my call.

I’m dragged toward the pack’s western border, where a van waits. Several more Gammas stand guard nearby, whom I can tell are among Atticus’ most loyal.

Harper and Alpha Torrin are both chained and blindfolded. Harper trembles in fear, while Alpha Torrin struggles fiercely against his restraints.

"You told me I’m your Alpha! Then why are you doing this to me?!" he growls.

They’re forced into the van, and I climb in after them.

I remove Harper’s blindfold and wipe her tears, while fighting back my own. "You’re a big girl now, so you have to live on your own. Promise me you’ll never come back here until I say so, and that you’ll live a happy life even without me."

She shakes her head desperately. "Come with me. Don’t leave me. Please."

I kiss her forehead and pull her into a tight hug, fearing it may be the last time I hold her. "I’m sorry. I have to do this to save you."

As Harper continues to weep, I turn to Alpha Torrin, remove his blindfold and cup his face.

He looks at me with intensity. "You... again. You’re always everywhere, even in my dreams."

"And so you are," I reply with a faint, bittersweet smile. Then I hug him and whisper so only he can hear, "Protect my sister at all costs, and I’ll protect your pack as best I can. Once your memories return, come back and claim what’s yours: me - if I’m still alive, and the Frostveil Pack."

I press my lips to his. At first, he hesitates, but then he kisses me back.

My wolf howls in both pain and longing, and I sense his does the same.

While the Gammas are distractedly chatting with each other, I discreetly use the key I snatched from one of them to free Alpha Torrin from the chains.

I warn. "Some of the Frostveil wolves follow Atticus’ orders. To ensure your safe arrival to wherever you should be heading, only you and Harper should leave this place."

"Come with us," he urges.

I shake my head. "I’d love to. But, someone needs to look after your pack. Damian can’t do it alone."

As I unchain Harper, they both continue to plead for me to come.

Until,...

One of the Gammas overhears them and yanks me out of the van. Alpha Torrin tries to pull me back, but I let go of his grip and shout, "Go!"

Alpha Torrin’s sad gaze lingers on me for a moment. "I’ll come back for you. I promise."

I smile at him, grateful that even if he doesn’t remember me, he still feels the need to save me.

When more Gammas sprint into action, Harper finally locks the doors, while Alpha Torrin fights off a Gamma trying to seize the driver’s seat. The Gamma falls, hissing in pain, as the van speeds away.

Without ado,...

Five Gammas wolf out and chase after it.

I knew it! The fact that they’re not letting Harper and Alpha Torrin go by themselves means that they’re ordered to secretly kill them, while making me believe that the deal is honored.

Atticus is such a cunning man. Luckily, I managed to read him well.

Even so, rage still burns through me, awakening the ShadowBind beneath my skin.

"Stop! Die!" I scream.

In an instant, the five wolves chasing the van freeze mid-stride, then collapse to the frosty ground.

A sixth Gamma rushes to check on them. Then he stumbles, his face pale and slick with sweat. "T-they’re... all dead!"

The Gamma holding me releases his grip, backing away in a tottering steps. "Don’t kill me, please."

"Sure," I say menacingly. "But only if you behave and become loyal to me instead of Atticus."

Trembling, he nods.

"First, I want you to bury those corpses where Atticus can never find them. Second, tell Atticus what he expects to hear: that Harper and Alpha Torrin are now dead. Remember, I know nothing about their supposed ambush," I say.

He swallows hard as he nods again.

As I head back, my mind drifts to the memories I shared with Harper and Alpha Torrin. It has only been a few minutes since they escaped, but I already miss them.

How long until we meet again? I regret not going with them, but I know I’d regret it more if I had. If Alpha Torrin can’t fulfill his duty to the pack, I’ll do it in his stead. This is my way of paying him back for all the sacrifices he has done for me.

Atticus ordered me to meet him at the Alpha’s mansion after I bid goodbye to Harper and Alpha Torrin, but for some reason my instinct leads me to his house.

As I pass by, his and Damian’s angry voices clash from inside.

"I won’t let you kill Alpha Torrin!" Damian snarls.

"And I won’t let you interfere with my plan either!" Atticus counters. "Besides, even if you chase him down, I’m pretty sure my loyal Gammas have already killed him by now. The only way he could’ve saved himself is if he remembered how to use his power..." He chuckles, "...which I doubt he did, thanks to you."

My brow furrows at that last line: Why is he thanking Damian?

A tense pause follows, before Atticus speaks again, this time, in a much calmer tone. "I’m proud of you for destroying Torrin’s memories completely. It helped me far more than I asked. Maybe you should return to the multi-eyed seer and ask her to create another elixir, one that lets us easily destroy anyone who dares oppose us."

My hand flies to my mouth to suppress a gasp of disbelief.

Damian was behind Alpha Torrin’s downfall, and Atticus’ rise to power?! How could he do this?!