Crimson Summer || Book Two

43| Mercy

~Galen~

"I was only trying to see if he was...okay,"

I grow more uneasy by the second as Micah gently dabs at my forehead to clean the dried blood from my aching forehead as I try to remember anything useful.

But it's all a smudged blur after I smelled that strange potent scent on Tora. Every time I think I have something, like the way Tora's hazel eyes held my possessed gaze in fear, the memory quickly dims.

Almost as if my own tiger is forcibly hiding the truth from me.

Even Lokua was ashamed.

"It's not your fault. Your hormone levels spiked when you sniffed Tora's heat. Although rare, Alpha's can go into heat as well. This is called a rut except it's dangerous for an alpha to go into heat because they will do anything to impregnate their mate and lose control of their dominance and strength. With Tora still being a much smaller omega, it's very likely for you to come close to killing him. A rut would also explain your memory loss," Dr. Hamish explains and I can tell it's hard for him to separate himself from the situation when it's his son I put in the hospital.

The doctor had walked into the bathroom where Micah was helping me to inform us of the news after I asked him to check on Tora since Casper still hasn't come back. The look on Hamish's pale face told me whatever he had to say next wasn't going to be any good.

"But I didn't kill him, right? I couldn't, not even Lokua could do something like that. He loves our little Wren," I plead, knowing I was on the cusp of the truth.

But I don't know if I'm ready to hear it.

"I spoke with his medical team and it's not good Alpha Galen. If Prince Casper hadn't gotten to the Elder's house when he did, Tora would have lost mobility in both his arms and likely died. The little Lunos is in surgery now and all we can do is pray for his success," He bluntly states.

I sit on the edge of the tub, watching my sister's hand fall from my face. Protectively withdrawing her hands to her stomach in a terrifying way as if I could do something to hurt her and Tora's baby as well.

"Micah, I don't remember. I don't know what happened. You have to believe me," I beg and she nods slowly. Standing up to move away from me as she washes my blood from her hands in the sink.

When the water runs, I'm the slightest hint of Tora's voice fades through my mind.

It hurts Galen please stop, stop, stop, please, I-Galen you're going to tear me apart. Galen come back please, Galen...okay...okay...okay...I can...I can do this...I'll try...but it hurts...I don't like it...no...not like this, please...

Tora's slightest whimpers invade my ears in a broken memory almost as if it's stuck behind a steamed glass and every time I attempt to wipe, the fog only grows thicker.

Lokua, what did you do?

I couldn't let Amiri come first, I did what I had to.

No, no, no, no...

"I have to see him, I have to explain, I have to apologize, I have to"

"Your majesty, I don't know if that's the best idea,"

Dr. Hamish states, refusing to look at me while blocking the bathroom door. It doesn't take much to push him to the side, re-entering the office which looked more like a crime scene. The sight immediately makes me sick to my stomach and I'm forced to pause while leaning against the wall. The blinding lightning followed by the crashing of thunder doesn't do anything to help my building anxiety.

The lights suddenly flicker twice before going out and Micah squeals in the dark. I reach over my desk, pulling a lighter from the drawer before going towards the living room.

With a dark rumbling of thunder from afar, a bad feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. Searching for a candle in the dark, I find one on a small pedestal that Micah had set up in light of their decorating.

Igniting the wick of the skinny pillar, turning around to find Micah shivering slightly as she held herself. Unsure of herself as we felt Casper's strong aura together and knew he was close. How close was left up in the air until the front door opened seconds later.

It's squeaking louder than the sound of the rain's heavy patters against the roof as his absolute silence spoke for him. Casper remained glued in place and my heart froze the moment our different gazes collided.

His intentions are clear as day in his choppy breath and flaring nostrils. My tiny candlelight pathetically flickering to the wind he brought in.

Dripping wet, the sound of his heavy footsteps on the creaking oak and wordless entrance is just as terrifying as the dark threatening glare in his stormy gray eyes.

He doesn't stop walking until he's a mere six inches in front of me.

I'm not easily frightened by anything.

But when Casper blew out the candle in my hands causing the room to go dark with the exception of the sparks of light brought about by the threatening lighting, I was not only terrified.

I knew I was going to die.

And if it's fate, I'll willingly accept what I deserve.

Because if I'm to die at anyone's hand, I always secretly hoped it would be his.

Micah's screams pierced our ears at the first blow, but Casper seems unaffected by her pleading.

I don't fight him back.

I only block some of the punches he throws until I can't anymore when he kicks me down to the floor and stands over me. I'm pretty sure all of Micah's hard work has been swiftly destroyed at this point.

"I TRUSTED YOU! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW THAT YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED?" Casper screams in my face while clenching my shirt with a shaky fist.

I could hear the deep crack in his voice, heartbroken by his pain and my unwillingness to fight back. I can't give him any validation for what I've done. I can't give him some smug grin for him to wipe off the face of the earth because I'm not proud of what I've done.

In fact, I can't even remember it.

"You had six months, six fucking months Galen. You didn't have to beat the shit out of our mate just to get him pregnant with your demon alpha spawn. If you were having trouble you should have asked me for help, why didn't you just ask me for help?" Casper weeps, breaking at the seams as I feel the blood dribbling down my chin. When the room ignites from the lightning, the stream of tears running down his face drips to my own cheeks and his pain quickly mixes with mine.

"Why did you do it?" Casper pleads, looking for his answer. Looking for any explanation other than what Tora's body had told him.

Tora.

Not my poor little mate.

I'm so sorry.

"Kill me,"

I beg, losing grip of Casper's arms and he keeps going, my body quickly numbing to his violent throws.

"CASPER STOP! PLEASE! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL OUR BROTHER!"