On The Run

Chapter Twelve - Is Anything I Know Real?

I felt the life drain out of me. Like my heart stopped and all the blood inside of me leaked out of every pore on my body and made a puddle on the floor around me. I felt everything go cold and stiff. I stood there, unblinking and taking in very little air. “What?” I ask, but it comes out a whisper that even I barely heard.

“Rumors spread that Soren’s father’s pack was the one who wiped out your pack. They didn’t deny it or confirm it. But it wasn’t true. Alpha Max was the one.”

I shake my head and step backwards away from everyone. A cold laugh escaped my lips, “No. No no. You’re wrong, he saved my life. He took me in-“ I deny.

She tries to grab me but I pull away, I watch sadness fill her eyes but in this moment I can’t find it in me to care. What am I supposed to believe? “Soren…” She whispers.

He steps forward but doesn’t make a move to touch me. “Alpha Max and Alpha Benjamin, your father and the alpha of your pack. Were set to treaty, there were issues with their members, and they wanted to settle the dispute. Very similar to the meeting today. Your father offered up a treaty to protect Alpha Max and his own pack. They had no previous issues before this. Alpha Max met with your parents one day at your pack. That’s when he saw you and your mother playing out front in the yard. Alpha Max grew an obsession with you. He was at your pack every other week just to see you. Word had begun to spread, one of the maids from your pack saw Alpha Max touch you. Alpha Benjamin was enraged and confronted him; Alpha Max denied it. But then he asked your father for your hand. He wanted to keep you until you were eighteen. Then mate with you. Your father was furious, and both your mother and father denied and threatened to break treaty with Alpha Max if he ever came near you again. Time had passed, your birthday had come around. And alpha Max attacked that same evening. Killing almost everyone except for you. He hadn’t known three people got away. He wanted everyone dead except for you.” Soren explains. And part of me wishes he hadn’t as events replay in my head. My mother’s terrified eyes as she was protecting me.

I feel so unbelievably sick to my stomach. “You said Alpha Max was the one who showed up and saved you. But alpha max was already there looking for you.”

“No… How do you know this?”

“I went to Alex. He cared about you, despite how much of a dick he was. After you were sold at the festival. It tore him apart. We went to him with information, and he told me what happened. You got pretty badly injured in the battle. You had head trauma and you were in the hospital for months. Unconscious, that is what affected your wolf. It was also because of Alpha Max. You recognized his face when you woke up. You saw him kill your mother and you were hysterical. He had you restrained and your memory wiped with Wolfsbane. A very dangerous amount. It explains why you were feral one moment and the next day you were calm and collected. That’s why he ordered everyone to keep their mouths shut around you. Anyone who spoke about it to you was killed. He didn’t want you to remember what he did. He never wanted you to hate him.” Ellie cuts in.

My body is trembling and it feels as though there is a pit in your stomach just weighing me down. I can feel the bile rising in my throat. “But… No. No. Alpha Max wouldn’t-“

“He did, LeyLey. We have the files and everything.”

Files. The word replays in my head over and over again. Kane’s office desk. The files with my name on it.

“I need to go, Kody. Uh… Kody help them get settled in. I… I need to go.” I stutter.

I don’t even give them the opportunity to answer before I am already out of the room and I am running into my bedroom. I grab the office key from Kane’s hiding spot and walk into the office. I type the code into the desk and search through the files until I find the ones with my name on them.