Captured

Chapter 38

Kane's POV:

My head pounded as I stood, staring at my own reflection, the silence in the room overwhelming. My stomach ached and my heart felt like it would crack at any moment inside my chest.

A soft knock at the door sounded and I already knew who it was. "Yeah?" I called before my brother let himself in, dressed in a suit.

"How are you doing?" He asked me gently, trying to read my expression as I looked back at him.

"Fine," I told him through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, Kane," he said, and I knew he meant it. All I could do was nod, turning my back to him when my eyes filled with tears. "Try and be positive," he muttered, approaching me slowly, "this is supposed to be a happy day."

I scoffed. "Happiest day of my life right?"

He stayed silent beside me, taking a moment to think over recent events. I turned at the sound of a clatter to watch several figures bound through the open doorway, knocking over a lamp as they approached the crib in the middle of the room. "She isn't here!" I told them, shaking my head as they continued to wag their tails in delight. "Out!"

I heard the smallest whine from my tone and rolled my eyes before crouching down beside them and stroking each dog on the head. There were eight puppies, making ten dogs in total and they caused absolutely chaos in my apartment. But my daughter did love them; so they stayed.

"Where is Kath?" I asked him.

"With Calla."

"And we're trusting her?" I scoffed, turning to glare at my brother.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "She was her best friend. Whatever differences you have, she's not going to hurt your daughter."

I couldn't think of a more appropriate name for my daughter, who was without a doubt going to grow up to be just as strong and just as beautiful as her mother.

I nodded, unclenching my fists. "Whatever," I hissed. "Let's get this over and done with."

"It's not a prison sentence Kane," he said with a sigh and I nodded.

Without another word, I walked through the hallways of the building and outside to where every remaining man and woman in the human race stood with their backs to the building. I walked through the centre of them all, striding as confidently as I could.

When I reached the front, I scanned the crowds, finding my daughter at the very front, next to where my brother now stood. I smiled, stepping towards her and took her out of Calla's arms.

"Addy!" She called, making me smile. It was the only word she could say - or was at least close enough.

"How's my beautiful girl?" I pecked her cheek, daring to glance behind her to see a lot of the other men rolling their eyes or frowning. It made me angry seeing their reactions to me loving my daughter. I couldn't imagine feeling anything other than pure love and adoration for her.

She giggled, reaching for my nose with her tiny hand. "You're going to stay with uncle Jak okay?" I said, pecking her forehead gently. "Yeah?"

She only smiled up at me and I handed her to my brother, not missing the glare Calla threw my way when I didn't give her back my daughter. However, I ignored her. I had more important things to think about.

With one final glance at my baby, mine and Katherine's baby, I returned to my position in front of everyone. It didn't take long for Rose to start walking down towards me, her eyes locked on me.

I smirked when she reached me while a glare crossed her face. "This isn't how I imagined this day," I admitted to her, my mind racing with the images of how I wanted this day to go.

"Believe me, it's not how I imagined it either," she grunted.

I nodded, well aware that this wasn't what either of us wanted. "We're doing this for her," I repeated the only thing that had been keeping me going for the last six months.

She nodded, tears filling her eyes. "It should be her," she whispered, blinking back her tears. "Not me."

"It's what she wanted," I reminded her. "We'll change everything for her daughter. That's what she wanted."

She sniffed, discreetly wiping her eyes before nodding. I cleared my throat before staring the ceremony. "I, Kane Foreman, take this woman," I stated loudly and confidently, picturing Katherine standing in front of me, "to be my wife, my partner and my equal."

Hushed whispers passed over the crowds. These were hardly the traditional vows for a man to make on his wedding day but Rose and I had worked hard to come up with something we would both be happy with that would from now on be used to marry two people.

Rose only smiled at the murmurs, knowing that the men were displeased with what I had said. We both knew in a few moments, the women would be too.

We both wanted to be the leader of the superior gender and we both realised that fighting for that would only ever lead to war. The surviving women weren't ever going to allow themselves to be controlled again and the men certainly wouldn't ever answer to a woman. The best and safest option, particularly for my daughter and the other children being born at the facility, was for us to become equal. No differences, no superiority. The same opportunities and respect and rights. It was the only future where my daughter could be truly happy.

"I, Rosemary Anna Taylor, take this man to be my husband-," Rose said, her voice just as strong and sure and steady as mine was, despite both our reservations, "-my partner and my equal."

And just like that, we were bound together, joint leaders of the human race. She became a guardian of my daughter, my wife and someone who now shared half of my power. She would contribute to all of the decisions I would usually make alone, implement changes and allow women to have a say in how they lived their lives.

The concept was one I'd always been against, solely because I'd been raised that way, and I never thought I would change. But turning to see my daughter, I recalled the stories Kath had told me. The way her father treated her; the way her mother didn't defend her; the way men used her. I would never, ever allow anyone to harm, abuse or use my daughter and I knew I would die for her. I wouldn't let Kath's sacrifice be in vain.

The End

Authors Note:

Thank you so so much for reading, I hope you all enjoyed the story and I am so sorry for the way Kane and Katherine's love story ended!

Please let me know what you thought, I appreciate all your feedback!