Finding Her Mate

Chapter 42

Rhydian's body stiffens slightly as he gets up grabbing his clothes saying, "no, he isn't Maddie." Maddie wonders, 'what does he mean?.' Rhydian says, "after you escaped, I went back to find my parents, but Daniel had already seized them." Maddie gets up shocked and changes into her dress as Rhydian walks ahead near the lake with the moonlight reflecting on it. He says, "I tried to fight, tried to free my parents but I was just a kid, it didn't take the guards long to subdue me." Maddie says tearfully, "Rhydian I should have stayed with you." He says, "you couldn't have, we both know that." Maddie sighs saying, "still, I wish I had, what happened next?." Rhydian replies, "he... he tortured me for days in one of his damn cells... I would rather not get into the details of it, but after I'd nearly lost my mind from the pain, he brought me before him that was when he gave me a choice." Maddie asks, "a choice?." Rhydian answers, "me or them.. he would have either killed me at once, or kill my parents in front of me, it was my choice." Maddie was stunned saying, "oh my god, Rhydian to be put into such a position.. I can't even imagine." Rhydian says, "I chose myself; I told him to kill me, I begged him, I still remember how he looked at me then, how that smile of his glinted... he told me he appreciated my honesty then he had my parents brought forward." Maddie says, "oh god!." Rhydian says, "I broke free... made a run for Daniel, tried to stop him but I wasn't strong enough... he nearly tore me open." Maddie sees the scar on 

Rhydian's chest as Rhydian angrily says, "he murdered my parents right in front of me, stabbed them with a blade laced with wolfsbane, it burned through them like acid, he killed them like it was nothing, like they were nothing, I can still hear their screams; after that he and his pack just.. left me there by my parent's bodies, they didn't even bother to kill me... sorry I shouldn't be so emotional, I must not be so weak." Maddie comes closer saying, "Rhydian you are not weak, you are the strongest person I know." Rhydian rolls his eyes saying, "yeah, right." Maddie says, "I mean it you are brave and strong, you put your pack before yourself, you protect them and surviving all of that... that's strength Rhydian."  Rhydian says, "I almost didn't survive it, I think the only thing that kept me going was... was the memory of those who I still had left.. anyway, long story short... Daniel's pack left me for dead, bleeding out on that mountain I barely hung on, clinging to life with what I could and eventually... Ash found me." Maddie says, "Ash?." Rhydian says, "I thought I could trust him, I thought he was like a second father to me." Maddie says, "Rhydian he will pay for his betrayal, who knows how many of the members are dead thanks to that madman!." Rhydian says, "we will make sure the blood debt is paid, Maddie!." As they walk back Rhydian says, "you know the rest of the story Mads and you should know that I never planned to come for you, I wanted to keep you out and away from all this, but Daniel started attacking in earnest, killing the pack members whenever he pleased like he was toying with us... I needed more strength; it was either that or let him kill the rest of us." Maddie begins to see everything clear in her mind wondering, 'Daniel would have killed them all eventually, Kayden, Hannah, even Akira....' Maddie says, "Rhydian now that I have gotten to know them, I am happy you came for me." Rhydian takes her hand saying, "thanks Maddie." 

Maddie's heart pangs for Rhydian thinking, 'it wasn't enough for Daniel to murder Rhydian's parent in front of him, or to banish him and leave him for dead... he had the nerve to come back again and again.' Maddie's eye changes as she angrily says, "enough is enough, it's time to make a stand against Daniel and his pack, to show him he can't push us around anymore." Maddie feels her power in her pulse as she soon says, "whoa!." Rhydian says, "Maddie, you are so much stronger now." Maddie blushes saying, "you're right it must be from bonding like we did." Rhydian says, "I feel it too." Maddie asks, "Rhydian... is this what you always wanted?." Rhydian replies, "what, Mads?." Maddie says, "is this what you wanted from me? why you took me?." Rhydian comes closer caressing her cheek and closing the gap between them replying, "no Maddie, all I ever wanted was to keep you safe, you and my family." Maddie says, "well now you can, you are strong enough to kill Daniel and-." Rhydian steps back and turns away as Maddie says, "Rhydian?." Rhydian looks at the moon saying, "I am not strong enough to take him down, there's only one way to make that happen." Maddie asks, "how?." Rhydian says, "Maddie... would you marry me?."