Alpha Queen [1]

xxii

"Adopted?"

"We wanted children but we couldn't have any, so we adopted," Dad explained, "You were about six months old when you came home to us. We waited just in case someone came back but they never did so we raised you as our own."

"We don't know what you are, honey, but you're still our daughter," Mom added, smiling weakly.

"But why didn't you tell me?" I asked and dug my nails into the palm of my hand.

"In retrospect, we should've. But we were hoping Ares would forget or that he would get tired of waiting and move on."

"Yeah, well, he didn't." I mumbled. Not even close.

If only I had been born a werewolf maybe none of this would've happened.

"Where is Ares?" Mom asked curiously. I grabbed a rock and started scribbling on the stones. The sharp edge of the rock made a white line across the gray stone.

"He's with the pack."

"He didn't come with you?" Mom asked.

"He let me go to see you." I whispered and couldn't take it anymore. "He let me go." I threw the rock across the cell and hit the wall.

I missed him.

I was so pathetic. Here I was without him for the first time—an action that I instigated—and all I could do was wish he was here. I needed to be strong on my own.

"He must really love you."

I wrapped my arms around myself. I know he did.

"Tasha came to the castle just like you told her to and begged me to come home with her. I didn't want to go but Ares gave me a choice and let me go so I changed my mind."

I was so stupid. I fell for him before I realized what was happening.

"I'm sure he wanted the best for you." Mom reassured.

If only he had told me to stay. . . I would have.

.•*•.

Time passed.

I wasn't sure how much but it passed.

My body was beyond weak. Living off a few pieces of bread a day was torture; I barely had enough energy to stay awake let alone do anything else. My clothes were covered in dirt and had only been changed twice. It was no way to live.

When I was finally let out of my cell, Darcy and two other guards escorted me through the golden castle; the golden castle that was my cage. My hands were still tied with rope but I was happy to be out of that hole. My legs shook when I walked but I powered through the exhaustion.