Lilianna (NEW VERSION)

Chapter 8

"What did he do?" Lilianna asked.

The girl sighed, a sad look washed over her features as she remembered everything. "Bottling up your emotions can cause issues, one of them being depression. Since the council believed Seth should be an alpha everyone fears, they told him to hide his emotions. For weeks on end, he remained emotionless and refused to talk to anyone about what had happened. It continued on like this for a few years and only got worse. When he turned seventeen....I found him on the floor in his bedroom. He injected himself with Silver Bane."

"What is Silver Bane?"

"One injection can kill a werewolf in forty-eight hours. He injected himself twice, giving us only twenty-four hours to save him. He couldn't shift for a month afterwards, his body was too weak. He scared the crap out of me and my parents. He doesn't believe that my father was actually worried though, considering my father is always tough on him. But...my father never left his bed side until he woke up." the girl whispered, choking on her words. 

Lilianna frowned, "Maybe that's why he's taking his anger out on me." 

The girl looked up, "What?"

"I know what it's like, hiding your emotions. You just get so angry and when that anger finally becomes too much, you unleash it on the closest person. I let my anger out on my father and I still haven't apologized, I feel horrible about it. He could be dead already and would have died believing his only child hated him." she replied. 

"So...are you going to forgive him?"

"No. What he did isn't forgiven quickly, it'll take time. Even though he's an emotional mess, doesn't make it okay. I meant it when I told him I hated him." Lilianna spoke, her eyes turning a shade darker with anger. 

The girl nodded, "I understand. Oh, my name is Ryan." 

Lilianna chuckled, "It's great to meet you, Ryan."

"Seth."

Seth looked up from the paperwork to see his beta, he frowned when he saw a small plate of food in his hands. Darien walked in and placed the plate on the desk before folding his arms across his chest.

"Eat, you skipped dinner and now breakfast." he ordered.

Seth shook his head, "I'm not hungry." 

Darien sighed, "Not eating isn't going to make us forgive you, you know? It won't change our opinion of you."

"Is that really what the whole pack thinks? Did you guys ever think that maybe, just maybe I'm not hungry?" he snapped, glaring at the beta.

Darien glared at him, "And did you ever just think that maybe, just maybe, Lilianna is innocent?"

Seth groaned and buried his face in his hands, "Yes, I did."

"Then why didn't you stop the torture?"

"I was angry, okay? I wanted someone to blame, to get revenge for my parents' deaths. I know I seriously fucked up, I don't need you or the pack reminding me each day! I told them twice not to touch her! Just leave me alone!" he snarled.

"No! You always go to torture methods, Seth! Rogues are thrown in the dungeons and the guards can have their way with them! And you told them not to touch her? I find that hard to believe."

"And that is the guards' choices! I tell you to put the rogues in the dungeon for a week, I never said torture them. And how come I'm just hearing about this? I never gave anyone permission to torture rogues for no reason." he growled, standing up.

Darien gulped, I-I thought I told you."

"No, you didn't. And mind you, after you had thrown Lilianna in the cell, I visited the lead guard myself. I told him to just scare her, not to fucking touch her. That goes for all the guards, but they did anyway! So, while everyone was eating and enjoying their time, I had to find those guards. Apparently, the lead guard never told them this and now she's in the hospital! I told him to make sure her leg gets medical attention as well. I felt horrible after what I did in my office and I couldn't live with myself thinking she was being tortured. After Ryan came in the other day, I had told the lead guard twice." Seth blurted out.

"Don't believe me? Look at the cameras in the dungeon. I guess, for now on, I will take care of any rogues or prisoners in the dungeons. As of now, I can't even trust my pack! And to add onto this whole mess, I have to live knowing it's my fault Lilianna was tortured. I can't stop caring about her, Darien, I can't. I-I don't know why, but I can't hurt her.

Darien stared at him in shock before Seth let out a breath and sat back down. It was quiet until he ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed his pen.

"Please, leave." Seth mumbled.

Darien sighed, "Seth-

"Leave and take that food with you, do we have any rogues in the prison?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, a family."

"Give them that plate and more for each family member." 

Darien nodded as he took the food and walked out, leaving Seth to his own thoughts.

A/N: So...I kept the part out with Seth telling the guard to just scare Lilianna, on purpose. Then I couldn't have done this plot twist or written this scene. ;)

But...it is still Seth's fault Lilianna was hurt. So...he is to blame for this. Just, not 5% of it.