Caged

Chapter 36.

Lili's POV

My heart began to pound in my chest as the adrenaline started working its way out of my system. Who was this man? He had to be an Alpha. You could tell the way Cage's body responded to his commands, the way my body trembled as he entered. He had to be the pack's Alpha. The man who could possibly be someone to me. The man Rhett thought could be my father.

My thoughts were pulled when I felt Huntleigh's body shake hard against me and I rolled back slightly, letting my head slowly fall to the side so that I could see her.

"It's ok baby. We're going to be ok." My voice squeaked out hoarsely, but I was able to push the words out just enough to be a broken whisper.

The truth was, I didn't know if we would be, but I had to keep her calm. My mother had hidden us away, kept me in a life of isolation to keep me from this man. I wasn't sure how he would react to the news that he'd had a child with my mother this whole time and didn't know it. She'd obviously hidden us away for a reason. He may very well kill me himself. My heart began to race as I looked up at the innocent angelic face staring back at me. She was afraid, and I honestly didn't know if we would make it out of this alive.

I heard a feminine cry as several sets of footsteps made their way back up the hallway after a few minutes. I turned my face just in time to see a blurred vision of a familiar short blonde she-wolf as she was pulled forward, barely able to stand on her own. My hand reached out to her, trying to call her name, but it only came out a quiet whisper. She must have sensed me because her eyes snapped up just as her name left my lips.

"Thalia! Oh Thalia, oh my God. Let me go!" she squirmed in the large Alpha's grasp and he finally released her as he glared down at Cage.

She plopped to the ground, but quickly crawled over to my side, taking my hand in hers as tears began to stream down her face. Her eyes were sunken and her face was thin. Pale skin replaced the glowing sun kissed tan she'd once held. She reached up and stroked my cheek tenderly, causing me to wince in pain when she crossed the spot along my cheek and jaw where Cage had struck me. "Thalia, what did he do to you?"

"Daddy hurt me and my mommy!" Huntleigh said as she frowned up at Cage who was now being held on each side by two warriors as Dominic loomed over him from behind.

"You bastard. What do you think you're doing? She's mine! I can do with her as I see fit. She belongs to me!" Cage said as he fought to pull free from his captors.

Dominic's voice boomed loudly, sending chills down my spine and causing all of the males to immediately drop their heads in submission, earning several whines from those in the room including myself and Avery. "Enough! Cage, what you've done here is inexcusable, and you will be punished accordingly. Get him out of my sight. We will deal with him back at the main house. Take him down to the cellars."

A loud growl erupted from Cage, but the warriors managed to overtake him, dragging his fighting body from the house. The Alpha stepped away from the door and walked out of the door, and for a moment, my body tensed. Was he bringing more in to take us away too? Was he going to punish me for my mother's deception? I knew now more than ever that the rumor had to be true. His scent was so familiar, so much like mine. He was in fact my father.

After a few moments, I heard several sets of footsteps pounding down the hallway and I braced myself, knowing that this could be the beginning of the end. I'd endured all I had only to be taken in the end by the man who was supposed to be my father. But instead, my eyes landed on a familiar pair of steel blue eyes as they searched the room wildly and landed on my own.

"Lili, thank God you're alive." He said quietly as he stepped inside the room, dropping to my side.

Avery made room for him, shifting over to sit beside Huntleigh. His eyes scanned my injuries before landing back on mine, brushing a tear from my cheek as it slipped down my face. He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to my forehead, breathing in my scent. "I wasn't sure we'd get to you in time. I can't lose you baby." His voice was low and broken as the words caught with emotion. My hand floated to grab around his as he cupped my non-injured cheek, but I winced as the motion jarred my burning ribcage. "What did that bastard do to you?" He whispered before turning to order someone inside over his shoulder.

Ivy and Asher ran into the room, Ivy's eyes widening as she took in the scene in front of her before she managed to wipe the shock away. She timidly walked around to hover above Avery and Huntleigh, gently pulling Avery up to lean against Asher as he walked her out of the room. I felt Huntleigh cling harder against my arm and a small whimper escaped as she began to tremble. I tried to turn my head to speak to her, but a shooting pain radiated through my aching muscles and I hissed in pain, clenching hard against Rhett's arm.

"It's ok sweetie. My name is Ivy. I'm her friend. We're here to help. Will you let us help her? You can come with us. We won't leave her side ok?" Ivy said as she knelt down to Huntleigh's eye level.

I felt her hesitate, but she finally released my hand. She leaned down, placing a feather light kiss against my cheek and whispered, "I'm right here mommy. We're ok, just like you promised."

I woodenly nodded, fighting to ignore the ache coursing through each tendon of my neck, forcing a small smile as Ivy pulled her back into the hallway. I had promised, and we were ok. For now.

My gaze slowly came back to rest on Rhett's as it swirled with emotion. He finally blinked it away and regained his focus before speaking. His expression turned to one of guilt as he spoke as softly as he could.

"I'm going to have to move you. It's going to hurt. Can you handle it until I can get you in the car outside?" He said as he pulled out a small packet, tearing off the top and bringing it to my lips. "This will help some with the pain until I can get you back to the healer."

My mouth opened just enough for the liquid to drop onto my tongue, sliding down my throat and slowly causing the white burning pain in my side to drop back to a pulsing ache. I blinked up at him and he slowly snaked his arms underneath my neck and pulled me up just enough to get his arm underneath my back before looping his other arm beneath my legs. He stood slowly and I whimpered as the pulsing ache began to throb more intensely. A stray tear dropped down my cheek as he took soft hurried steps out of the room and down the hall leading out of the house. Just outside, a large van waited for us with the doors open. He stepped inside and gently placed me down onto a pad on the floor, sitting down next to me as he took my hand in his.

My eyes flitted up to see Avery was also sitting at the front of the van and Huntleigh was hovering just behind me with Ivy's arm wrapped protectively around her. She was smiling and chirping away up at Ivy as she grinned down at her, listening and engaging as she went along with whatever Huntleigh was excitedly telling her.

I couldn't focus on anything more than the swelling of my heart at the ones I loved around me, safe for now and on our way to healing. Whatever happened after this, we would have to face, but at least we would be facing it together.