Rieka

Chapter 18

That night I was escorted to the bonfire while Aaron stays locked in the cage and Liam was to guard him.

I was showcase to the pack like a prize. The werewolves cheer in victory, proud that their alpha has finaly found his mate. They celebrated too by drinking and feasting on deers that they hunted prior to this awful celebration.

Axel never leaves my side. He still doesn't trust me, but I don't expect him to. He feeds me and rattles on about how lucky I am to be his mate. How every she-wolf wants to be his. I restrain myself from saying something that'll either get me slap or get thrown back in the cage. Or both.

As he goes on and on about how he became the alpha, I count twenty-eight wolves in total. Seven are guards as far as I can see, but Im sure theres more than that though. Axel must've had the others to scout the area.

"You know your grandmother was so determine to keep your wolf a secret that she wouldn't even let me see you." Axel breathes down my neck. Goosebumps creep up my arms as he twirls a strand of my loose hair around his grimy finger, "When I saw you doing your chores one day, I had you knocked out while two of my buddies killed the farmer and his livestock just to make you think you did it."

I snap out of my daze and turn to him. "What?" I ask, voice shakey. Did I heard that correctly?

"You didn't kill that farmer." He says slowly like Im an innocent child, "You just thought that because you were near him. I figure the only way for you to find out you were a wolf is if you were the wild animal who attacked since your grandmother wouldn't tell you. Things didn't go as plan when you ranaway from the humans and didn't want to join my pack." He says coldly.

I turn my gaze to the fire. My heart pounding in my chest, quicker than normally and I choke on my breath.

All this time...

Anger boils under my skin as I come to realize the truth. I clench my hands into fists, feeling my nails dig into my skin to keep me from digging them into his face.

All the pain and guilt... the nightmares... the trauma... the fear...

It wasn't me. I didn't commit the crime, but I suffered the consequences. I suffered because of him. I endure pain and nightmares because of him. I was separated from my Grandmama because of him. I was hunted down because of him.

I was made out to be a monster because of him.

Axel places a hand on my shoulder. I suck in a breath.

How dare he touch me.

"Hey if it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be together now." He slurs as he traces his finger down my cheek.

I slam my eyes shut as I try to calm myself. Willing my body to stop shaking.

Breathe. Breathe. It'll be over soon.

I breathe in the cool air and exhale. I smile warmly at him as I trace a finger down his jaw where a large scar lay.

"You're right, thank you Axel for showing me who I truly am."

Not a monster.

"Your mate." I say instead.

***
By midnight, the moon shines high in the night sky. And there's no sign of exhaustion on anyone's face.

Originally I had plan to free Aaron from the cage while everyone is asleep, but it occur to me that werewolves don't sleep at night. In the morning, we'll move out to wherever Axel says.

The bonfire was fed firewood and embers erupt. A steady trail of smoke trail up into the sky.

Axel had an arm possessively around my shoulder. He laughs as he share stories of his past that shouldn't be shared. Anyone of sane would have run away from him, but his followers laughed and agreed with every word he said.