Chapter 126

Oliver POV

My leg absolutely burned as Lewis dragged me through the district, never in my wildest dreams would I have expected that girl to shoot me the way she did. Especially not with silver. It was like she had become completely unshakeable in the weeks she had been away, after everything that josh did, I admit, I thought she would fold as soon as she saw me. I assumed he had squashed her fight, but seeing her here, only made me realize how strong the girl actually is.

“I was right about you two.” I stated quietly to the man I call friend. Sure a lot had happened, and I couldn’t understand the situation entirely, but one thing was clear, Dylan was Lewis’s mate. “You’ve chosen her!”

“She chose me…” was his simple reply, however in hind sight there was nothing simple about it, she had chosen him, him but not Josh. I couldn’t understand how a girl could turn down her goddess given pairing for one fabricated out of nothing.

“Shes human, her choice is irrelevant. She was given to Josh, Lewis, you may think you love her, but you cannot go against the goddess lunas wishes.” Once we reached the pack house I knew straight away who was behind the rebellion, and I mentally kicked myself for not realizing sooner that Gilliard was a sympathizer. If that were the case, then it stands to reason that Lewis’s parents, the very people sent to quell this growing pest, we’re the reason why it has taken us so long to locate.

“Judging by the way I react to my mate, I’d say the goddess Luna is in agreement of mine and the Dylan’s connection.” My friend spoke as he marched me towards the dungeon. While I was fully listening to him, I allowed my sight to wander the house, it was quiet… far too quiet. “The goddess… She has plans for Dylan, I’m not entirely sure the full extent of them, but she has even offered her a blessed transformation.” What?! That was impossible.

“Who told you that?!.” A blessed transformation hadn’t been given since the first lycans were created, Dylan was many things, but I would hardly deem her worthy of such a thing. “Our queen would say anything to evade punishment.” I couldn’t like her, no matter how hard I tried she just caused too much stress, I’ve dealt with rebellious humans before, but Joshs mate was on another level.

“She was terrified Oliver. Terrified of becoming a beast like Josh. Everything she says or does…” he sighed, while pure love and admiration flashed across his features, however, within his love struck orbs lay concern… these were emotions I had never seen Josh display. “I’ve seen how broken she is…”

We made our way down the stone steps leading to the dungeon, each step causing my leg to shoot with a pain that was unfamiliar to me, I had never felt the effects of silver, and being shot with a bullet wasn’t exactly how I wanted to be introduced to it.

“She wouldn’t be fighting if she was truly broken.” Although really thinking about it, humans, I suppose were more like pets than anything else, and if you provoke an animal, then they do in fact, first became feral. If Dylan had stayed with josh one week longer, then her wild phase would have been utterly squashed. She would have followed him around like a defenseless lamb, trying to suck up in order to prevent its slaughter. “He won’t stop until he has her back, you know.”

“He cant get her back, Oliver. She’s our last hope for a better equal world. He’s done far too much for him to succeed now.” I shook my head, Josh had only ever done right by me. I could never betray him.

His mom and dad took me in after my parents were killed by hunters, I was only nine. We went to the old king for aid and was told nothing could be done. I was told retaliation would simply end in more blood shed, that’s when I realized the humans would always hunt us if things were to continue.

I met Lewis shortly after moving into Joshs pack and the three of us quickly became friends, along with Iliana that is. I remember when Joshs parents began plotting against his grace, king Reginald, and they made some solid points. Lycans we’re stronger, faster, and more resilient in every way, and yet we were the prey.

In a natural world it made no sense.

Lewis, quickly led me into one of the cells and sat me gently on the bed provided. This dungeon was nothing like that of the palace, it was actually quite comfortable.

“Keep your leg elevated until it’s healed a bit. I’ll get you some water and a cloth so you can clean the wound.” I began to breathe heavily through my pain as I lifted my bleeding leg onto the bed with my hands.

“You know…” I quickly got his attention. “Everything Josh has done, has been warranted.” I could never betray him, even if I thought he went a little too far sometimes.

“Warranted? He nearly beat her to death.” His words held a calm undertone that even a viper couldn’t possess but the venom hidden within was all too similar. The man in front of me, he was ready to lose everything for the girl in question.

“That’s a slight exaggeration, besides I stopped him before he could truly go too far.” Lewis once again shook his head at me, my blonde friend was always the more rational out of the three of us, but after witnessing his wrath when he stormed the old palace grounds, I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side.

“He killed her mom! There was no reason for that.” Even I didn’t agree with him on that regard, but again I could understand his reasoning. He needed to get Dylan to see what she was doing to him, he had become desperate. When I made no acknowledgment of his words he let out an exasperated grunt, his voice rising in volume ever so slightly as his anger rose.

“He’s raped her, Oliver. Over and over again.” I mean, technically that was true, but she was his mate.

“She’s his to do as he pleases, and sex is natural for mates.” If Dylan truly was his mate then surely he himself has had thoughts of going there with her. Although, her skin, at this point was rather grotesque.

I stopped my next words from being spoken however, when I looked at him again and two pain filled eyes met my own. Water gathered in them and it caused me to stop breathing. Lewis was many things, but I had never once, in the 12 years I’d known him, I had never seen him cry.

“He made me watch.” Was his whispered response, and I felt my heart actually skip a beat at the revelation.

“What?!”

“He made me fucking watch.” His head shook in sorrow, While his hand raked through his hair in anger. “He ordered me to stay and watch. Can you imagine… seeing your mate, the reason you exist in this world, screaming in fear and pain, and physically not being able to do a damn thing about it?” I could imagine it, but I couldn’t fully understand it, I hadn’t been lucky enough to have found my mate yet. I was hoping the district tour would uncover her.

I don’t think Lewis had ever spoken it before, because his reaction to his words, was too raw. No lycan would want his mate to be seen by another, however the more he spoke, the more I believed it. Lewis’s hands shook, in fact his whole body did, and I watched as his gathered tears suddenly decided to obey gravity. They fell down his cheeks, as if a dam had burst open creating a constant flow of water. I was shocked!

“I watched everything Oliver. I watched him defile her entirely. He didn’t want her to feel anything but agony, there was no love, no affection, there was nothing on his face, what he did to her, is unforgivable. I’ve made excuses for him myself once…” He admitted allowing his claws to elongate while his eyes overflowed with pent up emotion about the subject. I truly had never seen him like this. “Dylan knew how to push him sometimes, but nothing she ever did made her deserve that… and she had to endure it…” He swallowed thickly. “She had to take everything he did, and she had to do so with a fucking audience.”

I honestly wasn’t sure what I was more disturbed by, was it the words that left his mouth, or his reaction to remembering what he had witnessed? I couldn’t fathom how he could even look her in the eye after seeing her in that way, and there was no doubt in my mind that he had in fact seen her that way.

“I…” what could I even say? I couldn’t defend Josh’s actions, because I had never heard of anything so disgraceful. Even me, a mateless Lycan, knew how sacred a mate was, every punishment Dylan took on Josh’s orders, were in my eyes, justified, everything but that.

“I hear her screams every single day, and I will NEVER let her feel that much degradation and torture again.” I mean, sure I don’t like the girl, but even I had to admire her resilience. “He will never lay his hand on her again.” I watched as he tried to compose himself but failed miserably, which simply resulted in him walking away, leaving me alone in the dungeon of his cousins pack.

He did bring me some water and a clean wash cloth to tend to my painful wound, but didn’t speak another word to me as he left me to my thoughts, and in honesty. They were raging.

It was quiet! Too quiet!

The footsteps sounding from the main pack house, were few and in between, meaning there wasn’t as many people currently inside the building. As much as my mind raced with thoughts of my king and queen, they were wandering over to where everyone was.

They must have been doing something because for an established pack house it was practically silent, not to mention if the reports about the rebellion were true then there should have been more people than what was typical.

Hours went by before a thunderous chorus of stomping and cheering sounded from above me, wherever everyone had been, and whatever they had been doing, had clearly been successful.

Muffled talking met my ears and I strained to try and make out the words only they fell flat. After most likely another hour, the door at the top of the dungeon steps opened, and the most amazing scent hit me.

I sat up abruptly on the bed and stared at the barred door hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was radiating the smell that enticed me so much. I felt my wolf form surface slightly and my heart began to perform acrobats in my chest.

“I cannot believe how reckless you are!” Came a female voice as they descended the steps.

“It worked didn’t it? The borders closed. Now all that’s left is to speak to each district. We were going to be discovered anyway.” That was the voice of Dylan, I knew it well.

My eyes widened completely when Dylan, Lewis and a woman came into view. Her hair was scooped in a ponytail with the sides shaved down. She looked so tough, and yet so extremely feminine that I had to do a double take.

“Mate…” All three heads turned to me quickly, but my focus was on a single one. Goddess she was beautiful. Lewis was right…

I could never hurt my mate!