Risky Gamble

Gilbert said in a gruff voice, rage radiated out of him, “What the fuck did Greyson do now”. It was Angelo who grabbed my hand, his expression showing worry. "We're going to figure out what's going on," he promised. That's all I heard before I was taken to the pack's prison.

It’s not my first time going to our pack prison. But this time, it was for a whole different reason. Two guards on either side of me escorted me to the pack house. The walk is quiet. From there, I was taken to the basement of the pack house. The packhouse is built on top of the prison. I don't know why they did it, or when they did it. it had become a hiding space and safe haven for our pack in times of war. But that was in another wing. I have never been to this side before.

This side is for real criminals, who are sentenced to death. The air is cold, damp and sticky. There is something in the air, and it smells like something got rotten. The guard opened the hard iron door and it creaked as it moved. “Your dad will come to talk to you soon”, Was all George said as he locked my cell and left.

“Lilly?” I whisper. She has been quiet since Alpha threatened us. “Grey betrayed us. Dad saw us like we were freaks. All because we wanted to protect Roman and us by keeping secrets. All the while he is somewhere playing all the cards. He put our future alpha at risk. ”

She goes back to the depths of my mind again and does not talk to me for the rest of the day. The empty silence of the cell, no light, only dark, like my heart. I have been a coward. Hell, I am a coward. I forgot who I was and what I wanted to stand for. My judgement of things is corrupted by my desire to have a mate and protect him even when I know he is evil.

Lunch was served and then came dinner. I counted my numbers, regulated my breathing. As I was thinking about Roman, I noticed I forgot a really important point. I can no longer see Romans shadow. I did not get one panic attack this day, minus the one I almost got this morning but I controlled it by deep breaths. I feel new, some sort of energy like it is pulsating from every pore in my body. I must be really in my own daze, I didn't even see the door opening. In comes none other than Greyson, his hair ruffled, lip split and an angry red mark on his cheek.

Seeing him made my earlier emotions come back, rage and hurt. “Why?”, I ask. “I had to,” He said. He came closer to me. The rational part of me told me to get away from him. He betrayed me. But I felt myself getting closer to him. Both of us got closer and the distance between us got little and little. “We had to”, He said again. Ah, there it is. Him working with my father. “Explain”, there is only a few inches between us. I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His eyes shone. Dark, rich gold peeking through his eyes, his wolf. “Why?”, I ask again.

“Why have you lied to us?” His eyes are hard.

“So what is his? A payback?”

“The betrayal you have felt now does not compare to the betrayal every one of us will feel, your parents, the pack.”, I stopped breathing.

"I heard the warrior say that Roman is the mole. I didn't understand at first, but later I understood it all. It all made sense. You magically heal after a few visits from him - dare I say one. Your sudden flight when you heard he is transferring, when I asked his assistant, she said you two looked like you two have been having some pretty good arguments about "mates.' Yeah, werewolf hearing. Did you not think about that? Of course, you didn't. Your wolf came out as soon as your mysterious mate started cheating on you. It didn't quite hit me who might be your mate until I took you to Roman's house when I saw his name on the mailbox - at which point I took you there, not knowing he had transferred and thinking he would help you while you are transitioning. But to my surprise, your wolf got pretty angry when you smelled him on his couch! My wolf had to calm you or else you would have gone into a killing spree.”

The way he looks at me is the same as the way I look at him. His eyes mirror my emotions. “You told my dad everything. You both did this. To me”, my voice is barely above a whisper. “You did this to yourself, love. You need to clean up your mess. Own up to your lies. Tell them Roman is your mate. Tell them you are sorry and tell them what he did.”

“I am not going to say that to anyone” I shake my head no. “Don't you understand? How can you ever be a beta if you don't do what’s right? If you dont put your pack above everything and everyone else including your fucking ego and pride”

“Who said I am going to be a beta? I never wanted that title.”

“That is what you believe because you somehow tricked yourself into thinking you are nothing. Don't you realise that all your life, you wanted a mate. For him to define you. In the process, you believed that you are not worthy without him. Did you forget, you are once the warrior the pack admired, why do you think all of them left? Because you shut them out. They reached out to you many times but you became too wrapped up in your own problems and you didn't care”, he cups my face. He looks at me tenderly and I also see his wolf peeking at me.

“Love, I don't want to repeat the same mistake I made before, where I told all of the contestants about your involvement in the contest. It was a mistake, and they had a right to know, but it wasn't from the right person or the right time. This is your chance to make things right. As you said to Angelo, your very secret can be the one thing that destroys us all”, his voice is soft, caring.

“You need to hate me. You need to call off this contest and call me on my shit in front of the whole pack. Why are you helping me?” My eyes well up with tears, and they flow freely.

I know withholding important information is wrong. I had every intention to stop it but I couldn't. I bail on the last step. Every time. “I dont have the courage to do it. I am a coward” I completely break down.

“You used to be a brave, strong, and independent person. But you buried that girl deep down within you. If you don't call her back to life, you will forget she ever existed and die alone as a traitor. Taylor, love, if you do what is right, I will be by your side, every step of the way”. I looked up at him. He gives me a small smile and I involuntarily smile back.

“He is right, you know.” Dad came in. “This is the time you prove yourself, not to anyone but yourself that you are worthy with or without a mate. Roman is a fucking asshole if he turned down my baby girl and went to his army of bloodsuckers. I am so sorry for your pain, sweetheart.”

“Dad” I cried out and ran to him, hugging him tightly. “I had to clean up your mess the whole day. Now it is all you. Get them, my love.” He softly kissed my temple.

It was all dad had to say to give me the extra bit of courage I needed. In retrospect, the hurt I felt previously seems more like a hard lesson learned than a wound.

“What do I have to do?” I ask eagerly. The kid in me, the teenager in me, is full of adventure. She craves problems. To solve them. To drink from the success.

“You will figure that out. With your teammates”, that's all he said before walking away. Greyson turned to me with a feline smirk on his face. My heart is beating so fast, "I am ready.”

“Let’s do this before it gets too late. We do not want you banished from the pack nor from the competition, love” I felt my heart beat faster as he took my hand and led me out of the prison basement and finally out of the pack house. I clutched onto him like my life depended on it.

As soon as we reached our lodgings, he called all of the contestants to the living room. As we sat in silence, Dan brought us all hot chocolate and left. Greyson nudged my leg with his mouthing “Speak, It’s okay”.

Taking a deep breath I finally say, “Roman is my mate”. This could mean a lot of things - they could reject me, they could leave, my pack could be in heat and want to kill me. I'm not sure what will happen next, but I'm prepared for anything.