CHAPTER 79

He couldn't hide the disappointment that knifed through him as he gazed down at the limp woman in his arms.
He should be happy that Elise was alive, even if she was in a very bad shape. But for the life of him, he could not muster a reason to rejoice.
In fact, seeing her made him crazier and fearful than he had ever been.
Elise was a healthy wolf. She was strong and it would have taken a great deal of abuse to make her as unconscious as she was right then.
If that much could be done to render a wolf useless, it left nothing to the imagination what situation his mate was in.
She didn't have the resilient strength of his species to withstand it.
His agonized cry rent the air as he threw back his head and wailed at the heavens.
He was dying, slowly.
His men moved forward and took the limp bundle from his arms and he was left kneeling on the floor. He heard them all move away one after the other, giving him a safe distance to grief. Then he dropped his head into his hand and tortured himself with images of his wife's suffering.
He had brought it upon her.
He had abandoned and mocked her when she needed him most and he was ready to spend the rest of his life atoning.
If only the goddess would bring her back to him. If only he could spend the rest of his life making atonement at her feet.
He cried, and then he prayed.
Then he cried again, all the while, his head bowed and his face hidden in his hands, until he heard the footsteps approaching and he smelled Armando.
"I thought you'll like to know she's healing already but she's yet to wake up. I'm afraid she was severely beaten," Armando said with so much pain dripping from his voice. Seeing Elise had also brought back all the self blame he had been dishing himself.
The word 'severely beaten' made a shiver run through him.
"Oh God, please let her be alive," he whispered.
Armando stood awkwardly for a moment then turned to leave.
"Let me know when she comes awake. I've questions,"
"Yes Alpha."
He needed to know the state in which she left his wife, even though he dreaded discovering the truth.
What if she was dead?
★★★★★★★★★★
Elise woke with a nagging pain in her side and she winced painfully.
The sound alerted Mila and she bounded up from where she sat beside the woman. She moved to lay a hand on her brows and she offered a thank you to the goddess she was well and alive.
"Elise?," she called gently, laying a soothing hand on her arm so she wouldn't startle her.
She had seen her brought in and Mila had been the one who saw to cleaning her up and dressing the nasty injuries on her. The sadist who had beaten her up had broken not one, but several of her ribs and it was a miracle her lungs were not punctured. Mila had thought, wolf or not, she was never going to live.
But the wolf had proven her wrong. She had started recovering after she tended to her and it looked like she was clinging on, like she had a very desperate reason to live.
"Water," she whispered weakly and Shana moved to press the glass of water waiting beside the bed to her parched lips.
She drank like she had not had a taste in days.
Mila believed that was very likely seeing as she had been treated in the hands of whoever kidnapped her.
And that left her dreading how Shana was dating in the hands of her abductor.
The mere thought made her eyes prickle with sad tears and a cold shivering seized her for a moment.
Elise watched the tears bead in the young wolf's eyes and her joy soared, assuming the tears were for her sake.
She had to admit, she deserved the sympathy even though it was misplaced. But the girl needn't know that.
She had actually assumed she was going to die when the sadist son of a bitch called Collins had been through with her.
Yes, she had come up with the award winning plan.
Yes, she had suggested he beat her.
Yes, she had suggested he beat her harder to make her story unquestioned.
Yes, the beating was aiding her award winning act more than she ever hoped for.
But she definitely didn't mean for him to beat her within an inch of her life.
Once he started, she had been unable to stop him even when she pleaded that it was enough. But he had become deaf to all her screams.
It was like he had taken leave of his senses and had convinced himself that she was his enemy and he had not hesitated taking out all his years of frustration on her.
She had given up screaming and had taken all the kicks and slaps till she lost consciousness. He had taken out his fear of Asher on her.
One way or the other, she was going to pay the bloody bastard.
But first, she had to focus on what was before her and play her act till the finish.
She winced again and raised sad, imploring eyes to Mila. "Am I alive?," she asked innocently, congratulating herself for the weak, broken tone she employed.
"Oh Elise," Mila answered with a broken sob. "You are alive and you are back with the pack. You are safe.Everything is going to be fine now."
"Thank the goddess," she said with tears rolling down her temple to be absorbed by the soft pillow.
All there talks must have alerted Armando, or the bodyguard was simply growing impatient for Elise to wake up because he came bursting into the room.
"How do you feel?," he asked without preambles, not showing the least bit of sympathy, and for a moment, Elise thought he suspected something.
But when she replied that she was fine in a small voice, she saw a fleeting wave of guilt move across his face.
Good.
It wasn't that he wasn't falling in line with her act but he felt responsible for what happened to her. That made it even better for what she has planned.
"Do you think you are strong enough to answer some pressing question?" Then in the same breath,he added, "I'm afraid they can't be put on hold any longer. The Alpha is dying to know about his mate."
Elise winced theatrically and contorted her face into an unhappy mask as she whispered, "I do not want to even spare a thought for the Crier but if that's what really bothers the Aloha, I'm strong enough to answer his questions," she said with obvious hate.
Beside her, Mila was giving her a questioning look, burning to ask why she was speaking that way but she restrained herself.
So was Armando but he gave a jerky nod and went to get Asher instead.
Elise told Mila to help her sit up before the Alpha's arrival. The young wolf dutifully plumped up the pillows behind her and helped her up.
All the while, Elise moaned and groaned as her healing ribs protested.
She was that way when Collins walked in.
Or the person she thought to be Collins.
At first glance, the wolf looked so much like Collins that she thought he had chickened out of their plan like Thomas did and she had wanted to go for his throat.
But she had seen the scar and his eyes, and she had relaxed considerably, until her brain registered what was truly happening.
The twins Collins thought dead was alive and healthy!
And immediately, she knew this complication would be bad for their plans.
"Hello ma'am," he said as he moved into the room and gave her a sympathetic smile. "My name is Cole. I'm glad you are awake."
She grunted her reply.
She watched his gaze move to Mila,and for a moment, his hard features softened then took back their normal form.
He was very different from his twin.
Soon, Asher came rushing into the room and it took all her might for her not to shout with laughter.
He looked Haggard,nothing like the big, bad and level headed wolf whom nothing unruffled. Asher looked like he had been run over by the troubles of the whole world and the bleakness in his eyes made all her aches fade.
Finally, she was happy to note that he had a weakness after all.
And soon, she was going to shatter his already broken world.
Just like his mother had done to the man she loved.
"Elise, thank the goddess you are alive," he said as he moved to take her hand, pressing the back to his cold lips. "How do you feel?"
"I'm finer than I look. I'm just grateful to be back with my pack."
"We are glad to have you back," Asher replied as he tucked the covers around her, dreading to even ask the question he was dying to have an answer to.
Elise laid her hand on his and made him look into her eyes. "I'm so sorry Asher. I should have stopped them from doing that to her," she said as her eyes flooded with tears.
"It's not your fault Elise. It's not your fault she was kidnapped," he said holding onto her hand.
"No, I mean I'm sorry about Rose. I should have stopped her from hitting Rose. But I couldn't. Where is she? Is she alright?," She asked meekly and once again, her heart lit up when she saw the sorrowful look enter his eyes.
"She's gone," he whispered and Elise started weeping like a child.
Asher waited for her to calm herself. "You saw who hit her. Who was she?," he asked with so much venom in his voice.
Elise sniffed and took her time replying. "Shana did."