Chapter One Hundred and Five
Memories and lies.
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That’s all it has ever been. Ace Virel was my mate. Everyone knew about it and they’ve been lying to me for months, letting me walk around like an idiot.
I sat on the floor, my legs curled up against my chest. The tears kept coming no matter how much I tried to force them to stop. I don’t know how long I’ve been out and I can’t explain how I’m awake and alive after having Nocthera forcefully injected into my body. It didn’t kill me and right now I wished it did.
My body ached all over and worse of all, Moon got what she wanted.
I have my memories back.
My wrists were still swollen and dark red, the effects of the silver chain that held me there for long hours. Just looking at them made the pain return. Liam. I tried to stand and my legs wobbled immediately. I grabbed the bed frame to keep myself up before I could fall. Moon had him and I have to get him back.
I dragged him into my mess.
The door opened softly and Ace walked in with Damien, Kathryn, Ethan, Les and a woman I hadn’t seen before.
“You’re awake,” Les exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears and happiness at the same time. She rushed to me and wrapped her arms around me in a bear hug, crushing me against her. I winced from the pain and she immediately pulled back.
“Oh my…” she wiped the tears running down her face before cupping my cheek like I was a kid again. “You’ve been out for three days and I was so scared you weren’t going to make it.” Her eyes briefly moved to the others behind her before returning to me. “We were all scared.”
“Liam,” I said quickly, my panic rising again. “I have to go find him. Moon kidnapped him too.” I started moving toward the door, ignoring the pain in my body. “This was all my fault and he got in danger because of me.”
“Char,” Ethan said, stepping forward. “Ace got Liam and he’s fine. He’s a strong kid and he’s awake now.” I stopped, letting out a small breath as I nodded slowly. “And this wasn’t your fault. This is all on Moon. Don’t take the blame for that psycho.”
A sad laugh slipped out of my throat and another tear threatened to fall. “I should have known her better than anyone,” I said quietly. “She is my sister after all.”
The room fell dead silent before Les broke it. “What do you mean she’s your sister? Was that what she told you? You can’t believe anything that woman said, she’s sick.”
I lifted my gaze and it met Ace’s. His jaw was tight, his eyes watery like something inside him was breaking slowly. Pain and regret shone together in his eyes along with an emotion so deep it made his shoulders stiff.
“Ace would know,” I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “Since she’s his wife.”
I walked closer until I could feel the heat from his body. “He married her right after rejecting me.” My gaze shifted from Damien to Kathryn. “But then, they all knew about it and they have been lying to me every day.”
Unable to stand there any longer, staring at the guilt and shock on their faces, I walked out. I needed to clear my head, anywhere but there. I couldn’t believe they’ve been lying to me all this time. How could he stay by my side every day and tell me he loves me?
Everything had been a lie.
My body was weak from the poison but I needed to run before I went crazy. I let my wolf take charge. I shifted so fast and the next second I was running through the woods, pushing forward as far as my wolf could take me but it still wasn’t enough to clear the mess inside my head.
I came back to the house later when the sky had already darkened. Everything was quiet when I stepped inside, the silence making the place feel unfamiliar. I went straight to the bathroom, took a long shower and changed into something more comfortable.
I was drying my hair with a towel when I walked out of the bathroom and my body refused to move. Ace was standing there, stiff, his eyes fixed on me, he had been waiting.
“Another day to rernind me this is your house,” I said, my voice flat as I kept drying my hair. “Don’t worry, we’ll move in the morning.”
“Char, please give me the chance to explain why Successfully unlocked! aking a step closer. He stopped immediately when I moved back,
“Which part, Ace?” I asked, staring at him. “The fact that you rejected me after I gave you my innocence and insinuated that
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Chapter One Hundred and Five
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I was some cheap girl who’d sleep with every male wolf in the pack? Or was it the fact that you rejected me without a fair trial while you allowed your men to whip me daily and wouldn’t stop them no matter how much I cried to you through the mate bond? Or was it the fact that you’ve been lying to me since we met again?” The tears spilled and I couldn’t stop them.
“I wish I really died that night after you banished me.” I lifted my eyes to his face. Tears were running down his cheeks and his eyes were red but it didn’t change anything inside me. Tears don’t change anything.
“I know that nothing I say will make up for the things I did to you in the past…” he began, his voice strained.
“And the lies you told in the future?” I cut in before he could finish. “You’re a liar, Ace.” I shook my head, wiping the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand. “You loved Moon so much that you’d do anything for her.”
He had always loved her. Even back then when I was nothing but the invisible moth in the pack, it was always Moon beside him. He walked around proudly with her while I stayed somewhere in the background even after we found out we were mates, pretending it didn’t hurt. No matter how badly she treated me, he always believed her words over anyone else’s. He never gave me a chance.
The memory made my chest ache and I let out a shaky breath, feeling stupid all over again. I had really been a fool.
“You loved playing with me, didn’t you?” I asked, my voice breaking a little despite my effort to keep it steady. “You probably laughed behind my back after we spent time together.”
“No! Char, please believe me. I love you. I’m in love with you. It took me a long time to recognize that and I’m truly sorry,” he begged, his voice breaking as the words rushed out of him.
1 shook my head slowly. “No you didn’t. You’ve never loved me. You only came to me because of your curse.” My chest rose as the memories pushed forward again. “Did you also know that Moon was the cause of my loss of memories? That night, after you banished me and had your men throw me out of your pack, your fiancée at that time drove after me. She hit me with her car and threw me off the cliff.”
Ace’s face was drained of color. His eyes widened and the pain on his face deepened as the words sank in. He took a step back, his hand reaching for the edge of the table beside him. His fingers gripped it tightly as he tried to steady himself. For a moment he just stood there, breathing hard, his jaw clenched while the hurt in his eyes only grew stronger.
“You wanted me dead for killing your pup,” I continued as the tears burned in my eyes again. “Which I didn’t do by the way.” I looked straight at him, the words leaving my mouth without hesitation.
“You and her both are murderers.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
