Astrid's P.O.V
I'm in utter shock at the news that Alpha Zenith has just dropped on me. I have now learned about my past, as well as the past of my mother. I had a pack and a family. Zenith was supposed to be my mother's true mate, her fated lover for life! This means that Alpha Axton was not meant to be my father at all, but instead, Zenith. It also means that Zenith was the wolf in the woods that fateful day—the one who killed my mother.
I refuse to shoulder the guilt that has haunted me for so long. I now know it wasn't my fault that my mother died. I remember that day vividly—how I screamed and ran when Zenith purposely scared me from my hiding spot. But now, I see the cruel reality. Zenith had been hunting her down all these years, intent on killing her, regardless of whether I was there or not. He had every intention of ending her life that day when he found us, and instead of following her scent to her location, he chose to toy with the situation, frightening me out in the process.
Enraged, I leap to my feet and rush to the cell door, my hands gripping the bars as I shake them furiously in my fury. 'You killed my mother! You killed her!' I shout at Zenith, tears streaming down my face.
Alpha Zenith's face contorts into a sinister grin. 'Yes, I killed her,' he smirks, a cruel satisfaction in his voice. 'After everything I did for her! I gave her a chance to reunite with me, and she threw it away like I was nothing!' He argues, his voice filled with bitterness.
'You killed her entire family! My family!' I retort, my voice trembling with anger and grief. 'You murdered them all in cold blood! She didn't want to be with a monster!'
The look on Alpha Zenith's face changes from smugness to one of intense fury. He swiftly unlocks the cell door and seizes me by the throat, pressing me against the stone-cold wall. 'What did you call me?' He growls menacingly, his grip tightening around my throat. I struggle to breathe, my vision clouding with black spots, and then, mercifully, he loosens his grip. 'Call me a monster again, Astrid,' he warns, his voice filled with deadly intent.
I understand the danger in his eyes—the threat that he would kill me without hesitation if I provoked him further. I shake my head in surrender, unable to utter the damning word again.
'That's what I thought,' he says coldly before dropping me to the ground.
Gasping for breath, tears streaming down my face, I collapse into a sobbing heap. 'Pathetic!' Alpha Zenith sneers, looking down at me with disdain, before turning and walking away, ascending the stairs.
Scared, angry, and overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions and the newfound knowledge about my family, I feel like I'm on the brink of exploding. I stand up, gripping the sides of my head, and release a scream of frustration, a cry echoing through the depths of the cells.
James comes running down the stairs with concern across his face. 'Astrid! What's wrong?' He asks, his voice filled with worry, and his eyes search mine for answers.
I can't believe the question he just asked, and my disbelief shows on my face. 'What's wrong? What is wrong?' I repeat, incredulously, my voice rising with each word. 'I am locked down here in a cold, dirty cell, forced to be your mate! Your father murdered my mother and wiped out her entire pack! I want to be with Ryker, where I'm supposed to be! And you ask me, what is wrong?' My anger bubbles up inside me, threatening to overflow as I rage at him.
James, in response, looks away with a guilty demeanour. It's a side of him I have never seen before, one I never thought he was capable of. Yet he is complicit in keeping me here against my will, making me a prisoner in this place.
Furious and feeling utterly trapped, I clench the bars of the cell in my fists. My gaze intensifies as I fix it squarely on him. 'Did you know that your father killed my mother? Did you know he murdered an entire pack?' I yell at him, my voice echoing within the confined space, anger and despair fueling my words.
James meets my accusatory gaze, and for a moment, there is silence. Finally, he speaks, his voice low and heavy with resignation. 'Yes, I knew,' he admits, the weight of his knowledge apparent. 'The entire pack here knows. That's why most of the pack members are afraid to disobey him. They know he'd kill them without a second thought. They all know you were born from Alyssa Moonstone, the last surviving werewolf from Moonstone Crest. Why do you think everyone was in awe and excited to meet you when you arrived here?' His words hold a bitter undertone.
My anger simmers as I glare at him, my eyes boring into his soul. 'I hate you,' I mutter in a low, menacing voice.
James stiffens at my words, and his own anger flares. 'Look, I need to help my dad in the office today. When I return, I'll come see you,' he growls in frustration.
I don't mince words as I respond firmly, 'I'd rather you never come near me again.'
With that final exchange, James crosses his arms and shoots me one last glare before storming upstairs, leaving me alone in the cold, dimly lit cell with my mixed emotions and a growing sense of hopelessness.
It's been three days, or at least I'm guessing it has been. The lack of windows in this underground cell makes it impossible to gauge the time accurately. I had been anticipating Amelia's arrival days ago. She must not have managed to find the key to this wretched cell yet. In my frustration and restlessness, I resort to throwing small stones, attempting to aim them between the bars of the cell door, though my trembling hands cause me to miss the mark half the time.
Then, suddenly, the anguished cries and distant shouts draw closer, echoing ominously through the stone passageway. Heavy footsteps on the stairs reverberate, sending a shiver down my spine. Before long, the cell door swings open, and there, at the top of the stairs, I see Amelia being roughly shoved downward. Her cries of distress fill the air as she tumbles and stumbles down the steps.