Caged Between The Beta & Alpha
Chapter 78

DAMON

Raven’s father was committed, and although I knew the Alpha had set his punishment, I still wanted to tell Liam about it.

I’m angry at him. So f*****g mad at what he did. But past his split personality, there was that part of him that I knew. I wouldn’t be able to forgive him easily…

If ever.

I don’t know if I could ever call him a friend again either. Looking back, I think that ended a few years ago. I was maybe just stuck in a f*****g illusion that things would work out..

It did f*****g hurt… but life was sh!t like that.

I entered the cells and unlocking the door, entered his cell.

He was sitting there, his eyes closed, his hair that he always had gelled and styled was lying messily over his forehead. His eyes opened and met mine, they looked… broken.

I knew he’d feel it, but maybe this is the punch he needs to realise that he can be in f*****g control. He needs to take control of his own sh!t.

Neither of us spoke for a while, and Liam looked away first.

“What do you want?” He asked quietly.

“Raven’s father was trialled today, he’s been given one hundred and fifty silver lashes. He’ll then be placed under house arrest and stripped of any rank or status he had. I thought, despite everything, you might want to know.” I said, clenching my jaw.

“Thanks.” He replied.

Gone was the cold arrogance that had surrounded him since his return. All I saw was his emptiness.

“Who will deliver the punishment?” He asked quietly.

“I thought I’d ask Alpha Elijah if I could.” I said.

He nodded, with the tiniest of smiles that didn’t reach his eyes crossing his l!ps.

“Will you also deliver mine?” He asked, looking up at me.

An emotion in his eyes that I couldn’t read unnerved me. My heart thumped and I stepped back, narrowing my eyes.

“What?”

“My trial is in two days, I don’t want Dad to suffer.

What I did.. I’ve caused him even more pain… My punishment won’t be small, and it shouldn’t be… but I don’t want Dad to do it. You can tell her it was my wish that you do it. “

“Don’t want me to look like the bad guy?” I asked, unable to hide the bitterness from my voice.

“No, because you’re all she has now.” He said.

What I did deserves capital punishment and I expect no less, so… be there for her.

I sighed heavily. He wasn’t making it easier to hate him.

“I never wanted you to step aside, I was willing to máke it work, all three of us. Raven is loving, she would have been able to treat us both well.”

That won’t happen because I always believed that it’s one to one, there’s no space for a third. There’s no point in discussing it… I no longer deserve her, so good luck.” He said. “Not after what I did.”

You’re giving up because of what you did…but you still love her.” I said quietly, hating that I couldn’t just hate him fully even if I’d not forgiven him.

“I do, more than anything, but what I did was unforgivable and it’s a little f*****g late. When we love someone… we do what’s best for them.'” He said, running his hand down his face and massaging his jaw. His beard had grown too.

“Yeah, we do.” I said quietly.

“I just kept her stuck in the middle… in this constant tug of war. Not anymore.”

Our eyes met, and I nodded.

“I heard from her that you two were going to reject one another…” He said quietly.

“Yeah… I realised that you would never accept it working between us and she was hurting. You ruined it all. !”

He nodded, staring down at his hands.

Thanks.. for telling me about the trial..”

I nodded, looking at him. Something told me that with this clarity… Maybe just maybe, this was the push Liam needed to defeat the darkness inside of him. I turned away and paused. I needed to speak my thoughts and so I glanced back at him.

“Nothing is over until you let it be. There’s goodness in you, Liam. Find it. Embrace it and let go of all the negative crap.” I said quietly.

We will always be here for you, to help you through it.’ I added, through the link. No matter how f*****g hard it is or how angry we are at you.’

Our eyes met for a moment before I turned and left the cell..

RAVEN

Dad’s punishment was carried out the following day in the cells, at the hands of Damon. Followed by being bandaged and returned to his home, where he would be kept under complete watch.

From what I heard, he wouldn’t last longer than a few months at most. Was it wrong that I didn’t really care? There were some people who hurt you, but you can still love them, but Dad… There was no space for that when I felt nothing but bitterness towards him.

I returned to training today and it seemed everyone had been warned to behave, either that or the truth about Dad had made a few people guilty. Owen still acted like a prick but that was his nature and it won’t ever change.

After training, I had showered, got dressed and spent the afternoon pondering over everything. What I needed to do and what I wanted.

I had now taken the photographs of Robyn and Damon and headed out to his in the late afternoon. I rang the doorbell, and he opened soon after, looking as handsome as ever.

I would always appreciate him, but I don’t know what the goddess wanted, it was a mess.

“Hey.” He said, pulling me tightly into his arms. I hugged him back, the tingles of sparks reminding me of our mate bond, but in life, there was a lot of bonds aside from the mate bond…

“‘Hey, how are you? Was the lashing ok? I didn’t realise you would have to do it.” I said quietly.

“I wanted to.” He said, closing the door behind me.

“Ah.. I see. Damon, I visited Liam the other day and he mentioned that he received a picture of us k!ssing

…”I said, taking a seat on the couch as I took out the envelope I had received too. “It’s what triggered him off before he came to replace us…”

The image of him marking me flashed through my mind, and that familiar squeeze in my ch3st returned. Our happy moments, sad moments, painful memories… all flashed before me.

“A picture of us k!ssing… I received something similar..” Damon said frowning.

Turning on his heels, he suddenly left the room before I could continue, I heard him run up the stairs.

My brows furrowed as I stared down at my envelope.

Have we all received something similar?

Oh, how I wish I had mentioned this sooner. Damon returned holding an envelope, now seeming to hesitate before he held it out to me.

“I got pictures too.” I said softly, holding out the envelope of him and Robyn.

We took each other’s envelopes and I slid the pictures out, my cheeks burning as I realised what this was.. Sh!t! I quickly pushed the images back in.

The day Liam went down on me outside the Alphas’ home!

I looked up at Damon, who looked utterly guilty as he looked down at his own pictures and pushed them back in, running his fingers through his curls.

“Im sorry you had to see these… I uh… guess it’s good that Liam only got a k!ssing picture…”

“Yeah..” I said, shoving my pictures into my bag.

A tense silence followed before he spoke.

“Someone’s trying to cause issues…”

“Owen?”I said, frowning. There was no one else who hated me as much as he did.

“I don’t know… Maybe it could be him. He is a piece of sh!t… Well, now that we know, we’ll work on figuring it out.!”

Yeah.”

We both fell silent and I realised that somehow things really had changed.

“I went to see Liam too.” Damon said quietly, making me look up at him sharply. “He wants me to deliver his punishment.'”

Mý heart thudded and I looked at him.

“Would you be able to?”

He smiled sadly.

“He doesn’t want Uncle El to do it, knowing it’ll be hard for him. At the time I didn’t think of it, but… I think he knows how angry I am at him too, and this is probably the only way I can vent my anger…He is my Alpha and there’s not really a chance where I can vent my anger, so this is… it.”

He frowned, as if he had just realised what he had said and closed his eyes.

I looked down at my ch3st squeezing. Yeah, that sounded like Liam..

“His punishment won’t be light, will it?”

“No.” Damon said quietly.

I nodded.

I thought as much. I now turned to him.

Thank you for being an amazing friend and mate.”

I said softly, reaching out and taking his hand in mine, my heart pounding in my ch3st at what I was about to do.

He smiled, a glimmer of sadness in his eyes. We both knew he knew what was coming.

You’re no one’s second choice and I won’t treat you as such. I love you and I always will. We will remain friends. We haven’t done anything that could make it awkward.” I joked.

Damon nodded.

“I saw it coming.. You… You seem different over the last few days… Smiling less, more lost in thought… but you seem to be… content.”

He brushed his fingers over my knuckles, sending a ripple of sparks through me.

“I seem to have gotten some clarity… How can I love anyone when I don’t even love myself…” I said quietly. “When I’m so concerned about other opinions and emotions? Since the start I’ve felt like this thing, caged between the two of you, feeling guilty, torn and upset. A king once told me that I need to stop trying to accept things, to think deeply about what I want- I want to be happy.”

He smiled warmly and there was no sadness in his eyes this time, just a look of understanding and pride.

“I’m proud of you and I love you. I always will, and I’m still holding you to that chilling time as friends.”

I nodded vigorously, my hair falling in my eyes.

“Of course, you should!” I said, the glow of the setting sun warmed the room, gracing his skin beautifully, only enhancing the handsome man before me.

A man who was selfless and loving.

A smile that was completely genuine crossed my l!ps. This time, there was no doubt or what-ifs. I knew what I was doing and why.

I raised his hands to my l!ps and placed a gentle k!ss on each hand.

For my happiness and for his.

“I Raven Jacobs, reject you, my amazing friend,

Damon Nicholson, as my mate.” I said softly, holding his hands to my ch3st.

But I will always cherish you as a friend.

“I, Damon Nicholson, accept your rejection.”

I will always love you.

We closed our eyes, feeling that painful pull that r!pped through our ch3st. Our hands were still combined. I couldn’t breathe for a few moments from the pain that jarred my body as I felt something snap and felt that emptiness settle somewhere deep inside.

Yes, it was painful, but once it was done, I felt better.

We opened our eyes slowly, gazing into each other’s, my eyes sparkling with so many emotions. Then, under that setting sun, we smiled at one another…