Freeing Starr
Chapter 17 ~ Betrayal

Bliss.

That was the emotion I was feeling at the moment as I buried myself beneath the water and relaxed in the bathtub. The scent of lavender caressed my nose as I played with the foam through my fingertips.

This was the most relaxed I've felt in a long time. I didn't have to worry about anything, and everything was going smoothly. Zion was preparing to go on another trip to Goddess knows where. He never disclosed that information to me.

I spent a good 20 minutes just soaking there in the tub and finally got out after my skin began to wrinkle. I wrapped myself in a robe and tied my hair up into a bun then trudged downstairs with food on my mind. I was hungry.

I took a turn down the hallway and froze when I saw the door at the end open as Zion came out of it. I couldn't see anything inside but a slight whimper caused me to pause as unease settled in me.

"Is someone in there?" I asked as I approached Zion.

He froze and looked up at me, his expression flashing briefly before he closed the door and locked it with a set of keys.

My unease grew. As I got closer to him, I sniffed the air and tensed when the sent of another female hit me. My heart trembled.

"What's inside that door?" I asked again.

Zion's unreadable eyes stared at me intensely before he shook his head and walked pass me. I quickly followed behind him.

"It's nothing for you to be concerned about."

"Zion, as your mate, I hope you're not cheating on me," I whimpered.

Zion waved his hand dismissively, "it's not like that. You're this pack's Luna and that position won't ever change."

That wasn't an answer.

"So why is there a female behind that door? You reek of her scent."

"Don't worry yourself about it. She's just a prisoner."

"Why is there a prisoner in our home?"

"Enough with the questions Starr."

"These are not hard questions, Zion. I need to know who is in my home and wh-"

"I said ENOUGH!" He swung around and raised his hand as if prepared to strike me and I instinctively flinched away and raised my hands to cover my face, my eyes closed tight.

When the hit didn't come, I peeked up to replace that he was running a tired hand down his face.

I dropped my eyes to the ground and whispered, "I'm sorry... I overstepped my boundaries... but please... I just want to know that I'm the only one you're seeing..."

Zion sighed and pulled me into him, burying his face into my hair and inhaling my scent. I found pleasure in the fact that he relaxed after doing so. "You're the only one I want to be with. You don't have to worry about anyone else."

My heart grew heavier at his words and I could feel the tears wanting to show themselves but I forced it all down and squeezed out a smile, pretending that I believed his words... pretending that I was fine.

I pulled back slightly and looked up at him, meeting his eyes that swirled with an emotion I couldn't quite place. I tilted my head up and closed my eyes, pressing my lips against his.

The scent of the female grew stronger and my stomach curled in disgust, but I held onto him as if my life depended on it and quite frankly it did... because if Zion were to leave me... I'd have nowhere to go and the thought of going back to my father had my heart clenching in fear.

No.

I shouldn't be thinking like that.

I couldn't allow him to have another female... I refused to accept it. The only thing I had going for me now was my Alpha bloodline so Zion couldn't possibly abandon me. He didn't have a choice.

"When are you leaving?" I asked as I pulled away from the kiss.

"In an hour," he murmured, planting a kiss on my forehead.

My stomach fluttered nervously as I considered what I was about to do and nodded, "you should go get ready."

I nodded towards our bedroom door then watched through blank eyes as he entered the room and went straight into the bathroom to take a bath.

The water began running.

I glanced at the door one more time before heading towards the kitchen and fixing myself something to eat. I stayed in the kitchen the entire time, smiling lightly as Zion said his goodbyes then left.

I waited an extra hour in that kitchen to confirm that I was truly alone. I took one last sip of the red wine that I'd been playing around with the entire time then placed it on the counter.

It was now or never.

I strided towards the locked door with purpose, determined to confront the scene behind it. I needed to know the truth.

I reached a hand out to twist the knob and found it locked. No surprise there.

I placed my head against the door and whispered softly but loud enough for the person to hear, "hello? Is anyone in there?"

Silence.

I knocked lightly, "If you're in there, please say something."

Still silence.

I frowned and shook the knob again, noting that it was a regular old lock that I can simply break through myself.

"Hello? If anyone is in there... please say something."

Shuffling was heard before a broken whisper was barely heard.

"Help..."

I froze as the woman's voice choked on her sob.

I glanced behind me to make sure I was truly alone then applied pressure to my hold on the doorknob, hearing the squeak it made before it completely snapped off of the door.

I pushed on the door and watched as it opened up to reveal a bare bedroom.

The strong scent of Zion and another woman mixed together bombarded my nose, causing me to frown in disgust as the smell of sex also lingered in the air.

There were no windows in the room so I had to bring out my wolf in order to see more clearly. The room was completely empty except for the dirty mattress that was in the corner on the floor. There was also a mini fridge hooked up next to it and a toilet pushed up in another corner of the room.

My nose wrinkled as the disgusting stench of the room began filtering in and I reached a hand up to cover it.

My eyes immediately strayed towards the naked, bruised and battered female that was curled up on the mattress with her hands wrapped around her midsection, whimpering.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, cautiously approaching her, "what are you doing here? What did Zion do to you?"

At the sound of Zion's name, the female hugged herself even tighter as she cried.

"P..please.. hel..lp..."

"Help? What did he do to you? Why are you locked up?" I asked.

The female's eyes could barely stay open as she tried glancing up at me through her tears.

My heart clenched.

"I...t..ta..take...kill..."

I frowned as I tried understanding what it was she wanted to say.

I crouched down next to her and winced at her blue and purple skin that swelled with many bruises that clearly came from an Alpha since they weren't healing.

She's an omega.

A recessive one at that. Which meant that healing took longer for her. However, I could tell by the scars littered across her arms and stomach that she didn't get the opportunity to heal before even more wounds were inflicted on her body.

My heart went out for her as I placed a hand out to move her hair from her face.

Then I froze.

My eyes immediately straying towards the stomach that she clutched protectively.

My eyes began to glow as my wolf pushed herself forward, my lips curling as an angry snarl ripped from my chest.

A strong urge to kill washed over me and my nails lengthened as I raised a hand to strike the woman.

A pup.

She was with pup... and not just any pup.

An Alpha pup.

Zion's pup.

The woman whimpered and cried out pathetically, "p..ple..please..."

I stilled my actions as I finally caught myself, forcing my wolf to the back of my mind as I took in a deep breath, ignoring the shattering of my heart as I began to piece things together.

I retracted my claws and reached my hands out, ignoring the woman's sharp cry as I pulled her weak and bruised body into my arms and stood up.

The woman immediately lost consciousness from the pain of moving.

I padded lightly across our wooden floors and entered our bedroom then headed towards the bathroom. I turned the pipe on and watched as water began filling the tub before gently placing the unconscious woman inside.

I grabbed a clean washcloth and a bar of soap and lathered the soap onto the cloth until it was soapy.

Then I took the cloth and ran it gently across her skin to clean her up and rid her of the foul stench of that enclosed room.

When I got down to her stomach, I stopped, my heart beating a mile a minute as my eyes flashed between me and my wolf, conflicted.

I inhaled sharply and dropped the cloth, falling back on my butt as I stared at the female.

Behind the dirt and bruises, she was gorgeous. With her doll like face and her long eyelashes that was dusted with tears. She looked peaceful as she laid there sleeping.

A hiccup escaped my lips as I placed a hand up to cover my mouth, willing myself to stay strong, to keep myself together. This was just another hurdle I had to get through... This was my life now.

This was...

Pain.

My calm facade came undone as tears streamed down my face and I cried. I wrapped my arms around my legs and curled into myself, sobbing, screaming, doing anything I could to release this pressure that had formed in my chest.

This unbearable pain of betrayal.