Sold To The Alpha
Hated Ties That Bind Chapter 55

Rowan's eyes were distant, his voice trembling as he spoke, pain etched into every crease of his face as the tears fell freely. 'Rowan you don't need to keep going' Riley called softly as he reached through the bars, trying to rest his hand on the warrior's shoulder. Rowan shook his head, 'no, she needs to know, she needs to understand why I did it so she can move on with Nate' he whispered brokenly.

Clearing his throat of the lump that was forming, the warrior continued, 'I was so happy to see her, I didn't know why she was here, so far from our home, but she was alive and in front of me after seven long years. As she looked up at me, my eyes wandered to her right eye and the large bluish black bruise that decorated her socket, it couldn't have been more than a day old.

I was so angry, demanded to know who did it to her so I could go and teach them a lesson, she fought me, not wanting to tell me but I wore her down, it was our dad and he was here with her.

Two years after I left, her mother had gone upstairs after picking Celeste up from school, leaving her sat at the kitchen table eating her dinner. Celeste climbed the stairs when she had finished, realising that my stepmother had not come down again, she found her hanging by a belt from my father's bedroom door, a chair toppled over by her feet.

She had been unable to live with him anymore, he had broken her beyond what her own mind could cope with, so she took her life, leaving my sister alone with that tyrant.

With only Celeste left, dad turned his rage onto her, beating her eleven year old body until she passed out from the pain.

I wanted to go to the house, punish him for what he did to my sister, now that I was grown, with my wolf, I was well trained by the streets and then by Sebastian, I knew I could take his worthless a*s and avenge my mother, stepmother and sister for what he had done to them.

Celeste grabbed me, stopping me from going, begging me as she cried to leave him, she was scared that he would still be to strong for me and she would then really be all alone. The knowledge that I was out there somewhere is what had kept her going, she couldn't live knowing that her last family member, the only person left who cared about her was dead.

I hated it but I agreed, I could never tell her no, her tears would get me every time.

I took her to a café, got her a hot chocolate and told her about this Vampire who had approached me and told me that she was his Match. She was hesitant but I convinced her to go to him, adamant that if I couldn't teach my father a lesson, I would at least save my sister from his violence.

Rowan looked up, meeting Ariana's silent gaze as he hiccoughed, tears rolling down his cheeks, 'I used my promise to not hurt dad to make her come with me' he whispered shakily. Posted by Narugi.com; visit us for more free novels.

'She asked me his name, and I told her, Valencino, that was his name. I took her to the location that he had given me, it was a swanky house just outside of the town. I knock on the door, and it's opened by a servant, I ask for Valencino and he appears, his eyes lighting up as he runs his gaze over my sister's body, making her shiver.

He handed me a envelope with my payment, making sure that Celeste saw it before taking her hand and pulling her into the building, shutting the door on me as my sister gave me a worried look over her shoulder.

Despite my reservations at her discomfort, I left her there, returning to my apartment, convinced I had done a good thing. Three days later word spread around the council that a body had been found, a young girl, drained of blood, her face and body slashed before she was thrown in a dumpster like trash.

I don't know why, but I was scared, I raced to the morgue, broke in and searched through the freezers for the body until I found her.

I pulled open the drawer, lifting the white sheet to reveal the lifeless body of my sweet Celeste, her eyes were closed but the terror she had felt in her final moments was still visible. Her body was shredded by claws, her own fingernails torn from where she had tried to fight against her attacker. Turning her head to the side, I saw two puncture wounds to her neck, not the mark of a mate, the mark of a feeder.'

Ariana drew her knees to her chest, her breathing haggard as she shook her head, 'you don't know that was him, that could have been any vampire' she whispered fearfully.

Rowan opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on the sorceress, a sad smile on his face, 'that is what I thought too' he murmured, 'I went to the house that I dropped her off at, hammered on the door with my fists until the servant opened it. Pushing past him, I ran through the house, screaming for Valencino, his guards chasing after me until I found him in his study, feet on the desk, drinking a shot of whisky, calm as anything.

He waved his guards away, indicating to me to take a chair, I sat down, clutching the arms of my seat as I demanded he tell me what had happened to her, how she had gotten away from him and into the grip of a monster.

Valencino looked over at me, that self satisfied smirk on his face, and do you know what he did? He laughed. The warrior's fists were clenched, his claws extending, cutting into his palms as he shook with rage, guilt and grief. 'He looked me in the eye and laughed, I screamed at him that he was her match, he was meant to protect her.

That bastard, he smirked at me as he replied "no wolf, it was mere infatuation.. but if it makes you feel any better, she tasted delicious." I launched myself across the desk at him just as his guards came in and grabbed me, holding me down as Valencino reached into a drawer and pulled out a silver knife. Stalking toward me, he knelt by my side, lifting my shirt as he whispered, "and the best part about that meal Rogue? It was the look on her face when I bit down on her neck, and she realised that it was her own brother who led her to her death.. not to mention the fact, that he also took payment for her blood, her own flesh sold her life for a few thousand dollars."

He then took the knife and carved a C into my side before placing a V over the top so I could always remember the day I murdered my sister!

The warrior lifted his shirt up, pointing to a spot that was heavily scarred, the two letters now barely visible unless you were searching his skin for them. Ariana sat for a moment; her eyes wide as she gazed unseeingly at the werewolf.

Rowan sighed deeply, his eyes closing again, 'they threw me out of the house, warning me to never return unless I wanted to meet a similar fate, they then tipped off the council as to who had snatched the poor innocent girl and led to her demise. The council have a strict rule, you don't deal in people, ever, but I was twenty, I knew best and ignored their pointless rules. I had no choice but to run, leave everything I knew and cared for behind, I couldn't even bury my sister. I lost my way after that, taking any job that came my way to earn money, most of which I sent to a Rogue Alpha, my way of trying to atone for my sins I suppose. I couldn't protect my Rogue mother, I murdered my Rogue sister, so I tried to help other Rogues in their honour, hoping that they would look down on me from the Goddess' garden and feel some small sense of pride about me.

Falling through town after town, I made a lot of friends of the wrong kind, made a name for myself, but I never forgot that bastard who cost me my only family. I put feelers out, asking about him, learning his past, discovering how many girls had gone missing when he was near. One day I got a tip from a source, it cost me dearly, but it was worth it, a family had been murdered in a town to our north.

The council had been involved in cleaning the mess of their house and disposing of the bodies as the father was a prominent Warlock. They spread about that the parents and their sixteen year old daughter had been slain, but word in the underworld was that the girl survived and had been taken by the vampire who had murdered her parents.

It was believed by the underworld to be Valencino's handywork, and that the missing young female was with him, ready for when he was hungry again.

I hunted them down, staked out the clan that he led, I figured, if I couldn't save Celeste, at least I could save this girl from that monster.

I watched from the edges, noting that he never let her out of his sight. Her eyes were always slightly unfocused, and he very rarely left her side, nor did he allow any other vampire to spend time with her.

In all my years studying the Vampire species, I could tell that he had used his powers to enchant her, make her believe that she loved him, and they were matched.

High ranking Vampires have the ability to compel others, but none use it as it was strictly forbidden by the Royal family over a thousand years ago. To keep the compulsion going, a vampire must remain with their mark for the majority of the day, as when they are left alone, the spell will lift, the mark would awaken and remember what had happened.

They spent a few days at the clan before Valencino moved her to another location and I knew that he was getting ready to feed.

I followed him and his mark to a secluded house, I broke in and scoured the rooms until I found them in the basement. He had hold of her hair, pulling her head back, his fangs elongated, ready to bite. I rushed forward, fought with him, he was strong but the fury and pain that pumped through me gave me the strength to over power him.

I made him kneel in front of me as I gripped his hair, lifting his chin and extending my claws, slicing them across his throat, decapitating him.

Rowan eyes found Ariana's again, his body shaking as he held her gaze, 'I hoped that once you came out from under his power, you would understand what I did, that I did it to save you!

The sorceress was still, her eyes unblinking, 'you are lying' she finally whispered, 'I remember you breaking in, fighting my beloved as I screamed. He wasn't going to drain me, he was going to mark me, why would he take me to his clan if he didn't want to keep me?' Rowan sighed heavily, 'I was also surprised that you had been taken there in the first place, as to anyone's knowledge, Valencino had never brought a mark to his clan, introduced them to his people.

Months later I found out through contacts that he had been called back to the clan for an emergency, he had no choice but to take you with him if he wanted to keep control of you. I assume that he would tell his people that something had befell you and that you had died.'

Ariana started to shake her head, scooting herself away from him as tears started to fall, 'you are lying' she yelled in panic, 'he loved me! Valencino loved me, I don't believe you!'

'Ariana, I promise it's the truth, he didn't love you, I'm sorry!' Rowan called back desperately as he remained sat on the floor, still unable to move.

Scrambling to her feet, the sorceress screamed, a loud guttural sound, filled with the pain that she had carried for so long. 'I don't believe you' she screamed as her hands came together and a ball of light formed between her fingers, 'I won't believe you! You will die!'

Building the power between her hands, the sorceress didn't acknowledge the slamming that came from the door that was recessed into one of the walls.

The door suddenly gave, landing on the stone floor, the two Beta's laying on top of it.

Alessia jumped over the pair, her eyes sweeping the room as she took in the two cages, Rowan, sat on the floor unmoving and the sorceress raising her hand, ready to strike.

'Noooooooooo!' Alessia screamed in horror as she lunged at the young witch, putting herself between Ariana and Rowan. Inches from the sorceress' body, the ball hit the she wolf in the chest, sending Alessia flying backwards, the rebound hitting Ariana and launching her in the other direction.

Both women hit the floor, each laying awkwardly, their bodies unmoving.

Released from his command, Rowan scrambled over to Alessia, gathering her in his arms as he screamed.

Landen scrambled to his feet, rushing to Ariana, kneeling beside her, and placing his fingers on her pulse, his face falling.

Daniel grabbed the keys, opening the cage that held Riley, then hurrying to Nathaniel's releasing him too.

The young Alpha sat on the floor of his cage, his eyes swivelling from Ariana to Alessia as he sobbed brokenly.

Rowan was rocking the she wolf, his fingers desperately checking her neck before he turned tear-streaked eyes too his Luna, 'she's dead' he whispered before holding her closer to his chest and crying unashamedly.

Looking over at Landen, Riley raised an eyebrow as the Beta shook his head, 'I can't feel a pulse' he replied in shock.

A howl of pain ripped through the air as Nathaniel's grief broke through, the pain hitting him like a train.

Daniel stepped carefully into the cage, gathering the Alpha to him, trying to comfort him.

'I need to see her' the Alpha howled, trying to push the Beta away from him.

'I'll take you Alpha, I'll take you to her' Daniel replied softly as he pulled Nathaniel into his embrace and helped him stand.

Avoiding the silver bars, they exited the cage, the pair stumbling to the middle of the room, Nathaniel's eyes flicking from Ariana's body to Alessia's, his features one of agony. Finally he raised his hand, pointing at his love, 'take me to her' he whispered, letting Daniel lead him to her side where he dropped to his knees, grabbing her hand in his and kissing it as his heart broke into irretrievable pieces.