Torn between Wolves & Myths (Book 2)
020

“Rafe will never allow this. He will know something is up the moment we tell him that we’re going to settle here.” Rev stated as they got over the plan in the living room of the pack house. “Why would anyone want to settle in a decaying territory? It will bring too many questions.”

“Not if we use part truth in our lie.” Liv said as she pulled her legs up on the chair she was sitting on.

After asking permission to use Caden’s territory they immediately decided to plan how they were actually going to do this without making them their enemies. Rev being the one who was obviously against this. She knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but they needed the territory.

“I’m untrained, that is something everyone knows. Doc is the only one who knows how to help me train and so I need him, but thanks to the fact that my power range is unpredictable, we need a place to train day and night without the fear of anyone getting hurt. This is Caden’s territory, Rafe never claimed it, which makes it Caden’s to claim back. It’s only normal for him to want it back so his pack can go home. And thanks to the fact that I need to train a lot, my pack needs to, temporarily, settle here as well. We still keep Rafe informed and posted on any progress we make, but we will be here, out of his immediate grasp.” Rev looked at her with raised eyebrows. “How long have you been thinking about that?”

“Ever since I asked Caden permission to use his territory.” Which was about an half hour ago. Malik sighed as he shifted on the ground and rested his head against her legs. “This might actually work if we play it right.”

“Rafe will still be suspicious of something.” Devon said. “There is no stopping that.” Liv sighed as she ran her hands over her face before she leaned with her head against the back of the chair. “No matter what, he will always be suspicious, he wants my head and doesn’t trust me so there is no stopping that.”

“Well, likewise.” Malik growled.

“What if he objects?” Brandon asked.

“Then I’ll just tell him to accept that it’s going to happen wheter he likes it or not” Liv spoke before anyone else did. “And you think he will accep that?” Andrew asked.

“He will, because he cannot go against her order.” Ben explained as he met Andrew’s gaze.

“Isn’t he the regent?” Gerard asked.

“Yes, but she is the the heir, she holds power over all of us and if she orders us to do something we have to, there is no fighting the command. Not even for Rafe.” Ben explained. Gerard looked at her with surprise. “Okay then.”

She gave him a small smile as her eyes started to become droopy. It was in the middle of the day, but her energy was already drained. Must have something to do with everything that happened the past couple of days.

“So when are we going to do this?” Rev asked.

Liv still listened to them, but her eyes wouldn’t stay open anymore. The last thing she heard was Caden saying something about tonight at the feast, before everything became quiet.

§

“NO!” Her mother screamed as he released Liv who grabbed her throat as she started to choke on her own blood. The woman crawled to her dying daughter as tears streamed down her cheeks. ”Ssssh.I’m sorry, sweetheart. I am so sorry.” Her voice broke as she heard the choking sounds of Liv.

"You are going to be okay, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay.” Her voice was a little clearer. Her mother dropped her head and placed her forehead against that of Liv.

“Live, my daughter.” A warmth started to fill her head. ”You are so strong, Livana. Find your power and no one will be able to stop you.” Her power washed over her and Liv. ”Remember who you are, who your parents are, and you will never be powerless. I love you.”

Liv stirred in her sleep as a tear rolled down her cheek in her sleep. He got up from a chair and silently walked towards her as he saw it and heard her breathing starten to quicken.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this, princess. You should have killed yourself when you had the chance, because you are going to wish for your death the coming days.” She felt him place his tip at her entrance and a loud whimper came from her as more tears fell. King’s smirking face came in her view. “Where have I seen this image before?” He bended a little bit more down so his mouth was close to her ear. “Oh right, it’s the same image of when your mother was defenceless to stop me as well. I wonder if you scream like her when I take your body and coat it with my seed both inside as outside.”

“Do me a favor, try to scream as loud as you can.” He said as he made himself ready to push himself inside of her.

A shock went through her body as a slight whimper came from her. He crouched down in front of the chair.

“What are you doing!?” Liv yelled as she was held by Dwight, while King walked with a knife towards her mother who looked terrified. Around them about twenty humans were screaming in pain as the venom of the Lycanthrope bite started to work its way through their body. “Please don’t do this.” Her mother begged as King pushed her back into the arms of James and Edward walked towards them with a bucket. Liv struggled in Dwights grasp as she tried to get away.

“Hold her arm out.” A whimper came from her mother as the human males around her screamed. King placed the knife on her mother’s arm before he sliced it open.

“No! Mama!” Liv yelled as she struggled again, but no one heeded her. They were all to focussed on bleeding her mother.

The blood filled the bucket until it was half full and her mother slumped in the arms of James.

“Mama!” Liv yelled again, but there was still no reaction. From no one.

King took the bucket from Edward and grabbed a ladle, before he turned and walked to one of the human males. Liv followed him with her eyes. Not understandng what he was doing. He placed the ladle in the bucket before he took it out and poured some of her mothers blood in the bite wound of the human. A soon as the blood touched the wound, the human and her mother screamed bloody murder. Liv head shot towards her mother who was crying and writhing in the arms of James.

King got a cruel smile as he saw it as well before he moved on to the next human. The same thing happened.

“Stop! You’re hurting them!” Liv yelled. This time she did get a reaction, but it was only laughter coming from King as he moved to work his way through the group of humans. All the while all of them including her mother were screaming like they were being burned alive. Liv struggled to get free the whole time, but she was too weak. There was nothing she could do but watch and listen.

When King was done with the last human he gave Edward the now empty bucket. Her mother was still screaming as were the humans around her. King finally turned toward her and followed the tears that ran down her cheeks with his eyes.

“Why are you crying, little one? This is a happy occasion and you should be honored that you got to witness this.”

“You’re hurting them!”

King smirked at the venom in her voice. “Did you think becoming a Lycanthrope was painless?” Her eyes went wide as she looked at the humans. “Hope that at least one of them complete the transformation, little one. Or else I fear your mother might not make it through the night.”

Another tear rolled down her cheek as she whimpered again. He did nothing but watch her as he knew that waking her would not help her right now.

“It seems you need some motivation.” King said as she sat on her knees in the snow. Intense fear took hold of her body as blood ran down her nose. Her power was depleted and she could barely stand. She couldn’t go on anymore, but she knew that King was going to force her to keep going until she succeeded in getting control over a wolf.

“Rico.” The brute looked at King before he walked towards them. The fear that had already woken up in her body intensified and she started to shake as Rico stopped in front of them and bowed his head towards King. “Alpha?”

“Attack Brandon.”

“What?!” Her voice was rough as she looked at Brandon who looked at Rico with an intense fear as the brute turned towards him and punched him against his jaw.

“No! Stop!” Her voice broke as she tried to get up and run to help her friend, when King grabbed her by her neck and pulled up and closer towards them. Brandon didn’t stand a chance against Rico. If this goes on Rico would kill him!

“The only way he will stop is if you take control over him and make him stop.” King said. Tears started to run down her cheeks as Rico punched Brandon again. A crunch noise of bones breaking filled her ears, before Brandon’s scream did.

“Please, I can’t...”

“Use your power, control him, or watch your friend die.” King snarled tightening his grip on her neck.

Brandon tried to get away from Rico, but the brute was too big. He never stood a chance. Rico took pleasure in attacking the boy, he always took pleasure in hurting others and even more pleasure in killing others.

Liv desparately tried to get a grip on her weak power, but it didn’t listen to her. She was too weak, she couldn’t do this.

“Please...” She whispered as more tears ran down her face. Brandon screamed again as Rico broke more of his bones. A shiver ran down her spine as she was forced to watch, all the while trying to get a hold on her powers.

“You are the worst Moonblood that has ever lived. So weak you can’t even save your friend from death. Pathetic.” King said from behind her.

More tears ran down her cheeks as she heard his words.

“Rico, end this.” A cruel smile came over the brute’s face as he turned to Brandon who was already barely alive. His claw elongated as he grabbed Brandon by the throat and lifted him off the ground, ready to end his life.

“NO!” An intense fear took a hold on her and without her being able to stop it her power lashed out to Rico and suddenly she could see through his eyes. The control she had on him wasn’t strong enough though and in a frantic move to break the hold she had on him Rico turned on her and lashed out with his claw. She screamed as the claw entered her flesh and tore it open. King pulled her backwards to get her out of Rico’s reach and started to laugh as Rico was restrained by James and Edward. Tears streamed down her eyes at the pain of the wound.

“And here I thought you being an absolute disappointment.” King said as he looked at her. “Well done, Little one.” He said with a satisfied grin before he walked away and pain took over everything she was feeling.

A shock went through her body again as a silent scream left her throat.

Rico’s claw entered her body and tore open her skin again and again and again.

The image kept replaying in her head as she started to squirm on the chair. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to get away from the pain of her flesh tearing open thanks to his claw over and over again. He slowly reached out with his hand and laid a hand against her cheek. She started to thrash as he touched her. He knew he shouldn’t. That she had to work through whatever it was she was seeing, but he couldn’t watch her anymore.

“Liv.”

She didn’t react, she only tried to get away from his touch. He pulled his hand back and gently grabbed one of her wrists.

“Liv.” He tried again, but she only kept thrasing and whimpering.

“Moonblood!” He said louder as he grabbed her other wrist.

Her eyes snapped open and the image and feeling of Rico disappeared the moment she met his silver gaze. Her breathing was rapid as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“You had a bad dream.” Caden said as he held her eyes and saw the pain in them. Knowing that what she had dreamed about wasn’t just a dream, but something more. The look in her eyes and the way she had reacted while sleeping told her just that.

“It wasn’t a bad dream.” She whispered as another tear rolled down her cheek. “I used to wish it was, that I would wake up and replace out that my life wasn’t a living hell, but I was just kidding myself.” She gently pulled one of her arms towards her chest, making him release the hold he had on it and rubbed her palm against the scar that was aching a bit. Caden followed the movement with his eyes. Only a bit of the scar was visible. It was the first time he actually noticed one of her scars.

“Who did that to you?” He asked with a dark voice as his eyes met hers again.

“Rico.”

“The one clawed asshole?” A muscle ticked in his jaw as she nodded as an answer. The asshole was a dead man.

“How many more?” He remembered that Rev had told him that she had more scars and he needed to know how many and who were responsible.

“A few.” Liv answered as she dropped her head.

“That’s not what I asked, Moonblood.” Making her look back at him, meeting his now green eyes. “I asked how many more.”

She gulped as she felt his dominance roll off him once more. “Why do you care? Yes, I know we are allies now, but-”

“Moonblood, I only have so much patience, now tell me how many more you have or I will strip you naked and count them myself.” A shiver ran down her spine at the implication, making her swallow once more. “Five.” She whispered.

“Who?” Caden all but growled. “Rico, King, Stefan, James and-” She stopped herself from naming the last person who scarred her. Not knowing what he will do once he has all the names freightened her. She didn’t know why he was acting like this, but it actually scared her a bit. “And?” Caden demanded.

“Why do you want to know?” A low growl came from his throat as he released her other wrist, placed his hand on the armrests on either side of her and leaned a little forward, making her gulp once more as she sank a little further into the cushion. “Because three of them are still living and I am going to personally change that. Now give me the name of the fifth.” Her lips parted a bit as she looked at him with wide eyes. She couldn’t believe her ears as she held his emerald gaze, but she also realized something else immediately. She couldn’t tell him the name of the fifth or he will have to fight her to get to him. “The fifth is not important. That scar is because of a stupid mistake I made, not because he wanted to hurt me.”

“Tell me his name.” He demanded.

“No.” She whispered. A growl came from him once more, the rumble of his throat making her body shiver again. “Don’t make me tell you, Moonblood.”

“Why do you care?”

“If you don’t tell me now I will make sure to get it out of you another way, so tell me.” He growled not answering the question which started to unstettle her. There was something in his eyes. Dominance, and most of all a predators gaze, but why he had it was unclear to her. It freightened her, but she also knew that he wasn’t making an empty threat to get the name out of her and that was something she didn’t want to happen. No matter what way he intended.

“Only if you won’t hurt him.” A growl escaped his throat again. “It wasn’t his fault we were pups.” She noticed her mistake the moment the words left her mouth. Caden pushed himself away from her in an instant and made his way to the door. Liv immediately got up, grabbed his arm and pushed him against the wall. Making him growl once more.

“I will fight you if you go after him.” She snarled at him as her wolf rose. “Brandon is my pack member, if you’re going after him, you will have me to deal with.”

Caden pushed himself back, making her stumble and loose her footing. Before she could fall he grabbed her wrist and pushed her against the wall with her back. Reversing their positions. “He hurt you.”

“So have you!” She immediately snarled back. “Even worse than he has, so are you also going to kill yourself for that as well?” Caden growled again, but he didn’t answer, making her point for him, but she didn’t stop, because why would she be the smart one of the two of them?

“You hurt me worse that he ever has, so if you are going to punish someone it should be yourself!”

“You don’t think I don’t?” He snarled as he stepped in on her, making their bodies inches from meeting as he held her shocked gaze.

“I am not going to apologise for what I did to you, for any of it, but no matter what I did to you, I never left a scar on your body. They did.” He snarled again. Something in her chest cracked at his words and a sudden, unkown, feeling suddenly came from where his palms touched the small patch of skin not coverred by her dress. The same feeling she got when he had been touching her skin the day he had tackled her to the ground when the hunter tried to kill her but shot Malik instead.

Caden’s eyes shot to the spot where he was touching her skin, also noticing the weird, kind off tingling, feeling. Clenching his jaw he moved his hand away from her, before he met her gaze once more. Noticing that she had not missed anything.

Liv swallowed as Caden took a step back from her. The anger and dominance slowly receding from his stance. She didn’t know what the fuck that feeling had been, but she was sure he had felt it as well and she was definitely going to replace out what it was. This whole exchange has been confusing. There had to have been a reason for him to suddenly act this way and that was also something she wasn’t going to let go.

Composing herself, she straightened a bit as she took a step forward, almost closing the distance between them again. Her wolf rose and her dominace increased, making a muscle tick in his jaw as he clenched his fists and met her gaze.

“You will not touch Brandon, or this allegiance is over and I make true on my promise to kill you. He is my friend and packmember and no one is going to threaten him, not even you.”