NALEDI’S POV
“I can’t just leave here because he says you should. The women are yet to be sent off to their homes. They have barely had their memories wiped of the horrors they went through.” I excused, refusing to move from my bed.
“There are people placed in charge of them.” Korah said, “Besides, Ezra would travel back and forth to ensure that things are in the right position, you don’t need to bother yourself.”
A wry smile made its way to my face. “I understand that you need to go back to the Cosa Nostra, Korah. And honestly, I think you should. I just don’t see why I should follow you. Both of you.”
Ezra finally spoke. “There is nothing here for you. The cave has been sealed and Draken is left with the witches forever.” I swallowed at his words, for some reason, the thought of Draken facing judgment for both his sins and the sins of his predecessors never failed to eat at my sanity. “The women are barely a hundred left. You have no reason to remain here.”
“I have nothing in the Cosa Nostra.” Korah’s eyes widened and I felt anger rise within me, “Oh don’t pretend like you don’t know I was rejected and banished from the Cosa Nostra. The fact that I helped recover what was lost does not excuse me from taking responsibility for what I have done.”
“I intend to start paying for my crimes and maybe I should start by being fucking responsible for myself.” My tone left no room for argument. “I think it’s best we take our wins and go our separate ways from here on, Korah. I hope you both can respect my decision.”
Korah looked offended. I didn’t care. I wanted them all to leave, I needed to face my fucking life, and see if I had one that didn’t revolve around my obsessive need to do terrible things in the name of trying to get even, or fixing up shit.
“And what about Caellum? Your mate. The Alpha of the Cosa Nostra. You just want to give him up?” Korah looked and sounded pained.
This woman and her poking my barely healed injury.
“I already did.” I reminded her with as much pain in my tone, then laid on my bed. “Have a nice life, Korah.”
I didn’t know when they disappeared from my room. I didn’t need to know. I just remained in my bed, covered by the heavy duvet and crying my eyes out, because I knew at that moment that I was truly alone.
There was no one else because I had sent them away from me. I had sent the only people who held a semblance of care away and was left to deal with the gut-wrenching results of my decisions.
****
It’s been three days.
Three days of having nothing to do but sit around the former Yakuza pack, with the hateful eyes of the Cosa Nostra guards who had more than a bone to pick with me.
I revelled in their hate. It reminded me of what I am. The cruel daughter of the devil who was nothing but a devil herself. Every day, I walked around the house, took care of myself and contemplated how things could have been different.
I found myself contemplating how my life would be had I not been trafficked. Had not my father been the man he was. Had I not betrayed my mate. Despite my obvious rejection of him, my heart still managed to sting when I thought of him.
These days there was little I knew about him. The only thing I knew was the fact that more and more guards from the Cosa Nostra managed to show up here every time, filling up the place.
It seemed like they were trying to establish the Cosa Nostra here and honestly, I didn’t mind. I was no fool, the fact that they got rid of the Yakuza only meant one thing. And that was the fact that they got to take over the territory.
I was done putting my nose on anything pack-related. I was here to get a break from it all and plan the next phase of my life. I had a lot of free time in my hands lately and I needed to make up for it as soon as possible.
Today, I planned to leave the estate. It was empty of people other than the Cosa Nostra guards and I just needed a break from it all. I wanted to test what it was to live a life as Naledi.
Not Naledi Rogers, Not Attai, Not even Amara Cordel. A life that the little Naledi who was trafficked would have loved and appreciated. I got dressed and without a word, made my way out of the house.
“Where are you going?” I was stopped by some Cosa Nostra guards and I fought the urge to lash out at them.
“I’m sorry I didn’t realise I answered to you.” I continued my strut until I felt a hand hold me back.
“Where the hell do you think you are going, traitor?”
I stilled at the voice. It was familiar. I knew it all too well. I knew him all too well. Draken. How the hell? I turned around with my heart in my mouth.
“Oh my dear, Attai. You have no idea what mess you have gotten yourself into.” I couldn’t believe it, this had got to be an illusion. There was no way he was standing in front of me, and that in flesh.
“You… How? You are not-”
“Supposed to be here?” He chuckled. “You are quite stupider than I thought. This is the Yakuza estate, where the hell did you think I was supposed to be?!” His tone grew harsher by the second.
This couldn’t be real. Had I become so mentally inebriated that I now conjured up things on my own? Was I really in my right mind? Draken must have noticed my unbelief and he took it upon himself to correct the impression.
With one thunderous punch, I was sent to the floor with a bleeding nose and a huge check of reality. I remained on the floor, eyes wide as I understood the gravity of fucked up I was in this moment.
Draken was back. He was not in his cage. And telling by the cruel smile on his lips, there was no mistake, I was doomed.
“Shocked huh? Shocked that I was able to bounce back after your backstabbing stunt huh?!” He dragged me up painfully by the hair. “I already warned you, Attai. I am nothing like my father. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice… NEVER.”
My body weakened. He was real, he was actually real. Where the hell did the others go? How the hell was he able to be set free?
“I knew you were a sneaky little bitch. I knew the moment you decided to be my bride that something was wrong.” He threw me roughly to the floor and I felt my joint dislodge. “You even fucking saved my life!” He burst out laughing like I was the silliest thing to walk the earth. “The same fucking format you used on Nicolai.”
“What did you take me for, huh? A fool?” He scoffed, “You played yourself into my hands bitch. I’ll admit, you fucking surprised me by the sudden attack, but I was ready before you were born.”
“If there was one thing my deadbeat of a father did right in his godforsaken life, it was getting a witch pregnant and giving birth to me. Half witch, half werewolf.” He dragged out the last of his words, “And you can’t expect them to hurt their own for so long now, do you?”