Ashley’s POV
When I opened my eyes, there was a strong familiar scent hovering around me. It was my brother, but I didn’t know if he was really the one as the horrors of the forest were yet to leave my head.
“She’s waking up.” I heard a familiar female voice saying.
“Oh, my good gracious.” I heard another voice that was definitely that of my brother.
“Wilson?” I murmured and squinted my eyes to adjust to the blinding light.
“Ashley. How do you feel?” He asked, and I threw my hands around his neck, holding him tightly in a close hug.
“I’m fine, brother. I thought you were dead. Mother said that Alpha Rolan had you killed.” I cried, my emotions overwhelming me.
“She lied about a lot of things, Ashley. You should never have listened to anything she said to you. I know it was hard, but what is even harder is that none of us were safe. She would have chosen Zach over herself if she had to” He told me, holding my shoulders and looking into my eyes.
My mother had lied to me so she could use me as a passage sacrifice for her and her lover. It was hard for me to accept, and the tears ran down my face in quick succession.
“We are glad that you are back, Ash.” I heard Pandora’s voice and lowered my head.
The shame of being back here was actually greater than I imagined and seeing that even after all I had done, she was still being kind to me, made the guilt I was feeling worse.
“Pandora.” I managed to say, but she pulled me from Wilson and hugged me tightly.
“I was so scared. I thought something had happened to you. We looked for you for several days. I suspected that something was wrong with how desperately your mom wanted you back.” She whispered as she stroked my hair gently.
“I’m sorry, Pandora. I can’t believe you are still being kind to me after everything that happened because of me.” I cried, and she held my hands, squeezing it reassuringly.
“You took care of me and became the only family I knew when I could not even remember my name. Even though I am not exactly proud of all that you have done, I am aware that we all make some emotional mistakes occasionally. The person involved in this too was not just someone whom you could have just brushed off her needs. We completely understand that.” She said, and I was moved to tears.
There was no way I would want Rolan after this, it would be the greatest betrayal to Pandora, and she would not deserve that.
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to kill Caleb with my actions. I didn’t even know that my mom had come to the house with a gun in hand. She shot before I could even react, and before I knew what was happening, Caleb was lying down in his own pool of blood. I’m really sorry. I should have treated him better, and I only realized that now” I cried while she held me and rocked me gently like a baby.
“It’s fine. You only have to agree to help us with the rest of the investigation. We need to track down Zach and your mother before they hurt someone else.” She said firmly while I nodded my head slowly in agreement.
“I will do anything. How did you know about Zach?” I asked my brother.
“When I came out, I did some investigation. I would have come and get you myself, but Rolan refused. He sent his best man to come and get you.” Wilson responded.
“What did you find out in your investigation?” I asked him.
“Zach is not your real father. We have the same father, and it is the same one that you have known all these years. Even though mom cheated, we are not a product of that affair. But, we do have a step-brother. He is the one that she was following Zach to see. Mom had initially told Dad that the boy died because he would have found out about his paternity sometime in life. She took him to Zach, and he has not been here since then. We have a step-brother that we do not know.” Wilson finished, and my mouth fell open.
Never in my life had I imagined that this would turn out to be the life that I would be forced to live through. My mom was a psychotic cheat with a knack for lying and extreme violence. If care was not taken, she would be the end of us all.
“Why did mom lie so much to me?” I asked him, my ears itching from how much my mom had tried to lie to me into hating the people who truly cared about me.
“She was trying to use you to get her way out and escape. It was nothing more than that. You know how emotionally manipulative our mother is. You should have been smarter.” Wilson answered, and I could hear the rebuke in his voice.
I caught Pandora’s eyes, she was apparently attempting to tell my brother to take things easy on me for now. I hated that I had disappointed everyone, and someone had even died in the process.
My mate. The thought of Caleb’s death haunted me and gnawed at my heart. Regardless of what I did, I could not get the image of the bleeding Caleb out of my head.
“I’m sorry, brother. I didn’t know what I was thinking by believing her. Something didn’t feel right, but I felt so alone here. I know they really cared about me, but I was too alone here. It felt nice to be back with someone that I was related to. You were in jail and had asked me not to come, so I didn’t know what to do. I just wish Caleb had not died.” I sniffled and heaved sadly, the mate bond I shared with him tearing my wolf into shreds.
“He is not dead,” Pandora blurted out, and my eyes widened in shock.