Calvin’s POV
The air in the room shifted.
Lysaa stilled.
I had her attention.
“…What about Kamrynn? Don’t tell me… You monster! Did you capture her and bring her back? What have you done to her?! What did you do to Kamrynn?!”
My nails dug into my palms. Of course she already assumed the worst of me, I deserved it. “Kamrynn isn’t here, I haven’t done anything to her. I found her but she’s been taken.”
Lysaa’s lips parted slightly, as if unable to process what she’d just heard.
I continued before she could interrupt. “Sherelle is alive. She faked her death. She is completely off her rockers and is out for some sort of revenge on me and Kamrynn. She kidnapped Kamrynn, wiped her memories and-”
“What?” Lysaa’s voice cracked.
Her entire body stiffened, her hands gripping her tattered dress so tightly her knuckles turned white.
“She doesn’t remember anything,” I said, my voice raw. “Not me. Not you. Not our children.”
Lysaa let out a strangled sound-somewhere between a gasp and a sob.
Her legs buckled.
Franklin caught her before she could fall.
“…No,” she whispered. “No, no, no…”
I clenched my fists. “That’s why I need your help.”
She shook her head, still reeling from the revelation. “This can’t be happening…”
I swallowed hard. “It is.”
Her head snapped up, her scarred eyes burning with fury. “And it’s your fault.”
I didn’t deny it.
She took a step forward, and for the first time since she entered the room, she wasn’t shaking in fear.
She was shaking with rage.
“All of this-everything-happened because of you!” she shouted. “You let Sherelle control you! You let your grief turn you into a monster! You-”
Her voice broke.
I said nothing.
Because she was right.
She let out a shaky breath. “…What do you want from me? What could I possibly do in a situation like this?”
I hesitated.
“I need you to help me get my children back.”
She stiffened. “Your… children?”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see it. “It’s a long story but they’re in the Blue Bell, in the care of the Luna by the name of Rmonica.”
Lysaa let out a startled laugh. “So let me get this straight. You tortured Kamrynn, stole her freedom, ruined her life, and now you want me to help you steal her children?”
I flinched. “It’s not-”
“It’s exactly like that.”
I exhaled. “I just… I just want them to be safe.”
“Then you’re the last person they should be around. You’re irresponsible, casually misusing your power, dumb for an Alpha and you have a bad temper. I’m sure Kamrynn would want them far away from you, she did so much to get away from you after all.” Lysaa fired back.
I was this close to tears. Her words were tearing me apart.
“They’re my kids too, Lysaa. I would never hurt them, I’d give my life to protect them.” I declared with all the sincerity I could muster.
“Please don’t tell me I’m supposed to believe that when you’re the same man who beat three babies out of Kamrynn!”
Something in me died right at that moment.
“What?!” I gasped. “What are you talking about?”
“Of course you didn’t know. She was only ever a body to you, something you could use and throw away. I’ve got nothing to lose anymore so I’ll just go ahead and say it. What type of moron keeps beating the shit out of a woman who he wants to have his baby? You single handedly caused Kamrynn to suffer three miscarriages and she hid them all because she knew it’d only incur your wrath because for whatever reason, you can never take responsibility for your own actions.” Lysaa sniffed, taking a deep breath.
“She was so desperate to escape because the doctor said if she lost that pregnancy, she might never have another one. I couldn’t let that happen so I did what I had to.”
I was officially at a loss for words. I’d never felt so horrible in my life. With my sins lying at my feet like this, staring me right in the face, I couldn’t help but wonder how benevolent Selene was to let me live again. Because I really did deserve to be stuck in limbo, forever a tortured soul.
“I didn’t know…” Was all I could force out. Anything else and I’d start sobbing.
There was another pregnant silence.
“If I do this,” she said quietly, “it’s surely not for you.”
I nodded. “I know.”
She inhaled deeply. “Fine.”
Relief crashed over me. “Lysaa-”
“But,” she cut me off, her voice colder than ice, “once we find Kamrynn… I hope she leaves you forever.”
A lump formed in my throat.
I wanted to argue.
I wanted to tell her that I would make things right.
That I would never let Kamrynn go.
But I couldn’t.
Because deep down…
I knew I didn’t deserve her.
“…I understand,” I whispered.
Lysaa exhaled sharply. “Good.”
I swallowed. “Franklin will make sure you’re taken care of. You’ll have everything you need.”
She scoffed. “I don’t want anything from you.”
I hesitated.
Then, softly-
“I’ll bring your family back.”
Lysaa stiffened.
“They’ll be treated like royalty for the rest of their lives,” I swore. “It’s the least I can do.”
Silence.
Then-
“…Do whatever you want.”
I nodded.
“Franklin,” I turned to my Beta who had been watching the whole thing, completely invested.
“Take her,” I rasped. “Make sure she has everything she needs.”
Franklin nodded, gently guiding Lysaa toward the door.
She hesitated as if wondering if she was actually doing the right thing.
Finally, she let Franklin lead her away.
And I…
I was left alone with my guilt.