“Kai I’m truly sorry on her behalf, you have to believe me.”
Kai shook his head. “Sorry doesn’t cut it, Nicolas. Not by a long shot. Do you know what she just did?! I would’ve….” He paused and grit his teeth hard. “I would have killed Karen! For nothing!”
“I understand, I really do.”
“I don’t think you do.” Kai spat.
As Zeke’s daughter, Karen was already walking on a tight rope. All she needed was one push, one thing that showed she was exactly like her father. Verena knew that. And she took advantage of it.
Kai felt angry at himself for easily believing it. For easily believing that Karen would sell herself to another man. For easily believing that after he had seen her command a man who so dared to touch her.
He was blinded by rage and hatred, fueled by the painful memories her father had caused him. He labelled her a traitor and ordered her to be beheaded.
Kai felt used, played. And what was Verena’s excuse? She did it for him.
Kai sighed, pacing the floors. “What she did Nicolas, what she dared to do is worthy of death.” He said.
“Kai….”
“She took Karen away from me.” He walked up to Nicolas, staring him in the eye. “You know what….” He trailed off not able to bring himself to say the next words.
Karen brought him peace. She brought back the calm that he had before he was captured. When he was with her, everything felt better.
She made him sleep for the first time in a long time. No potion could do that, no one else could do that.
And in a moment, it would all be gone. Because of petty jealousy.
Kai was having a hard time.
Nicolas was the closest person to him. They had been through thick and thin. Kai had made sacrifices for Nicolas and continued to do so. He built the pack with Nicolas by his side. Kai would never intentionally hurt Nicolas.
And at the same time he wanted Verena dead for her treason.
He looked away from Nicolas eyes, refusing to acknowledge his pleading. He knew killing Verena would break Nicolas. At the same time he needed to avenge Karen somehow.
“Nicolas,”
“Yes, Kai?”
Kai sighed. “You’ve put me in a very tight spot.”
“I’m truly sorry about that.”
“Out of the love I have for you as my friend and brother, I will spare Verena’s life.” Kai said turning back to Nicolas. “On the one condition that she doesn’t ever show herself in front of me again. If she does, I will end her life.”
“Kai…” Nicolas said, his voice cracking.
“You may go now.” Kai said and turned away. He felt a spark of envy in his chest. Nicolas got to be with his eternal mate. While Kai had nearly killed his.
He heard Nicolas’ footsteps receding till they became faint.
For the first time, he felt a wave of sadness crash over him. It has been five months. If the warriors couldn’t find Karen, she was probably dead at this point. A lone wolf with no pack. They didn’t survive out there in this harsh world.
***
Nicolas felt mixed emotions.
One on hand he was shocked and appalled at what Verena had done. And on the other hand he felt guilty.
Kai had spared Verena. Nicolas could tell how hard that decision was for Kai to make. He knew that Kai was really hurt, he knew how Karen meant something to him to the point where he didn’t want her to accept his rejection.
Nicolas felt a bit angry knowing that Verena was behind Karen’s frame up. But he was torn between believing Karen was innocent and believing she was exactly like her father.
Nicolas made his way to Verena’s room. He felt a twinge of happiness, after so many months he had finally said that she was his mate.
But at what cost?
He got to her door and knocked. “Verena?” He called out. “Are you in there?”
“Go away!” She shouted. “I don’t want to see you!”
Nicolas sighed. “Please, I need to talk to you!”
“I said get lost!”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Nicolas said. “Open up or I’ll break the door.”
There was silence for a while. “Go to hell.” She spat.
Nicolas sighed heavily. He grabbed the door know and pulled. The door came open, it had never been locked. He walked inside.
Verena’s room was decorated like a princess room in pink and peach colors. He had never been inside before, and it threw him off guard a bit. It dawned on him that he knew absolutely nothing personal about Verena.
Speaking of Verena, she was sitting on the floor, her back up against her bed. She raised her head and looked at him, he felt his heart break.
Her face was tear stained, her eyes wide and full of tears. She wiped her eyes furiously.
“I don’t want to see you.” She spat with vitriol. “I’m going to be dead anyway, there’s no point trying to pity me.”
Nicolas took a step closer and she raised her hand.
“Stay right there! Don’t come near me!”
Nicolas wanted to hug her and comfort her. Tell her that everything will be okay and that she would be fine. Tell her that he loved her, and wanted nothing more than to make her happy.
“Fine, I won’t come any closer.” He said.
“What do you want? Has my execution date been fixed?” She asked, more tears gathering in her eyes. She kept wiping them away and they kept coming back. “damned emotions.” She hissed under her breath.
“You’re not going to be executed.” Nicolas said. “He spared your life.”
“Spared my life…. why would he…” She paused and looked up at him. “No…. he did it for you…”
Nicolas didn’t refute.
Verena bit her lip hard to stop a sob halfway. “He did it for you…. if it weren’t for you he would have… oh my goodness… he really was charmed by that slave”
Nicolas didn’t have what to say because she was right. Verena pulled her head between her knees and cried. Her cries felt like a hot sword piercing his heart.
“Verena, please, all that matters is that you’re alive now.”
She raised her head up and glared at him through tears. “All that matters to you?!”
“No, not to me. I mean….”
“I was going to be Luna!” She cried out. “We were going to be married! And that slave comes and ruins everything! That man’s evil daughter! You of all people know the horrors her father committed! Why are you siding her?!”
Nicolas sighed, painful memories flooding into his mind. “I’m not siding her, Verena. And I understand how you feel. But…”
“All I did was to protect my alpha! He was starting to …. how could he forget?! Just how?! How would you explain that except that she used her mind control on him?! What if she was carrying out her father’s mission?”
Nicolas didn’t want to think about Verena’s reasons. Because if he did he knew she made a bit of sense. She had been there when they were rescued. She heard and saw the horrors first hand. She was there all through the recovery process. She shared in their hatred of Zeke Winterblood.
But Nicolas knew it was more complicated than that.
Kai hadn’t forgotten, not by a long shot. But even Nicolas was torn too. Karen was pure, too pure to be that man’s daughter. She lacked his hatred, his evil, she looked nothing like the man.
Nicolas didn’t know when the line started to blur. But it did.
“He didn’t forget.” He said to Verena. “It’s more complicated than that. And I wish I could explain it to you, but I can’t. Just know that Kai was really hurt by what you did.”
“Yeah no shit. He was going to kill me for it! For helping him!”
“But he won’t. You’re okay now, Verena.”
“Okay?!” She gasped. “Why will I be okay?!”
“As long as you don’t show up before him. You’ll be fine. Okay, I promise.”
“I’ll be fine?! Because you’re my mate?! I didn’t want any mate that wasn’t Kai!”
“Verena, please, ”
She scoffed and laughed bitterly. “Why am I even entertaining this.” She said to herself. She faced him, her eyes turning hard. “I, Verena Conan of the Crest pack rejects….”
“No!” Nicolas exclaimed and rushed forward. He grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed his hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened, her body going still.
“Please ..” Nicolas said, going on his knees. He lightened his hold over her mouth, his eyes staring deep into hers. “Verena, don’t reject me… I…”
She held his hand and pulled it down. “Why? Aren’t you disgusted? Aren’t you ashamed of me? Why would you want someone like me?”
“I… I don’t know” he replied honestly.
“You’re his friend…. don’t you…”
He shook his head. “I don’t.”
She broke down, her lip trembling and tears rolling down her face. She held her face in her hands, her body shaking with sobs. “I loved him…. I can’t… I can’t just forget him and…”
Nicolas put his arms around her and held him close. He gently hushed her, urging her to lean into him. She rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed quietly.
“I know it won’t be easy, .” He said reflecting on all the years he’d spent being in love with her, but unable to ever do anything because she was in love with kai.
Nicolas didn’t know how long they stayed huddled together.