Chapter: thirteen

Aylin’s eyes popped wide open, her mouth falling open in shock. She was at a loss for words. The memories of that day were hazy, blurred by the passage of time.

All she could recall were the screams and the blood. Her mother’s frantic words as she was sent running were lost to her. Nothing made sense.

Ezekiel, on the other hand, was eyeing the alpha across from him with suspicion. “Why would they target Aylin?”

“That’s the mystery. The only ones who could answer that are her parents, but as you know—”

“Stop!” Aylin’s voice was sharp, her teeth clenched in anger at the alpha.

“I’m just stating facts.” Daemon’s voice took on a darker tone.

Ezekiel growled at the alpha, his claws emerging, ripping through the leather of his gloves. “Don’t talk to her like that!”

Quill and Angus moved forward, ready to defend if needed. Their imposing presence made Daemon almost shrink back in his seat.

As Ezekiel rose to his feet, Aylin jumped in front of him, shaking her head in a silent plea.

Turning back to the alpha, Aylin felt a surge of confidence. “Besides the photos, what else was found? This doesn’t tell us anything.” She jabbed a finger at the file on his desk.

“There is something else,” he began, “but I’m not sure you want to see it.”

“What is it?”

Daemon moved around the desk to stand before her. “It’s up to your mate if he wants you to see it.”

Ezekiel rose to his feet behind Aylin. “What is it?”

“We captured one after the attack.”

Aylin froze, the air around them growing thick with tension. Her heart pounded in her chest. The thought of seeing a demon made her nervous.

The idea that she was the reason for the attack was already a heavy burden. But the why was still missing.

“So, you’ve had a demon here, in this pack, for the past four years? Why?”

Daemon sighed, stepping back. “My father spent countless hours trying to interrogate the damn thing, but it won’t talk.”

“Then I don’t see why it’s still alive. Kill it and be done!” Ezekiel’s voice was tight with anger.

“As much as I’d like to, I want to know why demons attacked a pack just to kidnap a pack member!” Daemon’s eyes were dark with fury as he glared at the king.

“Enough!” Aylin’s voice rang out.

The two alpha males stared at the petite woman in disbelief.

“Instead of arguing, why don’t we go see it? Maybe it has something useful to say.”

Without a word, Daemon walked past them, leaving the office. Ezekiel and Aylin followed him, trailed by the warriors.

As they moved deeper into the woods, Aylin’s tension grew. Even when she was part of the pack, she never liked venturing into the woods.

When they reached the building housing the cells, Aylin stopped in her tracks. “I don’t know if I can do this, Zeke.”

“I’ll be right here. Stay close to me. If anything happens, stay with Quill. Got it, Quill?”

“Understood,” he replied.

“It’s in here. You’ll have to excuse the smell.” Daemon looked at Aylin with concern. “Are you sure you want to do this, Ay?”

Ezekiel growled beside her.

Placing a hand on his arm, she replied, “Yes, it has to be done.”

As the door was opened, the foul smell of blood and bodily fluids hit them. Aylin covered her nose as they descended the stairs to the cells.

The sound of hissing and spitting drew her attention. They stopped at the last cell, where a warrior stood guard over the demon.

“Alpha,” he greeted.

The sight was enough to make Aylin want to retch. The demon was heavily chained to the wall, hissing and spitting at them. Its bones were visible beneath its skin, its eyes a blood-red.

Ezekiel’s muscles tensed at the sight of the creature.

“Here it is,” Daemon announced.

Ezekiel stepped forward, his presence commanding. “Demon! Why did you attack this pack?”

The demon hissed at the king, causing Aylin to step back.

“Speak, you vile creature!” Ezekiel’s voice was dark with anger.

A chilling laugh escaped the creature. “For her,” it said simply.

“But why her?”

“He wants her.”

“Who does?”

The demon fell silent. During the exchange, Aylin felt a strong urge to rush into the cell and force the answers out of it. She was tired of the runaround.

“Tell us, you bastard!” she shouted.

The demon chuckled darkly, looking her straight in the eye. It felt as though he was seeing right through her. “Zagan,” he finally said.

“Oh, shit,” Ezekiel muttered.

“Why does Zagan want Aylin?” Daemon demanded angrily.

“Why don’t you ask her?” the demon replied, sounding amused.

All eyes turned to Aylin.

“Do you know what he’s talking about?” Ezekiel asked her.

She stared wide-eyed at the demon, unable to speak.

“Aylin!”

She turned to her mate, seeing his eyes dark with anger. “I-I don’t know anything. I swear it.”

The demon started laughing maniacally. “Then you don’t know that you have demon blood in you.”

“What did you say?” She looked at the demon and saw no deceit in his eyes. “I’m not a demon. I’m a werewolf.”

“Maybe you should ask your mother about that.”

“My mother is dead.”

“That’s what you think.”

Her hands trembled, a mix of disbelief and shock, and a knot formed in her stomach. “No! She’s dead!” Aylin cried out.

She tugged at her hair, tears welling up in her eyes. “You bastard!”

Aylin charged at the cell, her skin instantly searing as it made contact with the silver bars. “Ahh!” She didn’t let go, even as her skin sizzled. She held on.

Ezekiel and Daemon were at her side in an instant, pulling her hands away from the bars. “Aylin, let go!” Ezekiel commanded.

Hearing her mate’s voice, she released the bars, collapsing into Ezekiel’s arms. “It’s impossible,” she murmured to him.

Ezekiel scooped her up and started to leave the cells. “I’m getting her out of here. Quill, Angus, let’s go.”

“Ezekiel, don’t you think we should investigate this?” Daemon’s voice was firm, his fists clenched at his sides.

“That’s enough for now,” Ezekiel shot back. “I won’t let Aylin suffer anymore today.”

As they made their way back to the pack house, Ezekiel held Aylin close. He glanced down at her, noticing the dazed look in her eyes.

She’d spent years believing her parents were dead, and now this revelation was only causing her more pain.

But there were questions that needed answers. The only way to get them was to interrogate the demon further.

Once they reached Daemon’s office, Ezekiel gently set Aylin down on the couch. He took her wrists in his hands, looking at the silver scars on her hands. “Oh, sweetheart. Your hands—”

“I swear to you, Zeke. I don’t know anything. My mother is dead!” Her voice grew louder as she spoke.

“I believe you, baby. The demon was probably lying just to upset you. We’ll try again later.”

“I want to go home,” she whimpered.

Daemon interrupted. “The pack doctor is on his way.”

She clenched her hands into fists and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for a memory, any memory, that might help them understand why the demons wanted her.

“Aylin, stop!” Ezekiel ordered.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that her hands were bleeding. In her frustration, her claws had extended and punctured her skin.

As she stared at the blood pooling in her hands, a memory of the attack flashed in her mind.

***

~“Aylin, honey, you have to run. Don’t stop running.” The urgency in her mother’s voice sent her into a panic.~

~“Mom, why? I can fight!” Aylin argued. She wanted to help her pack.~

~Demons descended on the pack, and people scattered while the warriors fought them off. The screams and the horrifying sounds of death surrounded her.~

~“No! Aylin, listen to me. They want to take you away. Do as I say and run!”~

~Aylin turned and ran as fast and as far as she could from the chaos. The sounds of the battle faded as she disappeared into the woods.~

~She hid behind a large tree, and then the sounds suddenly stopped.~

~Everything she knew was taken from her that day. The silence was deafening.~

~***~

“She told me to run,” she whispered.

“Who did?” Ezekiel asked, confused.

“My mother.”

Just then, the pack doctor walked in. He was the same doctor from when she was a member. He seemed pleasantly surprised to see Aylin. “Well, hello there. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

“Hello, Dr. Lobos.”

The middle-aged doctor knelt in front of her. He looked much the same as he had years ago when he’d treated the pack members injured in the attack.

His brown hair now had a few gray streaks, his brown eyes were still warm and caring, and his light olive skin hadn’t changed.

A few wrinkles had formed near his eyes, but he was still the same height and still in good shape.

Ezekiel growled when the doctor touched her, but the doctor didn’t back down. “I take it you're Aylin’s mate?”

“Yes, I am,” Ezekiel replied, his fists clenched at his sides.

The doctor kept his eyes on Aylin’s hands as he spoke. “I suggest you relax. I have no intention of hurting your mate, but I need to touch her to treat her.”

The doctor reached into his bag and pulled out hydrogen peroxide and bandages. “If you want to help, hold her. This is going to hurt.”

Ezekiel sat down next to Aylin and put his arm around her. He pressed his forehead to her temple and held her tightly.

The doctor placed a towel over her legs.

“Deep breaths, kitten,” Ezekiel whispered in her ear.

“One hand at a time, Aylin.” The doctor gently took her right hand and poured hydrogen peroxide on it.

She flinched in pain and tried to pull away, but the doctor held her steady. “Almost done, honey.”

She turned her head into Ezekiel and fought back tears. As the treatment continued, she couldn’t hold them back any longer. “One more second, Ay.”

“Finish, damn it!” Ezekiel growled.

Ignoring him, the doctor gently patted her hands dry with the towel from her lap. “It’s over now. I just need to wrap them in bandages.”

Aylin turned back to the doctor, and he gave her a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied as he wrapped her hands. “You should know better than to touch silver, dear.”

“Ezekiel, I think we should go back and question the demon,” Daemon interrupted, his voice filled with anger.

“Yes, we should,” Aylin agreed, her voice shaky. “I want to know why this Zagan is after me.”

Ezekiel tensed immediately, glaring down at her. “You are not going back down there, Aylin.”

“I need to know the truth, Zeke.”

Ezekiel let out a sigh, his grip relaxing. “We’ll tackle this tomorrow. You need to rest and heal. I don’t want that demon to see you as weak.”

Daemon nodded, moving to his desk and pulling out another file. “Alright, then take this with you. It’s got everything you need to know about Zagan and demons. My father started collecting the information, and I’ve just been adding to it.”

He handed the file to Ezekiel, then glanced at Aylin. “Hopefully, this will help clear things up.”

Ezekiel nodded, then turned to Quill. “Take Aylin to the car. I need to discuss something else with Alpha Morris.”

Without a word, Quill lifted Aylin into his arms and left the office.

Aylin rested her head against Quill’s chest, finding comfort in his presence. It wasn’t the same as being with Ezekiel, but she felt safe with Quill.

“I can walk, Quill. I’m okay.”

“I’m not putting you down, Ay. You’re tired and hurt.”

Angus opened the car door, and Quill gently placed Aylin inside. He left the door open, and Aylin swung her legs out, waiting for Ezekiel to leave the pack house.

Quill leaned against the car, his arms crossed and his muscles visible under his shirt. His hair fluttered in the breeze.

“Do you know what Ezekiel wanted to talk to Alpha Morris about?”

Aylin shook her head, then a thought struck her. “Oh Goddess, is he going to kill him for wrecking my house?”

Quill straightened up, and he and Angus started toward the house just as Ezekiel came out. His nose was bleeding a bit, and his lip was split. “Let’s go.”

“What happened to your face?” Quill asked, keeping his distance but examining the damage.

“We had a fight. I won.” Ezekiel sounded almost proud.

Aylin dropped her head, unable to believe that Ezekiel had fought another alpha over something so trivial. “Zeke, you didn’t have to beat him up for wrecking my house.”

“Yes, I did. Let’s go. We’re heading back to your place. Angus, you’re driving.”

Aylin moved over on the seat, and Ezekiel slid in next to her. There was a gap between them, but neither of them made a move to close it. Aylin glanced at Ezekiel, her heart pounding with anxiety.

She couldn’t read his reaction to the revelation that she might be part demon. She couldn’t imagine he’d want her now.

She stared out the window, wondering what life would be like without Ezekiel. The thought alone made her eyes well up with tears, and her heart felt like it was sinking.

She glanced at Ezekiel, noticing his furrowed brow and clenched jaw.

~“This is it. He won’t want us now,” she said to Kaia.

~“Mate loves us,” Kaia countered.

~“It’s over. There’s nothing I can do now.”~