A Hundred Times Over

"So that's the situation, Alpha."

"How clever of them to use such an ironclad law. Even I, as depraved as I may be, wouldn't try to flout it." He chuckled, "There isn't anything that can be done for these 14 days, but after that it would be fair game, no? I'll let the little bird stay out of her cage a little longer. The ending itself won't change regardless. " 

"What should I tell him to do now, Alpha?" 

"Tell the stupid twit that he needs to keep a close eye on them for the next 14 days. If my bird flies away, I will personally kill him, his wife, his children, and that precious grandchild he loves so much. Hell, tell him I definitely won't JUST kill his wife and daughter. I'll do everything I couldn't... …. no, wouldn't do to my precious Salana. In front of him. "

"Y-yes, Alpha." 

Jason left as quickly as he had come. The Alpha definitely wasn't the most forgiving person. When that is added in with his twisted personality, there isn't much that he wouldn't dare do. He'd just do his job as best as he could, and for now, avoid attachments. He couldn't stomach the thought that he might get a mate, have children, screw up once and end up having to see a scene like that. 

The Alpha wouldn't even have to kill him after that. He'd kill himself. 

********

"Salana, baby girl, you can't continue to avoid reality. Come back here. I know it hurts, but you need to come back. "

Samana groaned. Who was that speaking in her head over and over? She just wanted to lie here and just forget about the world. In the direction of that voice, there was too much pain. A vortex of pain. She touched it once and felt like she was going to die. Isn't it better to lie here? 

"Lana, if you don't come back, you'll miss your last chance to say goodbye to Cyrus, so you need to come back."

Hmm? Cyrus? The face that haunted her appeared in her mind. So that's his name. Cyrus. As though his name was a trigger, a flood of memories appeared in the pink, rose hued sky above her. She saw someone who she thought was herself, laughing, hugging, and blushing with Cyrus. Her chest felt tight. Who was he? What was he to her? More and more memories flashed through the sky. They were looking at stars together, on a picnic, wandering the outskirts of the forest. So many memories. So many beautiful memories, but why did they make her chest tight? Why didn't she remember? Or the better question was, why did she forget or choose to forget?

The kaleidoscope of memories continued to play, until it got to her waking up early to make him lunch. She instinctively tried to pull back from the memory, but she couldn't. She couldn't even close her eyes. Moon Goddess, no. Please stop. Somebody please make it stop. She didn't want to see any more. Please? She'd do anything. Just don't show her more. She might not remember now, but she knew that the crux of the matter, the reason why she was the way she was, was because of what happened next. 

She was forced to watch as she waited for him, as she talked to the person, and as she took off running. Please, someone, anyone, stop this. She didn't want to see it. Unfortunately, she had no choice. She watched as they parted to give way to her, as she walked up the steps, as she collapsed on the ground. Her chest felt so tight she had to struggle for air. As much as she begged, the memory reel kept playing, so she saw as she walked up those stairs, saw the panic and frantic expression on her face. She knew whatever was going to happen would show now, so she braced herself for it. No matter how much she braced for it, it still didn't prepare her for the sight of that beautiful face she loved, mutilated beyond recognition. 

She screamed, letting out all of the emotions inside of her as she finally woke up. She covered her ears and brought her knees up, burying her face in her lap. 

"No, no, no. Moon Goddess Please let this be a dream. Please let this be a dream. Pleaseeeee, I am begging you. Bring him back to me! Bring him back to me now. I can't live without him. Please, just this once. " She got on her knees begging. She felt his mother hugging her and crying as well, and that was when she realized that no matter how much she begged, it wouldn't change what happened. He would still be gone. If it were to work, it would have done so already. For the first time, she truly broke down in tears. No screaming, no hysterics, just tears. 

She cried for the life they could have and should have had. They had already gotten a piece of land near the meadow she used to love so much. They had planned the house they would build together to move into after they got married. Now she couldn't even look at that meadow. Yet another thing she'd lost. She cried for the pain he went through because of her, because someone who didn't even love her decided he wanted her. She cried in regret for saving what turned out to be a demon. She cried for Dahlia, who lost her son, the only family she had left, and for herself for losing the other half of her. Her soul mate. The love of her life because she knew there would never be another for her. Not in this life, so she would try for the next. 

She had made him a promise. She would repay him for what was done to him a hundred times over, but first, she'd make him lose the clan he relied on to bully them. Then she'd make him lose some of that pride of his with the decline of his pack. Finally, after all of that was through, she'd torture him in the exact way he tortured her love. No matter what she had to do, she'd do it. She wouldn't let anyone off. The people at the association who betrayed his whereabouts, the people who trapped him, and the ones who tortured him. 

She'd get them all at once, and then she'd rejoin her love.