And Then There Were Four novel Chapter 105

Chapter 105: Prisoner

The next few days went by slowly, and as they did, I slowly followed further and further into the darkness, unable to bring myself up. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into with everything going on, but I had, without a doubt, the darkest of feelings.

Every day not knowing if Damien was safe was a step putting me one step closer to completely losing myself, and the only thing holding me grounded was the twins silently sleeping upstairs in their crib.

I was an utter mess. A complete disaster.

Making my way downstairs, I tried to push away the darkened thoughts evading my mind. Heading toward the kitchen, the indistinct murmurs of conversation drew me to a complete stop as I turned and watched the many figures through the cracked-open doorway and Damian’s office.

What the hell?

“We have to tell her what’s going on,” James said softly as I watched him gaze towards Hale, whose back was towards me, staring out the window as if in deep thought.

“No,” he replied firmly, letting out a heavy breath. “We all saw how she’s changing, and you, James, of all people, saw first hand what Damian not being here is doing to her. Since she had the twins, she’s completely different.”

Hale’s response broke my heart just a little. He was never the

one to keep information from me, and hearing him tell James not to include me hurt. I didn’t find myself to be completely different, and yet he was acting as if I was turning into some kind of monster.

“This isn’t right. It was delivered to the border for her. We need to let her see it.” Talon all but growled, stepping forward, his fists clenched at his side. He was obviously angry, and I wanted to know more than anything what he was referring to.

What had been delivered at the border they didn’t want me made aware of?

“It may have been delivered for her, but the thing is, I am the acting alpha right now, and I do not see it in her best interest to read this shit, Talon. It doesn’t matter what they say, we cannot give in to their demands.”

Tired of listening to what they were talking about, I pushed back the anger threatening to lash out if they made one more comment about me. Its shadows twisted and rolled through my veins as if seeking an outlet.

Pushing open the doorway, I stood there, watching as their eyes turned to me. Kate’s face fell as she seemed to pale. 1 hadn’t even realized she and Angel had made it back from the council land yet, but here she was, standing there with a grim expression on her face that spoke a million words without even saying anything.

“What is going on here?” I asked, narrowing my gaze as I stared at each of them. “We don’t hide secrets, so somebody needs to start talking.”

It’s nothing, Ivy. Honestly, just some bullshit. Why don’t you

head back upstairs and get some rest?” Hale replied as he turned to me with a small smile, stuffing whatever paper it was into his back pocket, as if I wouldn’t notice.

“Don’t talk to me as if I’m a child, Hale. I’m going to ask you one more time to give me whatever you just put into your pocket that was supposedly addressed to me per your conversation. Before things get worse.”

My warning was clear. If there was something he was hiding from me, he would face my wrath, mate or not. “Ivy-” 

“No,” I said firmly, clenching my fists at my side. “Don’t you dare act like this towards me after everything we had been through?

Stopping in his tracks, he stood staring at me with a grim expression across his face I had never seen before. “This isn’t up for discussion. My word is final.”

When the hell did Hale decide he was going to act like this? I knew Damian had made him the acting alpha before he left, but that was no reason for Hale to let this go to his head. “Don’t you dare act like that towards me?” | growled.

I watched the tick in his jaw as he gritted his teeth. The beast within him lurked just beneath his skin. “As I said. You have seen certain sides of me, but don’t think I will let you speak to me this way for one moment. I’m doing this for a reason.”

“Hale, come on, man,” Talon said softly as he and James looked at me with soft eyes.

There was clear hesitation in Hale’s eyes as he looked around at everyone in the room. I could see he didn’t want to involve me, but everybody staring at him was clear enough of an

11. 11.

answer that he needed to.

With Hale distracted, I didn’t waste another moment as I quickly snatched the paper from his back pocket and took a step back. A low growl came from him as he reached for it, trying to take it back from me, but the cold glare I gave him made him hesitate in his movements.

He didn’t want to fuck with me right now, because I was not in the mood.

Slowly opening the letter, my eyes peered down at the information, and my heart almost stopped. It was a letter from the Council, and they were requesting my presence in order to exonerate Damien from anything that had happened with the elders, stating they knew for a fact I was the one who killed those people.

If I didn’t reply or show up in person, Damian would be sentenced for the crimes committed, even though they had no proof of who did it.

“What is the punishment for this?” I whispered softly, without looking up at the others.

“Ivy-” James replied as if he didn’t want to say it.

Glancing up at them with parted lips, my eyes filled with tears as I tried to register what was going on. “What… is… the punishment?”

Hale stared at me for a moment for letting out a heavy sigh and staring down at me. “Death.”

I looked at Hale, Talon, and James in absolute disgust. They were willing to let Damian die for something I had done, and

“Are you fucking kidding me? You weren’t going to tell me about this? He is basically on death row for something that! did!” The betrayal ran deep.

“We will not allow you to go in there like the fool and cause yourself to get caught. It’s a trap, Ivy. They will not kill him,” Hale snapped with anger in his eyes.

“I’m a fool? Are you really going to go down that road with me? I have done nothing but try to make this work. You’re my mate, and I understand you want to protect me, but if you honestly think I am going to allow Damien, who is also my mate, to die because of something that I did, you are sadly mistaken.”

However, I wasn’t quick enough. Talon wrapped his arms around me as I thrashed about, kicking and screaming at him to let me go. I couldn’t believe they were actually doing this, that they were going to let him die for me.

“We have to save him,” I cried repeatedly, my mother standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes. They didn’t know what it was like to lose a mate.