Cruel Twist Of Fate

Chapter Five

Madison Frost

The tears wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard I tried. I rejected my fated mate, the other half of my soul. I would never get another chance at true love.

I stumbled into my empty house.

“How could I be so stupid?” I cried, my legs giving out in the living room.

Topaz whimpered. Guilt twisted my stomach painfully. My wolf would never have her mate. I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy. My heart was bleeding, and nothing could put it back together.

Scott was moving on with his life, and I’ll never recover from his betrayal. No male wolf would ever want me. I’m a rejected nobody. My fated mate didn’t want me. Why would anyone else?

I don’t know how long I lay on the living room floor, but my father finally came home. I heard the door, but didn’t move. I figured if it were a rogue wolf, they would be doing me a favour.

“Baby girl?” He called out, and tears pooled in my eyes again. I thought I had no more tears, but I was wrong. It only took my father’s concerned voice to break me.

“Dad, I’m so sorry,” I cried. I let him down. I was a fool.

“Baby girl, you have nothing to apologize for,” he said, picking me off the floor. Wrapped in his strong arms, he sat on the couch, and I sobbed on his shoulder.

He kissed my head. “I should have warned you, but Alpha Simon commanded me not to say a word about the plan. I’m sorry, baby girl, I couldn’t protect you.”

I remembered his concern this morning, and all the time I was with Scott. He was trying to say what he couldn’t with words. And like the fool I was, I didn’t believe my father.

“I hate him, Dad. It hurts so bad,” I gasped.

“We’ll leave in the morning, Madds. I won’t let this pack take any more from us,” he mumbled, holding me tightly.

“Really?” I sniffled.

“I’ve made up my mind. I won’t let you stay here. We’ll drive until we are far enough away that no one will find us,” he promised. “Then we’ll start over.”

“Thank you, Dad,” I whispered, and he kissed my head.

“Let’s get you into bed. We have an early morning.” He picked me up like I weighed nothing and carried me to my room. When he was getting me a glass of water, I changed out of this ridiculous dress. I ripped it to shreds before pulling on sweatpants and an oversized shirt.

I was climbing into bed when my father knocked on the door. He entered when I called out. After placing the glass on my nightstand, he tucked me in and kissed my forehead.

“Everything will get better, baby girl.”

“I love you,” I whispered, closing my eyes as exhaustion overtook me.

“I love you more.”

I jolted, startled awake from yelling and growls. I didn’t have time to think as I jumped from my bed and ran down the stairs. The front door was open, and warriors surrounded the house.

“Dad?” I called out, rushing outside.

I gasped and stopped in my tracks. My father was on his knees, being held by warriors. The same warriors he had once trained.

“What the hell are you doing?” I screamed, moving towards him.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I groaned when my back hit something hard.

“Don’t touch her!” My father sneered, and a warrior punched him in the face.

“Stop!” I shirked, clawing at the arms around my waist to get away. My father needed me.

My father glared at the warrior and spat blood at his feet.

I was frantic as I fought to get to him.

“Don’t hurt him!” I cried, panic filling my chest.

“Take Gamma Frost away!”

I tensed at his commanding voice, his arms tightly holding me.

“Scott?” I gasped. I was so focused on my father that I didn’t smell him.

“Baby girl, don’t worry about me,” my father's voice filled my head. “Run, Maddy, and don’t look back.”

I watched as they shoved him into an SUV, and the door slamming snapped me from my daze.

“Let him go,” I fought against the alpha’s hold. “You can’t do this!” I bellowed. “He did nothing wrong!”

I struggled hard, but his grip didn’t loosen.

“Men, leave us,” he commanded the remaining warriors. I yelped when Scott whipped me around and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Let me go, you bastard!” I screeched, pounding my fists against his back as he marched into my house. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I continued the assault, kicking and screaming. I shrieked when his hand came down hard on my ass.

“Enough,” he roared, throwing me down on the couch, his angry face an inch from mine.

“I hate you,” I spat, pushing against his hard chest. Scott didn’t budge.

“Baby, stop,” he sighed, grabbing my wrists. He held them in a punishing grip above my head as he dropped his weight, pinning me down.

“Get off me!” I demanded, bucking my hips. He exhaled, resting his forehead against mine. My chest was heaving with fury.

“Baby, stop. Let me explain.”

“I’m done with your lies!” I hissed. “Stay the hell away from me!”

I fought against his grip, knowing it was useless, but I wouldn’t give in to him. Never again.

He leaned down, inhaling deeply as his face nuzzled against my neck. My skin crawled as his breath brushed my skin.

“Get off me,” I growled, my teeth clenched.

“Stop, okay. Let me explain,” he pleaded again, but I saw through his bullshit. The lovesick mate crap no longer blinded me. I saw him for who he truly was, and it made me sick that this was who the Moon Goddess chose for me.

“Then get off me and explain,” I snapped, wanting him far away from me. “But nothing you have to say will change my mind about you, Scott Cypress.”

He pulled back. The glare on his face made my blood run cold. He wouldn’t kill me, would he?

Using a large hand on my wrists, he gripped my throat with his now free hand.

“You are my mate, and you will listen to me!” His voice boomed as the pressure on my neck increased with every word.

“No,” I forced the word out. I would never be his again.

I whimpered, unable to hold back the sound when he squeezed tighter, with murder in his eyes. My nails dug into my palms as I fought to get my hands free.

My eyes watered, and black dots clouded my vision from the lack of oxygen.

This was how I would die.

“Dad, I love you,” I sent him a mind link. He was the only one I cared about. The only person I had left.

My body went limp, and my lungs constricted painfully. This was it, and no one would ever know the truth.

I was falling into darkness one second, and gasping for breath the next. Scott had let me go, helping me to sit up while I coughed. My throat felt raw and painful.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I stammered between coughs.

“I don’t want to hurt you, baby,” he said, rubbing my back. My head whipped to the side as he sat beside me. Hurt?

“You have a sad way of showing it,” I rasped, rubbing my neck.

“I am your alpha and mate. You will listen to me, Madison. That is not up for discussion.”

I held my tongue, knowing it was useless to argue with him. He would never listen, and he had the strength to kill me.

“What do you want, Alpha Scott?” I’m nothing to you,” I muttered.

“You are everything to me, baby,” he confessed, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“If that were true, Alpha Scott, you wouldn’t have claimed another woman,” I blurted.

Gripping my biceps, he shook me. “That was pack s**t,” he yelled. “It has nothing to do with us!”

Topaz growled in my mind, furious with this level of disrespect.

“Now, stop with this crap,” he demanded. The shaking stopped, but his grip didn’t loosen.

I glared at him. His face said it all. He believed everything would be alright, even after what he did.

“Did you sleep with her?” My voice cracked, and I loathed that my heart ached. His body tensed, and he looked away. “Then there is nothing left for us,” I sniffled, my decision final.

In an instant, I was on my back, and he was on top of me. He sneered. “Anything that happens with my Luna is none of your business!” He roared. “She is the female face of this pack, and you will respect her!”

Whatever was left of my heart shattered. There was nothing else, as my chest went numb.

“Then, what the f**k are you doing here? You don’t want me, so leave me alone,” I cried, hysterically, as I tried to push him away.

I screamed when he sank his teeth into my shoulder.