Chapter Twenty Three

Lillian

“Corbin, stop.”

He turns and looks at me with a solemn gaze. “I bet you think I don’t know about him watching every move we make. He’s always watching us from the woods, like a creep. I’m not stupid.”

Though I want to argue with him and say he is stupid, I don’t. My wolf urges me to and I have to fight to keep my mouth shut. Right now, I need to focus on getting away from him, no matter what.

Corbin walks closer, pinning me between himself and the wall next to the front door. “Now that I have you away from prying eyes, you are all mine.”

His lips land against mine, suffocating me. I drown in the overwhelming feeling of disgust. As I raise my hands, I place them against his chest and try to push him away again.

But he only leans toward me harder.

Suddenly, the beast is there, in the back of my mind, telling me to hold on a little longer.

I’m not sure what he means by that

Tears burn behind my shut eyelids as Corbin presses his lips harder against mine, bruising them. “Kiss me, Lillian. You are mine.”

"I'm not yours, nor will I ever be."

Before I know what is happening, he strikes me hard with his palm against my cheek. I fall to the floor, my eyes wide with surprise as I try to get away from him, but there isn’t anywhere to go.

“Do you really think that I’ll allow you to keep embarrassing me like this? Ophelia wasn’t allowed to act like this, and neither will you.” He leans down and, with an iron grip, grabs my arm and pulls me up to my feet. “Get up.”

Now it all makes sense. It’s just as I suspected and what grandmother alluded to. “You killed her so you could have me.”

He lets go of my arm abruptly, and since I haven’t regained my footing fully, I fall back to the floor. As he walks away, he leaves me sitting there for a moment as he runs his hands through his shaggy blonde locks. “I might as well admit my faults, since you will be my mate. She was mad at me because I planned to take you as my mate and break the deal I had with her. We got into a heated conversation and I lost control.”

“That isn’t a reason to murder her!” Everything hits me like a brick. “That is why her mother blamed me. She knew you did it, but didn’t say anything.”

He turns to look down at me with a grin. “Maybe. They can never prove it.”

“If you killed her, then who all did your father kill and blame the beast?” The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop myself.

Before he can do anything else, his eyes lock onto the door. “Not that old bat again.”

I turn to my left to look at the door, not understanding what he hears until I hear the sound of paws on the porch. “Who is that?”

“Who else would it be, little alpha?” Corbin slowly moves to the front door and opens it, blocking me with it.

Not my grandmother. Anyone but her. That is when I realize this is what the beast meant by hold on. He got her to come here.

“Go away. Your granddaughter is mine to worry about.”

All I hear is a low growl in response.

“I should have just told them to kill you regardless of Lillian’s begging.”

I slowly stand and move around the door right as she lunges for him. She lands on his front, pushing him backward and as he falls, I’m behind him.

We crash to the floor with me underneath them all.

“Get off me, you crazy old woman.”

I look around Corbin and lock eyes with her as she proudly stands on top of him.

“Grandmother, go home. I’m fine,” I whisper. “Corbin, I will only do everything you ask as long as you leave her alone. You can’t go back on your word.”

Grandmother slowly backs off him and allows him to get off me. She shifts on the porch and stands, though she wobbles slightly on her feet. “Honey, you can’t tell me that you are fine. This does not look fine.”

“I can and I will. You need to go home so I can keep the deal I have made with Corbin. Please do as I ask.”

Men come from two of the homes closest to the alpha house. Only the two betas live closest and they are both headed this way.

“What is the meaning of this?” I ask as I stand.

Corbin only laughs. "Well, they arrived just in time."

I watch in horror as each one stands beside my grandmother, and then she drops to the porch. Without hesitating, I move around him and look down at her. “What have you done with my grandmother?”

“Take her to the dungeons for the night for attacking the alpha.”

"What?" I whirl on my heel to face him, a scathing look on my face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, it’s what I should have done to begin with. Take the little alpha, too. See you in a few days, honey."

"No, you can't do this. They will come looking for me," I scream.

One beta grabs my grandmother while the other gets me. They’re about to take us to the dungeon when Corbin steps in front of them, blocking the path. “Who is going to come for you? Do you think anyone in the village besides your grandmother cares for you? They didn’t stop when my father used you and they’re not stopping me now from doing the same. You are a means to an end, someone to keep the beast in line. This is so much bigger than you realize or will ever know.”

"How dare you?" I spit in his face, but he only wipes it away with a quick flick of his finger.

The next thing I know, my cheek is stinging again. I can feel the burning of his handprint there on my face.

“You will learn to not talk back to me. I know you are dominant, but that is what makes it fun to break you from these awful habits. Submit to me and all will be well.”

Corbin nods for his betas to take us when I don’t say anything. They carry grandmother, which I’m thankful for, but they drag me behind them.

One day soon I’m going to rip him apart limb from limb and bathe in his spilled blood. This pack hates me. They don’t deserve to be saved.

But what about grandmother? Am I ready to sacrifice her just to execute my revenge? What will be left of the pack if I shred them all to pieces? Can I even do that?

The steps press into my back as they drag me down them. Cold floor meets me at the bottom. I’m roughly thrown into a cell with the door slammed shut behind me.

Grandmother is in the one next to me.

Lily, are you okay?

I take a minute to form a response. Hey beast. I’m back in the dungeon again.

What? His voice booms in my mind. What about your Grandmother?

I look over to the left as he places her on the bed and then walks out to lock the cell door. She’s here too, but knocked out cold. They gave her something I couldn’t see.

Do you think he'll claim you before the full moon? His voice sounds breathless, as if he's panicked by the mere thought of it.

To claim a mating on a night that isn't one is bad luck, but with how he's going, I don't know that he cares. He just wants power, and he thinks I control you.

I hear him huff out a breath. That’s it. Curse be diminished. I’m coming for you.

When?

Soon. I can't leave the woods right now. I already used up one of the times I could.

I'm confused by his admission. What exactly keeps him in the forest?

Will you tell me about it?

The two betas head up the steps, only leaving echoes in their place in this dark spot. A story sounds good about now, but I’m not even sure he will tell me.

How much do you want to know?

And for the first time, it feels like someone is going to give me the answers I crave.