Chapter 23

Regina

T his is it. This is how I'm going to die. I don't want to die. Maybe the thought passed my mind a few times, but that was before I met Snow. Before I realized I had something to live for, someone to live for.

The king's grip on my hair is painful, my scalp burning as he yanks my head where he wants me. I watch as that man Max throws Snow over his shoulder and takes off into the trees. I watch as Brady fights off the king's men, their swords bloodying his white fur.

A sharp pain stings my neck as the blade pressed against it draws more blood. "Kill me," I rasp, my eyes fixed on where Snow disappeared. "Because I'd rather be dead than be with you."

He laughs at me cruelly. "I don't want you. I never did, and I sure as hell don't now. All you were going to be good for was a place to stick my cock. Even then, I already had a harem of women at my disposal. You were for name-sake only."

I let out a scream of pain, tears running down my face as he yanks on my hair again. But the pain disappears in seconds as his grip on my hair releases. Only because Henry has knocked the king to the ground. I drop to my knees, my hands shooting to my throbbing head.

Henry lets out a roar that rattles the tree. The poor guy looks to be in rough shape, bleeding from the gashes on his arms.

Gunshots ring out, and I scream as the king's men start emptying clips into Brady and Henry. The bullets don't seem to do much damage, going in and out of their bodies with ease. But it gives the king enough time to get up and run.

Henry and Brady start to chase after him, but a dirt bike pulls up, skidding to a stop and spraying dirt into the air. The king climbs on, and the man speeds away.

"Fuck!" Henry roars, punching a tree so hard it splinters.

Brady stands there, chest heaving as crimson red drips from the gashes on his arms and chest.

"Where's Snow?" Henry demands.

"They fucking took her," Brady rasps. "They held me down and took her."

"We have to go after her," Henry demands.

"We will. But we're a little fucked up right now. We need time to heal. Even just five minutes," Brady groans, landing against the tree.

"That's all you need?" I ask, looking between the two of them.

Brady rolls his head to the side. "Funny how Sullivan can be allergic to everything, yet we heal from deadly wounds in minutes."

"Oh, he has jokes." I toss my hands in the air. "We need to go get the others. They're going to be expecting us."

"We need to call for backup." Henry storms past us. "The fight is starting now."

Brady pushes off the tree and follows after Henry. I rush after them, trying to ignore the blinding pain in my skull.

"Holy shit," I whisper in horror as I see the massacre in front of the cottage.

Sullivan, Sterling, Dallas, and Gabe all stand in the middle of a sea of mangled bodies, chests heaving, covered in blood.

When Dallas hears us, his head snaps in our direction. "Snow?"

"He has her," Henry snarls.

Gabe lets out a roar, picking up one of the bodies near him and launching it into the tree nearby. I flinch as the head snaps off his body and tumbles to the ground.

"We need to go. Now." I step forward. "I don't know what the king has planned for Snow. Maybe he's just keeping her alive so he can fuck with her, but I know he plans on ending Snow's life by the end of the day. The longer we stand here, the more at risk she's at."

I don't mean to be a bitch, and I know these guys just fought off over a dozen men, but my woman is on the line. And I'll fucking die before I lose her.

"Dallas!" a voice shouts. We all look over to see a man with frantic eyes. He pauses when he sees the mess of bodies.

"Milton." Dallas steps forward. "What's going on?"

"We did our best to keep them back," he pants, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "We managed to take most of his army out. The only ones who got away are, well... here." He looks back at the bodies. "Please tell me you have the king?"

"No," Dallas says through gritted teeth. "He took the princess."

"You need to get to her now . He's desperate. He knows he doesn't have an army anymore. Whatever men he's left with is all he has. He's going to be scrambling."

"How did this even happen? You're telling me a whole damn war broke out while we were helping Snow through her heat?"

Milton stands up and nods. "Mrs. Bark let us all know about Snow. We knew that you would be in a vulnerable state, so we set up camp to make sure no one would bother you. We didn't expect the king to attack, but we were ready for it."

"Holy shit." Henry's eyes widen. "You guys are amazing."

He shakes his head. "Anything for Snow. She's our queen."

The guys all look at each other and nod. "We need to go. Now."

"About damn time," I snap.

Gabe grabs me and swings me onto his back, making me scream as I cling to his fur. "Shut up, woman," he growls before he starts running with me through the woods on all fours, the others following after.

We're coming, baby. Please don't give up. Fight like the badass princess I know you can be.

Snow

THE HOOD OVER MY HEAD is pulled off, and I find myself sitting in my father's office.

He's sitting in his chair behind his desk, watching me with this manic look in his eye.

"Welcome home, Snow."

I need to be smart about this. If I tell him all the nasty things I want to say, it's only going to get me closer to death. I need to try to delay as much as I can to give my mates a chance to rescue me.

And I know they're on their way, I can feel them through the bond. Their terror, their love, their determination, it's all shining brightly within me like a beacon. I do my best to send my love back through the bond, to let them know I'm okay. At least for now, I am.

"Why did you bring me back here?" I ask him, licking my lips. I'm strapped to a chair, my hands tied to the arms and my ankles to the legs. "Why didn't you just kill me back at the cottage?"

"The cottage," he scoffs, curling his lip. "Do you know how fucking disgusted and disappointed I was to find out you've run away to be with them?" he spits. "Those vile monsters." He shakes his head. "You're just like her. So much like her, it makes me sick."

"Like who?"

"Who do you think?" He leans forward in his chair. "Your mother. What a waste of power she was. She could have had the world, but instead, she gave our money away to those peasants." He shakes his head. "She cared more about them than she did us."

"You mean her people? You need people to have a kingdom, Father. Without them, you would just be a lonely king with no one to rule."

"I have a kingdom," he snaps. "One that fucking turned their backs on me." He's frantic now. "Did you know they were out to get me?" he asks, jumping to his feet. He starts to pace back and forth. "All of them, ready to attack when my men and I came to collect you. Came to take care of a problem that should have already been eliminated."

Pride swells in my chest. I owe my people for our lives.

"They slaughtered my men like pigs!" he shouts.

"Like you were on your way to do to them?" I ask, needing to keep him talking.

He stops and gives me a cruel smile. "You didn't think I'd let them live now, did you?" he shakes his head. "No, not after I found out what was going on behind my back, with my own people–their plan to overthrow me, to dethrone me. I had to take care of it before they did. I sure as hell didn't expect to find you naked in a sea of monsters." He curls his lips at me. "You're sick, Snow. Just like your mother was."

"What are you talking about!" I demand. "What did my mother do that was so wrong? So messed up?"

"She was planning to leave me for one of them!" he shouts. My eyes widen in shock. "Your mother was mated to a man in their pack. I found them one day." He laughs, and it's purely unhinged now. A part of me always thought something was wrong with my father, but at this moment, I think he's slowly been turning into a madman. "Naked in the forest, in some homemade nest nuzzled in a cave. How cozy, right?" he spits. "She was naked, sleeping in his arms. So I slit her throat and cut off his head."

My stomach jolts with revulsion, bile curdling in my stomach as he starts to cackle like a lunatic.

He killed my mother? And... her mate? She had a mate. He was one of them.

Then it hits me. They had a brother, one who passed away. Derek. My father. He killed them both.

Did my guys know? Did they know about my mother and Derek's relationship this whole time and not tell me?

"And then I find out my own daughter has been whoring it up with not only one but six of them. What is wrong with you, Snow? How could you be so sick."

"They're my mates," I choke out. "They're kind, hard-working men. They've never hurt anyone!" I scream, the realization of what he did to my mother causing me to spiral.

"They are an abomination. One that I let live because it suited me. But soon, they will be joining their brother in hell. Along with your mother."

"Fuck you!" I scream, eyes wild in rage. I start struggling in the chair, trying to get up. My father laughs as I fail, the restraints holding me in place.

"I need to start over. Clean slate. Once I'm rid of you—this time for real—I'll get the people to see reason. To see that I'm the best person for the throne."

"You're crazy, you know that?!" I'm letting my anger get the better of me, and I know I fucked up when I see his face drop, his body going still. His eyes lock on mine, and a sinister feeling takes over.

"It's a good thing I don't give a fuck about what you think. Your mother was a fool to think she could leave all this to you," he scoffs. "You're a child. A foolish child that knows nothing about what it takes to be queen!" He looks behind me. "Max! Get in here, now."

I look over my shoulder to see Max, the man who felt the need to bring me back to this mad house, come into the room. He's carrying something on a silver platter.

A needle. Oh no. No. Shit. No.

"Wait." My eyes snap over to my father. "I'll let you have the kingdom. I'll sign any papers you want. You don't want to do this. Please. I'm your daughter! I'll take the pack and leave; you can have it all."

I don't mean a single word, but a woman in a dire situation will say what needs to be said to survive.

"You might have my blood, but you're no daughter of mine. You're too much of a liability, a risk I am not willing to take."

Max places the platter down on the desk in front of my father.

My father looks up at Max with a glaring look. "And you're sure it will work this time?" he snarls. "You're lucky I don't kill you for failing me in the first place."

"Yes, your highness. She didn't consume enough to kill her the first time. I tried to get her to eat the whole pie, but she left before I could."

"Stupid. Everyone is so stupid!" my father shouts. "But this needle has enough poison to kill a horse. This time, when you close your eyes, you won't be opening them again. Not even your stepmother can save you now," he laughs. "You're even worse than your mother. Sex with monsters isn't enough to satisfy you, you had to go be a slut with my wife. Have you no fucking shame." He curls his lip. "No one is going to miss you, Snow. You were never significant enough for anyone to remember."

I hate that I'm crying, that I'm showing him the fear racing through me. I'm a mess. I don't want to die. "Please," I beg, my voice cracking. "Don't do this."

My father makes his way around the desk and crouches before me. "You see, my dear daughter," he sighs. I watch as Max picks up the needle from the tray. "I can do whatever I please," he chuckles. I can't believe my mother married him, had a child with him, built a life with him, and lost that life at his hands. He deserves nothing but misery, and I pray karma finds him and brings him down to hell where he belongs.

"Do you know why I can do whatever I want?" He cocks his head to the side. "Because I'm the fucking king." He grins slowly, then holds out a hand. "Max, the syringe."

My father's eyes lock on mine, the cruel smile still painted on his lips. It starts to falter with every second Max doesn't do anything. I look over, finding him standing right next to us, eyes glued to the syringe.

"Max, what are you—" my father starts, but he doesn't get a chance to finish because one second, the syringe is in Max's hand, and the next, it's jabbed into the side of my father's neck.

My father's hand shoots to the injury, eyes going wide in fear as he looks up at Max in betrayal.

His lips part, but no sound comes out. The poison must be powerful because it's working fast. He tumbles to the ground, and I sit there, watching as life drains from his eyes. No sadness, no fear, nothing but relief.

Max is behind me, undoing the ropes a moment later.

As soon as I'm free, I'm on my feet, backing away from Max. "Why did you do that?" I ask, eyes flicking over to my father.

"I couldn't let him continue. If he killed you, if he stayed king, we were all dead," he sighs. "I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to do a single thing he asked me to do."

"Then why do it? Why play into his messed up mind?" I ask, rubbing at my wrists.

"Because he threatened to kill not only me but my wife and kids. I had to do what I had to do. I hated every moment of it because I liked your mother. She was a fantastic queen. The only reason he kept me as his second in command was because he wanted to keep me close to do his bidding."

"But you tried to kill me," I point out. "With the pie. That was you, wasn't it? It didn't look like you."

"Glamour," he answers. "And no, I didn't try to kill you; I just made your father think that. I knew what I gave you would put you to sleep, and I knew Regina would be the one to save you."

"How?" I narrow my eyes.

"The magic mirror. Before your mother died, she put some of her magic into the mirror, almost like a spell. It was meant to be a way for her to help you if you were ever in need. But your father found it and had it locked away. I knew where it was, and when I needed to seek some sort of help, I went to it. It showed me the future and what I needed to do." He gives me a soft smile. "A part of me thinks it was your mother protecting you the only way she could. There's a lot about your mother's heritage that you don't know. Like she's part witch, and her great-grandmother was a lycan."

No. That was definitely not something I knew about. And makes sense on the omega aspect.

"Snow!" My heart races as I hear Gabe's booming voice.

"Go," I tell Max. "Get out of here now, through the tunnels. I might believe in mercy, but my mates... I can't promise anything."

"Of course." He nods. "Thank you, princess. Or, should I say, queen?" He turns around and rushes towards the tunnel entrance, seeming to know where it is all on his own. I guess there's a lot about Max I'll need to find out. He had the power to have my means of escape eliminated but never did. That had to count for something.

"Snow!" Regina's voice has me spinning around.

"Regina!" I cry out in a rush before running over to her. She gathers me in her arms, holding me close.

"You're okay," she breathes.

"I'm okay. Are you?"

"I'm fine." She pulls back to get a better look at me, but then I'm being snatched up by Gabe.

"Snow. Fuck, we were so worried." He holds me in a crushing grip.

"You're going to hurt her," Dallas snarls, taking me from him. I get passed around from mate to mate, all of them needing to touch me and see that I'm okay for themselves.

When I get to Brady, I let out a broken sigh. "You're okay."

"I'm okay, love." He smiles before hugging me tightly to his chest.

After we're all reunited, I take a step back to look at them all. "My father told me about Derek and my mother."

Their faces drop.

"We were going to tell you. But with everything going on, we didn't want to overwhelm you. It wasn't a big deal," Gabe insists.

"Your pack mate was mates with my mother? Yeah, I think that's a pretty big deal."

They all look at one another, and Dallas sighs. "We didn't know for sure. We suspected, but it was never confirmed. Derek started spending more and more time away from the pack to the point he would be gone for days. He always came back smelling like peaches and cream. We all assumed he had a mate, but when we asked about it, he denied it. I guess he didn't want to risk anyone knowing, even his pack. Being mated to the queen while she's married and has a kid, it's a pretty big deal."

"And the fact that he was ten years younger." Henry chuckles. "He always did have a thing for older women."

"Shut up," Gabe growls.

I can't help but smile. Because just minutes ago, I was going to die. And now I'm here, with my mates.

"My father is dead," I tell them, and only then do they notice his body on the ground.

"Well, shit. Yeah, I'd say so." Henry grimaces at the foam coming out of my father's mouth.

"How did he die?" Dallas asks.

"The same poison he was about to inject me with. Killed him in seconds."

"Fucking bastard," Sullivan growls.

"Good fucking riddance," Sterling says.

Everything hits me all at once, and the exhaustion of my heat and the events of today have me swaying on my feet.

"Woah." Regina catches me as I almost fall over.

"I know there's a lot to deal with, but right now, I just can't." I rub at my throbbing head.

I'm just happy my men and woman are safe. Although I do want details on what happened after Max took me. But what matters is they're in one piece.

It's going to take some time for the Kingdom to be what it once was, but for right now I just want to sleep for a few days. Everything else can wait.

"Yeah." Brady gathers me in his arms. "Let's go home."

Home. Was that here or the cottage?

Neither. Home is wherever my mates are. As long as I'm with them, I'm where I need to be.

My eyes grow heavy as I snuggle into Brady. I feel safe, and I know when I close my eyes, I'll be okay. "Let's go home."