THE FEMALE ALPHA'S BETRAYED MATE

Raine(9)

Raine (9)

I sighed again, my headache now even more prominent than before.

Why won’t you tell me what is going on? Chris said through the mind-link its been two weeks since we agreed to meet and it’s not happened. I’m not a fool Raine, something is going on

Please Chris I replied Don’t push this. I told you - there’s something I need to do to help my brothers and it’s taking time.

If you won’t tell me the truth, I don’t have a problem walking up- Chris started to talk

NO I shouted through the link Promise me, you won’t do that

And what about our promise? Or don’t you remember that? Chris asked

I just need some time. Please I begged

Silence

I knew he was thinking. His sharp brain was breaking down everything I was saying so it could figure out what I was REALLY saying. I bit my bottom lip, hoping that this one time he wouldn’t break it down….or break me down as he has done before

One week Chris said I will be seeing you in one week. No more. No less Raine.

I closed my eyes and bit down on my bottom lip harder, enough to make it bleed. I took deep breaths as I tried to calm myself down.

I…might ne- I tried to speak

One week, Raine Chris confirmed No more and no less.

Shit. When he got like this, I knew I had lost. I nodded until I remembered he couldn’t see me. I opened my eyes and sighed as I looked at the ceiling

One week I confirmed

One week He agreed

Then I felt the tension disappear as he sent me his feelings through the link

What are you wearing? He asked Send me an image

Are you missing me? I laughed, my heart picking up an excited tempo

You have no idea Chris left out a hiss it has been too long since I was inside of you….since I have held you….and laughed with you

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to feel. Trying to shut off the pain….the love. I missed him so much but if I let myself think about him, everything could come crashing down.

Have you gotten any further with the key? I asked, knowing it would change the atmosphere

No Chris said, his voice harder The parts still don’t fit together. Dr Lombard is still working on it. He’s become obsessed just as we suspected

Then it means there’s definitely more to the story than we know I replied

There is Chris agreed I’ve been trying to find information in our archives and there's a whole section of books missing

How do you know it’s missing and not just empty? I asked

Because I remember from my childhood. Chris explained And because I have heard whispers about the books being too powerful to just been kept out in plain sight

How are you going to find something that is hidden? I asked, stressed at the on-going web that seemed to never end

I’ll figure it out. In the meantime, I have new people coming in next week Chris said We are going to try the experiments again

My breath hitched as the memories assaulted me. I felt my body shake as sweat started to break out

Raine? Raine! Chris shouted through the link Breathe, mijn liefde,

I could feel the black spots dance in front of my eyes as my breathing quickened. I knew Chris was trying to encourage me out of it but this time it wasn’t working. I could feel myself slipping back to the past. To the pain. Just as I started feeling the edges of the blackness that usually follows an attack, I felt my cold hands being encompassed in warmth

Slowly, the ice cold fingers of anxiety slowly started to recede as pinpricks of warmth took over. I could still hear Chris in my mind but he sounded less frantic as I felt myself relax a little as the fear started to ebb away.

Mijn liefde, Are you ok? Chris asked

When the room came back into focus, my eyes widened when I saw who was holding my hand. Looking down at our linked fingers, I wanted to sob. It was exactly how it used to be

“Jas” I whispered

The tears feel of their own accord and when the pressure fell on my leg, I lifted my head to find Ray patting down the light blanket which I hadn’t even realised they had placed on top of me

I’m find Chris I told him quickly My brothers are here

They are visiting you? Chris asked

Hmmm. Will speak later. We have much to talk about I said quickly as I watched my brothers look at me intently

What ab - Chris was cut off when I sent him an image of kissing him

I am fine I stressed Once they leave, I will speak to you

I quickly cut off our connection as I started to get feelings back in my cold hands. I slowly moved to sit up as Jason helped and Ray adjusted the blanket. It was then I found Aria, Kai, Deedee and Magnus standing beside Jason. Ray bought me a glass of water and I took it gratefully, my eyes looking at all of them in surprise

“You still get anxiety this bad?” Jason asked with a frown

I nodded, placing the glass on the bed side table.

“You were ice cold, Raine” Ray spoke softly “What were you thinking about? What set it off?”

I shook my head, looking away as I tried to think what I could say without rousing further suspicion. Jason took a seat and placed it by my bed, sitting down and looking at me with his piercing eyes that had a gift for seeing straight through to my soul

“Thanks” I said said with a gruff voice, patting the blanket

“What set it off?” Jason asked me

Again I shook my head

“What set it off, Raine?” Jason repeated

I couldn’t speak. The fear came back and my throat closed up. When I felt the telling signs of tears threatening to surface, I took deep

breaths to try calm my nerves. When I saw his determined face, I knew I wasn’t going to be let off so easily

“Family” I whispered

“Family?” Ray asked

“You mean the kind where you tried to hurt my daughter?” Jason asked with restrained anger

“Mum’s death…dad’s murder….losing everyone” I whispered, shaking my head

It was true, but partly. I watched Jason stiffen and Ray pale. I took a deep breath and looked at my hands that were nervously playing with the blanket

“Sometimes it’s not bad. Other times, I get too far in my thoughts and I can’t breathe. Death is chasing me and I can’t escape and then…it catches me too” I whisper.

“f**k” Ray whispers, running a hand over his face

“Why Raine?” Jason asked, his eyes full of hurt

I stayed silent. Aria took a step toward me and immediately Kai and Magnus stopped her. I looked at their determined faces and I knew they weren’t going to be easily fooled

“It ok auntie Raine” Aria said in her sweet voice “You can have my blood. I know you need it”

“Aria!” Jason growled, turning to look at her

“Aria” Kai said in a gentler tone “What did I say about doing things without checking with me first?”

“Your not the boss of me!” Aria said, hand on her hips as she glared at Kai

“No” Jason said with a harsh voice “But I am”

“No your not daddy” Aria huffed “Your my daddy but your not my boss”

“Aria” Jason said, pinching his nose

“Aria, that's not a nice way to speak to him” Kai gently tugged her hands from her hips

“But it’s true. Daddy is just daddy” Aria huffed again

“And who’s the boss?” Jason asked with a scowl “Kai?”

“No silly” Aria giggled “Him”

Aria pointed up to the ceiling and we all turned our heads. When we all frowned, Magnus burst out laughing.

“Don’t you get it?” Magnus asked

“Aria” Ray whispered “Do…you mean….the goddess?”

“No uncle Ray. I mean god” Aria sighed

“Are we now saying - “Ray started to speak

“Stop!” Jason said, turning to look at the kids “That conversation is a whole other shitshow we don’t need right now”

“Daddy swore” Aria gasped, whispering to Kai

“Aria” Jason sighed “Why does Auntie Raine need your blood?”

“I don’t” I said, trying to defuse the situation

“Don’t Raine!” Jason growled “Don’t lie to me!”

“Don’t ask question you are not willing to hear the answers for” I replied with clenched teeth

“What did they do to you?” Ray asked with sadness in his voice “What did they do to turn you against us?”

“I’m not against you” I said as tears spilled out “If you could understand that then you’d know"

“Then help us understand!” Jason spoke harshly “Explain to me why you gave my daughter a dagger which she could use to cut herself? Explain to me why your eyes blackened as if you were a dark witch who delved in black magick!”

“Are you even willing to listen to an sweet?” I asked, annoyed at his tone “Or are you wanting to hear what you think I should say?”

“Why do you need her blood?” Jason asked with clenched teeth

“I wanted a small sample so I could do a protection spell ok?!” I said loudly

“What?” Ray asked in shock

“You can’t do spells. What bullshit are you on about, Raine?” Jason asked

“Daddy swore again” Aria whispered to Kai

“Sweetheart” Magnus said “Why don’t you and Kai-”

“No thank you Grandpa Magnus” Aria said politely

“No thank you?” Magnus asked, one eyebrow raised. His arms folded

“Yep” Aria said, elongating the ‘p’ “no thank you”

I saw Jason tense up and I know this could go wrong. I knew I had to start playing the cards i had and I had to be smart about them

“Ok Aria” Jason said calmly “Then stay beside Kai”

“Auntie Raine won’t hurt me” Aria said with a pout

“We don’t know that” Jason said with a shake of his head

I felt the hurt bloom inside but I had to acknowledge the truth in his statement. I looked at my brothers who were staring back at me as

Kai tried to hold Aria back

“But daddy” Aria spoke “She only needs a tiny bit”

Aria bought her finger and thumb close together to show what she meant I watched in amusement as Aria smiled

“And she’s going to help spell it like mummy and you” Aria said

“She can’t because Auntie Raine is a wolf” Jason said, glaring at me “And if she’d said anything different, then it’s a lie”

“Jas” I whispered “She’s not fully wrong”

“Look Raine” Jason said “It’s been a week since this all happened and I haven’t approached you because I didn’t want to speak to you

in anger but my patience is wearing thin”

“As is mine” Magnus growled “Why are you after Aria?”

“Do you remember how I was able to mind-link you without any connection?” I asked Magnus

“Vividly” Magnus said “And I asked you countless time after you were safe, how it was possible?”

“Do you that Datura Stramonium help create strong delierium's?” I asked, my mind wandering to my past “And if injected with high

dosage, it’s so strong that you believe it all”

“The facility was using Datura Stramonium?” Magnus asked in shock

“Along with Hydra’s blood” I exhaled

“NO!” Magnus whispered

“Yes” I said back

“What’s that?” Ray asked

“It’s not possible. It was hidden when they left” Magnus said, paling

“And yet they used it on us….on me” I whispered

“Can someone tell me what the f…hell is going on? What is Hydra’s blood?” Jason asked

“Something that should be possible” Kai said

“YOU know what it is?” Ray asked, turning to Kai

“Of course you do” Jason said, throwing his arms up

“Kai knows all sort of stuff daddy” Aria said with pride

“It would seem so, my pup” Jason said with a frown

“What does it do?” Ray asked, “What does it mean?”

“On its own, it’s poison” I said matter-of-factly “but with the plant, it becomes a deadly weapon. A way to enters one mind and control

their every thought…every move”

“It was used on you?” Jason asked with sorrow

“Used?” I laughed with a shrill, dead voice “I bathed in it. I was tortured with it”

“Raine” Jason whispered, his pain radiating out

“I was forced to endure hours of pain with it” I said, my voice soft “And with it, I built up a resistance to it. What was meant to kill me,

made me stronger…and so they kept trying. They kept trying to see how far they could take it”

I pulled off my jumper and lifted up the t-shirt I had underneath and watched their eyes change to their wolves as they struggled to contain their anger, their pain. On the front and back of my chest area’s were criss cross, jagged lines. Silvery white lines where the poison was cut into my body and had eaten away at the flesh like acid.

“f**k” Ray swore, sitting on the bed, looking at me

Magnus swore and started pacing.

“Raine” Jason said, his voice broken

“But sometimes, when you take things too far, it has the opposite effect. Sometimes, that person …that thing, becomes unmanageable and you then need to bring in help”

“Help?” Ray asked, his eyes awash with tears

“The kind that sees you as it’s plaything. To experiment on….to know your power” I said

“W…who did they bring?” Jason asked, his voice barely a whisper

“Aria was right” I said, skipping over the question “I only needed a little bit of her blood. I wanted to do a spell to see if her blood does what mine did? If it would do what I can”

“What can you do?” Magnus asked

Looking at him with dead eyes, I smirked before looking at Aria who Kai was holding back.

“I wanted to do a spell of protection. Of life” I said

“How?” Jason asked “that’s not something you could do”

“You can if you have been broken. If you have been used to experiment on until your body finally accepts everything that it has been given” I said

“Stop looking at Aria” Jason snapped “And tell me instead…..What can you do?”

“I knew how to help Aria because I am almost the same as her” I said, my smirk lifting on the side of my face

“In what way?” Magnus growled, his claws now exposed

“Isn’t it obvious yet?” I scoffed

Ray and Magnus stood in front of the kids even as Kai created an invincible bubble around them, protecting them from me. I saw Jason growl, his eyes changing in worry and anger as he looked at me

Raine” Jason said, warning me

“I am almost the same because like Aria, I had a teacher. A guide. The only difference is, Aria was blessed and I was cursed. She was given the power without suffering and I was tortured until I wished for death” I said with no emotion

Jason moved back, his hand now claws, his face now changing to his wolf. I watched them all look at me with suspicion and anger and I couldn’t say that it didn’t hurt but I had to play my part. I had to move forward so I could go back.

“Her guide gave her hope and mine only pain….until I had no choice but to accept the very thing father and you hated and didn’t trust” I said, looking at my brothers

“No” Jason whispered

“Yes” I nodded “My guide made me inject the poison so much, I didn’t know when she started adding to it. When she started trying to change me…but in the end it did. And I became me - this me. I because the counterpart to Aria’s goodness”

“Oh f**k” Magnus whispered

“I became a dark witch. And black magick courses through my blood” I added