Chapter 45
904words
Her heart broke, not for him but for the innocent families that were killed, for the children that were murdered and didn't have the chance to grow up, and even for Marcus who couldn't move on from his terrible past. She couldn't even imagine what Draco's childhood had been like.
"There was a war against another pack and my father was mad for revenge," he began. "My own mother fell in love with a foreign Alpha and my father couldn't accept it. He became mad and he wanted to kill the foreign Alpha, he wanted to destroy him."
Everything began to make sense now. When one is blinded by anger, he becomes blind to other people's perspectives. He thinks of no one but only of himself.
"The war cannot be stopped. The foreign Alpha wanted to fight as well. But my father's warriors were stronger and well-trained. We wiped them out with a single strike."
"You.. You took part of it," Anastasia murmured in shock. Knowing his father did it was one thing but him? She didn't think she could ever forgive him, knowing what he did. "I don't believe it."
Anastasia quickly stood up from the bed and paced back and forth. Alpha Draco followed her with guilt. "I was young and dumb. I didn't know what was right and wrong. My father taught me that it was part of my obligation to the pack. Every soul I ever killed that day haunted me ever since."
"I.. I can't even talk about it right now. I can't imagine you did that."
He stopped her pacing, holding her shoulders in place. "I was just a child."
She closed her eyes and sighed. "Tell me."
"Tell what?"
"Tell me what happened then?"
"I don't think I should tell you the rest of the story."
She held his hands, looking deep into his eyes "I want to know."
He sighed. "My father won the war and he killed the foreign Alpha on his own. The whole family was killed, but only one survived."
She awaited his response. The night was getting darker and so was his story.
"Marcus."
So it was him. That wild rogue was the foreign Alpha's son and also Draco's half brother. "My father took him because he had an Alpha's blood. He was destined for great things."
"Your father is a cruel Alpha," Anastasia hissed, her hands turning to fists.
"He is. He died shortly after that and I grew up with Marcus. When I became the Alpha, I made a lot of changes to the pack and helped save innocent lives. I just didn't think Marcus would plot to kill me."
Anastasia sat down on the bed. She didn't know what to say. Perhaps he did change and that was why everyone admired him. She wanted to believe he was a good Alpha but considering his past, she didn't know what to believe.
Just then, a knock came to the door and Edward came in urgently. "I found the culprit."
They quickly rushed to the dungeon. Anastasia had never seen this part of the mansion before. The place reeked of sins. From the left corner, she saw John and Thomas guarding Wendy's cell. She looked so weak, dark circles underneath her eyes and her hands and feet wounded. She looked even sick. Oliver was inside the cell, pulling out a folded piece of paper underneath Wendy's pillow.
"This reads all the plans she plotted to help Marcus get inside the mansion," Oliver said, looking up at Alpha Draco.
"What?" Wendye asked, acting confused. "That's not mine!"
"Stop lying," Edward said. "We already know the truth."
"I'm not lying!" Wendye shouted, getting angry. "It's not mine and I didn't help Marcus!"
Marcus' laugh echoed from the corner. Anastasia could see his cell was way different than others. His cell was covered with a platinum wall and door.
"Tell them it wasn't me!" she yelled. "Tell them—"
"Plotting with the enemy is punishable by death," Alpha Draco interrupted, his strong voice tinted with anger. "Any excuse will not be acceptable. You'll be dead by sunrise."
"Alpha Draco," she begged, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "I'm telling the truth. It's not me. Someone put that piece of shit under my pillow."
"You're not funny anymore, woman," Oliver said. He got out of her cell and closed the door behind him. "You'll get what you deserve."
"Don't you think she was telling the truth," Anastasia said, trying to understand the situation. "What if she was framed?"
"Prisoners lie all the time. You shouldn't be affected with her words."
"Even if she was lying, don't you think she has suffered enough?" Anastasia looked back at Wendy who knelt on the ground, her hands to her face. Tears had rolled down to her chin like a waterfall. Anastasia could feel her heart slowly breaking.
"You could've died and Marcus could've taken you away from me. I won't tolerate traitors in my pack. Anyone involved with what happened today will be punished."
"Forgiveness is the first step to peace. If she'll die tomorrow, it will only result in another revenge. Don't you think change should start with us?"
Alpha Draco closed his eyes, as if the stress was slowly getting to him. "I.. I can't." And with that, he took her hand and led her out of the dungeon without another word.
