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“Good luck with that,” Joaquin said in a weak, raspy voice. “You’ll never find her. Even I don’t know where she’ll be going.”
“No need,” Pierce said to me. “She’ll come back.”
I looked up at him in confusion. “How can you be sure?”
“Because we have one of her mates. She’s already bonded with him, which means she won’t be able to stay away from him for too long. The pulse would be too strong. Sooner or later, the distance—plus Joaquin’s distress—will be too much for her to handle. It’s just a matter of time.”
“You’re a sadistic fuck,” Joaquin growled. “Blackmailing people, kidnapping old ladies, and using people as bait to get what you want. What kind of monster are you?”
Pierce seemed unfazed by the list of crimes his stepbrother listed. Judging by the fact that he hadn’t denied any of them, that meant what Rosie said must’ve been true about him kidnapping her grandmother. It was unsettling knowing Pierce was doing all this just to claim his fated mate. No, not just that. He wanted the power of the Wolf Moon too.
Why would fate deem him worthy to claim such a powerful force hidden inside a girl? Then again, if Pierce was meant to have it, why was Rosie immune to the mating pull? This situation ran deeper than I thought, but I was left with lots of unanswered questions.
“A smarter one than all of you,” Pierce said, answering Joaquin’s rhetorical question. “Even though Rosie escaped, as long as we have you, she’ll come back to me. And this time, I’ll be ready to make her mine. Your little trick to make a clean getaway was cute, but your selfless sacrifice ruined any chances she had of hiding from me. Eventually I’ll have what’s owed to me, and once I do, I’ll have no need for you.”
Pierce’s words must’ve sank into Joaquin, enough to know that our alpha had a point. I was once mated, so I knew he was right about Rosie not being able to resist being away from Joaquin forever. Eventually she’d feel compelled to return, which meant running away was a waste of time, effort, and lives. Joaquin dipped his head in defeat, which amused Pierce. He chuckled before turning to me. He stretched out a hand and gripped my shoulder.
“I want someone watching his cellar every hour on the hour. I also want patrol around the entrance to Kingsrose. As soon as Rosie is spotted, I want to be notified.”
I nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”
Pierce exited the cellar, leaving me and Joaquin alone. I thought about going too, but I could see the effects of the wolfsbane taking its toll on Joaquin physically. His breathing was heavy, his heartbeat pumping too slow, and his wounds weren’t closing. Thankfully the smell of wolfsbane faded as soon as Pierce left. Eventually his healing would return to normal so long as he doesn’t inhale anymore of the poison.
"I'm sorry, but you brought this on yourself, Joaquin. You should've known this would happen when you planned that chaos with Rosie and the twins."
Joaquin kept his head down, refusing to look me in the eyes. His mouth and the wounds across his body were still dripping with blood.
Huffing out a breath, I squatted down in front of him and pulled out the first aid kit. I began cleaning his wounds, bandaging the minor ones, and stitching the deeper gashes Pierce inflicted on him. It took almost an hour, but when I finished, I was back on my feet. Joaquin still hadn't spoken a word. He just sat there with his wrists chained above his head, the skin frying from the silver. I was amazed he was enduring it without so much as a wince, but maybe it was because of how weak the wolfsbane made him.
"Was she worth it?" I hedged. "Was a girl you barely know worth going against your alpha—your stepbrother—and putting yourself and the pack in danger? Now Alpha Pierce will probably kill you for treason. Are you really okay with that?"
Thinking he wouldn't respond, I turned and was prepared to leave the cellar, but my feet halted from the sound of Joaquin's scratchy voice. "You don't get it."
I turned to face him in surprise. Joaquin had his head raised, his dark eyes glaring up at me. He looked sickly pale with dark circles under his eyes and droplets of sweat along his brow, yet there was strength blazing in his gaze.
"Get what?" I asked.
"That I love Rosie more than I fear Pierce, or death. If I'm destined to die, then so be it. I'd endure pain and torture for the rest of my life if it means she's safe. That's what it means to love someone, something that Pierce will never understand."
“Love isn’t strong enough to prevent the laws of fate, Joaquin. Don’t you get it? Fate is absolute, you can’t fight against it!”
“At least I’ll die trying!” Joaquin fired back. “How can you even side with fate after all that you’ve lost? If not for fate, you’d still have your wife and child!”
His last statement sent a chill running down my spine. An image of my mate, a beautiful red-headed woman with eyes greener than the rainforest, and a belly rounded with our first born, flashed in my mind. With it came the pang in my heart knowing fate deemed them unworthy to keep alive.
Despite the anguish of loss threatening to claw its way into my soul, anger fueled me for the briefest of moments. “How dare you speak of them to me,” I hissed at him.
Joaquin bared his teeth at me, despite his weakened state, he still managed to draw forth his sharpened canines. “No matter what you may think, even if it is a losing battle, I’ll still fight formyright to decide my fate. Not have it made for me.”
I wouldn’t be able to make him see reason. Joaquin was set on going against forces he couldn’t comprehend. He was bold but foolish. I understood his desire for wanting to go after something with all his might. How many times had I wished I could change my destiny? Or my wife and son’s fate? Everything in life happened for a reason and we had to accept that. But Joaquin didn’t. Instead, he stole someone who was meant for Pierce, as did the twins. Now they were suffering the consequences.
“Have it your way then,” I said with a long sigh. I walked out of his cellar, closing the door behind me, and headed upstairs with memories I spent years trying to black out. Memories of a death I couldn’t change because Fate deemed it final, and a heart that never completely healed.
“He’s not going to give her up. I hope you know that.” I halted halfway up the stairs and looked over my shoulders to find Sabina staring up at me, her body leaning against the wall.
“Looks like it,” I grumbled. “I’m surprised you’re still here. Why didn’t you run off with Rosie and the twins? I thought you’d be siding with them.”
“No, my path isn’t to follow Rosie, nor is it to stand behind Pierce. I’m needed...elsewhere.”
