Chapter 38

Hayley

I'm running as fast as my legs can carry me. Axton is right behind me, and we're both racing towards the heart of the pack, right outside the packhouse. That's where Jax and my father are, assuming Jax hasn't already killed him.

As I round the corner, the scene comes into sharp focus. Pack members are already gathering, their eyes wide with fear. They know what these men have done, what they're capable of. They don't want to be next. Warriors form a half-circle around Jax, blocking him from my view. But my father is in plain sight. The monster he truly is.

My father stands tall, almost proud, in a gray suit and shiny shoes that look untouched. His ashy hair flutters in the wind as his eyes scan the area. When they land on me, they rake over my body, assessing me. It's all I can do to keep my rage in check.

Behind Mason, about thirty warriors stand at attention. One of them, Luke, is easy to spot. His eyes dart around the pack grounds, probably searching for his mate. It's a shame that Rose got caught up in all this. She's innocent. The Moon Goddess must have made a mistake pairing her with Luke.

Following Mason's gaze, Jax's eyes lock onto me. ~“What are you doing here? I told you to stay in the hospital!”~ Jax's voice echoes in my head through our matebond.

~“I chose not to listen,”~ I reply, moving to stand next to him. I can feel Jax's eyes on me, but I keep my gaze fixed on Mason. I won't back down. I'm not the same person I used to be.

I'm not some weak mutt he can toss around. I'm a Luna, and I have my wolf back. All it would take is one little push, and Aurora would go wild.

Right on cue, Axton bursts into the open area. He reaches me and stands to my right, gripping my arm. He starts to pull me back, but Jax stops him.

I glance at both of them, knowing they're communicating through their mindlink. Axton releases me and takes up a protective stance next to me. Jax must have told him to guard me.

“Hayley, darling,” Mason calls out, his voice falsely cheerful. “There you are, I've been worried sick. I've been looking everywhere for you.” I pause, taken aback by my father's act. He's playing the part of a worried father whose daughter disappeared through no fault of his own. Lies. All lies.

“Cut the darling crap,” I snap, surprising not only my father but also Luke, who stops his search to watch me. The anger inside me is screaming to be let out. “How dare you come onto my land, ordering me back...” Before I can finish, Mason interrupts me.

“Your land?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, my land. I'm mated to an Alpha, shocking, right? You proud of me, dad?” I ask sarcastically, crossing my arms. Jax moves to stand half in front of me, either to calm himself or to protect me. Or maybe both.

“You've become quite mouthy since you've been gone. We'll need to train that out of you,” Mason smirks, knowing I'll understand exactly what he means. He wants to beat me into submission like he used to. But that's not going to happen. I start to move towards Mason, but Jax holds me back.

~“Be careful, Hayley,”~ Jax warns. ~“We don't know if they're alone. They could be working with the rogues again. I've sent Dimitri and a few others to check the perimeter. Until then, we need to stall him. When we know it's safe, he's all yours,”~ Jax says, a smug tone in his voice.

He must have sensed my desire to kill my father. But honestly, I don't see him as my father anymore. There's no connection left.

He was supposed to love me unconditionally, to protect me from the world's evils. But he didn't protect me from himself. He's nothing more than a sperm donor.

I scan the area, but I don't see any rogues. We're too far from the border. ~“They shouldn't be much longer. Just a few more minutes,”~ Jax says, sensing my impatience. Seeing Mason's and Luke's disgusting faces brings all my anger and hatred back to the surface. We could take them. We outnumber them.

Having Aurora back, eating regular meals, and not being beaten every day has helped me regain my strength. They used to keep me weak, barely alive.

I was too exhausted to feel anything. But since I escaped, I've been able to recharge. I'm ready to show them what I'm capable of. A side of me they've never seen.

Just a few more minutes before I tear them apart. But first, I want answers. “You ordered rogues to attack my mate and me, to kill our family, didn't you?”

Jax continues to stand in front of me, ready to protect me if necessary. “I have no idea what you're talking about, but I did hear rumors that you were having some rogue troubles. That's a shame,” he smirks. Both Jax and I growl at his pathetic response. We know he's lying.

“You lying piece of shit!” Jax snarls. “I know what you did, Mason, and your Beta and Gamma. You abused your daughter for something that wasn't her fault! You're a pathetic excuse for an Alpha!”

“You told them?” Mason growls, shock and fear flashing across his face. I'm not the same person he last saw. He's about to find that out. “Well, that makes this a whole lot easier. Come the fuck home, now,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Hayley, if you don’t come willingly, I won’t hesitate to rip that pup apart,” Mason threatens, nodding towards Jax. I snarl at his threat, the thought of my mate getting hurt making my blood boil. Jax is taller and more muscular, but Mason has the advantage of experience due to his age.

Two Alphas going head to head—it’s never a clear-cut outcome. But I won’t let Jax face Mason alone. I’ll fight by his side. “So, be a good girl and do as you’re told,” Mason continues, his smile making my skin crawl.

I snarl at my father, holding myself back and wishing time would speed up. How much longer? They’re taking too long. Time seems to crawl as Mason continues to stare at me. Then Jax says, “~Dimitri says the border is clear. We can end this, love. But remember, he has to attack first or our evidence won’t hold up~.” Perfect.

I need to provoke him, push him over the edge. There’s one thing I know will make him lose control. I know it will not only infuriate him, but it will also give me the chance to say the words I’ve kept hidden for years. The words he forced me to suppress. “Do you think mom would be proud?”

“What did you just say?” Mason snaps, already getting riled up. Predictable. So predictable. Mason blames me for my mother’s death, he’ll hate that I’m even mentioning her. His delusion will be his downfall.

“Mom, do you think she’d be proud to call you her mate? After you abused her only daughter. Her little girl?” Mason starts shaking with rage; I’m getting under his skin.

“You have no right to say that! You didn’t know her, you took her away from me. You killed her!” he yells, claws extending from his fingertips. Mason’s wolf is starting to surface. “You killed my mate!”

“I was a baby! Just a baby! I had just taken my first breath, how could I have killed her? I may not have known my mother, but you’re right about one thing. I didn’t know her, but she’s always been here,” I say, pointing to my heart.

“And I know she’d be disgusted with the person you’ve become. If she was still here, she’d be disappointed to have a mate like you.” As soon as the last word leaves my mouth, Mason shifts into his massive wolf and lunges at me, teeth bared.

Jax shoves me to the side, out of Mason’s path, and I fall to the ground. He shifts into Aaron and leaps at Mason. They collide in mid-air and crash to the ground, but both are back on their feet in an instant.

Teeth bared and crouched low, Jax makes the first move, lunging at Mason. But I don’t see what happens next as I shift into Aurora.

With my eyes squeezed shut, I will my bones to break faster, trying to manage the agonizing pain that comes with it. As soon as I’m on all fours, Aurora doesn’t waste a second. She springs into action, joining her mate.

But we don’t get far. We yelp in pain as someone bites our right hind leg, blood seeping from the wound. But it doesn’t stop us. We spin around and pounce at the wolf whose scent I recognize all too well. The man who caused me so much pain, year after year. The pathetic excuse for a man that I want dead. Luke.

Before I can attack Luke, Axton’s wolf barrels into him, sending them both flying. I watch for a few seconds to make sure Axton will be okay, but he seems to have the upper hand. Axton is making Luke look like the weak, pitiful man he truly is.

When I turn back to Jax and Mason, I see that all the Midnight Rose warriors are attacking the Bloodnight warriors. Wolves are shifting, blood is splattering everywhere, and the scene can only be described as chaos. Complete and utter chaos.

I look over at Jax, who is currently pinned down by my father. One of his paws is on Jax’s neck, and he strikes his other one into Jax’s side, causing a small whimper to escape him.

As my father tries to strike again, I leap at him, stopping him mid-action. My father lands on his back and while he struggles to get back on his feet, I check on my mate. Jax gets up but turns so his wounded side is furthest away from Mason, protecting it.

It will heal in a few minutes but he has to be careful. If the wound gets bigger, his wolf might not be able to heal it quickly enough, and he could bleed out.

Jax and I stand together, ready for this to be over. We share a quick glance before turning back to our opponent, ready to kill my father. Mason’s eyes widen at the sight of me in my wolf form, and I see a flicker of fear in them, but he quickly suppresses it.

Aurora fuels my anger, urging me on, as we charge at my father, with Jax right behind us. I catch my father off guard and land on top of him, but he quickly throws me off with his hind legs, knocking the wind out of me. Trying not to show my pain, I get back on my feet and leap at him again. This is my chance.

I land on my father’s back, claws digging in, distracting him and giving Jax an open shot at Mason’s face, which he takes. With a ferocious growl, Mason throws me off him but I land on my feet and launch back at him, noticing his eye bleeding heavily.

Jax’s attack has caused blood to pour from Mason’s eye. He’s keeping it tightly shut, leaving him with only one eye to see.

I swipe at my father, claws extended, but he dodges it and retaliates. He lands a sharp blow on my shoulder, tearing it open despite his impaired vision. With a loud hiss, I let the adrenaline coursing through my body distract me from the pain and continue fighting.

I crash into my dad, both of us tumbling to the ground. I seize the moment, digging my claws deep into his side and dragging them down, relishing the act. Jax spots an opening and, with his own claws, rips into my father’s stomach, causing blood to gush out.

Mason stumbles back, a whimper slipping from his lips. Seeing him on the ground, wounded and vulnerable, I rush him, tearing into anything I can reach.

His stomach.

His legs.

His face.

Everything. His cries of pain echo in my ears, pleas for mercy that I ignore. Instead, I push harder. For once, I’m not the one whimpering.

With the last of his strength, my father swings at me, trying to make me stop. But Jax pins him down, allowing me to finish him off. He’s broken nearly every bone in my body, let me be raped, made me lose my wolf, and now he wants mercy?

He wants me to spare him, like I begged him to do for me. Did he ever listen? Not once. So, I’ll return the favor. Let him feel helpless, alone, praying for death.

My rage and pain fuel me as I continue to tear into my father. I don’t stop, even when I reach his organs, ripping them out too.

~“Hayley, love,”~ Jax whispers gently. ~“He’s dead. You can stop,”~ he adds softly, but I don’t. I keep tearing into my father’s lifeless body, ripping fur and skin as memories of the pain he caused me flash through my mind. I’m finally getting my revenge.

Eventually, I pull away, taking a deep breath before checking on Axton. I can’t help but feel satisfied when I see him sinking his teeth into Luke’s neck before snapping it. A sickening crack echoes as Luke’s body goes limp and Axton stands, pride radiating from him. He glances my way, probably to make sure I’m safe, and gives a wolfish grin when he sees that I am.

Aurora surveys the scene, pleased with the sight of death. My father’s mutilated body sprawls across the vibrant grass, much like his warriors. The same warriors who did nothing to help me, who let my father hurt me for years. They brought this on themselves. I don’t feel sorry for them.

Aurora turns us around to find Aaron’s gaze already on us. We walk over to him and as we do, Aaron sits down. We mirror his actions, our wolves watching each other closely.

Aaron leans forward and begins to clean Aurora’s fur, matted with our father’s blood. We sit there, numb, welcoming the comfort our mate offers.

In the werewolf world, grooming is an intimate act. Wolves groom each other as a sign of affection and to express their love. It’s usually done between mates and parents to their pups, also to mark them with their scent.

After a few heavy minutes, and only once Aaron has pulled away, does Aurora start to clean Aaron of any blood and dirt in his fur. Aaron’s eyes widen in surprise, but he doesn’t move, not wanting his mate to stop.

This is Aurora’s way of saying thank you—Jax and Aaron protected us from the people who hurt us the most and helped kill them. She’s starting to see that Jax and Aaron are on our side and won’t hurt us.

After a while, Aurora pulls away, signaling that we’re satisfied with how he looks. Knowing this, Jax shifts back into his naked, human form and I follow suit, though my transformation is more painful due to lack of practice.

Once I’m standing on two legs, Jax wraps me in his arms. ~“Are you okay, Hayley?”~ he asks in a soothing voice. I bury my head in his chest, letting his steady heartbeat distract me from my racing thoughts.

~“I don’t know,”~ I whisper. I feel numb. Completely numb. My dad’s dead. Luke’s dead. The people who treated me like trash are dead. I’m free, so why don’t I feel relieved?

~“It’s okay, love. I’ve got you. It’s all over now...”