Toxic Love An Alpha’s Regret - Season 1 Episode 5

I’m so f*cking angry it’s a miracle I don’t explode into my true form.

Divorce? She wants a divorce.

That’s not happening.

“Think long and hard on what you’re saying right now, Leah.”

“I have.”

She has no idea of the consequences.

“This peace is a fragile one,” I remind her.

“Our marriage holds it in place. You

sever it, and I’ll be forced to take other

measures to protect this pack.”

“Be reasonable, Aaron. Both your pack

and mine have thrived in the ceasefire. It doesn’t make sense to fight anymore.”

I shake my head at the hubris of this girl.

She wasn’t even born when the true

horrors of her father’s reign shattered

my world. She doesn’t know of the

constant fighting. The bloodshed. The

horrific aftermath.

She didn’t have to bury what was left of

a sibling.

I stand here staring at her defiant face,

the stubborn glint in her pale eyes. By sneaking off packlands she’s already

illustrated that she can’t be trusted.

“You’re forcing my hand,” I warn her. “And you’re going to regret it.”

“This is my life, Aaron. It’s about time I

took control of it.”

Bah. She sounds like a child taking a

tantrum. But she’s a woman who is the

wife of the most powerful alpha in this

region.

She can’t just flit off when we have

responsibilities.

“Where did you go?” I ask her. “What are

you hiding?”

Her full lips press into a thin line. She

refuses to say a word.

I drag Leah out-not one of my finer

moments-into another bedroom. I toss

her in and barricade the door.

Then I barrel down the backstairs and

out onto the terraced lawn before I do

something I’ll really regret.

She’ll stay there until she’s ready to talk.

I a*sign guards positioned to watch her.

And those guards who’d been on duty when she escaped the grounds…they’ll

be dealt with too.

Now.

And let it be a lesson to all.

I storm across the patios and gardens to

the expansive grounds beyond.

There’s a ma*sive underground facility, camouflaged thirty feet below the earth

and these meticulously manicured lawns.

It can be accessed from the opposite

side of the mansion or from the

caretaker’s hut at the far corner of the

property. I march there now, clear the security measures, and take the elevator

down.

“Clear the field!” I holler when the metal

door opens, and at least a dozen wolves

stop what they’re training drills, take one

look at me, and file out.

James exits the second elevator as the cadets are cramming in to go back up.

“Where was she?” I ask my beta.

“I don’t know.” James shoves his hands into his pockets.

“The guards on patrol?”

“They’re on their way here now, Aaron.”

They’ll be lucky if I spare their lives.

“How did she get off packlands without being detected?”

“We are reviewing the security footage.”

“You captured her?”

He shakes his head. “No. She appeared

to be headed back this way. She got into the car willingly.”

“And what did she say when you asked

where she’d been?”

“She didn’t.”

“Didn’t say. Or

Or you didn’t ask.”

“Either.”

I growl.

“Did you track the phone?”

“No.”

“What exactly do I employ you for if you can’t see a simple task to completion?”

James bristles. He’s furious. But he isn’t

dumb enough to challenge me or argue. Not today, anyway.

“My wife. The luna of this pack left

these lands with no escort and was

unaccounted for for several hours.

Where. Was. She.”

James’ eyes show his wolf at the surface. “Ask her yourself.”

It’s the closest he’s ever come to

mouthing off to me. And it’s the spark that lights the fuse on my temper.

I don’t think. I lunge.

My wolf tearing through my skin. My

teeth and claws sinking into him.

I have to seriously consider my options.

I’ve been locked in this room for two days

now.

Each morning, Aaron knocks on my door.

“Are you prepared to discuss your

actions?”

“Are you prepared to give me a divorce?”

“No.”

Then I count each of his heavy steps as

he walks down the hall.

I’ve been given no food.

I drink water out of the tap.

My stomach aches with hunger and the

dizziness has increased.

I don’t know if that’s a symptom of low blood sugar from lack of food… or if the cancer is progressing.

Being alone like this has not been good

for me.

I alternate between crying, sleeping

and pacing the room until I’m sure I’ll go

mad.

I can’t describe the sensation of truly

facing your mortality.

I mean, we’re all going to die, but we move through our days focused on

eating and working, sleeping, planning

for things and entertaining ourselves.

But maybe that’s just a delusion from

reality.

Or perhaps we have to distract ourselves

Chapter 5

just to function and stay sane.

Think positive. Be positive.

12/19

I’m a single drop of water in an endless

ocean.

There are moments when I’m astounded

by the beauty and uniqueness of it all.

At most other times, I’m too depressed to

lift my head off the pillow.

I cry a lot.

Sometimes I think Aaron’s outside the

door. Listening.

But that’s just wishful thinking.

He doesn’t care.

I’m good enough to f*ck, but not to love.

I’m not family. I’m a pawn.

Three days turn to four.

By the fifth day, I don’t feel hunger

pangs anymore.

But I hurt.

God, everything hurts.

On day six, he greets me at the door

with a huge platter of fresh fruits and

vegetables.

My mouth waters and my stomach

rumbles.

“Your phone died, so we couldn’t trace

your whereabouts. Shall we talk about

where you went, Leah? And with whom?”

It’s probably stupid and I’m being

defiant just because I’m tired of being

bossed around and controlled, but

I don’t want to give in to this man anymore. I don’t want to obey him.

I’m as deserving of respect as any other

wolf in his pack, more so because I am

his wife.

“The only thing I have to say to you, is I’m

done, Aaron. Finished. You want peace, I’ll guarantee my father keeps it. But I’m not going to live like this. You had your

chance to make this a real marriage.

I

For years, I’ve loved you. But I won’t

anymore.”

15/19

He ignores everything I’ve said and smiles maliciously. “Oh, so you want to stay here and reflect on how to be a better wife. Of course. No problem.” Then he yells down the hall, “Jessica!”

She comes running like she’s been

waiting in the wings. She holds the

phlebotomy kit.

“It’s Leah’s date to donate blood, be a

dear, draw it from her. Won’t you?”

“You sonofab*tch.”

It’s not enough that they bleed me for

the blood debt. But to make her do it.

I back away from her, scrambling

backward on the bed, but it’s not like

there is anywhere for me to go. I’m

trapped and weak. “Leave me alone.”

She tsks.

Then she makes a show of it. Pulling on plastic gloves-as if she needs them. Flicking the needle.

When she grabs my arm, I flinch.

“Don’t do this. Stop.”

“You owe us, b*tch,” Jessica mumbles.

Her blue eyes are vicious.

She jams the needle into my arm-hard.

I bite my lip to stop from screaming.

She fishes around to find the vein and

I’d vomit from that action alone if there

was anything left in my stomach to come back up.

Then my blood pours through the tube

into the collection bag.

Aaron watches. His expression is cold.

“It’s the anniversary of the slaughter. Draw a second offering.”

“Gladly,” Jessica says.

My vision is dimming and I’m too weak to

fight.

I fall back against the pillows, my eyes

flickering.

“Chef prepared this huge platter of food,” he says at some point to Jessica. “Come have breakfast with me.”

I open my eyes to see Jessica leaving the room with the full bags of my blood. She slings her arm through his and they stroll

off.

The door starts to close. “I hate you,

Aaron!” I scream.

I think maybe he pauses for the briefest

second, but I can’t tell for sure. The door

closes softly and locks in place.