20. Sloane

My eyes snapped open as I sprang to a sitting position on the bed. Wait....bed? I looked around me my head pounding like I was reviving from a bad hangover. Not that I knew what that felt like but if I did this would be it.

"Sloane!"

My eyes finally came into focus as I realised I was back in my room. It was Vers voice as he sat in a chair beside my bed. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Ver? What happened?"

That's when it all came back to me. Ripping the blanket off I started to panic.

"Where's Kandra? Is she alright?"

Ver stopped me from getting out of bed forcing me to lay back down as dizziness made my feet feel like jelly.

"Calm down Sloane you've been through a lot."

I growled but did as he said since I clearly couldn't go anywhere. Ver was the only one in the room it was obvious that he had been there the entire time. Looking into his eyes i saw what I didn't want to believe.

"You gave her to him didn't you?!"

I was angry, fuck that I was furious. I didn't need him to answer the look on his face told me everything. This time when I stood he didn't stop me as he stood as well. My feet no longer giving out I glared at him.

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

He didn't say anything which only made my anger worse before I could stop myself I punched him. My fist connected to his jaw, he didn't even bother to dodge it. Something was different in him. Normally he would be the one to loose it but this. He seemed defeated like he'd lost the will to fight. I growled well if he wouldn't do anything I would.

"I'm going after her."

Before I could even turn away he grabbed my arm his hand like a vice on my skin. The tension in his fingers made me pause.

"Wait."

His voice was quiet but held alpha dominance in it. A dominance that only the red eyed king could weld and I was pissed.

"What are you doing?!"

I spoke through gritted teeth. Never in a million years would I have thought Ver would use his power as king over me. What the hell had happened while I was gone?

"SIT DOWN!"

His order washed over me as I was forced to do his bidding.

"WHAT THE FUCK VER?!"

He growled his eyes glowing brighter then I'd ever seen them. His canines out as he bared his teeth at me a menacing growling making me flinch.

"SHUT UP!"

My mouth snapped closed. What the fuck was going on? Why was he doing this? Not once had he ever used his power on me no matter how much I fought him. It was an unspoken rule for him to break it whatever was going on was bad.

I could see him visibly struggling to reign in his power. He managed to retract his canines but the glow in his eyes remained.

"Your an idiot Sloane! After what she did for you!"

I glared at him my fists clenching my teeth gritting. I couldn't talk but a could still get angry. I knew he could see my anger growing but he ignored it.

"She sacrificed herself to that maniac to save your life and how do you repay her? By running back into the danger she tried to save you from! You would be throwing her sacrifice back in her face!"

His words were worse then any punch he could have thrown. My anger subsided as I realised the truth in his words. If I went after her blindly I'd likely be caught again and what she did for me would have been for nothing.

Ver's eyes slowly dulled back to their normal red hue as he released his orders on me. He stumbled back in the chair like the effort it took to hold me sapped everything he had. What was going on with him? Before I could say anything the door swung open as Cora rushed inside.

"Sloane!"

Ignoring Ver she threw her arms around me tears in her eyes.

"Thank god your alright. Hang on are you alright did that psycho hurt you."

She pulled back and started checking me over for any injuries. Growling low I gently pushed her away.

"Cora stop it in fine."

She threw her arms around me again.

"I thought I'd lost you... ah I mean we... I thought we lost you....."

As Cora continued to ramble on my eyes met Vers as he slowly stood up turning towards the door.

"Ver..."

Cora's words stopped as she stood back her gaze going to Vers as if she'd only just noticed he was there. Ver didn't stop nor look back as he answered his voice pained.

"Get some rest Sloane that's all you need to concentrate on."

He disappeared through the door leaving me alone with Cora and more questions then I could count. Facing Cora I figured I'd try get some of those answers from her.

"Cora what the hell happened while I was gone."

She shook her head her eyes still on the door where Ver had disappeared.

"Honestly I have no idea. No ones saying anything not even Ty."

I shook my head still reeling from the fact that he had used his alpha status on me, no worse then that he'd used his kings power. Something wasn't right here.

"What did he do to you?"

Cora sat beside me once again checking that I was whole. I didn't answer right away it was all so confusing.

"Sloane?"

Her hand on my shoulder made me jump. Turning to face her I could see how worried she was in the crease in her forehead. I shrugged I mean it's not like he hurt me or anything but still.

"He used his power as king to order me."

Her mouth gaped open in shock.

"Somethings wrong it's not like him."

Recovering she spoke in a quiet voice like she was cautious with her words.

"Is it really though? We both know how bad he's gotten in the last fours years maybe it's just a progression of his power. I mean I know that's not a good thing but it doesn't mean something bad has happened."

I narrowed my eyes at her. I had known Cora for most of my life and there was one thing she could never do and that was hide when she'd done something wrong.

"Cora? What did you do?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Nothing bad, I mean not really."

I could tell by the way she fidgeted with her hands that she was feeling guilty about something.

"Out with it Cora."

She sighed.

"Fine when Ver came back and told us that you'd been taken I may have implied that it was her fault you were caught."

I growled standing up to glare down at her.

"SERIOUSLY CORA HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!"

She recoiled at my words avoiding my eyes her voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry Sloane I was upset it just came out."

I turned my back on her my anger subsiding. Cora always did have a case of foot in mouth disease. She always spoke before thinking letting her emotions control her. Not too mention the damage was already done.

"I realise I'm only going to make things worse but you should know what Ver said to her was worse."

I spun around.

"Tell me."

As she recounted what had happened my anger came back in full force. When she'd finished I headed for the door. Cora didn't even try to stop me as I went to find Vericus. I was so angry I could feel my wolf emerging. How could he say that to her? His words earlier were proof that he cared for her. I could see it in his eyes.

Just as I hit the ground floor I saw Owen making his way towards me. In a flash I was in front of him my canines out.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Owen ever the calm and collected instantly put his hand on my shoulder. His power was trying to suppress my wolf but I was to angry. I shook off his power.

"TELL ME!"

Since his power didn't work he did the next best thing. His eyes glowed and his own canines came out. Somehow even though he was shorter in that moment he seemed like a giant. My wolf coward at the immense power he was projecting. His voice was ominous as his eyes stared daggers into mine.

"Calm down now!"

It was in that moment I realised just how powerful he was. Why he was a beta was beyond me he had enough power to be an alpha. Calming down my eyes stopped glowing and my canines retracted. Owen didn't release me until he knew I was completely calm once more.

"Good now do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

I told him everything Cora had told me about what happened in the living room.

"What he said to her was unforgivable. He didn't even try to stop her! He doesn't even plan on going after her!"

Owens lips curved into a scowl as he grabbed my arm and steered me towards the second office. Once inside he forced me to sit in one of the chairs. He leaned against the desk crossing his arms across his chest a stern look on his face.

"Now before you go off half cocked you need to know everything. Cora only knows one part to this but there's more that she doesn't know."

I remained silent all my attention on what Owen was saying.

"A lot happened between what Cora heard and when you woke up. Just before the exchange the test results came back in."

My eyes widened.

"What did they show?"

Pushing off the desk he went behind the desk and unlocked one of the draws. Pulling out a sheet of paper he return to stand before me. Handing the test results over I took a deep breath preparing for what I was about to see. As I read the report I couldn't believe my eyes. Looking back up at Owen I breathed one word.

"Twins?"

Owen took the report back sighing as he sat in the chair beside me. His shoulders sagging like he was lost. His eyes on the report like he was reading it for the first time.

"Yes identical twins. When the results came back a match they delved deeper and the result was Rix and Kandra are identical twins."

I stared at him shocked beyond measure. I couldn't imagine how Owen was feeling.

"But how is that possible?"

Owen met my gaze once more his face showing all the emotion he felt.

"I'm going to tell you something that not even Vericus knew till this morning."

I braced myself for whatever it was he was going I say because judging by the look on his face it was big.

"The night my pack was wiped out was not the first attack for us. Granted at the time we didn't realise the two were connected. Now after seeing this I know there's a connection."

He took a deep breath as if it would give him strength to voice his next words. I waited patiently holding my breath for what was coming.

"On the night Rix was born there was an attack but not by wolves. They were witches which was why we never made the connection. They attacked not long after Freya went into labour. We left her well guarded while we dealt with the attack. But while we were doing that one male made it through. He killed all her guards. Once my brother and I realised what was happening we rushed to her aid. By the time we got there everyone was dead but by some miracle Freya's baby had survived. She had died with Rix in her arms."

I was speechless as I realised what had happened even as Owen explained.

"It was odd at the time that they would attack her only to leave the baby unharmed. We thought either they heard us coming or they were merciful enough not to harm a baby either way we counted our blessing that we didn't loose everything that night."

His eyes looked to the paper once more.

"However now I know what happened. Whoever it was did get why they wanted. They attacked with the soul purpose of stealing Freya's child. They waited for her to give birth to Kandra and once she did they stabbed her and left taking the baby with them."

A tear escaped his eyes as he continued.

"The pain she must have been in as she held on to her own life just long enough to give birth to Rix. All this time I had another niece out there and I didn't know. For her to grow up not knowing who she really was."

His eyes met mine again as he crumbled the paper up.

"She was right here the last family I have left and I couldn't do a thing to save her."

I growled the the impact of this whole thing dawning on me.

"Wait so your telling me Ver knew about this and he let her go anyway? What the fuck Owen why didn't you stop him?"

With everything that was going on I didn't even notice the door opening. The voice that answered was like a kick to the stomach.

"If we didn't let her go you'd be dead."