Chapter 2

Eden shot me a glance, all these new reactions are part of him I'd never seen before.

But I continued. "Alpha Eden is my mate, and Freya is just jealous of me, why can't you all see that?"

"What!?" Freya gasped, her fake mask slipped back on. "Do you hate me this much Kira? Do you really want to see me dead?"

I swallowed hard. Perhaps my defiances were working. "Yes, I stand by my words, you're lying to steal Eden from me!"

Desperately, I strode towards Eden. "I know you feel pity towards her and you wanted to help. But please, don't believe her, she's lying. She just wanted to..."

"Stop doing this, Kira, it's stupid!" Eden angrily pushed me away. "Is this how wicked you are? This is about Freya's life, don't you get it?"

I couldn't control my tears anymore, I fell on my knees, lost for what to do.

Freya had successfully convinced and turned his mind too.

She only needed to get rid of me now.

"Alright fine" Freya concluded. "I don't need Eden to mark me anymore. I'm sorry if I was a problem"

I frowned at her sudden change of mind.

"What are you saying? Your health is not good" Eden stopped.

"Kira could have you to herself," Freya's voice dropped to something small and final. Then almost like an actress acting off the script, she rushed to the window. "I'd just end it"

I blinked in shock. This was her new tactic now?

Playing victim?

Dad and Mum rushed to pull her. But she kept resisting as she yelled. "I'd kill myself before Kira kills me. I'd..."

Eden faced me with anger. "Kira, what are you doing? You're bullying her!"

"Eden, she's acting. Don't believe her"

Eden turned to me sharply, and for a moment, I saw real pain in his eyes. "I was not choosing her over you, Kira. had But she will die... There are medical records and can't you judge by the way she looked frail?" He exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry, I cannot stand by and let someone die when I can prevent it."

I blinked my tears off. "S...So?"

"Let me mark her tonight to break the curse. After tonight, everything would go back to normal. You were still my mate. That doesn't change."

I stared at him painfully. He really believed Freya's lies and fell for it.

"And if I say no?" I whispered.

His jaw tightened. For a long moment he said nothing, and I held onto that silence like it meant something.

Then Freya made a small, barely audible sound to remind him she was still there perhaps.

"Then I have no choice but to believe you are the opposite of the woman I thought you were." He said it was like a door shutting. "I'm sorry, Kira."

"What do you mean—"

"I reject the mate bond between us, Kira Collins!" He dropped the words like a bombshell. "I shall take Freya Collins as my mate and wife!"

The world stopped. This is a dream right?

He's joking, right?

"E...Eden what do you mean?"

He'd already rushed off to pull Freya off the window sill and now gathered her in his arms. "You're so inconsiderate of your sister. How can I take you as my future Luna?"

The look on Freya's face was of triumph and joy.

Her fake tears confirmed everything and the way she purposely glued herself to Eden proved she had been planning this for a long time.

"I disown you as my daughter!" Mum thundered. "Freya could have lost her life because of your selfishness!"

"But mum..."

"Guards!" Dad summoned me. "Drag her out and lock her in the silver cage until the ceremony is concluded!"

Panic set in immediately. Had they locked me up in a silver cage designed for hardened criminals?

"Dad please. I wouldn't interrupt, please I'd..."

His eyes were more stern than before. He doesn't look like the father that I used to know.

Mum nodded her head. "She needs to learn her lessons"

Guards flooded the room, but I didn't go easily, I yelled and planted my feet. "Let me go!"

But there were four of them and I was in a ceremonial dress already exhausted emotionally.

The last thing I saw before the door closed was Freya tucking herself into Eden's side, and the small private smile she gave me over his shoulder.

***

"H... Help"

The air in the cage was suffocating, and wickedly sharp.

My skin burned as I tried to avoid contact with the silver bars as the whole cage required me to squeeze in due to the big dress I had on and how small it was.

"Dad please..." I carried it again but no sound was heard, nor was anyone in sight.

This was a dungeon, and it was my first time staying here for more than a minute.

I needed water terribly, the burning pain spreading to my throat too.

After what seemed to be ages without any luck, I gave up.

Sat down and endured the burning pain of silver against my skin.

I heard metal clinging when I was about to drift to sleep.

I eagerly jumped to my feet. "Mum. Dad. I'm here. Please save me"

No sounds came, and I was almost convinced that I heard the wrong sound when footsteps echoed.

My hopes soared higher again. But before I'd even yell, my cage suddenly moved, like someone was dragging it.

"W...what is happening?" My hands trembled. "Who are you? Where are my parents?"

The cage didn't stop moving. Could it be that Eden came to rescue me from here?

"You're paying for your father's sins." a dark dangerous voice echoed when the cage stopped moving.

I just got dragged to the entrance of another room, which could give anyone access to reach out to me from behind.

Paying for my father's sins?

"Who...Who are you? Did Freya send y'all to kill me?"

Since I was facing away from the entrance, the operation was swift and sharp.

A blade found me between one breath and the next second, cold pain ran through my veins madly.

Whoever this was must be an expert in slaughter. I didn't even have time to scream, just the pain.

I grabbed the bars of the cage without thinking it was silver.

What a shitty life. After everything, only to die off by blade and silver shock.

"Fuck life."

"Blame your family for this," the voice replied. "Life's got nothing to do with this"

I wanted to ask why life got nothing to do with it or how my family had a hand in this, but my legs were already giving way.

My life played before my face like a movie.... Was I ever Dad and Mum's daughter?

Now I'm dying because of their sins?

"No..." I managed to squeeze out but it was too late.

It felt like someone just removed my clothes.

In the next minute, I was out of the cage, and I was standing before myself, my body still slumped, but lifeless, dripping with blood.

So this was the end of it all?

After every year I spent being strong so they'd never have to worry about me or complain about me.

After every time I painfully watch Freya snatch them away whenever I needed them.

After every moment I chose patience over anger and silence over rebellion.

Perhaps I was wrong and my murderer was right.

Life's got nothing to do with this.

The woman dying in this cage wasn't weak, she was just alone.

And now she was watching herself bleed, and realizing that no one was coming.

Like every time she needed them, they never came.