Chapter 2

Veronica’s POV

“Dever,” I muttered, half believing what I was seeing.

There was no way in the whole of River-Valley that the man before me was alive. No way. I had watched him fall, held him as he bled into my arms. My eyes watered as emotions surged through my body burning everywhere they touched.

“Vee,” he whispered with the same breathlessness I had.

I stopped breathing. This was real… he was alive and standing right in front of me.

I had the urge to grab him, hold him, kiss him, to feel his skin against my palms just to be certain. To pull him away from these rogues and this cursed place and run far away, but my body failed to respond to my urges.

So I just stared. He still looked the same except for the beard framing his jawline and the scar running from his bottom lip into his beard. I watched as shock tainted his eyes, giving way to fear and then anger.

“What kind of sick joke is this, Klaus?” he said angrily, tearing his gaze away from mine. “Did Kade put you up to this? Is that why you asked me over here?’

“Keep my name out of your mouth,” the man with the golden eyes growled, advancing menacingly toward Dever. “You seem to forget where you are.”

Rage surged through me pushing me to my feet. In a split second, I covered the distance between Kade and me, grabbing the dagger from my ankle and pushing it against his back before he reached Dever.

“One more step towards him and this knife goes straight into your back,” I twisted the knife, letting it pierce through his shirt. He stood still, raising his hands in surrender but I could see his shoulders heave like he was having a silent laugh. I watched from the corner of my eye observing the other brother still sprawled out in his chair.

“Take it easy now,” Kade snickered. He made to move and I pushed the dagger, this time it grazed his flesh. “I’m just going to step away from him. Don’t do anything stupid… You understand?”

I nodded, though he couldn’t see me. He dropped his hands, taking a step to his right. I tried to follow but he was faster. He twisted his body, grabbed my hands and slammed me to the ground.

“That’s enough of that, Kade. Let go of her.”

“You are not my father! I don’t take orders from you!” Kade barked, pulling my head back and slamming it into the floor.

A blinding light flashed through my eyes just before pain exploded across my temple. Half-conscious, I faintly heard the shuffling and murmurs behind me before the weight on my back got lifted off.

“You tell her what you’ve done. She deserves to know if she is willing to die for you!” I heard as soon as the haze around my head cleared.

“Yes, yes. You should tell her. We are running out of time and I don't want to deal with this anymore.” A hand roughly pulled me up, pushing me face to face with Dever.

I tried to speak but the words failed to come out. It was still hard to believe he was here.

“Tell her,” Kade growled from behind me. “Or I'll rip your chest open and get done with the nuisance you are becoming.”

Dever lowered his head and a pang of panic surged through me, making my heart beat painfully. Tell me what?

“Vee,” Dever started, his gaze still on the floor. “I had to do it for our pack. We’re in debt. I had to find a way around it. I was left with no other option.”

“What are you saying?” I stuttered, finally finding my voice.

“I–I had…”

“He sold you to save his ass.”

“Shut up, Kade!” Dever screamed, but I was hardly listening. Blood drummed through my ear with so much force, tuning out all the noise. I sensed it— the scream that left my lips— instead of hearing it.

“Sold?” My mouth formed the word.

“Y–yes. The council of elders found out about the... my addiction and debts. They threatened to strip me off… I couldn't let that happen. They…” he gestured towards the brothers. “...offered to help only if I provide a healer strong enough to break their curse. You came to mind.”

I pushed past the pain tightening against my chest, shaking my head in disbelief. “But… but the attack? The fire? You bled in my arms… I watched that guard kick your lifeless body.”

“It was all an act,” he whispered, his feet tapping nervously against the floor. “I had to make you believe I was dead so you won’t go searching. That was the only way I knew to save the pack. I did it for us. I had every intention of getting you back when everything was settled.”

He took a step towards me and I shrank out of his reach. “You planned all this and never said a word to me,” my voice broke as a tear slipped down my cheek. “I mourned you, mourned our unborn child. They killed him, did you know that? Was that part of your plan too? For months I lost the will to live and you stand before me now telling me it was all an act?”

Dever had insisted I was carrying a boy, a son to take after him, the instant I broke the news of my pregnancy to him. I had played along wanting nothing more than a healthy child.

“I’m saying I had no choice. Our home was going to be taken away from ” his tone sounded impatient. “Vee…”

“Don’t forget to tell her about pretty little Dana,” Kade whistled, his voice laced with mischief.

Dever snapped, his eyes glowering as he rushed towards Kade, but I moved forward blocking his access. The pain in my heart was being replaced with something I was afraid to name. “Dana? What has she got to do with this?”

“Nothing,” Dever growled, his eyes darting everywhere before finally resting on me, restless and cold. I felt my body grow still with fear.

“Lies,” I muttered, holding his gaze. “Have you been having an affair with your best friend?” The question left my lips before I realised I was thinking about it. He shuffled his feet, casting his eyes down but not before I saw the guilt in them. I finally named the feeling eating within me; disgust.

I clenched my teeth. “How long? On the night of our mating ceremony?”

Dever had stayed at Dana's side all night after the blessing of our union. I had thought nothing of it. They had been friends before I came into the picture and I knew it was hard on Dana to see her best friend shift his attention to someone else. So, I let them have that night. I would have him every other night.

“Yes.”

His quiet response threw me over the edge, burning up my body with rage. “You pig!” I yelled, raising my hands to mar his face with my fingernails. “How could you!”

Someone pulled on my hands, stopping my assault and caged them behind me. “Enough of all this,” a calm voice whispered into my ears before letting go of my arms and spinning me around to face him. “Now you know why you are here. I’ve been patient enough. Break the curse.”

Unshed tears glistened in my eyes and I dropped my gaze, afraid to show how much I was hurting. My heart was breaking into a million painful pieces and all I wanted to do was to cry till I felt no more pain. But instead, I whispered, “I can't heal you.”

It was the truth– I haven't felt Kira, my wolf, since I woke up in that hospital bed. I couldn’t even heal myself. My powers left with her.

Klaus clasped his hand painfully around my chin, tilting my head to stare into pools of blue and gold. “You’d better think carefully before you answer me again. One wrong answer and I'll put you out of your misery, this time for good.”

He meant it, his eyes said as much. Maybe I should let him put me out of my misery, maybe this was the moon goddess's show of mercy. Rage simmered in the pit of my stomach as the thoughts floated through my head. Why should I be the one to suffer while the people who wronged me get to have their happily ever after? Because I was naive? Gullible? In love?

“Break the curse.” his breath fanned my face.

I stilled what was left of my heart. They all deserve to pay and I deserve justice. To hell with the moon goddess justice, I'll get it myself. I just have to string the brothers long enough to get back at Dever before going back to the original plan.

“On one condition,” I whispered, then out loud. “You’ll help me claim the Silverclaw pack. It must be mine and then, I'll break the curse.”