Chapter 110 (edited)

Hii, beautiful readers,

I noticed there was a mistake in two of the chapters in this book, which is why I'll be uploading this for free.

Thanks for your understanding...

Enjoy...

Ava POV

"Thorne, why did you make me worry about you? Why did you scare me? You know I can't live without you. So why?" I demanded, hitting his chest over and over, tears streaming down my cheeks. My fists connected with his solid frame, but he didn't even flinch.

"I'm sorry, my love. I just did that to protect us. I had to pretend to lose my memory to save you and Kaelen." He said softly, his large hands gripping mine gently to stop me from hitting him.

I tried to pull away, but his grip was firm yet tender. "But you should have given me a hint. I can't stay away from you. I was really scared." My voice broke as the words tumbled out.

He reached up with one hand and wiped the tears from my face.. "I promise I won't scare you like that again. I'm back now and together we'll get Kaelen back and we'll defeat Darien. His time is up."

Before I could respond, he pulled me into a tight hug. I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his scent, feeling safe for the first time in forever.

The sound of slow, mocking applause shattered the moment.

We both turned sharply to see Darien stepping out from the shadows, his hands coming together in a slow, deliberate clap. The smile on his face made my blood run cold. Behind him stood Ashlen, and in his arms... my baby. Kaelen. My heart nearly stopped at the sight of my son.

I took a step forward, my arms reaching out instinctively, but Thorne's hand shot out and pulled me back. When I looked at him, he shook his head firmly, his jaw tight.

"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Darien's voice was low and dangerous. He stopped clapping and let his hands fall to his sides. "Do I look like someone that can easily die and be defeated? I've overcome battles, fought wars, faced death situations and I'm still standing. And you think you rats can just come and defeat me?" He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You must be really mistaken. And you know what? I'm going to end you rats right here and now."

My body went rigid. The casual way he talked about killing us, like we were nothing, made me want to scream.

Thorne stepped forward quickly, positioning himself in front of me like a shield. "It's me you want. Take me and leave my family alone."

But I couldn't let him do this. I pushed past Thorne and stepped closer to Darien, my legs shaking but my voice desperate. "I know it's me you want. I'll do anything for you. But please, leave my husband and son alone." Tears were already forming in my eyes again.

"No, Alpha Darien. Take me instead." Thorne said, pulling me behind him once more. His hand gripped my arm protectively.

"You both should shut the fuck up!" Darien's roar seemed to shake the very ground beneath our feet. I felt the vibration travel up through my legs. "I don't want either of you anymore. I want your son. I'm going to kill him right here, right now. Ashlen, bring the boy to me."

My heart stopped completely. The world seemed to tilt.

"No, not my son, please." The words came out as a sob as I fell to my knees. The hard ground bit into my skin but I didn't care. "I'll do anything you want. Please, I'm begging you."

Darien looked down at me like I was an insect. "Too late. I don't need you anymore. You aren't useful to me."

I watched in horror as Ashlen walked forward and handed my baby boy to Darien. Kaelen looked so small in that monster's arms.

Darien reached behind him and pulled out a knife. The blade caught the light as he brought it toward my son's neck. Kaelen let out a loud, terrified cry, as if somehow he understood what was about to happen.

No. No, no, no. This can't be happening. My baby boy hasn't even lived yet. He doesn't know anything about the world. He hasn't taken his first steps or said his first words. I can't let this monster take him from me.

"No!" The scream tore from my throat.

My eyes snapped open. I sat up fast, gasping for air. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. Sweat covered every inch of my body, soaking through my nightgown and the sheets beneath me. Even with the air conditioner running at full blast, I was burning up.

It was a dream. Just a dream. But God, it had felt so real. I could still see the knife, still hear Kaelen's cry.

I looked around the dark room, trying to ground myself. The clock on the nightstand showed it was still nighttime. Kaelen and Thorne were still with Darien. Still in danger. The nightmare might not have been real, but the situation was.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. God, please. Why are you making us suffer this much? What did I do to deserve this? What did my innocent baby do?

Sleep had been impossible since Ashlen contacted us about Thorne and Kaelen. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw terrible things. The most I'd managed to sleep in the past few days was maybe three hours total, and even then, I got nightmares like this one. My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn't let me rest.

I fucking don't know why morning isn't coming. The night felt endless, like time itself had stopped just to torture me. Is it going to be like this until I die from worry?