The Cells: A Reckoning

*******THIS IS A FREE CHAPTER********

*****THIS HAPPENS WHILE DAMON IS BUSY WITH ELLE  ;)***

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MATT POV

I don't think I have ever felt as relieved as I did when we walked out the pack gates to find Charity alive and looking more beautiful than Zeke or I have ever witnessed. Even covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, she looked like a warrior. Like a Gamma, I had never felt more proud of her. Or at least that's what I thought. 

Until she threatened my life with the promise of dumping my body outside the territory lines as if the shortcake could carry my large frame by herself. But still, the promise sets my entire body ablaze, and as much as I hate that rogue fucker he wasn't wrong when he calls her a fireball because she is. A feisty little fireball who has weaseled herself underneath my skin, and now I can't seem to shake her. 

Walking out my front door, I cross the front yard in seconds before climbing the steps of Charity's porch two at a time, my finger punching the doorbell. It's been a whole night since she returned; surely she has had enough time to shower, eat, and rest, right? Shoving my hands into my front pockets, I rock back and forth anxiously, waiting on her to answer the door. 

A few minutes pass before I punch the doorbell again, to be greeted by Charity pulling open the door in a towel she clutched to her chest. Parts of her body are still covered in soap while her wet blonde hair clings to her skin. Shifting uncomfortably, I can already feel the blood rushing to my groin as I take in every part of her perfect curves wishing I can run my fingers along them. 

"What do you want, Matt?" She snaps, yanking me from the fantasies starting to cloud my judgment while Zeke tries to push forward, wanting to pull her in our arms and never let go. "Hello?" She says, waving her hand in front of my face trying to grab my attention. 

Taking a deep breath, I pull myself together before meeting her eyes, and for the smallest second, I think I see a hint of a smile before she completely shuts me out again. "I came to check on you," I say, rocking back and forth on my heels while still stuck on the front porch. "You've had a rough few days, and I...well..." I trail off, letting the embarrassment heat my cheeks in a light shade of pink. 

"I am fine, Matt," she says, annoyance written clearly on her face, "it was just a war, nothing else. I will be fine." 

"That's the biggest lie I have ever heard, fireball," comes a voice behind me that I never want to hear. Turning on my heel, I find Fletcher leaning against the porch rail, with a cigarette tucked between his lips, while a growl escapes my lips. Zeke pushes forward, wanting to show this good-for-nothing rogue the other side of my fist. 

"Great, you're both here," Charity sighs, frustration written all over her face, as her eyes flick between us as Fletcher stands next to me. "Can't you both leave me alone?" 

"No," I say simultaneously as Fletcher as he tilts his head back, exhaling smoke into the air, "you need someone right now, shortcake. Surviving war takes a toll on your psyche." I continue, using the secret nickname I have used with her for years, although this is the first time anyone else has heard it.  

"I'm not a fragile little cupcake," she growls, her eyes flashing black while her feet tap impatiently against the hardwood floorboards. 

"We know you're not," Fletcher says, stepping forward as he places a hand on Charity's arm, and that's all it takes for Zeke to push forward with a feral growl. My hand shoots out, grabbing Fletcher by the back of the neck and ripping him backward before putting myself between him and Charity. 

"Don't fucking touch her," I say, my chest heaving as I try to keep Zeke from taking complete control. "Keep your filthy rogue hands to yourself, or I'll remove them for you." 

"Or what?" Fletcher says, a devilish grin covering his face as he steps forward, enjoying the challenge. "Let's see who's stronger, Gamma, I know your dying to."

"Fletcher!!" A growl comes from behind him as an Alpha energy surrounds us, but the rogue Beta doesn't stand down, his gaze meeting mine, both of our chests puffed out. "Now, Fletch!" With the final command, Fletcher starts walking down the stairs with his hands raised. 

Peeking around my large frame, his gaze finds Charity as a genuine smile crosses his face, "until next time, Fireball. Gamma." He includes with a parting smirk before turning to trot down the stairs and walkway to where his Alpha stands with a deadly expression. As soon as he gets within arm's reach of Xander, his hands dash out in a flash, landing a substantial blow to the back of Fletcher's head while he starts his lecture. 

Watching Fletcher get scolded down the sidewalk causes the cutest little chuckle to escape Charity's lips, causing my heart to thunder with excitement as I listen desperately for the melodious tune. Turning around, I catch her checking me out, making my ego inflate. I pretend I didn't notice her eyes dragging across my body or the desire she tries so desperately to hide, but it's there, only for a second, but it's better than not at all. 

"Ahem," she says, clearing her throat and trying to hide the awkwardness of the situation, "do you want to come in?" She asks, opening the door wider and stepping aside so I can cross the threshold. 

Standing in her foyer, she closes the door behind me before facing me, the two of us standing there staring at each other, and before I know it, her face is in my palm while my lips crash into hers with desperation. The shock has her lips parting slightly, while her hands clutch my chest, an appreciative growl rolling through my chest as my lips dance with hers, the passion swirling around us. 

Finally coming to herself, she breaks the kiss, her rosy sheen covering her cheeks while her breathing remains shallow, lost in the intoxication of each other. Snapping her eyes open, she looks at me before stepping away like I have the plague while Zeke pouts in my head. 

"We can't keep doing this, Matt," she sighs, looking away from me in shame, clutching the towel to her chest. 

"Why not?" I ask, stepping towards her, only causing her to step back and away from me like I have a contagious disease. "Did the night of your shift mean nothing to you? Because it was the best night of my life, and you act like it means nothing." 

"Oh, please," she scoffs, rolling her eyes, but I can tell she is trying to force herself into believing these lies, "you only became interested after you found out what I was." Her accusation breaks my heart to know she thinks this has anything to do with what she is and not WHO she is. 

"You're wrong," I say, stepping forward to grab underneath her chin, forcing her to look me in the eyes, so she knows I am speaking the truth. Tucking a partially dry strand of hair behind her ear, my thumb caresses her cheek, a light buzz passing between us. "and even you know it. It was never about what you are, Charity, but WHO you are." 

I lean my forehead against hers, breathing in her strawberry and whipped cream scent, "it was that way when you were with Hunter, and it's that way now. You might not believe me, but you will one day." I press my lips against her forehead in a gentle kiss enjoying the peaceful second together. 

Despite the fact that every cell in my body wants me to stay here and never leave her side again, I fight against my better judgment leaving a shocked Charity in the middle of the foyer. I don't know if she realizes it yet, but she is mine, and I'll do everything I can to possess the Gamma of Silver Run. 

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ALPHA CHARLES POV 

The longer we sit in this cell without Olivia meeting my eyes or talking to me, the more the anger rises in my stomach, burning like acid. She knows more than she lets on, and I cannot handle any more lies or deception. Poseidon hasn't stopped whimpering and whining since Damon left us here. 

The medics came and went taking Simon with them; Damon is lucky he gave him the antidote when he did; otherwise, it could have been a lot worse than paralysis. Now it's Olivia and I trapped in this damn cell...alone, and she won't say a goddamn thing. Hell, she doesn't have the respect to look me in the eye or talk to me the entire night. She skillfully ignores each question I scream at her while the guards outside try not to eavesdrop, but it's impossible because the individual cells aren't soundproofed, only from the rest of the house. 

I don't know how long we have been stuck in here, but the longer it goes on, the more I feel like a caged animal Poseidon and I's anger mingling to unbearable control; grabbing the bars, I watch my skin burn while I scream at the sky, at the Goddess above, and at anyone else who will listen.

What the hell is going on with my mate? Where is the seventeen-year-old girl I met and fell in love with? She remains as mute as a mouse, my heart breaking, and I think Poseidon is slowly dying. I haven't slept in hours. 

I know the guards are watching with pity as they throw secretive glances at one another. It's rare for a mate bond to fail so spectacularly; I thought we were happy...I thought we could talk about anything. Where did I go wrong?

Stopping my pacing, I sit on the floor, resting my head against the cold concrete and staring at Liv, willing her to talk, but she doesn't speak. Her body language is closed off to me, her legs tucked while she rests her arms and head on them with her face toward the ground. 

"You won't even give me the respect of looking at me?" I growl, unable to bite my tongue. "FUCKING TALK!!!" I roar, but she doesn't move a muscle, remaining as rigid as before. 

I can't help the silent tear that falls down my cheek as I stare at the love of my life, crying myself into a restless sleep where I wake randomly to find her in the same position. "What did you do, Liv? Please? Just talk to me?" I ask my voice barely above a whisper. Could she really have been involved in this whole thing with Cynthia? What does she know? 

"Is protecting Cynthia more important than our bond?" I ask, my voice weak from the constant screaming, and still, she doesn't say a fucking word. "Do you have so little respect for me that you'd rather ruin everything between us? Because I swear to the Goddess Liv, if you don't tell me before Damon returns, I swear to the Goddess I will make you regret every second we were ever mated." 

I lash out my words like a whip as they slice against her armor, hoping to find a weakness, and I think they hit their mark as she flinches ever so slightly before returning to her being still. How is she not sore all bunched up like that? Goddess, why the fuck do I even care? It's not like she gives two fucks about me because if she did, she would open her mouth. 

Screaming in frustration, I throw my fist into the cold cement ground, the bones in my fist snapping like a twig underneath the force. Still, I welcome the pain as anything is better than sitting here in silence, knowing Olivia won't make a peep, no matter what I do. 

No longer able to stand the nervous energy, I rise to my feet, ignoring how my joints pop and crack with each movement as I rise from the floor. With nothing better to do, I hold my broken fist in one hand while pacing back and forth. 

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I don't know how long I have let my feet carry me in this small space as I struggle to stay upright, my legs burning with the need to quit, but I refuse. It's been hours, and Olivia still hasn't said a word, switching her position so that she is lying face down using her arms as a pillow. 

Poseidon hasn't made a sound either, his devastation worse than mine as he tries to block out his pain. Every atom I am composed of wants to rage, to become a monster she fears, and maybe then she will find the words to tell me what the fuck she did. 

As I glare at the woman I have loved for more than half my life, a storm begins to form in the pack mindlink. Suddenly a woosh of air swirls around us as a surge of power flows through the entire pack, strengthening its members. A new pulse of life clings to the air as the distant howls of celebration can be heard in the distance as the New Moon salutes the marking and mating of their Alpha and Luna. 

A moment of silence stills the air before a rush of removed memories force their way into my mind as I crash to the ground on my knees from how overwhelming it is. Clutching my head, a scream I don't recognize vibrates the room.

Flashes from the past dance behind my closed eyes, the suspicion, catching Olivia and Cynthia whispering conspiratorily, and a recollection of Olivia calling Penelope... Elle before we even knew her name. My eyes snap to my mate, who has finally lifted her head to watch what's happening to me, sadness dancing in her eyes, but it only angers me more. 

Meeting her eyes, the last memory, and the most heartbreaking one, pops into my head. I had been growing suspicious of Olivia and Cynthia's refusal to fight Tiberius. Their instance to go through with the spells and complicated plan when it wasn't necessary. I had figured out what Cynthia's true plan was going to be...I was supposed to meet Alaric...but instead of showing up...it was Cynthia, Olivia, and a witch. Two days later, the spells had been placed on the children, and a week later 

"I remember..." I whisper as all the love I had for my mate slips away into nothing, my heart growing cold against her. I watch as the blood drains from her face, eyes wide as she sits up, quickly scooting away. 

"That's not possible..." she says, practically shaking as the anger rolls around me, letting it run free I hope it suffocates her. 

In a flash, I am across the room with her neck clasped in my hand as I lift her and slam her into the wall. "Why?" I demand, no longer accepting her silence. "You either tell me willingly, you succubus, or I am going to make your life a living hell before I finally kill you."

"Charles," she says through her fake tears, "I..." she tries to find the right words. She tries to find another lie to cover her ass. 

"DON'T LIE!" I yell, slamming her into the wall; I know the guards are watching outside, but I know they won't interfere. My aura is too deadly, too feral, and too unpredictable. Plus, none had ever seen me act this way with my mate, "you were the love of my life.." I whisper in her ear, "You lied to me for years; why wouldn't those tears be the same? Now tell me what you and that bitch did to me." 

"I had to," she says, not looking into my eyes, shame and guilt circling her, "I had made a blood pact with her..."

"LIES!!" I scream, thrusting her into the wall once more, not caring that she is wincing from the pain, "those spells were not done until two days later."

"Yes," she replies, her nerves making her shake as she wets her lips, "that one, but I had made one with Cynthia years prior..." She doesn't even have the nerve to look me in the eye as the tears run freely from her face. 

"When?" I ask, and when she doesn't answer, my hand stings with the impact of meeting her face in a forceful slap. "WHEN!"

"My eighteenth birthday," she says, as my hand releases her neck, and I stumble backward. If I thought she couldn't make matters worse, she does, as she rips my heart from the chest and sets it on fire. "Before I met with you that morning, Cynthia came by with a witch, and we made the pact."

"We were dating then," I reply, my eyes wide with shock. "What exactly did you promise her?" So much making sense, the reasons why her interference or deviation from the plan always was so painful. She didn't have only one, but two. 

"That if she were ever to have a Luna Born," she pauses, her hands shaking as she rubs the bruises I left on her neck, "I would do whatever was needed to help make her the most powerful Luna Born in modern history."

"Why would you agree to that?!" I question, curious what she was fucking thinking. "Did you not think we would be mates?"

"I had a strong suspicion," she replies, her hand covering her mouth like she is trying to keep the words in. 

"And you still agreed?"  I ask the rhetorical question, knowing the obvious answer as my debilitating anger spikes higher than ever before. "ARE YOU THAT FUCKING SELFISH? Who are you? You're not the woman I fell in love with. That woman would never do this to me, to our son. How could you?" My face must hold a level of disgust she had never seen before as I rattle off question after question. 

"Charles," she whines, stepping forward, her hands reaching for me as if I would want her filthy lying paws anymore. "I never meant for it to go this far. I never dreamed that Damon would be her mate or we would have to deal with this mess firsthand."

"Is that supposed to make this better?" I question, throwing my hands around, my voice going raw from the amount of screaming from the last twenty-four hours. "You just planned for some expecting Alpha to go through this? Why? What did you get out of it?" 

"Charles...please..." she whimpers as I throw more energy at her. She may be my mate and a Luna for now, but she is of Gamma birth and no match against it. 

"Tell me," I say, my voice deadlier than a dagger to the throat, "tell me right the fuck now, Olivia. WHY would you agree to not only one, but two blood pacts, an unbreakable oath with Cynthia." She doesn't respond, and that's when it clicks into place of why she would do something like that...

"You were in love with her, weren't you?" I ask, recalling the earliest days of her relationship when I would catch her looking at Cynthia with this look in her eye, but the longer we had been together and mated, I saw it less. Goddess, why didn't I realize it earlier... Fucking spells and witches getting into my head. 

"Did she know?" I inquire, my eyes piercing into her, paying attention to every little change in her demeanor. 

"I never told her," she glances away, shame-filled in her words. The saddest part is if she had told me she loved Cynthia in the beginning, I would have understood because once my eyes landed on her, I knew she was meant for me...All the happy memories of the last twenty years are a sham. "But I think she suspected," she whispers tears starting to fall from her cheeks. 

"Of course she did, the manipulative bitch," I snarl, "how long?" I question her, too determined to know everything. Each answer is like another hammer being used to reshape my heart into an organ that despises her. 

"What?"

"How long into our relationship did you feel that way for Cynthia?" I ask, knowing I won't like the answer; she would have never agreed to that pact if she had felt anywhere close to what I did for her. 

"After we were mated and marked." she replies after a pause, as she plays with her hands, "and by that time, it was too late things had gotten so out of control, but my promises already bound me."

"Jokes on me then, right?" I snarl, stomping to her, "where do we go from here, Olivia? Huh? Do you think the mate bond will fix this? Because I sure as shit don't!  Did Nova get a say in this? Or did you just decide this for yourself?" 

"The witch did something, and it was kept hidden from Nova," she whispers, not even looking at me, as her sniffles grate on my nerves. Posiedon growls rolling around in my head, wanting to attack Olivia for putting his mate in this situation. 

"If you have some fantasy that the mate bond is going to fix what you did to Poseidon and me," I growl, wrapping my hand around her neck, squeezing until I hear the breath wheezing from her lungs. "Think again because no mate bond would fix how you have broken us. You don't deserve a mate. You deserve NOTHING! No family, no mate, and no wolf." 

"Charles," she coughs through my choking as she claws at my hand, trying to loosen their hold on her neck. Dropping her, I step away, putting distance between us, as Poseidon and I make a mutual decision about our nonexistent future together. 

"I, former Alpha of New Moon-" I start the rejection, while she screams, running at me, begging me to stop, "please, Charles...please think about this...you'll kill both of us if you go through with this..."

"I would rather die than have to look at your lying, manipulative face again," I snarl, my fury dousing every word in gasoline, hoping they burn her in the way she has me. 

"I, Charles Ledger, former Alpha of New Moon, reject you, Cynthia Ledger as my mate and Luna," I huff, through the burning pain searing my chest, turning my blood into acid, while Poseidon howls in agony. Olivia isn't any better off as she collapses to the ground clutching her chest; the pain is so excruciating she is twisting into odd positions. 

Crawling to her as I breathe through the pain, I can barely see on the verge of blacking out while she continues screaming through labored sobs. "Accept!" I yell, collapsing on the ground next to her. "If you ever loved me, you will accept this rejection!" 

She nods softly, meeting my eyes through the tears, "I, Cynthia Ledger, accept your rejection to be your mate and Luna Charles Ledger, former Alpha of the New Moon pack." As soon as the words fall from her mouth, my world fades to black, my body going into shock from the blinding torment. 

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Hey Rebels, 

Pardon me while I cry for the next week! 

XOXO 

Emma Taylor