Chapter 3

Teresa's POV

“No” I whispered as I shook my head in shock and staggered backwards as soon as I heard him. In a flash, I was being held by the guards and they began dragging me away while I trashed wildly.

I couldn't stay quiet anymore, not when death was on my tail. “Please… don't kill me, please” I pleaded while tears trickling down my face like a waterfall.

No one said anything, they stood still with their faces turned away, an indication that I was all alone.

“I promise not to tell anyone, I swear on my life. I will do anything you ask, please. Mother...” I continued begging but it fell on deaf ears.

“Shut your mouth hole, don't cause a scene or I'll kill you right here and now” Brock barked at me with killing intent in his eyes. I immediately stopped talking as I was taken away.

Perhaps this was my final destination… I should accept my fate and let them kill me, I didn't have a choice anyway.

I was taken down the stairs to a basement that looked like it housed the lives of other that were slain there. My fight or flight kicked in at the thought of dying here and I turned to try and make a run for it. I barely ran two steps when I was caught and thrown to the ground so roughly I scraped up my arms, legs and hit my head.

“Where do you think you are going, wretch?” one of the guards came forward and pulled my hair to get me to kneel down. I whimpered from the pain, my head hurt and I was beginning to feel dizzy.

“Not to worry, I'll finish you off in one clean swipe” The other guard with the sharp sword in hand said. He came closer and raised the sword to strike me down and I instinctively closed my eyes waiting for impact.

My unfulfilled life flashed through my mind and a stray tear fell. I had never thought this would be how I met my end, slain by my mates and mother. They had turned a blind eye while I was being dragged away and indirectly responsible for my death.

Funny how, I had always dreamt of a loving mate that would take me away from my mother's slavery and live a small simple life happily. I never cared if he would be weak or be an insignificant figure in the pack, or whether he was poor and struggling.

My dreams were that simple but seemed like the moon goddess hated me so much to deny me of it. Now, I was in the middle of the pack's power system and condemned to death. I only wished life was a little less harsher to me.

Seconds ticked by but the blade never came, I opened my eyes to see a shocking scene unfold in front of me. Keller was in front of me and his bare hands was holding the blade of the sword, stopping it from coming down any further. Blood trickled down his palm but he didn't stop. To my side, the guard that held my body up with my hair was pinned to the wall by Bennett, the hard glare on his face showed he was this close to biting off his neck.

And then Lynch was bent over me, covering me protectively like his life depended on it.

I could barely process the scene to show a reaction when I felt a slicing pain on my palm. There was nothing there but it hurt so much, I screamed in pain to which Lynch pulled me into hug and picked me up bridal style.

At this time, the guard with the sword had realized that he was cutting Keller and he fearfully retracted the sword, “I’m so sorry, Alpha Keller, I didn't notice when you came in… please, have mercy” he pleaded remorsefully.

Keller was about to say something when his father and my mother rushed in. Their eyes were on me and they had an unreadable expression on their faces.

“Well, is it true?” old alpha Brock asked frantically.

I was confused as to why they all looked so concerned. The mysterious pain in my palm had dulled down but I still felt very weak and dizzy. I was barely trying to stay awake and the feeling of Lynch holding me so close to him made my body visibly relax.

“Yes, it appears to be true. This isn't a normal mate bond. When we are hurt, she's hurt and when she's hurt, we are hurt…” Keller trailed off in disbelief, as if he couldn't accept what he was saying.

I was still trying to understand what he meant when Bennett, “So that means, if she dies, we die and if we die, she dies”

That was the last thing I heard before I succumbed to sleep pulling at me.

***

I woke up to someone tapping me roughly and the face that greeted me was my mother.

“Get up, you need to leave right now!” she said with a sense of urgency.

I got up despite my body protesting that I lay back down and asked in confusion, “Why do I have to leave?”

I remembered everything. From the auction house to the strange discovery at the basement. I didn't know what games the moon goddess was playing but I felt relieved to know I wouldn't be dying anytime soon.

“You have to leave because I tell you to. You can't be here and ruin everything I have worked so hard for” she answered.

“Does anybody know we are related?” she asked as we made it to the door.

“No, no one knows,” I answered.

“Good and it stays that way. If I find out that you told anyone that you are my daughter, I'll kill you myself” she threatened with all seriousness, I shivered and nodded my head in agreement.

“Now, follow this way and get the hell out of here. I don't care where you go, just leave” she pushed me while frantically looking at the surroundings.

I wanted to protest but decided against it. I knew the place I stood in my mother's life but I still wished she would accept me as her daughter. I wanted to please her and get in her good graces, it was one of my wishes I prayed for. So if she wanted me to go then I'll go, I wasn't welcomed here anyway so I was missing out on nothing.

I gave her one last look before turning on my heels and running. Following the path she showed me, I soon ended up outside the mansion and could see the tall fences ahead. I was about to take another step when I felt them.

My mates… they were here.

“Trying to run away from us so soon? Don't break my heart, Princess” The familiar voice of Lynch said from the shadows. I had only met them for a few hours but I could already tell them apart.

My heart skipped a beat. I have been caught and I knew I stood no chance in outrunning them. Mother would not be happy if she saw me back at the house, I couldn't even follow the one instructions she gave me.

Bennett was the first to walk out of the shadows, he came closer to me with a blank expression and he raised my face with a finger to look at me straight in the eyes

“Perhaps the knowledge that we cannot punish you too severely or kill you has made you so brazen… Think again, Teresa. There are other ways to punish you and we'll do you the honors of showing you one” Bennett said my name for the first time and despite the terrifying fear coursing through me, a growing desire was forming in my stomach.