Chapter 30 AURORA Violence .
I wanted , with all my heart , all my soul , all my body , to do something violent to Esther Reed .
Never in my life had I experienced such a blind rage .
I held on to that anger , because if I didnt , I would fall to the ground and cry .
Why ? I asked .
My fists were clenched so tightly my arms trembled .
Why are you doing this ? Why wont you just let me go ? Esther looked confused .
You were getting too close to the enemy .
Too close ? I nearly shrieked .
You and Papa I mean Waylon -are the ones who forced me to marry him ! You were supposed to marry him , Ann , Esther almost sounded like she was pouting .
You werent supposed to forget everything about this family and who you are .
Who you serve .
What your purpose is .
I have no idea what youre talking about ! Chapter 30 2/5 Esther smiled .
It was a smile I remembered the smile she used when she wanted me to believe she was a good , loving mother .
Untie me , sweetie .
Ive got some things I want to show you .
With no other choice , I did .
I untied her .
Then I let her lead me somewhere Id never been .
The Reeds new pack house .
This is where you live ? I asked .
We were near the top of a low mountain .
To the east , the sun was turning the sky pink with dawn .
I was exhausted , sad , angry , confused … I needed to get to my babies .
I needed Trajan .
I needed sleep .
Instead , I was in the wilderness , following the woman who had spent my childhood abusing me , because it seemed like life always brought me back to her , and I had no other choice .
It was a system of caves not far from the one where theyd put me and Dane .
Close enough , in fact , I wondered if they connected .
Theyd walled off the front and built a door over it .
The wall was surprisingly solid .
Then again , the Reeds had always been deep woods folk .
For all they were ruthless warriors , they were also skilled with their hands .
Come in , she said , and opened the door .
To my shock , the inside of the cave was warm , dry , andfortable .
There was arge main cavern with several dark tunnels branching off .
Lanterns hung on the wall at intervals , Chapter 30 lighting things .
A few pack members looked up as we entered .
They were scattered around , lounging or reading or working on small .
things like woodcarving or sewing .
3/5 The scene was like one right out of my childhood .
Wed always lived too far in the mountains for things like television or the inte .
Only a few of the adults had cell phones .
So , the pack founds ways to entertain itself .
She led me past them .
A few people red at me .
A few gave me secretive smiles .
Many of them ignored me , like Id just been out on a hunt and returned like normal .
What the hell ? Esther picked up one of thenterns and led me down one of the tunnels .
I was too numb to be afraid she was finally going to kill me .
If I knew Esther , she never wanted me to die .
She enjoyed my suffering too much for that .
She led me to a room that was surprisingly plush .
Part of the cave opened to a little grotto with a waterfall , and there was arge , soft mattress covered in thick furs .
There were rugs all over the floor , and the rising sun shone through window like holes to the outside .
This is my room with your papa , she said .
She walked over to one of the shelves and pulled down a wooden crate , then set it Chapter 30 on the .
These are the things you left behind .
The past seemed to rise up and surround me as I approached 4/5 and gently touched the worn wolf stuffie toy on top of the box .
It was gray and white , with ck buttons for eyes .
It sat with its .
head tipped back , like it was howling .
Winter , I said .
I had to resist the urge from deep inside to pick it up and hold it .
Instead , I shifted it aside .
There were more things in the box .
A few old clothes .
A pair of worn out sneakers .
At the bottom , there was a leather bound journal .
It wasnt ancient like the one that held the secret relic Dane and I were so eager to uncover .
This one looked like it was ten or fifteen years old .
It had my name scrawled across the front in messy handwriting .
My handwriting , from when I was a girl .
Go on , Esther said .
Read it .
Inside , a voice screamed not to .
That there were things in this journal I didnt want to see .
Things I didnt want to know .
Memories that stirred at the back of my mind , dark and sinister .
I flipped open to a random page .
45518 My lessons are going well .
Mother said Ill be ready , soon .
Connall Montague took ournd , but were going to take it back Chapter 30 from his son and grandson .
The grandson , Dane , is my age .
It cant wait to make him pay for what his family has … 5/5 I mmed the journal closed and threw it back in the crate .
I didnt write that , I insisted .
But in this ce , surrounded by the people and things Id grown up with , some of those memories werent so faded anymore .
I could remember , now .
The anger .
The hatred for the wolf who went rogue from the Broken Forest pack , then came back with .
a pack of his own and started pushing us off territory wed been on for three hundred years .
Territory that was sacred to our family .
You wrote it , Esther insisted .
You can read more if you like .
Its all there .
Your training .
The ns we had .
We were going to give you a little silver poisoning , then use you as a distraction for Dane .
Her face turned sad .
We thought our n worked .
He abandoned his post with you .
But by the time we found you , you were half dead , beaten .
You seemed to have forgotten everything .
We didnt know if … what hed done to you .
Making him marry you was the only honorable thing we could do .