Ethereal's Choice

He's Weak

>>>Kaid's POV>>Zabella's POV<<<

When I closed the door on Kaid, I fell against it, standing there with my eyes closed trying to catch my breath. I slid down and tucked into a ball as I started crying. Antonio was by me in a moment, cradling me, "Did he hurt you?" He asked, concerned. 

"No, don't be silly." I wiped my tears, and got a grip on myself. "I'm angry with myself. That I could be so detached of feelings for him that I could crush him the way I just did. He saved me from Ivy, and we were so happy. I loved him so much, I loved his pack so much. I almost died for Tristan without a second thought, and," I paused as I started to freak out a little, "It's all gone. How could I be so callous?"  

He looked at me for a long time. I didn't know what he was thinking but it seemed to disturb him. He swallowed bitterly before he began. "My only concern is you, so know what I'm about to say stems from that, and nothing else." He took a pausing breath, "Perhaps you should work to forgive him, and rebuild your bond."

"You don't even like him. You said he was weak..."

"...He is weak." He interrupted. "But he loves you enough to face execution on your pack's land." 

My eyes went wide. f**k. He would be executed. I linked to my uncle. "Uncle, do you have him?"

A moment later he responded, "Who?" But it was a smirk, not a question. He cut the link to me and I couldn't get back through. Only high alphas could block my Ethereal power. 

"Shit." I scrambled to my feet and took a few steps away from Antonio, so he couldn't grab me and go with me. "I'm sorry, he doesn't need to die." I blinked in a moment, and was in the dungeon standing in a cell with Raze and my Uncle, who's knuckles were covered in blood, and the sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled to the elbows. Kaid sat in a chair, his face bloody, and he didn't move even though he wasn't tied. 

I startled everyone and threw myself over him as Raze went to swing. He moved just in time, enough to change his momentum, because he couldn't have tried to stop it, and the haymaker glanced right over the top of my hair, barely missing me. "He doesn’t deserve this." I said strongly, staring at both men with authority. I still felt a small spark, but nowhere near as intense, like a distant candle in the window of a far cabin in a cold wood. It made me sad.

Raze was on fire trying to control his wolf, and he was only doing so for me and I could see it. "Is this not the man that choked slammed my cousin to the ground?" He spat at Kaid more than me. They loved me, and my Uncle had told me he wanted to break his face when I explained what had happened. This was him fulfilling his promise.

"He is." I stood in front of him, I couldn't touch him anymore. "However, he's had his beating. Send him on his way I beg of you." I held eye contact with my Cousin. It wasn't widely known, but he was taking over the pack in a few days, and it would be announced tonight. As the new Alpha, I knew I had to plead with him. I sank my knees to the ground while I looked at him, respectful but still challenging. I didn't want to challenge him, but he knew when all was said and done, my position far outrank his own.

"He entered our lands after permission had been expressly denied." My uncle said stiffly. I knew that punishment was public execution.

"Please uncle, you understand the mate pull better than anyone. Do not let him kill himself this way. You are doing him a favor." My words set my uncle back and he regarded me curiously. "I beg of you, send him on his way." 

My cousin was still raging but gaining control by breathing slowly but powerfully. The sound sounded like a quick rush of a stream when your driving passed it in a car with the window open. He blinked angrily, "You have this one warning Alpha Swift. Do not come back here again. One foot on my land or a finger on my cousin, and I’ll rip your arms off and beat you to death with them."

I stifled a chuckle when he used my favorite threat, we were definitely family. "Thank you." I said, standing. My knees hurt on the cold stone, and it felt nice to relieve them. I turned to look at him, his eye was swollen and a cut under another bled profusely. His lip was split and bleeding and I'm sure a couple ribs were cracked. "Leave the territory Alpha."

He nodded. My uncle stepped forward still angry. "One last thing, boy." He looked at Kaid sharply. "Renounce my niece, and you're free ta' go." 

I swallowed hard, I knew what was coming. "Never." He said simply, and my uncle hit him so hard he knocked him out of his chair, his blood splattering from his mouth across the stone. 

"You'll let her go by thunder, or I'll beat every last tooth out of your undeserving face!" He raged over Kaid's body.

"Stop!" I roared, and a warp of my power pushed everyone away from Kaid, my Uncle and cousin sliding on their feet across the room, unharmed. "Get up." I snapped at Kaid as he stared at me in shock from the ground. He slowly rose and hung his head, they were all looking at the ground because of my aura. It out ranked them all. "This matter is settled. I feel no pull. If he wants to live the rest of his life in agony, that's his business. Kaid, move." I demanded and he walked out the door. "I will never step out of place again. I'm sorry." I said to my uncle and cousin. They looked at me sympathetically, not angry, and I nodded and followed my ex mate up the stairs and out of the dungeon, a small stone building about 100 yards from the pack house. 

"Do you really feel nothing?" He asked, breaking the silence as we walked to the road. I paused a moment, even if I did feel something, I shouldn’t tell him. It would give him a glimmer of hope where there was none. I shook my head, finding the words too thick to come out. "Then why save me?" He asked. "You flexed your power, and placed yourself in a precarious position to do it."

"No, you placed me in a precarious position. I can't just let you die. I know what it's like to fight my wolf for control, and until you accept and reject me back, you'll be fighting him. You crossed a hard line, and I'm not ready to allow anyone in, no matter what you think you saw, or what you believe." I said with finality. "I'm sending you home now." I said, and as he started to quickly protest, I hit him in his sternum and he disappeared, blinked back to his bedroom in California.