You Wouldn't Dare

CHAPTER 8 - RYSSA

That boy needed to go.

After Drake destroyed his mate, Khaos had been a different child.

Goddess knew he wasn’t happy about that choice mating we had forced him

upon him. He had actively avoided Louisa whenever she was around, going out

of his way to remain out of her company – sometimes deliberately doing things

that would get him punished. Yet something inside of him had snapped at seeing

that poor girl brutalised.

Who am I kidding? Anyone would have snapped at seeing something

like that. Anyone with a right mind that is.

I hadn’t snapped.

I had barely felt anything to be honest. It was just one more girl that

Drake had taken something from. That particular list was growing bigger by the

day.

I had turned to Khaos, ready to laugh at his pain but all I saw was such

rage, a burning hatred for everyone around him. Instead of laughing, I felt like

crying. For the first time, I felt real regret and if I’m honest, a flicker of fear

about the monster we were creating.

A slap here, a nasty word there - it had all seemed so inconsequential. It

wasn’t as though I suddenly wanted to cuddle the mutt; I had no regrets about

shoving him away whenever he had reached out for me as a toddler. I had never

wanted to play with him or really do much with him at all. He had never again

come to me for comfort since the day I had grabbed him and sliced his arm open.

I remember it with such clarity. Drake had beaten him for something or

other; I had barely been paying attention to the matter, wanting only to escape

and take comforts in the new consort I had found. Khaos came running to me,

asking for “his mama” to help him, to show him some mercy. His tears had

stained my dress, and I reacted before I could think. The horror in his eyes still

lingered in my mind now and then, his face merging into what I imagined my

son would have looked like -had the Goddess granted him his chance. Then the

rage would come again. Khaos, the worthless, pathetic child had been given a

chance, but my darling son hadn’t? Where was the justice in that?!

Khaos disgusted me with every breath he took, and every day I regretted

my impulsive decision to rear him as my own. Yet now I was beginning to see

the effects we had on him. All the times Drake had made him beg for food, the

beatings he had endured, the whips, bites, burns. Physically, I could see that we

had caused damage. He was beyond disgusting to look at, but emotionally? That had stayed hidden for years, finally coming to the surface ready to destroy us all.

It was because of this that I wanted him gone. I had convinced Drake to rear him

by saying that Khaos would rule by his side, but I knew that if ever Khaos’ wolf

was given the chance to be free, he would destroy us all in his revenge.

So, I did the only logical thing I could think of. Whilst everyone else was

busy covering up for Drake and his murder of some stupid girl - not that she was

any actual loss to the world - I was busy formulating a plan.

I would pretend to be the loving mother, finally giving Khaos the

affection he craved. Even now, even after all we had done to him, he was

desperate to feel as though he belonged. He was searching for his place in the

world and I knew that if I dangled even the merest bit of affection, he would

jump at the chance to have me in his life. Once I had gained his trust, I would

help him get out of here and hope that he would remember my act of kindness

when he came for his revenge. We couldn’t keep him locked up forever. He was

fast approaching his majority. The time was coming when he would be expected

to take over this pack. Drake would have to think of something that would

explain to the pack why Khaos would not be the next heir - although I doubt they

would be surprised with whatever tale Drake chose to tell. Nobody here had any

respect for the mutt. But that came with its own set of problems; somebody

would challenge him for the Alpha position.

Drake was so stupid. He knew this was the reason we had needed Khaos

in the first place. Treat him however he wanted behind closed doors, but he

should have been ensuring that the pack at least knew he was the next leader.

This was one of the main reasons why I chose to never be around Khaos. No one

in this pack would be able to say that they had witnessed me treating him

unkindly, nobody would be able to confirm that I had caused any of the injuries

plaguing his body. I had kept my cards close to my chest and my hatred for him

under control.

I was positive that my plan would work. I could use this against Khaos if

he became reluctant to trust me. He could pick a random member of this pack

and they would be able to say the same thing – they had never witnessed

anything on my behalf.

The plan was fool proof. So, all I had to worry about was who would be

the next Alpha if it were not going to be Khaos.

Whoever took over as leader of this pack would have no use for me. I

would either be outcast as a rogue, relegated to an Omega or used as a s*x toy

whenever the Alpha got bored with his current Luna. Which is why befriending

Khaos had another benefit for me. If I could release his wolf, help him hone his

skills, he would take me with him wherever he went. As mother of the Alpha, I would keep the respect and position I had come to know and love, and in that

case, I would happily leave all of this behind.

I smirked to myself as everything fell together. Drake had no idea of

what was about to come, and even though it would kill me to have to pretend to

be nice to something I despised, it would be worth it in the long run.

Khaos was in The Cage. For years he had cried at the mere mention of this

torture chamber, but today had been different. He had willingly walked to the

box, ripping the lid off the top of it, and climbed inside with no encouragement.

Even as the guard came over to put the lid back, he hadn’t begged and

pleaded as he usually did; he had simply glared at him with a scalding hatred and

then closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

I knew that I had to push ahead with my plans - things were moving

faster than I had expected. How much longer would Khaos keep tolerating this

for? Desperate people were sneaky. He would soon be plotting a way out of

here, and I could not let that happen without him thinking I was the one

responsible for his life improving.

As I approached The Cage, I could feel the anger and hatred radiating off

him. I glanced around to make sure no-one had followed me and entered the

small, dingy room that contained his prison. As I strained my ears, listening for

the sound of footprints, I was almost positive that I heard a very wolf-like growl

coming from inside The Cage. I swallowed hard, ignoring the lump of fear that

had appeared in my throat.

It shouldn’t have been possible. His wolf should be well suppressed

under the silver collar that he wore, but still, the sound unnerved me enough that

I hurried forward.

If I was correct and that was Khaos’ wolf I had heard, then I had to move

quick or we were all in immediate danger.

“Khaos? Can you hear me? It’s your... it’s me.” I couldn’t bring myself

to say the word “mother”. I hoped he would think it was because I was riddled

with guilt, unworthy of such a title, but really it was because even after all these

years the thought of being an actual mother to this abomination sickened me to

my very core. “Khaos,” I repeated, this time in a sharper tone.

“I’m here, mother, of course I can hear you.”

“Don’t you dare take that tone with me, mutt. Not after everything I’ve

done for you, everything I’ve risked!” He let out a single, sharp, barking laugh in

response. I ripped open the lid of The Cage and scowled down at him. He was

covered in blood, every slight movement causing the razors underneath him to rip into his skin. As more and more blood pooled around him, the flooring

became slippery, causing him to move more. It really was a horrific punishment

for him. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and helped haul him out.

He stood before me, tall and proud, despite the open flesh wounds

covering his legs and backside. For the first time in his life, he met my eyes and

refused to break contact. He smirked at me and I felt my heart skip a beat -

something in him really had snapped.

“Wolf?” I jumped as my wolf spoke inside my mind. She was sensing it

too.

“I’ve come to help, Khaos. I promise.”

“That will be a first. Are you offering genuine help, mother, or just

something that will please you?”

“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. I can easily have you returned--”

“Do it,” he interrupted, “I’m used to it.”

“Whatever, Khaos. I’m extremely busy so do you want me to remove

your silver collar and heal you, or not?” His head snapped back with shock, and

pathetic happiness burst over his face. He looked at me in both amazement and

gratitude. How easy it was to gain his favour!

“Do you mean it?” He all but whispered.

“Why would I have said it otherwise?” I opened my hand to reveal the

key I had clenched in my fist, pulling it out of reach as he grabbed at it. “I need

to do something first. I can’t have your father suspecting anything, not yet. Your

wolf is strong. He always was. To unleash him now would be catastrophic. I

need to give you a bit of Wolfsbane - it won’t kill you or your wolf, but it will

weaken him. I must do this the first few times you shift whilst you complete the

bonding, or he will destroy you both. Do you understand me?” He nodded

quickly, holding out his arm to accept the small needle. I grabbed his wrist and

injected him in the crook of his elbow. Once I was satisfied that it had taken

effect, I unlocked his collar and stepped away from him.

Almost instantly he fell to his knees, clutching at his head as various

wounds knitted themselves closed, his eye healing and opening for the first time

in years. The s***h across his neck from the collar biting into his skin completely

disappeared. I sank down next to him and stroked his head, swallowing down the

bile that rose up my stomach at being this close to him.

“Shhh-shhh,” I murmured in what I hoped was a comforting tone. “It’s

okay, I’m here. Your body is finally healing. When you’re ready, let your wolf

take control, he’ll know what to do. Let the shift come naturally and your bones

will fix themselves,” I continued to offer small bits of encouragement and advice

as he went through his first-ever change. The prediction I had made all those years ago had been correct. He was a powerful wolf. Even at the tender age of

fourteen, he was huge, if not a bit underweight. He whined out in pain and I had

to stop myself from shouting at him. Usually, I would kick him for being so

weak, and it really was hard to break the habit of a lifetime. Instead, I moved

away, standing up to put some space between us as he rose onto his paws with

unsteady, shaky legs. I watched him stretch out, his belly low to the floor, his

legs still shaking with the unfamiliar weight he had to support.

“I can only give you a few more minutes, Khaos, understand? You must

shift back and re-enter The Cage before anyone becomes suspicious. I will not

reattach your collar and you can spend the rest of your confinement mentally

bonding with your wolf. Your father never looks at you close enough to notice

anyway. I’ll give you a shot of Wolfsbane every morning, slowly lowering the

dosage as your relationship with your wolf intensifies. I will come and get you

whenever it’s possible for us to both sneak away, and we will start training you.

It’s time for us to trust each other now, Khaos. Can you do that for me?” I raised

my eyebrow at him, waiting for his response. I grinned wildly when he nodded

in confirmation. “Then change back now and we’ll pick this up another day - try

not to panic,” I said hastily as he stiffened, “let your wolf guide you, he has your

best interest at heart. You are a part of him as much as he is a part of you.

Always listen to the voice inside your head, your wolf will come to you when

you most need him.”

Once he was human again, he ran over to me and sank to the floor

hugging my knees as he sobbed, “thank you, mother. Thank you. I don’t know

how I’ll ever repay you.” Before I could stop myself, I kicked him away, curling

my lip at him in revulsion.

“Mother Did I do something wrong?” He frowned in confusion and I

rearranged my features to look at him in concern.

“Sorry. I think I hear your father. A couple of days with your wolf and

you will pick up on things like that too. Hurry now, remember your promise to

me and get back in The Cage.” He quickly got in, not even flinching as the

blades instantly cut his skin again- although the wounds quickly healed with the

aid of his newfound wolf. I lowered the lid down, giving him one last glance

before I shut him in.

“Don’t let me down, Khaos. If you think your life has been hard so far,

you have no idea what awaits you should you ever betray me and the kindness

I’ve shown you today.”

“I won’t mother, I promise. Thank you again.” He looked at me with

teary eyes. “This really has been the best gift ever,” he whispered. I slammed the

lid closed and walked away, mentally praising myself for securing his trust and affection so easily.

“Is it me, or is the mutt getting stronger?” Drake asked one evening as we were

eating. Khaos hadn’t been permitted to eat today, although that no longer

bothered him the way it used to. Partly because I would sneak food to him, but

mostly because of him now having his wolf - any opportunity I gave him to bond

with his wolf he jumped at. He was so pathetically grateful for something that I

took for granted. It warmed even my icy heart. This was all working out so

perfectly for me!

It had been a few weeks since I had first released Khaos from The Cage,

and he grew stronger every single time I permitted him to change. His wolf now

stood taller than even our finest warriors, moving with a strong, agile gait that

was both fluid and deadly, completely at one with whom he was and who he was

meant to be. Drake had been particularly busy of late, having to enter crisis

meetings with Louisa’s father for retribution over her death, and Khaos and I

took full advantage of his absence.

Though my hatred of him grew stronger every day, his abilities

extremely impressed the wolf in me. I had taken him to run and hunt in the

woods, and he had passed every test with flying colours. He could hide his scent

immaculately, he could kill with one quick, clean bite, and the speed of him was

one of the fastest I had seen. It completely transformed his human body as well.

Where before he had been skin and bones, he now had muscles and tight, toned

skin.

I’ll admit I had gone further than I wanted to, that the drastic change in

his appearance would have been easily noticed by anybody, let alone his father.

Yet I didn’t care. A few more weeks and Khaos would be strong enough to

protect us both. All I had to do was stay focused on the plan for a little while

longer and everything would be okay. I ignored the niggling of doubt that

sometimes crept inside me; I had heard the way his wolf growled if ever I dared

get too close to him. He sensed my motivations; he knew every nasty, despicable

thing I had done to Khaos over the years, and he wasn’t quite as ready to forgive

me as Khaos was. Not that it mattered. When I was finished with his training,

Khaos would have complete control over his wolf. I was sure of it.

“Ryssa?” I dragged my attention back to my mate, resisting the urge to

snarl at him.

“Sorry, darling, I was miles away. Did you say something?”

“Nothing important,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand. “Oh, I think

you’ll be pleased to know that I have sorted the whole Louisa disaster.” 

“Oh?” I was barely listening; I was too caught up in my own thoughts of

how next to train Khaos. Had I been paying attention, I would have noticed the

warriors enter the room and surround me, blocking off every exit.

“Indeed. As you know, her father has been demanding his vengeance for

a long time. Of course, I couldn’t admit it was I who had killed his dear daughter

and so we’ve been at each other’s throats for far too long, standing on the brink

of war. Even after that stunt Louisa pulled, framing poor Khaos, her father was

still suspicious about what took place the day she died. I’ve stood my ground,

remained adamant that it was Khaos that killed her, but he is still whinging. He

has demanded that both Khaos and I pay for what took place here that day. That

was until some information came to light regarding you, my dear mate.”

That caught my attention. My head shot up to look towards him. On the

outside he appeared relaxed, resting his chin on his fist as he drummed his

fingers on the table. It didn’t fool me. I had been by his side too long not to

recognise the signs.

“Me?” I asked innocently, “I fail to see how I can help with this; I had no

say in what happened to that girl.” I gave a fake laugh, hoping to brush off the

conversation.

“Perhaps not, but you’ve already done so much to help, and for that, I

must thank you.” He nodded towards the warriors and immediately I was seized,

a silver collar placed around my throat.

“Drake?” I gasped, feeling the burn as it restricted my wolf.

“Did you think me stupid? That I hadn’t noticed what was going on?

Surely you are not that moronic to think I would leave this pack without leaving

strict instructions that both you and Khaos were monitored? That your every

move would be noted down and reported to me the instant I returned? My mate

and my heir, I couldn’t take any chances.”

I snapped my head towards the door as I heard the sounds of struggle,

seeing Khaos being dragged in on a leash, his arms and legs bound, another

collar around his neck and a gag in his mouth.

“Ahh… just in time. You see, dear Ryssa. I have known for some time

now that you’ve been training our son. That for whatever reason, you’ve hoped

to gain his favour by granting him his wolf. It satisfied me to let you play your

games, to see where you would take this, but time is not on our side right now. I

gave you the chance to come clean, one last opportunity to prove you were on

my side, loyal to your mate. You failed the test, Ryssa.”

What a f*****g fool I had been. I should have stayed on my guard. Drake

would never have willingly discussed Khaos, if he had any concerns, he would

have taken them to his Beta. I was not his confidant. In the end, I had been wrong. It wasn’t Khaos that gave the game away, it was me.

Tears pooled in my eyes as Drake continued, “I cannot afford to go to

war with Louisa’s father, and so we’ve reached a decision. You, my lovely,

beautiful mate, are to spend a night with him. He will do to you what I did to his

daughter, although he won’t kill you. You’ll be returned... somewhat whole.” I

tried to fight against the restraints, screaming out my anger as a warrior clamped

a hand over my mouth. I felt a sharp sting in my arm and recognised the

Wolfsbane from the instant dizziness that took over my body.

I had to fight this.

I had to push past the haze that was taking over me, to keep some control

over this situation. Louisa’s father would destroy me. It didn’t matter whether he

intended to kill me afterwards, I wouldn’t be able to live with the humiliation.

“Khaos,” I whispered, intending to tell Drake that Khaos wouldn’t allow

this, that I had made him strong enough to prevent this and protect me.

“Ahh, yes, Khaos. As I said, Louisa’s father is still under the impression

that it was our son that raped and killed his daughter. He understands that Khaos

cannot be put to death, let’s thank the rules of the werewolf council for that, as

well as your inability to provide me with an heir and a spare. However, there are

other ways he can be hurt. In fact, some might say this is worse than death.”

I heard Khaos scream as he was thrown onto the dining table, handcuffs

secured around his ankles and wrists, keeping him pinned down and spread

eagle.

“It’s such a backwards society we live in. For the most advanced

creatures on earth, the Moon Goddess keeps us so limited in our sexuality. Find

your mate of the opposite s*x, settle down for life. That’s it. No alternative and

no choice over gender. Many wolves are turning away from this, choosing to

remain unmated and carrying their frustrations with them every day. Young

Khaos here is going to provide some much-needed release. He is to be of service

to every warrior in Louisa’s pack. Once they’ve finished with him, he’ll be given

over to anyone else who would like a turn on an Alpha Wolf - you’d be surprised

how many men get hard at the thought of f*****g such a powerful figure,

especially if it’s against their will. Just think, sweetheart, had you not released

his wolf, his cries of mercy would be granted. The violence about to be inflicted

upon him would have killed him had you left him alone. Instead, he will heal,

time and time again, ready for his next s****l partner. I hope he remembers the

gift you’ve given him.”

The last thing I heard was Khaos screaming, begging for mercy as his

father laughed evilly and announced that he would be the first to have a ride on

the virgin alpha, breaking him in for everyone else. I had just enough time to take one last look at him, to see the fear in his

eyes as he openly sobbed. He met my gaze and, in that split second, I saw how

haunted he was, how much we had destroyed him already. This would tip him

over the edge, which was exactly why Drake was doing it.

The last thing I remember before I was dragged away for my own

punishment, was thinking that this was the moment of no return. If Khaos

survived this night, it would be this act that stayed with him, fuelling his

revenge.

We were all doomed, the sands of time shifting against us.

                                                                                                                   PRESENT DAY - VIOLET 

Tears ran down my face as Khaos finished telling his story, and I shook my head

in disbelief.

I had never in my life heard such a heart-breaking tale, but he had told

me his life story in such a cold, detached voice. It was almost as if he was

reading the weather, and not telling me about the brutality his parents had

subjected him to.

I looked up at him, seeing the disgust written on his face, the hatred and

self-loathing, bracing himself for my rejection and scorn.

I grabbed hold of him and wrapped him up in the tightest hug I could

manage, knowing it did little to ease any of his pain.

“I’m so sorry, Khaos. I had no idea.” I sobbed, squeezing him closer to

me. “I believed everything about you, all those stupid rumours! I never even

gave you the chance, I--”

“It’s okay, Violet, really. Everyone does it.”

If that was supposed to make me feel better, he had failed miserably. I

was as bad as everyone else in his life. I had rejected him without even giving

him a chance. I hadn’t even bothered to find out what had happened at this pack

here today – I had automatically assumed the worst, thinking he would murder

everyone in his path. I hadn’t known him long, but already we had been in some

crazy situations, and besides the slight attack on Logan - who had provoked him

now that I thought about it - he had never once hurt anyone.

I sobbed louder, thinking how much I was becoming like my mother. She

judged people, condemning them without a second thought. I had always

believed I was above that, but clearly, I was wrong.

Khaos’ hand stroked down my back, offering me murmurs of comfort.

He was comforting me!

Goddess, I really was pathetic! I pulled back and grabbed his face, covering it in kisses before hugging him tight again.

“There’s one more thing...” I looked at him quizzically, “this can’t end

until I’ve finished what I set out to do. I hadn’t planned on ever finding my mate,

I have nothing to offer you and I wanted no distractions as I finished my goal,

yet here you are. So, we’re going to make the best of it. I don’t want to lose you

now that I’ve found you and I can’t risk leaving you alone in my pack. I hope

that after everything you’ve heard, you can understand…”

“Khaos, you’re mumbling. Just tell me. Whatever it is, it can’t be that

bad, surely. Ryssa and Drake are gone and--”

“Violet. I’m going to kill my birth parents, and you’re going to help me.”