his broken love

Chapter Eighteen

 After my shower I was half carried to the dining room where there were about 60 more people that I didn't recognize. Braiden, my birth father, was sitting in a chair next to David talking idly about something they must not have wanted me to hear. As soon as I got within earshot they stopped talking and stood like they were guilty of something. I wanted to ask where Lucious was, but then I remembered that he was injured pretty bad and I couldn't talk.

"Hey there baby girl, how are you feeling?" Braiden asked.

I just shrugged and turned my eyes to the floor. I think that the girl was signing to him because her hands and arms were moving in her shadow on the ground. Braiden wrapped me in his arms whispering something I didn't quite catch while he pet my hair and kissed the top of my head. I almost collapsed right there, but I didn't think that I had any tears left.

"Thank you for everything Luna Moon. May I please ask one more favor?" He said aloud. "Would you be willing to teach her how to communicate with everyone? I would understand if you said no."

I didn't catch her reply with my head buried in my father's shoulder, but judging by his reaction she had agreed. I sat down to eat, but every thought about food made my stomach churn. I didn't know if it was the trauma or something else. I forced myself to eat as much as I could not knowing if it would stick with me.

"Luna, what are we going to do for the night? Do you want us to camp out or go back home?" One of the very large males asked.

Luna started to sign again and this time I caught the word "stay", but the rest was just movement. I don't know exactly what was going to happen. Luna was a very pretty girl and they seemed to follow her orders. Maybe she's an alpha or something.

"We would love to put you all up in here if you don't mind cots and couches." Micheal said as he brought in a large cart of food. "All I ask is that you respect everyone else here. That includes you Maria." He added that last bit on as Maria walked in carrying a tray of drinks.

I watched as she rolled her eyes and handed out the glasses to everyone. When she got to me she asked, "What would you like? I'm playing waitress tonight."

I tried to figure out a way to say that I would like a glass of orange juice and a glass of milk, but I drew a blank. Almost as if my some sort of telepathy Braiden answered for me. " OJ and milk for the little lady and just milk for the slightly older little lady."

Maria wrote down what we wanted but she didn't look happy that Braiden was the one to answer for us. I think it was that bridge thing that he had used to comfort me when I was in Max's company. I will have to get used to that.

If anyone tries to tell you that it is a wolf trick to form and use a bridge they are wrong. Any shifter can establish and use a bridge, but wolves use this more than any other species.

He sounded like he was right next to my ear even though he was two seats away from me. Luna was sitting between us. I decided to try it out and respond.

Why can't I talk? I try and try but I don't know what's wrong. How am I going to communicate with anyone else? Dad, Help me.

I started to cry when I saw the acceptance and joy in his eyes. Everyone stopped their conversations to look at me. Luna hugged me to her and started rocking and petting my head. She placed her forehead to mine and all of a sudden I heard her voice in my head.

I know how you feel sweet child. I'm mute too, I had to learn how to use sign. My momma died when I was a baby and I never knew my poppa so I was raised by some of the freedom fighters. They can help you like they did me. I'm also sure your father will be of some help as well. I just need you to calm down and put your trust in me.

I took a few deep breaths and nodded. When I finally looked up at everyone else I noticed the looks of sympathy plastered on their faces.

"Izzy, can you please come in here? We all need to have a talk." Marcov said with a conflicted look in his eyes.

Izzy walked in with Micheal. "What's the matter? I need to go take Lucious some food. He is finally awake and hungry." She said.

"Why can't she talk? I thought you could fix everything that man did to injure her." He roared back. "You need to fix thi-" He was cut off when Angelena grabbed his arm to calm him.

"There was nothing we could do to fix her voice box. I did everything I could to save her life. If we have to learn to communicate, then that is what we will do. I love her and I know that she will overcome all of this." Izzy shot back with the same amount of anger as he had thrown at her.

I stood up and glared at him opening my mouth to yell at him for talking to her like that. Nothing came out, but he got the point by the fire burning in my eyes. I watched him lower his gaze in shame. I felt like he had slapped her even though he hadn't touched her at all. When I needed help she was there for me and so was the rest of their family. Seeing him act like that being a guest in their home was like a punch in the gut.

The sound of a cell phone ringing unexpectedly made me jump. "Hello? What do you need sir?" Micheal asked answering his phone. He walked out looking agitated while grumbling into the microphone. I didn't hear everything that had been said, but the entire house heard the crash at the front of the house.

We all ran to see what had happened to find a car in the front door. Emanuel bloody in the driver's seat. I tried to scream and run, but to my dismay I couldn't move my numb legs or make a sound.

Who is this man sweet child? Luna asked

He's the man that killed my mother, raised me, and then raped me on my 18th birthday. How did he find me? I don't understand. I started to cry again. Next thing I knew Emanuel was climbing out of the car and started towards me.

"Did you get my letter Sweetheart? I hope you did as I had asked you to do. I can't wait to get in there again, It felt almost perfect the first time." He said licking his lips and grabbing his groin.

I shook my head unable to move on my own. Luna growled at him, but he didn't seem to notice. Before I knew it all of the wolves had shifted and advanced on him. He just smiled and kept moving forward. One wolf tried to block his path, and he kicked it hard enough to hear the ribs crack on impact. My father got pissed and decided to go for Emanuel's throat, only to be caught in midair.

"Oh, Braiden you're still alive? Let me tell you something before I kill you along with the rest of these puppies." His eyes flashed a very fiery orange color. "I own her and you cannot defeat me. I am the strongest race of shifter there is. I AM DRAGON. The only way you will all survive this is if she comes with me. Either way she will be mine, but she has this one choice to make. Your lives for hers."

Luna, I have to go with him. I don't want you all to die for me. I can't have your blood on my hands because I didn't listen. Tell my father that I wish that I were strong enough to fight along side you all. I know that I will die, but at the very least you all will go on living. I said then took a single step only to be pulled to a halt by Lucious. There was blood running through the bandages on his chest down his bare stomach.

"She doesn't have to make such a retched decision I won't let her. We will all kill you before you can kill even one of us. I know that we can. My father beat you within an inch of your life and we ALL will stand up for her honor. She is my soulmate and a divine princess of both wolf and tiger. I know that you won't be able to take her." He stumbled a minuscule amount, not enough to fall to the ground but just enough for Emanuel to notice that he was hurt more than he was trying to show. "She ISN'T going anywhere with you, YOU SICK BASTARD!"

I noticed Micheal standing up behind Emanuel. He stalked him silently. I tried to stay as still as I could. I have to go, why wont he let me go?

I know you think you need to do this, but dragons are notorious liars. He would still kill everyone here, getting off on your horror. Sweet girl you have to listen to me and stop trying to save everyone. He already killed one of my wolves. I won't let you make his sacrifice useless. And your father wouldn't want to lose you again, especially after finding you now. Please just stop or I will take you somewhere else. willing be damned. Luna said as calm as she could in a situation like this.

Please don't let them die because of me. I said crying more tears than I thought I had.

Luna was still guarding me while everyone else was attacking Emanuel. I noticed that Micheal had a brass knife raised in the air ready to plunge it into Emanuel's neck. Right when the knife started to descend Emanuel turned around and stared at Micheal. The knife was lodged into his neck in the blink of an eye. I knew that he wouldn't go down that easy, he hadn't even flinched as the knife was ripped across his throat. Blood was squirting everywhere, but Emanuel just smiled as his wound started to instantly heal itself.

"What the hell? You said that you were dragon, why hadn't the brass done it's job?" Micheal said pulling the knife away.

"Because that's not true brass. That's nickle and It does nothing to my kind." He laughed.

I was looking around for something that looked like pure brass. I noticed a picture frame on an end table. Luna there is a brass frame over there. Do you think that will work on him?

She followed my gaze and nodded. We both slowly inched over to the frame and I stayed behind her the entire way so she wouldn't have to try and protect me from myself while protecting me from him. I lifted the frame and Luna shifted. Taking the frame from me she weighed it in her hands. With a running start she jammed the corner into Emanuel's heart breaking the frame and cutting herself as well.