Reborn: Caged No More

Irene I rubbed my numb hands together, but the winter was harsh. Especially in the lonely dungeon cells, warmth was scarce. A silent sigh escaped my lips as I hugged my knees. I hoped it would stop the shuddering, but it didn't. Without my wolf, keeping myself warm was a challenge. Clenching my fingers on my knees, I squeezed my eyes shut. I was exhausted. Winter wouldn't have been that bad if I was still in the pack house, but that didn't mean life would have been any better. Disguised as a stunning mansion, the pack house was hell. On top of enduring the humiliation of my husband openly sleeping with his true love, I had to tolerate his harsh words and ruthless blows. His omegas showed me no respect while his mate/mistress enjoyed my pain. Although we didn't get married for love I believed we had to honour our vows. I guess that belief was one sided. Our marriage was an alliance between our packs. My widowed mother wanted to see me get married and settle down before she died. The death of my father, the alpha of our pack, was hard on her. His death broke her completely, and her desire to live vanished. My brother and I did everything we could. We followed every instruction of the pack doctors. Alas, our endless efforts to help her were in vain. She didn't want to live in a world her mate no longer breathed. She had just one request; to witness her daughter get married. I wanted to resist. Finding my soulmate was my fantasy. I desired to have what my parents did, but fate hadn't been easy on me. By the time I turned twenty five, I was still mateless. My mother's health deteriorated and after being on medication for a year the pack doctors regrettably informed me that her days were numbered. So I gave in. An arranged marriage didn't sound too bad after all. Especially since the pact promised stability and protection to our pack. Leon’s pack was bigger and stronger. Ours was just a small one compared to it. As the days passed, I found it easier to accept him as my chosen mate. On the day of our wedding, we both vowed to cherish the marriage, but his promise was short lived. The reason? His soulmate showed up right after we consummated our marriage. I thought he would honour the pact and the bond we just formed. I believed he would respect the mark he placed on my neck, but oh boy, was I wrong. He turned against me. At first the distance was subtle. I didn't realise something was wrong but as the months passed by, it was too much to ignore. On our one year anniversary, we had our first big fight. He screamed, accusing me of being the reason he couldn't marry his mate. I wanted to leave him, but he wouldn't allow it, because a divorce would cause rumours and he had to keep up with appearances. Unknown to anyone outside his pack, he slept with his mate. I couldn't reveal the news to my mom fearing her heart couldn't take such bad news. Regardless, her death was inevitable. Soon after our first anniversary, she left this world. Her death marked the beginning of the worst days of my life. Leon stopped pretending to care about me. His mate moved into the pack house and used every opportunity to humiliate me. They didn't care that I was still mourning my mother's death. Most of the omegas easily sided with his mate. Although a handful of them saw me for who I was, a lot of them believed her words. As days passed, her cruelty escalated. She was the reason I was fed food laced with wolfsbane until my wolf grew so weak that I could no longer shift. By the time I found out what was happening to me, it was too late. My wolf eventually died leaving me distressed. I just knew she was behind all of that, but I had no proof and of course, my husband believed her words over mine. I tried hard to make him see her real face; a nasty tyrant who didn't have an ounce of compassion in her heart. I tried, until that fateful day. The day she fell down the stairs and claimed that I pushed her. I swore it wasn't me. Alas, my husband didn't believe me. I was locked up in the filthy dungeon cell. The only visitor I had was a guard who brought food for me once a day. Being locked up in the dungeon wasn't too bad at first. My life was hell anyway. At least, I wouldn't have to deal with him and his mate in the dungeon. Then winter arrived and tolerating the harsh cold became increasingly hard. Shivering, I lowered my head, resting it on my knees and closed my eyes. If only I told my pack members everything. They wouldn't have allowed me to rot in a filthy cell. They would have tried to save me even if that meant death. I had kept everything a secret from my family and the rest of the world. For two years I hoped he would see the truth. That he would eventually uncover what a cruel b***h his mate was. I hoped that he would believe me at least once. I was wrong. He was blinded by his love for her. Was it love or just obsession? Or maybe the matebond? I couldn't tell and honestly, couldn't care less. All I knew was if I was ever given a second chance, if I ever got to choose again, I wouldn't choose to agree to that marriage. To hell with that alliance. Our pack would survive without his help. I knew I was strong enough. I knew I could protect my people. My lower lip trembled and an exhausted sigh escaped me. I tried to move my frozen toes, but they were numb. I could no longer feel them. Exhaustion was creeping into my bones and I no longer had the energy to fight against it. I was done… so done. As the darkness of exhaustion slowly pulled my soul away, I made a silent prayer. Give me one more chance. Just one… *** My eyes flung open. To my surprise, I was standing in front of Leon who was dressed in the tuxedo he got married to me in. I blinked, unsure of what was happening. Wasn't I freezing in that lonely cellar? How did I end up here? Why didn't I remember being taken out of the dungeon? And why was I standing in front of the very man who destroyed my life? I looked around. My jaw dropped when I saw the familiar white and gold decorations adorning our pack house. It was just like the day I got married. Apparently, I was at a massive celebration and I seemed to be at the centre of attention. But… I thought I wouldn't survive that cold… I guess I did, but shouldn't I be in a hospital getting treated? “Irene Johns, do you accept alpha Leon Tanner as your husband and chosen mate and promise to honour your bond until your last breath?” My heart skipped a beat. In a state of shock, I looked at the person who just spoke. It was him. The same minister who officiated our wedding. It was then I realised Leon and I were standing at the altar. The same altar we got married in. I looked at myself. I was wearing my mother's wedding gown, and holding a white and gold bouquet of flowers, just like I did on my wedding day. My breathing hitched. Was I reborn? My gaze drifted to my left. My brother, his wife, and my best friend beamed at me from the front row. My eyes stung as tears slowly gathered in them. It had been so long since I last saw them. After the death of my mom, I was seldom allowed to contact them. Leon feared I would disclose the truth to my brother. Leon would supervise any phone calls or visits they made. A smile curled on my lips… a genuine one. Seeing them after so long felt so good. Fighting against the tears gathering in my eyes, I scanned the audience. As soon as I saw my mom among the audience, my fingers tightened around the bouquet in my hand. I couldn't believe it. She was alive! I was really being sent back in time. All I wanted to do was run down the stairs and throw myself into her arms. No words could describe how much I needed to feel her warmth. I took a deep breath, fighting against the emotions that were slowly betraying my calm demeanour. But wait… what if this was a dream? If I really was reborn, my wolf would still be with me… right? But I couldn't feel her presence in my head. Wrinkling my forehead, I slapped my face. If it was a dream I wanted to wake up. I didn't want to relive the worst decision of my life. “Irene? What are you doing?” Leon called me as he reached out to hold my hand. I looked at him. He stared at me as though I was being silly. He wasn't a mirage. His touch was real. He was real. What I witnessed wasn't an illusion. The minister cleared his throat and repeated his question. “Do you accept alpha Leon Tanner as your husband and chosen mate?” My heart thumped in my chest. Breathing heavily, I stared at the minister. Do I accept Leon as my husband? Never? Not this time. I freed my hand from Leon's grasp and clenched my fingers on the bouquet. “No,” I whispered, fighting hard against the angry tear that threatened to roll down my cheek. “I don't want him as my husband and chosen mate.”