Nobody & Somebody

04

Elizabeth gulped as she turned to face Delana. Her fury was masked by her fear of the king's wrath. "Delana, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have struck you. Please, forgive me." Delana nodded, burrowing into Jaob's side. She had never felt such warmth and comfort before and she was determined to soak up as much as she possibly could. Her cheek burned from Elizabeth's force but she didn't mind it too much. Sam stepped towards Jacob, motioning to the staircase. "Your Majesty, we should discuss things in my office." Jacob's expression flickered to one of anger. "No, I wish to discuss it here. However, I do think Delana should sit. Your Luna was not gentle." Sam led the group into the living room, Delana and Jacob taking the couch. She sat in Elizabeth's seat, internally sighing at the comfort. She knew it was bothering her but there was nothing she could do.

Sam cleared his throat, trying to piece together what he was going to say. He didn't want to risk Jacob's fury. "Well, Your Majesty, Delana is tagged because she is ours. She was promised to my Beta as his until he found his mate and she takes care of my pregnant mate." Jacob dug his nails into the couch cushion, ripping it to shreds within seconds. "She was never yours, nor was she yours to give away." He spat at Sam, disgust lacing every word. "And if she was the one tending to your abusive Luna, I'm assuming she has been the one bruising and beating my mate." Sam froze. "No, Your Majesty. We were unaware of such things." He attempted to lie. He glanced at Delana as if daring her to say otherwise. Jacob burst into loud laughter before turning to face Delana. "Stand for me, face me." Delana obliged, turning her back to her Alpha.

In one swift movement, he ripped the back of Delana's shirt open. "Yes, that's what these fresh lashings say. The scars from the previous lashings are still pink. Not to mention the scratches on her cheek that one of my pack members had to take care of. You lie so easily to your king. Hm." Delana gasped, gripping Jacob's shoulders as he ran his fingers along her wounds. "Your Majesty," She began. "Hush, love. You will not have to worry about it any longer." He spoke so calmly, so sweetly, she was almost unsure of who he was. He'd been scolding Sam and Elizabeth for so long. She nodded and relaxed into his arms as he ran his fingers along her wounds gently.

Delana took her seat, leaning into her mate's protective grip. Her eyes met Elizabeth's, her lips curing into a grin. Elizabeth met her gaze, her face burning with rage. She had always thought she was special, she was Sam's mate after all. He left Delana for her. The Moon Goddess blessed her of all people. She was wrong. Her pride and the way she expected the world to crumble at her feet was the reason she had been falsely blessed. She was given a high status and the woman she abused most was given the highest in their world. She was fuming about having been "upstaged" by what was essentially the house punching bag.

Delana curled into Jacob, slowly closing her eyes. Besides being tired of Elizabeth's hateful gaze, he made her pain disappear. She was beyond grateful. All those years. She was finally free. No one would ever touch her again; he'd see to it. Jacob tightly held Delana, his eyes drilling Sam's, waiting for him to speak. When it finally happened, Sam cleared his throat, dropping his head to stare at his folded hands lying in his lap. "M-My apologies, Your Majesty. I shall not make that mistake again." Delana pondered what Sam had seen in Jacob's eyes. When he looked at her, all she saw was the gentleness and love she used to dream of. A dream abandoned long ago. "Of course not, Mr. Lawson. One only makes that mistake once." Jacob hissed in return, his brown eyes now a golden yellow.

"Enough of this," Jacob began after a long silence. "Explain to me what you plan to do about this tattoo." He lifted Delana's arm, motioning to the barbed wire wrapped around her wrist. "Your Majesty, there isn't much that can be done. Besides cutting it out of her skin," Paul replied, trying his best to keep his expression controlled. "Kia might know something," Delana interjected. "She once told me her mother was a healer. She still has ancient books and old relics." Jacob closed his eyes, opening a mind-link with the old woman. "Jacob," She began, hesitating for a moment. "They lie. All you would need to do is to mark her. The mate bond overrules any chains and shackles." Jacob whispered a quiet thank you before opening his eyes.

He stood, offering a single hand to the woman next to him. His perfect lips curled into a smile, revealing a row of shining teeth.