Twisted Loves

Chapter 9

Kade POV

    Kade, meeting in the alpha’s office, five minutes.

    I heard Xander mindlink me and immediately made my way upstairs. I entered the office and shortly after Xander, Nikki and Josh entered. When I saw Nikki, I immediately got nervous. Ever since I met her at the party, she’s all I’ve been able to think about. I felt a pull towards her, and I smelled her sweet scent of Autumn leaves every time she was near.

    Mate. She’s our mate. Branch said to me. I didn’t understand how.

    How? She’s Xander’s. She can’t be ours. I replied, confused as hell.

    I don’t know. Talk to her! She’s ours!

    I can’t just drop that on her now. I have to wait.

    But she was Xander’s mate. I didn’t understand. When she looked around the room and spotted me, my heart stopped and my breath hitched. How did this woman have this effect on me? It didn’t make sense. However, I knew we were here to find out about her family, not to discuss mates.

    We were the last ones to arrive, and Josh shut the door behind him. I sat close to the door and Xander, Nikki and Josh sat across from Beta Lucian and Drake, with Alpha Jonathan at his desk with Luna Debbie standing behind him. I couldn’t help but glare at Drake at least a few times before someone spoke up.

    “Dad, I have no issues with our beta, but why are they here for this meeting?” Josh asked the alpha the question we all wanted to ask.

    “Son, Lucian is the only one other than your mom and I who knew about Nikki being your sister,” Alpha Jonathan replied.

    “Okay, it doesn’t matter who’s here, I just want to know why Josh and I didn’t know beforehand. This is major. So let’s get this over with, please,” Nikki interrupted. Her voice was soft, but stern. It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I needed to talk to her once this was all over and figure out what the actual f**k was happening.

    “Right. Sweetie, do you remember the day you were attacked?” Luna asked. I became tense hearing those words and Xander let out a low growl, gripping Nikki closer. Josh clearly didn’t like the question as he was radiating anger, but watching his sister closely.

    “You know I do. I have flashbacks. This is nothing new,” she spoke through clenched teeth, her hands in fists.

    “I understand that, hun, but I need to know what you remember so we can fill in the gaps.”

    “You want her to verbally relive that torture? You know she’s suffered this for the past fourteen years, why would you have her do this? Just tell her the damn truth! She shouldn’t have to relive it again when the flashbacks have almost disappeared!” Josh yelled at his parents as he reached out and took one of Nikki’s hands as Xander held on to the other. I was shocked. This woman never acted like she was troubled, but clearly that was far from the truth. She’s a survivor.

    “Joshua, you’ll do well to remember your place. You do not speak to us that way. We are your parents,” Alpha Jonathan said to him.

    “It’s fine, Josh. I’ll tell the story. It’s not like I can just forget it,” Nikki intervened, slightly reluctantly.

Nikita POV

    “It was storming outside, and Mom and I were sitting by the fireplace. Suddenly we heard a crash outside, then someone trying to break through our front door. Mom rushed me upstairs telling me to stay quiet as she locked me in the bedroom closet. Once the door was shut and locked, I heard someone enter the bedroom. I peeked through the keyhole and watched as the rogue struck her across the face. When she fell down he grabbed her by her hair and threw her onto the bed, face down, before ripping her clothes off. He was raping and choking her, and soon he snapped her neck, still inside her. He heard me gasp and immediately dropped her, walking towards the closet and breaking down the door,” I started the story, and felt Xander holding me closer, clearly worried about how this was going. I held his hand and Josh’s tightly as I looked around. I saw Kade watching me intently, on guard as if ready to attack anyone who dared to touch me again. I continued, not wanting to back out now. “When he had the door removed, he grabbed my arm, his claws digging in as he yanked me up and next to my mother. Next thing I knew, we smelled smoke. The rogue took off, jumping out the window as he realized the fireplace had caused a fire to spread throughout the first floor and now the house was on fire. The smoke made me pass out, and when I woke up, I was in the hospital with Alpha Jonathan by my side, crying. When you realized I was awake you pulled me close and thanked the Moon Goddess that I was alive. It took me a week to be able to speak again, and when I could, I didn’t want to. It was over.” As I finished I looked up at Alpha Jonathan, not sure what to call him at this point. I felt Xander reach up and brush away my tears and bury his face in my hair as I closed my eyes and leaned against him.

    “When you passed out, it was as I was entering the room, Nikki. I saw the fire and ran in to save you and Kimberly. It was too late to save her, but I could tell you were alive. I quickly grabbed you and got you out of the house and rushed to the pack hospital. When I got you settled in, Debbie, your biological mother, and I talked things over and decided that it was best for you and your safety that we keep your identity a secret,” Alpha Jonathan added.

    “Kimberly was my best friend,” Luna Debbie started. We all turned to her, waiting for her to continue. “We grew up together, and eventually fell in love with each other. Yes, I’m into women as well. When I found Jonathan, I was head over heels for him, but I knew I couldn’t just leave and forget about Kim. When I spoke to Jon, he agreed to bring Kim with us. Kim met her mate, but he ended up being poisoned when she did. He passed away a few days later. When I was pregnant, Kim was happy for me, but also completely devastated. She’d never have children. When we found out we were having twins, Jon and I spoke, agreeing that Kim could raise one of them as her own, since she lived right next to the packhouse and I trusted her with my life. We obviously would keep our first born son, as a future alpha would be needed eventually, and it’s not like we gave you away and weren’t there or involved. We didn’t tell you anything because as an alpha’s child, you would become a target. We still don’t know why the rogue attacked Kim and you, but if there was any chance that he was after you, we didn’t want to add to your danger.”

    When she finished I was floored. They had no idea what they put me through. They had no idea the pain I endured and the emptiness I felt not knowing my true family. I was raging. I felt Xander gently rubbing his thumb across my knuckles as Josh was shaking beside me. I turned and saw him with anger and tears on his face. He was feeling the same way I am.

    “So let me get this straight. I went through constant bullying and abuse for fourteen years because you two thought it was best if I didn’t know my true family?” I accused them as I glared daggers at them. They looked like deer in the headlights, they were so confused.

    “Nikita, what are you talking about? Everyone knew we took you as our daughter and should have treated you as such,” my father explained.

    “You think that stopped them? They thought she was some rogue orphan that you took pity on!” Drake exclaimed from his seat.

    “Drake and I were literally defending her every f*****g day at school! If one of us wasn’t around, the abuse got worse!” Josh added.

    I closed my eyes as the memories kept creeping back in.

    “Well, it’s a good thing she won’t be here to deal with that bullshit anymore,” Xander stated, causing all of us to look at him.

    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Drake asked him, glaring daggers straight into him.

    “She will be my Luna. She’s my mate. Therefore, she will be moving to the Sapphire Moon Pack territory. She’s mine. Not yours,” Xander defended, looking into my eyes afterwards. I saw so much love and adoration, I felt safe.

    “I’ll challenge you for her,” Drake added. The room stilled as we all turned to look at him, except Xander who chuckled and kept looking at me. “I, Drake Blane of the Blood Moon Pack, challenge you, Alpha Xander Grey of the Sapphire Moon Pack, for the chance to mate Nikita Francis.”

    I gasped as Xander kissed my temple and stood me up from his lap. He turned to face Drake and said, “I Alpha Xander Grey of the Sapphire Moon Pack, accept your challenge for the chance to mate Nikita Francis.” I took a few steps back and ran right into someone’s chest. From the tingles I felt I quickly spun to see Kade looking down at me concerned. I looked around the room, grabbing the sides of my head and started hyperventilating before I passed out.