Cursed bonds (The regressed mate of the enemy's Hybrid)

/Althea's POV/ In the distance, the sounds of pain and s*******r roared, and despite being metres underground, agonised screams and persistent animalistic growls seeped through the soil like water through cotton. The terror and tremors that followed sent dust and bits of earth raining from the ceiling, reminding me of old hostels back in the day. We all felt this coming but it still caught up by surprise, the retaliation of the pack's hated hybrid and my husband's stepbrother. I should be feeling sad, for the pack warriors being turned apart above ground away from the pack underground safehouse we were all tucked in like a bunch of measly cowards but I couldn't bring myself to feel a thing, my hollow heart was a sponge incapable of holding in any emotions whatsoever until my eyes fell on someone. My husband. The same husband who had abandoned me while ushering the rest of his family into the safehouse. And yet, I had still followed them down here like the coward I was. Emptiness gnaws at me like a person at the brink of starvation and amidst the ongoing chaos and ceaseless echoes and cries and pain, I stood wide-eyed staring at my husband in the distance. Hurt and disappointment clash inside the walls of my heart like rusty gears, grinding and grinding again until tears glaze my eyes as part of me chipped away slowly. I should be used to this scene by now. Watching my husband dotes on another woman should have become a chore I'd gotten used to but do I have to continue watching this even in this situation? Knowing we were just a breath away from being made into a story—a revenge story only the victor will get to tell. “You’re gonna be okay. We can handle this.” Xavier's confident words that weren't directed to me but his Luna tore at me like a piece of worn fabric. “You should take good care of Alec and wait until I come back. We'll survive this,” He grinned, his aquiline nose squinted together with his eyes as he gently teased the nose of his 2 year old son carried the mistress he named Luna over me, the weariness of war and the apprehensiveness over the looming disaster faded along the lines and layers of the dark circles beneath his eyes. Even through the disarray, his amber eyes shone with pride as his gaze skirt over his family, the perfect little family I was never part of. I really was an i***t. I shouldn't have fallen for his lies, the bastard was never in love with me. Why did it take me this long to realise it? ‘You married me first' I wanted to say as he tucked away Cynthia's hair before getting ready to leave and join the fight going on above ground. The warm smile on Xavier's face disappeared the moment he noticed me watching. I watched every line of his expression twist into rage and disdain. He crossed the distance between us almost immediately, grabbed me by the wrist, and dragged me out into the narrow corridor outside the safe room. We stopped only a short distance away from the staircase leading back into the packhouse. “What are you even doing here?” He demanded the moment we made it out the door, Before I could answer, he shoved me backwards. I stumbled and nearly crashed into the stone wall. I clutched my baby bump protectively scared I'd ram into the walls. Thankfully, I managed to catch myself before impact.. Tucking away my dissatisfaction and frustration I replied “How could you ask me that? I'm part of this family too, I might not be your Luna but I am your wife, I deserve to be here with the rest of your family,” Mockery and disbelief spilled onto his face. “You're a Lycan.” He harshly reminded me of my traitorous roots and my resentment grew. “You wanna play family, you should be up there fighting to defend the pack. We have more chances with you up there.” “Xavier, I'm pregnant. With your child!” Disbelief coloured my voice. “You can't really expect me to fight in this condition,” My words didn’t reach him, what followed was a sneer. “I really have no time to entertain your bullshit right now.” His eyes dropped to my stomach. “You and I both know that kid's isn’t mine,” With that Xavier turned, slamming his hand on the automatic electric lock on the safe room door lock and panic filled my chest. “Xavier! You can't just lock me out!” I cried, trying to stop him, but he shoved me away. With only his and his father's fingerprints registered in the lock, he knew I wouldn't be able to get in. How could he do this to me? “I'm not feeling very confident leaving my family in the same place with a captive princess, for all I know you and Raiden might have planned this together,” My hand met his face just as the last word left his mouth. “You, of all people, shouldn't be saying that to me.” My heart burned with hurt, and I laced every inch of my words with it. Though I tried to keep the tears from slipping free, having promised myself not to cry over this asshole anymore, I couldn't stop them. “I rejected him for you!” I snapped. Hot tears brimmed in my eyes, blurring my vision as betrayal burned through my chest. How could he do this to me? He promised to protect me! Xavier threw me a haughty glare before walking away and leaving me alone in the corridor. “Who knows? Maybe if you plead well enough this time, Raiden might actually listen to you.” His final words, spoken as he vanished up the stairs, spared no effort in shattering whatever pieces remained of my heart. I can't believe I ever loved this scumbag. If any of Raiden's subordinates discovers the safehouse which I'm sure they're looking for since his revenge was with the alpha's family. I'll be an easy target but going up there is still the same thing as suicide since s*******r already started in the packhouse. Raiden is busy tearing the pack apart, I can easily be caught in the crossfire and I doubt he'll spare me just because we used to be mates, he probably wants me dead as much as Xavier. How ironic! Raiden was raised as the mad bloodthirsty dog of the Flaming Moon pack. He was a weapon shaped to cut down everything in the pack's way but now, he's busy cutting the pack into pieces. I was still drowning in my thoughts contemplating what to do when my eyes caught a door behind the flight of stairs that led out of the packhouse. It wasn't an automatic several inches heavy guard door like the one Xavier's family was behind but it was thick nonetheless and thankfully it was unlocked. Pushing the metallic door, its hinges creaked loudly in protest of long time abstinence from greasing. Inside the door were stockpiles of supplies, canned foods and packages. Who even designs this place? Isn't this supposed to be inside the safehouse, except there is another storage and this is merely a spare in case they had to stay here longer than they should have. I sighed and stepped into the dusty, cobweb-covered room. My nose stung and my lungs burned. About eight shelves stood arranged in rows, all packed with supplies. Finding a dark corner, I leaned against a cupboard at the far end of the room, ignoring the flickering fluorescent light overhead while I reviewed my life choices. Would things have been different if I'd married Raiden instead of Xavier? He was my mate, after all. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, even if he was the only other option capable of saving my life. I scoffed at the miserable state my choices had led me to. I used to be a princess, a beloved precious princess of my mother. Even if my father saw me as little more than a bargaining chip to be married off to whichever Alpha best suited his interests. Our downfall was inevitable, we saw it coming but my father was far too up his ass to realise how bad the situation was, too selfish, too prideful. We half expected the rebellion and my father, confident and arrogant, was sure he could diffuse the situation, after all, he was the Lycan King. He was also rather confident in my brother, Astec, the future Lycan king as well, the i***t, unfortunately, was obsessed with women and booze. My father ruined him dismissing his misbehaviour as a phase, maybe he was talented but had he listened to our mother, our family could have lived longer. No matter how strong their combination was, they both didn't stand a chance against the Flaming Moon bastard hybrid. I sighed trying to shove the bad memories of how my life took a very drastic turn. That night echoed with the same pain and cries as tonight. I wasn't sure which part of the memory lulled me to sleep but a painful screech jolted me awake. Is it over? I wondered. Forcing my aching body off the floor, I found that I didn't particularly care which side had won. My wretched existence might continue a little bit longer if Xavier did but Raiden would probably put an end to it immediately if he won, either way, it all didn't matter who did. I'm just tired of it all. I wish I'd understood the gravity of the situation before I sluggishly left the storage room and stepped back into the corridor. And when I saw the safe room's heavy door standing wide open, I should have stopped myself from walking any farther. My feet made a wet squelching sound as I walked deeper. I looked down. A sharp gasp escaped me when I realised what it was. A stream of blood flowed from the pile of bodies that included Xavier's mother, the former Luna, Carla, Alec, his sister Courtney and his aunt Janet. My heart pounded harder in my chest. I fear my rib might c***k. My brain finally registered the hard pungent smell of the blood and panic that reeked in the safehouse as well as the familiar figure standing in the midst of it all. At the far end of the large dome-shaped hall stood Raiden in his all terrifying glory, a monstriosity that stood tall at 6 '4, his ethereal, dangerous heterochromia eyes stalked my frame with a harsh hostility that had me trembling to my toes. And before I had the chance to take in Xavier's injured, raging and panting frame in front of him. He was already behind me holding a dagger to my neck. “Raiden, I swear to God if you take another step from there I'll slit her throat,” Xavier's voice quivered but Raiden couldn't be bothered. How did things end up this way? —-----------