The White Beauty

Episode Twelve Betrade By My Best Friend

I wake up on the floor of my so-called room. I can feel every inch of my body hurting. I start to crawl over to my bed when sharp pains pulsate through my palms. I quickly sit down and look at my palms. They haven't healed any since I cut them on the bars. 

THE BARS! 

I have to see what's on those bars that could have cut me like that. 

When I got over to the bars I looked closely at them. I can see little razer blades running all around the bars going from top to bottom. But what's that stuff the razors are coated with. I get close enough to smell it. 

Silver... 

Silver mixed with something else to help it stick. So that's why my hands are not healing right. 

Where else did the bars touch Sarah?   

I don't know Maggie. I can't really tell what's what right now. I should take a bath and get cleaned up before anyone shows up to see me like this. Oh and Maggie?

Yes, Sarah?

I've missed you. I hope you know that. It isn't the same without you here. 

I can feel her Whinney and prance around in my head. I chuckle at that. At least with Maggie around, I don't feel so alone. And now I just realize I'm naked. Well, I guess this is a sign to bath now. I start running the bathwater and get in before it even has time to feel up. 

The water feels so good on my skin and hurts at the same time. Before I start scrubbing my skin, the water is already turning red from my blood. I started lightly washing my skin not knowing where a cut would be. I sink my whole body underwater and rub my scalp gently. 

Once I resurface I decide I need new bathwater. Once the water is out and I've scrubbed the bathtub clean again, I start the water again. This time I made the water a little warmer. 

As I relax in the warm water I start dozing off. I wake up to the sound of my cell door opening and closing back again. 

Oh no! I wasn't supposed to bath unless someone was with me!

Sarah... 

Mate...

I hear Maggie say my name before she is interrupted by the other voice in my head. 

What do you mean mate?  Hey... Please talk to me... I need to know who you are... Please...

"What are you doing? I told you no baths unless someone is watching you. Why would you break the rules?" Jason is shouting angrily at me. 

Mate...

I hear her call again. 

I don't know what to say. I'm frozen in shock. I know he'll beat me for breaking his rules. I can't go through that again. He'll kill me. I know he will. 

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" 

MATE! 

I can't move or form any words to say to him. I just sit there hugging my knees.

**********

Jasons' P. O. V. 

"Hey?" I say hesitantly. 

Something is wrong Jason. I can feel it. Go to her. Please Jason, please. 

I start walking closer to her. I can feel the panic in Blane. He's pacing around whimpering loudly in my head. As I get closer, I can see the water is a slightly reddish color. What the hell is going on?

I can see she's shaking. Has she been sitting there so long the water is cold? 

"Look at me," I demand her attention but it only causes her to shake more rapidly. 

I'm starting to lose my patience with her until she looks at me. I step back in shock. Her face is covered in bruises,  the left more so. She has these deep cuts on her face going from her brow to her jawline almost in a straight pattern. 

"What the hell happened to you? Who did this to you?" I raised my voice in anger. She just blinked at me a couple of times with a shocked look on her face before her eyes look in the back of her head and her body went limp. 

Before her head could hit the tub, I quickly swoop down and pull her out of the water in a bridal style. 

I bend down grab the towel she had sitting on the stool beside the tub. I sat down on her bed with her lying unconscious in my arms. I leaned her against my chest with her legs across my lap. 

I start dring her off when I realize how much pain she must be in. 

Starting from her head to her toes, I look at the damage that has been done to her. 

As I dry her hair, I  see clumps of hair falling out with skin still attached. As I blot her face lightly, I can see the perfect outline of someone's fingers across her left cheek. Her busted lips. Her throat is bruised but not from someone choking her. I don't know what would have caused that. 

As I lightly rub the towel over her chest I see the five little bruises on her chest. Fingers just have been placed harshly on her chest... With everything I am seeing, I can feel anger building up. I know she couldn't have done all of those to herself. 

I rub the towel down her back and she tenses her body up and lets out a whimper. I shift her body so I can see why she's in pain. The wounds from the whip are almost gone. It's just a light ink color now. But then I see it. She has A couple of layers of skin pulled off in straight lines starting from mid-back to, well I can't see where it ends. 

Her rib is bruised where I assume they kicked her. And now I can see the handprint on her ankles. My blood starts boiling at the thought of what they might have done to her. 

My mate... was being hurt by someone while I was trying to get my rocks off. I will never forgive myself for this. I just want to hold her tight against my body but I know I'll only hurt her more. I stand up with her in my arms and lay her on the bed. I can see the discomfort on her face. 

I pull my shirt over my head and slip it over hers, pulling her arms through the sleeve holes. I grab the pair of panties I brought her and slip them over her feet, pushing them up her thighs. 

I look away when I get closer to her no-no bits. Trust me, I'd love to see her perfect little body exposing itself to me but I can't do it until she's ready for me to see her that way. 

I pull the covers over her just in time. "Alpha? What are you doing here?" Jared questioned. 

"If it was any of your business I would have told you."

"Alpha, the king is looking for you. He has matters to discuss with you."

"No, now isn't the time."

"Alpha... It's about the girl..."

Without another word, I exit her cell. Jared and I walk down the hallway in silence until he stopped me.

"What is going on with you Jason? Dakota told me what you did yesterday." 

"Why is Dakota talking to you about our personal business." I narrow my eyes at him as I question him. He quickly looks away from me. "Let's just drop this. I'm sorry for asking." 

He tries to walk away from me but I grab his arm, "No. Let's not drop this. Why was Dakota talking to you about me leaving her unsatisfied?" I can see he's starting to sweat bullets. 

You got him now. Now make him submit to us. 

"JARED! NOW!" I scream in his face. He broke down right in front of me, "I'm sorry Jason. It was her fault. She wanted me to do it. I swear. She begged me to do it."

"To do what?"

"She... she... came to me and told me how you treated her and... And she started raising her dress to... To expose herself to me... She asked me if she was too disgusting to look at... and I told her that I'd f**k her if I had the chance and... She pulled me into her and told me 'Here's your chance' so I just did it. I figured if you didn't want her anymore then what was the harm."

"Hmm" was all I could say before walking again. 

"Jason? Jason, I'm sorry." 

I just kept walking. I didn't want to hear what he has to say to me. I'll give him props. He actually told me the truth. I always knew Dakota was going behind my back and messing around with other men but it never bothered me because I was only using her for s*x. But I never thought my best friend would give into her knowing she's going to be my wife... Well... Was going to be my wife. 

When I  entered the Throne Room I saw Jake, Cynthia, Ryan, Dakota, and dad. Jared quickly ran into the room and took his place. Just so happens to be beside Dakota. "Father," I bowed, "I was told you needed to speak with me but if you're busy..." 

"No. No son, I wanted to see all of you. We have matters to discuss." Dad said in a cheerful tone. 

"First off, I'd like to start with you Cynthia," he turns his attention to her, "I've gotten word that Prince William of Takenue would like your hand in marriage. They have an enormous amount of land and also run the ports on the east of us for all fishermen so they collect a vast amount of money on those ports. The wedding will happen In three weeks' time. 

"I... I don't know what to say, father..."

"I suggest you say yes before you upset me, daughter. This marriage will make us stronger in numbers."

Jake cuts in, "We don't need to be stronger. We have the White Beast now thanks to me. She'll do what a hundred armies could do in one day." 

"And when she dies? Then what? Hmmm?" Jake just drops his head. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut when things don't pertain to you, son."   

"Yes, father."

"Daddy I can't marry Prince William. I'm waiting for my mate."

"No! In our world, mates do not exist. We marry for wealth and allies and numbers. Not for love Cynthia. Grow up and look at the big picture here."

I can see the tears building up in Cynthia's eyes. She's seventeen and is waiting on her mate to come in and sweep her off her feet. She told me once that she wants to leave this place and never come back. She hates how dad rules. She hates that I go out and rip families apart just kill them in the end. Just as her tears fall, she lets out a sob and takes off running. I want to go after her but as I turn, dad calls my name. 

"Jason. Pay attention. I don't know what has gotten into you all today. We need to talk about The Beast."

My body tenses at his words. I can't harm her like I've done so many before. I love her. I can't bear the thought of harming one little hair on her head. I was pulled out on my thoughts when Jared nudged me.

I gestured towards my dad to continue on. 

"I found out yesterday morning while she was in the hospital..." 

"Wait what? Why was she in the hospital?" Panic started to arise in me. My girl, my beautiful mate,  was hospitalized and I didn't know it. 

"If you'd let me finish... As I was saying... Where was I at? Oh yes, While she was in the hospital, I found out she has a mate." I could feel myself shifting my weight. Did he know I'm her mate? What would he say to me for keeping this secret from him? 

"I know what mate pains are and she was having them yesterday. Apparently, after she left her Village, he's decided to have someone else lay in his bed. Jason, I need you to go find her mate and bring him here. We will make them reject each other and then kill him after the mate bond is broken." 

I couldn't believe it... I hurt her. I put her in the hospital because I was messing around with Dakota. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. 

"With all due respect, I can't go. You'll have to send Jake on this one as well."

"And why can't you go"

"Because I have to send out letters to regretfully inform everyone that there will not be a wedding. And also get Dakota on the next ship back to her kingdom."

"What are you talking about?" Dakota is standing there in shock and so was my father. 

"I'm talking about the fact that you slept with my best friend yesterday after I left. You have broken your alliance with this kingdom and have broken your duty to me as future Queen." I spat at her. She stood there looking between me and Jared. 

Jared just rubbed the back of his neck at my words. Dakota just stood there with a stupid look on her face. 

"How dare you dring up our personal business in from of the king. It's not my fault you don't know how to please a woman." She smirked thinking she one-upped me. 

"Dare you to choose my best friend to fulfill your needs. It's not my fault you've messed around with half the kingdom and still don't know what you're doing. I've had virgins with no experience and they can please me better than you do. The next thing your gonna tell me is that you slept with Ryan too."

Her eyes stare at the ground, "Well..."

"Are you f*****g kidding me? Ryan? Is this true?" 

"It was only after you. Never before you." Ryan broke down with pleading eyes. 

"So it seems everyone is stabbing me in the back." I calmly say.

"You have to marry Dakota, son. Despite what has been done. Everyone makes mistakes. " Father looks at me with sympathetic eyes. 

"What do you think everyone will think of me? A king who has his wife going out on him. Forgiving her for what she has done. Looking WEAK to our allies. You looking weak in everyone's eyes," I can tell my words are getting to him, " I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this for the image we have built up over hundreds of years. Everyone will think we are nothing more than a weak prey father. The king can't even keep his wife faithful so why would they knowing I'd just forgive them and pretend like everything is okay. I will not take the throne looking weak. I'm not someone who can be pushed around. I will NOT accept this marriage and doom this nation to fall. Not over some common w***e who calls herself a princess." 

I can see the anger building up in him by the minute. I knew to call him weak in the eyes of others would cause him to rethink this marriage. One thing about my father is, his public image is everything. He will not look weak to anyone. That's why he had our mother beheaded. She had an affair with one of the servants and he saw her as his weakness. 

"What do you suggest we do son?" 

"I suggest we call off this alliance and ask for her father to strip her of her title. No royal man will want her after being labeled as a disgrace in her family." 

"What? You can't do that. I'll be ruined!" Sobs start leaving her mouth as she fell on her knees. 

"Father. I have something else I was to discuss with you."

"Go ahead, son," Dad says as he sits down in his chair. 

"I'd like to strip away Jared and Ryans title as my second and third in command and find two new betas to be at my side. I don't want them to be disgraced or harmed. I just want men at my side that I can trust. If you will, I'd like to talk to Dae and Chris to see if they'll accompany me with my future quest," I'm talking to my father like they're not even in the room with me. My voice shows no mercy while deep inside I feel hurt by them. Jared has been my best friend since we were pups. We went through training together. Even when I left to have Alpha training, he mind-linked me every day. When I came home, he was the first to welcome me back by throwing me a party. Yeah, it was mostly women and I loved the options he gave me in that department. I think he realized I can be quite a d**k when I don't have someone to mess around with haha. 

Ryan came along when his pack was planning an attack on us, but he warned us of the attack that was going to happen and my father accepted him as one of our own. I knew better though. Someone who turned his back on his own people. Someone who led his own people into a blood bath. And now he has betrayed me, his future King. 

"Is that what you truly want son?"

"Yes," I say without hesitation. 

"Then so be it. Talk to Daemon and Christopher and give me there answer tomorrow morning. Your dismissed."

With that being said I asked Dae and Chris through mind-link to meet me by my mates' cell. 

I walked out of the room with my head held high not wanting them to see the hurt in my eyes they've caused. 

**********

Dae and Chris were already there before me. "Alpha," They said in unison as they bowed their head to me. 

"At ease men. I have asked you to come here to ask both of you a question. I expect an answer before you leave here so I can report back to my father," They didn't break eye contact with me as I spoke. 

I guess it's one of the perks to being Alpha, "I've already talked to father about this so all I need from you is a yes or no." They nod their head and I continue, "I would like to offer you a position as my second and third in command. I just need your answer now." 

They look at each other, I assume mind-linking one another before looking back at me. "Alpha, we accept your offer. but we have a question to ask in return."

"I assume you want to know about Jared and Ryan."

"Well, yes sir. I don't want to be killed for accidentally messing up," Chris says as he looks at the ground. 

"Well, don't f**k my Fiance and I won't have to strip you of your titles." I let out a chuckle, "Now that that's settled, your new titles are in effect tomorrow morning. You will report to me every morning at 6:00 A.M. That is all. Your dismissed." 

With that being said, I turn to my mates' cell and go inside. I've missed her so much. I need to see her.