Everly POV
Macey rang me as soon as she got Zoe and I demanded Valen take me to the hospital to meet them.
Macey also said to bring officer Derrick along with us, so we left the kids with Kalen and my father while
we went off to meet them. My anxiety was through the roof as we waited. We were sitting in the room
with Marcus who was slowly coming out of sedation.
Valen was trying to calm hîm down, because as soon as his eyes opened he was trying to climb out of
bed.My phone started ringing and I pulled it from my pocket and answered it to find it was Macey.
“I’m in a room a few doors down from Marcus.Hold off on letting Marcus see her for a second.And
come here.He shouldn‘t see her like this,” she tells me and I glance at Valen who was trying to hold
Marcus in place.
Officer Derrick whips out his handcuffs the moment Valen tells him and cuffs him to the bed.
“Macey has asked me to go see Zoe.Are you right with him for a second?” I mindlinked Valen and he
nodded looking at officer Derrick who nodded.
Officer Derrick follows me a few doors down, and I suck in a breath before opening the door and
stepping in.
What I wasn’t expecting was the scene in front of me.
Zoe was frantically fighting Macey, who was trying to restrain her and calm her down.
Nurses stood around her and a doctor with a syringe like he was about to try sedate her.I growl at him
and he drops the needle stepping away from her, and Zoe’s eyes snap to me and so does Macey‘s.
Though the snarl that left her when officer Derrick walked in behind me was thunderous.
And the next second, she had pulled his gun on him.
“Macey!” I hissed in shock, rushing to Zoe who clutched my arms
Yet she refused to lower the gun, but I was more focused on Zoe who refused to let go of me.Begging
and pleading to be able to see Marcus and Casey
“Shh.Breathe, Zoe.Deep breaths.Marcus is fine.You can see him in a minute,” I whisper as tears burn
my eyes at seeing her so frantic.
She reeked of wolves scents, when I picked up a familiar scent.One that had my head turning toward
officer Derrick.
“Out!” Macey snarls at him, pointing the gun at him.He held his up and did as she asked, stepping out
of the room while she followed after him.
“Valen, get to Derrick before Macey shoots him.She is in the hall,” I mind link turning my attention back
to Zoe.
“I just want my baby!I want my Casey!” Zoe sobbed, her nails digging into my arms and my eyes ran
over her.
She was a mess.
Covered in blood and I swallowed, the pain in her voice, the desperation.I don’t even think she
registered Macey had left, her mind only had one focus and that was to get to her
“Okay.But you don’t want to scate Casey, do you?” I ask her and she appears to be confused.
I grip her hands, prying them off my arms where she drew blood with her nails.
“You don’t want to scare Casey, Zoe,” I tell her, holding her hands up in front of her face.
She blinked at me before noticing the blood on her hands.
“I promise I will take you to them.But you need to let the nurses check you over and…” I swallowed,
looking at them.
“They need to take some swabs, so we can get those that hurt you.So they don’t hurt anyone else,” I
tell her and she blinks, staring at her hands that tremble violently.
“I don’t want to scare Casey,” she murmurs.
“That’s right, we don’t want to scare Casey.I am right here, okay.But I need you to lay down so we can
make sure you’re okay,” I felt stupid saying that.I knew she wasn’t okay.
“I’m right here,” I tell her, nudging her toward the bed before turning to the Doctor.
“Get a female doctor.You’re not touching her,” I tell him and he rushes out.
Casey mutters to herself as she lays down and I could see she was in shock.
And she appeared to remain in that state while Doctors and nurses cleaned her up, and ran their tests
when she lurched upright.
“Ava!” she gasped with wide eyes.
“They still have Avaa!You have to help her!” tears pricked my eyes at her words, some escaping and
slipping down my face.
“I know.But for now, my focus is on you,” I tell her.
Doc came in and I was about to tell him to get out because we had the female Doctor here, and that he
wasn’t really needed but Zoe sat up.
“Marcus?” she asked, her voice pleading.
“He is down the hall.I can take you to him.But first, I have some officers that want to take a statement
from you,” Doc tells her.He smiles at me sadly.
“No!I want my mate.” she says, shaking her head.
“Can you do this one thing first?Just this one thing and then he will take you to Marcus,” I tell her when
I hear a howling wail from outside.
Zoe, understandably in shock, didn’t seem to notice it as she laid back down, when a female officer
came in.I bite my lip wondering what is going on out in the hall when Macey comes in.I glance at her
and she walks over to me.
“Micha was one of them,” she whispers to me and my stomach drops.
He would do that to his daughter’s mother?
My blood boiled but it explained his scent and Derrick’s reaction from in the hall.Zoe gave her
statement and I nodded for Doc to get Marcus.We helped her out of bed, she wore a hospital gown and
was mostly cleaned up.
The nurses helped us shower her to rid her of their scents that lingered on her.She was jumpy but she
also knew we were trying to help her.
Zoe knew Macey and I would never hurt her.
Yet the moment Marcus stepped in the room.
Something snapped within her as she tore out of our grip.Her body crashed against his sending him
backward as he clutched ħer.
Valen walks in behind him and steps around them.
The nurses quickly leave while we watch all the broken parts of both of them shatter more as Marcus
comes to the realization of what happened to her.
No one told him, but he knew, that much was obvious when he sniffed her and his eyes went to Valen.
The murderous look on his face was evident.He wanted blood.
And Valen nodded to him in a silent message telling him he would get it.
“You’re okay,” Marcus whispered to her, tears slipping down his face as he rocked her.
“We are gonna be okay,” he whispers repeatedly to her, using his mate bond to soothe her as she
sobbed against him.
“Derrick?” I mindlink Valen.
“Hunting his son.”
“He had no idea?” I asked.
“No.I commanded him, he had no idea, Apparently Amber left Micha.And she took another as a
mate.He has hardly seen his son since.Said he hadn’t been of sound mind,” I nod clenching my teeth.
He would pay for what he has done, and so would Carter for allowing it.We knew he didn’t touch her
because his scent wasn’t on her, but there were two more.I just prayed Ava wouldn’t be subjected to
the same thing
“I need to go.Can you watch Zoe?I‘ll be back soon,” Macey whispers to me.
My brows furrow but I nod to her, she probably wanted to get changed out of her blood soaked clothes.
“Are you heading home?” I ask and she nods.
“I just want to change and I need to check on Tatum.He has been blowing up my phone,” I nod to her.
Macey leaves but I couldn‘t help but feel something was up with her too.
Or maybe it was the shock of everything
She leans down and touches Zoe‘s hair where she was sitting on the floor with Marcus.
Zoe looks up at her.
”I’ll be back soon okay,” Macey tells her.
“Casey?” Zoe asked
“I will check on her okay?You will see her soon,” Macey tells her and she nods.
Macey leaves when Doc comes in with a pill cup in his hands and a bottle of water.He silently stood
there reading the room, his eyes falling on Marcus as he watched for any reaction.
But Marucs was deadly calm as Doc explained what the pills were.
Morning after pills.
Zoe stares at the little cup before she breaks down putting her head in her hands.
“I will leave these over here for her if she wants them,” Doc says, placing them on the little table and
walking out Marcus talks to her and I hated this.
My own thoughts of when I found out I was pregnant and my father demanding I get abortion.
How silly it seemed that Zoe was worried she would be going against the goddess, but no goddess
would condone this.
Condone someones will being taken from them.
Yet seeing her struggle put it into perspective.
Our situations were so different.
“If you want to take them Zoe, no one is judging,” Valen tells her.
“But the goddess,” Zoe whimpered.
“The goddess would understand.The goddess would give you the right to choose.And no choice is
wrong.Everyone’s situation is different and no one is judging.This isn’t a judgment.You won’t be judged
for doing what you want to do,” I tell her.
Zoe seems unsure yet I could tell she didn’t want to potentially carry her rapist’s child.
“Choice.There is a reason the Goddess grants it.The only one getting condemnation is those taking
another’s choice.Your body, your life.No one gets to tell you what you do with it.And no one has a right
to judge your choice.They aren’t the ones that have to live with it,” I tell her and Zoe nods.
“I don’t want to… I can’t carry…” she shakes her head.
No child should be forced into a world this way.
My judgment and beliefs suddenly shifted.This is one of many circumstances where one should have
the right to choose.
This is not the work of any goddess, nor would any goddess punish someone for aborting a few cells.
Now I understand why she gave us a choice.Why we got to choose.
Because if all our stories were the same, why would qur opinions on it be so different?
If she wanted us all the same, why would situations be so different?
Why are our fates different?
No one chooses this for themselves.
Just like no one chooses poverty.
So those that can’t bring a child into the world via rape or due to life cicumstances like poverty aren’t
heartless, they are selfless.
Sacrificing their own wants to stop any future child from having to live the torments or consequences of
how they were brought into the world.
Choice and options.
There is a reason we are given it, because not all choices are made the same.
And no one’s choices should be judged when it comes to another’s life or a life being brought into the
world.
Especially life that would only know pain or judgment.I hold the pills out for her and she looks at Marcus
who lets her decide, he adds no input.
The decision is her and hers alone.
She chooses, she chooses to let the suffering end, and it’s the same decision I would have made.
Though there is no right or wrong decision, because it is not my life and not my place to judge.
Marcus hugs her tight as she hands the little cup back to me empty.
I set it down and she lets out a breath Marcus rests his head against the wall and Zoe looks at Valen
“Micha is helping Carter,” she whispers and Marcus growls.
Valen crouches down next to her.
“I know.We will get him,” he promises her and she < nods wiping a stray tear before she looks at me
just as Doc walks in.
He nods his head tossing the small cup in the bin.
“Can you tell us anything about where you were kept?” Valen asks her.
She sniffles but answers.
“The old tunnels under the city.He was talking about getting vengeance for...” She looks at me.
“He wants revenge on your father.I overheard him.He wants Valen to stand down as Alpha,” she
shakes her head like she is trying to remember something.
“He needs Valen to leave the city, so he can get.....” her eyes widened and she looked at me.
“To kill you and Valarian!To get revenge on your father, he … I can’t remember,” she rubs her temples
and Valen growls.
“The council will be here by tomorrow, but I bet Carter has moved.He wouldn’t have stayed there after
handing Zoe back,” Valen says, looking at me.
Yet I was still stuck on what this had to do with my father. My father?That’s who said he wants to get
revenge on?
Zoe nods.
“So not Valen and me?But my father?” I asked.
Hadn’t Carter’s father caused my family enough?
“Might have something to do with Rachel?” Doc says and I turn to look at him and so does Valen.
“Why does that name ring a bell for me,” Valen mutters.
“Nixon’s first wife.The one Carter‘s mother killed.Rachel was close with your mother,” Doc says with a
shrug.
“But what’s that got to do with my father?She turned forsaken,” I told him.
“No idea.But there was a lot of speculation around that time,”
“What do you mean?”
“I knew Leah, I was her doctor when she was pregnant with her twins.I was sworn to keep quiet, So
many conspiracies around that time.Everything was swept under the rug, but even I heard about the
rumors when Leah disappeared,”
“No.She left,” Valen says.
Doc looks over at me.
“That’s what everyone thinks, but rumors still went around that your father banished Leah from the city,
Though I can’t be sure, they were just rumors,” Doc tells me.
“Wait.Why would my father banish her?” I asked.
“Because she was Nixon’s mate, and Leah was from the shadow pack.She was one of your father’s
pack members.” Doc answers.
“They are just rumors, of course.I suppose the only people that really know what happened are Nixon
and Leah,” he shrugs.
“But Nixon admitted to abandoning her and forcing her forsaken,” I tell him, confused.
Doc shrugs.
‘‘Doesn’t mean it is the truth,” Doc says.
“I knew Leah and there was no way she would have left Carter.And Nixon loved her, though he was
forced to marry Rachel for the pack alliance,”
“Pack Alliance?”
“I’m not sure, but maybe you should ask your father‘s, that was their time of ruling they may have more
information than I can provide.Or maybe check the council records.There has to be some record of
what happened.It’s no secret that the Alphas have a way of covering their tracks, yet that doesn’t stop
the rumors,” Doc tells us.
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