His Redemption (Complete His Series)

Azalea

I don’t know how long I was out, but I sat on the bed for a while. I sat with my legs pulled close to my chest and my head resting on my legs. I didn’t want to admit it in my heart, but my whole body yearned for Liam. I do not know if I could forgive him completely, but he was the one I wanted coming to my rescue right now.

There was a sound on the other side of the door. I could hear the lock click, and the door swung open slowly. My mouth dropped. John stood in the doorway holding a tray of food and a bag. He walked in and placed the food and bag on the table.

“John… what…” I tried to find words. Was John responsible for this? How? Why?

He chuckled. “It’s not entirely what you think, Miss Lea. I brought you some food. You should eat,” he said in a dark tone. He never sounded less than friendly before now.

“Liam won’t come for me. Taking me was useless,” I said quietly.

“Don’t be so sure, Miss Lea. Eat. And there are some clean clothes for you.” He walked towards the door to exit the room.

“Wait, John!” I said, trying to stop him. He turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. “Why me? I thought we were friends….” I said solemnly.

He smirked. “You don’t even know who you are, do you?” he said before leaving through the door. I jumped from the bed, launching myself at the door. I grabbed the handle, hoping to catch him off guard and pull the door open. I was not fast enough as the lock clicked as I desperately tried to yank it open. Sobs erupted from me. I fell to my knees in front of the door.

–

I couldn’t be sure exactly how long it had been since I was kidnapped. I refused to eat, only drinking small bits of water from the bathroom sink. John came in every so often bringing fresh food. He did not talk to me or pester me to eat. Sometimes he would dim the light if he thought I was asleep.

I laid on the bed curled in a ball. When I was not sleeping, I laid there sobbing. It felt like I had been there for days. I felt like the longer time went on, the less likely it would be that Liam was coming to my rescue. He had to know I was gone by now, right?

The door opened quietly. I lay still with my eyes closed, trying to control my sobs. Someone approached the bed behind me; I felt a large hand on my side. It gently rubbed me. I held completely still.

“Eat something, little flower,” he whispered. I recognized the voice. “Eat something, and I will explain everything.” My eyes widened in realization. I turned my head to look over my shoulder, and sure enough, Kol was standing behind me.

“Kol?” I croaked.

“Eat something, and when I come back, I will tell you everything,” he said and left the room. I sat up, my head pounding a little. Looking at the table, I saw yet another fresh tray of food. If I ate something, I could get some answers, so what did I have to lose?

I got up to sit at the small table. I felt weak, and my limbs were heavy. On the tray were a bottle of water and a bottle of juice, an apple, a small sandwich, and a bowl of macaroni and cheese. I opened the bottle of juice, taking a small sip. The cool sweetness coated my mouth, making me feel a bit better. I managed to eat about three bites of the sandwich and half the macaroni before I started to feel sick. I washed everything down with the water and juice, knowing that I was dehydrated by now.

As if on cue, the door opened the moment I pushed the tray away from me. John stood in the doorway.

“Good. Now you should go clean up, and I will take you to him,” he said. He grabbed the tray and replaced it with a bag of clothes. “Everything you need to shower is in the bathroom. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

With that, he left the room. Now that I had eaten, my headache had lessened. I knew it had been at least a couple of days since I showered or changed, so I did as I was told. Grabbing the bag of clothes, I went to the bathroom.

Once I figured out how to turn on the shower, I washed quickly. I tenderly attended to the back of my head that was still sore from whatever I had been hit with. Getting out of the shower, I wrapped myself in a towel before grabbing the bag I was given. I opened the bag. Inside were a pair of leggings, a flowy top, some undergarments, a sweater, and some toiletries. Having no other choice than to put my other clothes back on, I dressed quickly and wrapped my hair up in the towel. I brushed my teeth and put some lotion on. Now that I was clean, I was feeling a little better. I let my now only damp hair down from the towel and brushed it out gently so that I didn’t pull where the cut was healing. I pulled my long locks into a bun on my head and exited the bathroom. I sat on the bed, waiting for John or Kol to return.

Liam

It had been three days since Azalea was taken, and we had no idea where she was. I was going out of my mind, and Gavin was more anxious than I was.

I paced the floor of my office, thinking. Where could Azalea be? What was happening to her? I could feel her fear and sadness through our link, but I was not feeling any pain. I hoped that meant she was not being harmed. A knock came at the door.

“What!” I yelled, turning to the door. Lily stood in the doorway with a stern look on her face.

“Liam, Declan asked to speak to you. He said it can’t wait any longer.”

“Fine,” I said. I should have spoken with him days ago when Azalea was first taken, but I have been putting it off trying to search for my mate.

The door opened all the way, and Declan came in, followed by Damien and Lily. I sat down at my desk, motioning for him to sit down. Declan and Lily sat down with Damien standing behind Lily.

There was a tense silence before he began. “I don’t know where Azalea was taken, but I do suspect I know who has her.”

“We already know who has her. That John guy who has been stalking her at the Inn for more than a year now!” I shot at him.

“Don’t be so sure. I think this hunter was only a means to an end,” he replied calmly.

“Means to what end? Who has her then?” I barked. Damien growled.

“Damien, it is okay. If someone took Lily, you would be acting the same. Liam, I believe your cousin has Azalea.”

“My cousin? I don’t have any cousins. One of my father’s brothers died shortly after he became Alpha, my uncle’s mate was not capable of bearing children, and my mother’s sister has never found her mate!”

“That is not entirely true,” he said, still very calm. “Yes, your father’s brother did die, but we don’t know exactly when. And, you do not know the circumstances. Your uncle almost died trying to claim the title of Alpha from your father. You have a cousin that is about your age. He was born only a couple of months before you,” he explained.

“I don’t remember having a cousin; surely I would remember that,” I interrupted.

“You probably haven’t seen him since you were about three years old. At that time, your uncle and father started having issues. Your uncle was always jealous of your father. He did not think your father deserved the title of Alpha even though he was the firstborn. Arguably, your uncle showed much greater potential for the position growing up. He shifted early, he found his mate early, he was even stronger than your father for a while.

But your father was first born, so he was given the title of Alpha. When you were about five years old, the animosity finally started coming to a head. Your uncle had spent less time at the packhouse and training but was plotting against your father in secret. When your father found out, he put a stop to everything, but there was some fallout.”

“I don’t understand how this relates to Azalea,” I said, confused.

“Azalea’s parents were part of your uncle’s plan. He had a small sect of werewolves following him and supporting his overthrow of your father. Some of these wolves came from other packs and integrated into ours. Azalea’s father found his mate in a different pack. She was the daughter of the current Alpha in her pack. Her twin brother was to take the Alpha position, so she agreed to come to our pack to be with her mate.”

“Wait a minute; Azalea is of Alpha b***d?”

“Yes, she is. And it makes sense that she would be the mate of an Alpha. Her family is said to have incredible power. Because her father was an avid supporter of your uncle, her mother never got to make many friends within the pack. Your uncle and his followers stuck together and were very secretive. Many of them also refrained from having pups so that they would have fewer weak spots to be exploited when it came time for their coup. But Azalea’s mother was of Alpha b***d, and that allowed her to become pregnant more easily. Azalea was born shortly after you and your cousin. Her father and your uncle agreed that their children would become Alpha and Luna when the time came.”

“They can’t do that! What were they going to do about their mates?” I said, appalled.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Who knows? This was an arranged marriage for strength and power. As you know, Azalea’s parents died when your uncle tried to take the pack from your father. Because of the circumstances surrounding their death and no one in the pack being close with Azalea’s parents except the other defectors, no one could take in Azalea. I tried desperately to find her guardians. We could not take her in. You know that my mate is human, and our pups were more than she could handle at the time. Your father and mother reluctantly took responsibility for her. We both know they were not happy about it. I think your father’s greatest fear was that she would be your mate.”

“So, what happened to my cousin and my uncle?”

“Your uncle was hurt and ran away to become a rogue. I can only assume he took your cousin with him. Your uncle’s mate was killed in the fallout, so I cannot imagine he survived long,” Declan finished.

“So, you think my cousin has taken Azalea?” He nodded his head.

“I think he is going to try to mate her, mark her, and take your Alpha title. I think he has taken her to draw you out and get you riled up before he proceeds.” I looked at Damien with wide eyes.

“Get my uncle now!” I linked him. Damien immediately left the room, earning a confused look from his father and Lily.

“Thank you, Declan. I appreciate your candor. There is something I need to attend to immediately. If you could excuse us,” I said, standing and motioning for the door. “Lily, can you stay for a moment?”

Declan stood to leave. “Your father misplaced his malice towards his brother for years at that girl. But do try to understand; he never wanted to fight his brother.” With that, he left my office.

As soon as the door shut, Lily piped up. “Liam, what will happen if another wolf mates her before you have marked her? You already have a permanent link!”

“I don’t know. Damien is getting my uncle now. I will have to tell him what happened. We have to get to Azalea before he can mark her.”