Kane POV

Leaving Knox at the bar felt like a punch to the gut, but I knew it was best to let him drink himself into a stupor. He was hurting, and despite my own frustration and anger, I understood why he was struggling. This mess was all my fault. It sucked, there was no other word for it. But was it keeping Charlotte and our pups safe? Yes. Would I make the same choice again? I would like to think so, but honestly, knowing how hard being parted would be, I knew I would choose to be weak and selfish.

"Then let's go get her." Rolo growled. The force of his command at the back of my eyes forced them to close painfully.

"No. We need to see this through." I whined, but my hand was already moving into the inner pocket of my suit, pulling my phone out. I closed my eyes tighter to force control and keep Rolo from doing the one thing I wasn't brave enough to do.

Call our girl!

Not a month ago, we stood beside her, holding her hand as we watched a monitor while she had an unexpected ultrasound scan. She had called us to her pack's doctor's office after days of light spotting. It was clear we were unwelcome, not just by Charlotte and Chase but by the doctor who stood beside her. Without compassion, he expressed concern that the stress of our betrayal was not good for Charlotte or our pups.

That was the last time we had visited her. We get weekly updates via text from Liam or Adam, but she has made it very clear that this was all too hard for her, and she felt that it was for the best that we stayed away.

Something we hated, but respected. At least until the time came for her to come home safely. So as I walked out of the White Flag, I fully understood Knox's anger. We had hoped to still see our girl in secret, but now we were cut off from her like one might cut off an infected limb.

"Fuck!" I snapped as I kicked at the dirt floor. The cool afternoon air hit me, but it did little to clear my mind. Deciding there was only one thing that would clear it, I looked down at my phone. Charlotte's beautiful face hovered over the contact info, she was smiling at the camera, her eyes bright with no trace of pain or loss.

"Do it." Rolo taunted as my finger hovered over the call button as I fought an inner battle with myself. I wanted to respect her decision, but the need to hear her sweet voice was crazy strong.

"Kane Maddox, why isn't your brother answering me?" Connie's shrill voice cut through my head, pulling a sigh from my throat. I pulled my car door open and slid inside. All thoughts of ringing Charlotte were suddenly replaced with a need to find a way to lower the volume on this witch.

"Maybe he is busy." I shrugged as I put my phone in its dock, my lips lifting on seeing Charlotte's face light up my screen.

"Busy? I am his mate." She yelped, and even without seeing her, I knew those lips would be pouting, her foot tapping in anger. She was so very predictable.

"Unfortunately," Rolo booed in the back of my mind.

"Unfortunately, she is predictable... Or our mate?" I asked Rolo with a smirk, deciding that if I was in a foul mood, he should be too.

"BOTH!" He boomed before sinking back into his cage and simmering down.

"I will take you shopping," I announced, through the link. "I will meet you at the mall." I cut her off, not wanting to get into another conversation with her over how, now that she was our mate, and she believed that she was entitled to every second of our time... and ounce of sanity.

"I wanted to go with Knox, Kane. I am sick of this shit."

"Me too." I muttered back, although I was pretty sure we were both sick of very different things.

"Can you not make him take me?" Her reply came back almost instantly, laced with anger and disappointment.

"If I had that superpower, Connie, believe me, I would use it. Now are you meeting me there or not? Because if you would rather go with.."

"No. I will see you there in twenty. Bring your gold card." She snapped before disconnecting the link. I sighed, rubbing my temples. This wasn't her fault, she truly believed we liked her, wanted her and somehow loved her. She didn't pick this, but damn, she wasn't making it any easier either. I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, my thoughts a tangled mess.

As I drove, the familiar ache of missing Charlotte crept in. I tried to push it down, but it was no use. She was always there, in the back of my mind, a constant reminder of what we had lost. Knox and I both felt it, but he was drowning in it, while I was just trying to stay afloat. For my pack, my family and what little sanity I had left.

I parked at the mall and took a deep breath, rubbing my eyes feeling my father trying to link through to me. I wasn't in the mood for him right now. I already had one pain in the ass to deal with without a second worming its way into my free time. Without a second thought, I cut him from my mind and locked him out. He may be my alpha, but after discovering his stunts with Knox growing up, I owed him shit all in my free time.

Rolling my lips between my teeth, I tried to steady the storm brewing within me. My hands rubbed up and down the steering wheel to try and self-soothe myself, the beats within me. But honestly, the week's events were catching up with me and it was only Wednesday afternoon. Looking up at my phone as it beeped with a message, no doubt from my father.

[Sperm Donor: 'Alpha Matteo and others have contacted me. They aren't willing to give their support until they get more from you and Knox. Do you think you can get him on board?']

Glaring at the phone as if my father might materialize from the screen, my lips curled over my teeth as anger ate at my spine. Unable to hold back, I lunged for the phone, my fingers working over the keypad quickly.

[Me: 'Yep and while I am at it, I will solve world hunger.']

I shot back quickly and watched to see him typing just as quickly.

[Sperm Donor: 'No need to be sarcastic son, that's not going to help, is it?']

I felt my teeth clench painfully as my fingers worked out a reply. I didn't even bother to re-read before I hit send.

[Me: 'Are you seriously lecturing ME on being helpful, given everything you have done to 'HELP' Knox?']

Again, I sat back and chewed on my gums, the only thing I could do to keep myself from turning this car around and kicking my father's ass. I wanted to blame him for Knox's pain, but I knew deep down my father's decisions had nothing to do with Knox's current fragile state of mind. But, being angry with him made it easier for me, at least at the moment.

[Sperm donor: 'I thought we were over this, I won't apologize again.']

"Or at all." I roared as I threw my phone onto the back seat, letting my emotions rule me. Looking up into the mirror, I watched my eyes fill with unshed tears. Unable to suck them down a moment longer, I let them rain down my face. My lips crumbled with my resolve as I let out soul-crushing sobs. My body trembled with the force of the pain I had been holding in.

'Charlotte. I need you!" I sobbed her name out like it was a damn lifeline... And the truth was, she was.

Mike POV

The chains clanked against the metal beams of the ceiling as I shifted my weight, trying once again to test the strength of my restraints. I had been here for months, my attempts at escape growing more desperate and futile with each passing day. My muscles screamed in protest, but the chains held, mocking my efforts. I was trapped, and I knew it. Yet, every fiber of my being compelled me to keep trying, to keep fighting.

Anthony was somewhere in this hellhole too, though we were rarely in the same place at the same time. When he was being "dealt with," as Alpha Leigh liked to call it, I was left hanging, literally. And when it was my turn, Anthony was the one left to his own nightmares. We had no time together to plan or to reassure each other. Even if we had been, we were always gagged and silenced. Leigh wasn't taking any chances this time.

I heard the door creak open, and my heart pounded in my chest. It was my visitor. She never announced herself, but I always knew when she was there. The air seemed to get colder, more suffocating. I hated her, but I also longed for these visits. They were the only moments when I wasn't completely alone.

She approached with a mocking smile, her eyes glittering with cruel delight. She grabbed the chains, and using her body weight, she swung around them like a stripper on a pole. Pain shot through my shoulders as the chains twisted and tightened. I gritted my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

"Hello, Michael," she purred, her voice dripping with malice. "Miss me?"

I glared at her, my jaw clenched. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of a reply, not that I could with the gag still in place. She spun around me again, the chains groaning under the strain.

"I've been thinking about you," she continued. "Wondering what goes on in that stubborn head of yours. So full of defiance, even now." She stopped spinning and faced me, her face inches from mine. Her breath was hot and rancid, and I fought the urge to recoil.

"I have some questions for you," she conveyed, reaching up to unfasten the gag. "But don't piss your panties too much, Michael. These aren't the kind of questions Alpha Leigh asks... You know those that make you cry like a little girl." The gag fell away, and I took a deep, ragged breath, my mouth dry and sore. 

"What do you want?" I rasped, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I want to know about Lottie." She smiled a cold, predatory smile. My heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name. Lottie. My Lottie. Memories of her flooded my mind, bittersweet and painful. I said nothing, trying to mask the turmoil inside me. I had fucked up there, and I knew it.

"Come on, Michael," she taunted, tugging on the chains again. "You were a couple, weren't you? You must know everything about her." I remained silent, my mind racing. What was she trying to get at? What did she want with Lottie?

"What's her favorite color?" she asked, her tone deceptively casual. I swallowed hard, eyeing the figure before me. I had to give her something, anything. Or this would last all day, and although I had the time, the idea of this bitch's company all day was too much to bear.

"Blue," I said reluctantly. "It's blue."

"And her favorite meal?" she pressed as she began to pick at her nails like she was not reveling in the control she had right now, and no doubt getting turned on like the bitch I knew her to be.

"Spaghetti," I muttered, hating myself for giving her anything. She nodded as if filing the information away. 

"What about her favorite movie?"

"The Princess Bride." I hesitated, then sighed. She clapped her hands together, a gleeful expression on her face. 

"Good, good. Now we're getting somewhere."

"Why do you care?" I snapped, my anger flaring. "What does it matter to you?" Her smile widened as she looked at me like one might look at a dying animal you have just hit with your car. Her eyes filled with pity, remorse and anger at the fact you now have to get your damn car cleaned. She hated me, but we both knew she needed me, or she wouldn't be down here digging through my brain. 

"Oh, it matters, Michael. It matters a lot. You see, I want to know everything about Lottie. Her favorite song, her pet peeves, her deepest fears. Everything." I felt a chill run down my spine. 

"Why?" I demanded. "Why do you want to know?" She leaned in close, her eyes boring into mine as she tugged on the chains, my lips thinning from the pain that shot through my body. 

"Because, Michael," she whispered, "I want to hurt her. And the more I know, the more I can make her suffer." My blood ran cold. This wasn't just about me or Anthony anymore. This was about Lottie, and the thought of her being hurt because of me was unbearable. From what I had heard, she had suffered enough already.

"Please," I begged, my voice breaking. "Leave her out of this." She laughed, a cruel, heartless sound. 

"Oh, Michael, you should know by now. There's no leaving anyone out of this." I closed my eyes, feeling a tear slip down my cheek. I was powerless, chained and broken, and now my past was being used to hurt the person I loved most. I had to find a way out of this. 

Realizing she had been quite a while, I opened my eyes to see she had taken a phone call, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something else in her eyes. She glanced at the screen and sighed, her whole demeanor shifting. She slumped down on a chair, her earlier playfulness and menace dissolving into something closer to anger and frustration. 

I opened my mouth to taunt her, but decided better of it. For now, I could breathe easily and my chapped and sore lips had a moment of respite from that fucking gag.

I watched her closely, curiosity piqued by this sudden change. Her eyes glossed over as she began to mindlink someone. Her hand tightened around the phone. I could hear it screeching under the pressure. Whatever was happening at the other end of that call, was not good. 

Suddenly, the tension in her hand eased, and she turned her gaze back to me. Our eyes met, and for a second, I saw something raw and vulnerable in her expression, until her mask slipped back into place.

"Gotta go, lover boy," she giggled, her voice dripping with mockery. "I will see you soon... OK? Think of me."

She skipped towards the door, but then paused, shaking her head as if she'd forgotten something important. 

"Silly me," she laughed, returning to me with that dark, predatory look in her eyes. She placed the gag back in my mouth, her fingers brushing against my lips. I hated her more than I'd ever hated anyone, yet there was a part of me that craved these moments of interaction, twisted as they were.

"Can't have people knowing that I am visiting, can we?" she grinned, her face inches from mine. "Then my visits would have to stop." She winked, a gesture that felt like a knife twisting in my gut. With that, she left me alone in the darkness. 

The door slammed shut behind her, and I was left to wallow in the shit I'd found myself in. The chains were cold against my skin, a constant reminder of my captivity and as much as I tried to ignore the pain and focus on something else, anything else, my mind kept drifting back to Lottie and the hope that she could one day forgive me. Maybe not enough to love me again, but enough to not want to see me dead.

I can't let this woman use what she knows against Lottie. I have to stay strong, for her sake. But the fear gnawed at me, relentless and unforgiving. How long can I hold out? How long before I break and give her everything she wants?

I closed my eyes, trying to block out the darkness, the pain, the hopelessness. All I could do was wait, and hope that somehow, someway, I'll find a way out of this. 

For Lottie, and for myself.

Kane's POV

Sitting in the car, I couldn't stop the sobs that wracked my body. My body felt like it was overheating, slamming my finger on the window roll-down button so aggressively I thought it might break under my digit. For the past ten minutes, I'd been a pathetic mess, my chest aching with every breath. Glancing in the rearview mirror, I saw my red, puffy eyes and tear-streaked face. I looked weak, and the sight embarrassed me. Wiping my face with a tissue I found in the glove box, I let out a long, shuddering breath. 

"Shit." I sighed as the memory of the frenzied texts I'd sent my father earlier made me cringe. I never let emotions rule me. I knew my father had royally messed up, not just by making deals with demons and hiding it from Knox, but his unmovable stance on not discussing it any further wasn't helping anyone, least of all Knox.

I rummaged through the backseat for my phone and found it lodged between the seat cushions. Hesitating for a moment, I sent a quick text to my father: 

[ME: 'Sorry, hard few hours. I am on it.']

But the truth was, I wasn't on it. I had no idea how I would get Knox to straighten up. He was spiralling out of control, drinking too much, causing havoc. And somehow, the responsibility of the pack had fallen squarely on my shoulders.

Knox was my twin, but it felt like we were worlds apart lately. He'd become a ticking time bomb, and I was left trying to pick up the pieces. Connie, my so-called mate, was another issue. She was demanding, constantly needing reassurance, and her presence was a constant reminder of everything I'd lost. Add the situation with the other alphas in the surrounding packs and how they expected leadership and stability from Knox AND me, and my sanity felt ready to up and fuck off at any moment.

I glanced down at my phone, feeling a small wave of relief wash over me at the sight of Charlotte's image. I still had her picture set on my home screen, even though I knew I should change it before Connie noticed. But the thought of erasing that last piece of our connection was too much to bear. I ran my finger over the image, a familiar mix of guilt, loneliness, and regret gnawing at my insides.

Unable to resist the urge, I dialled Adam's number. Charlotte's brother might have some news about her and the pups she carried. The pups I should've been there for. The phone rang twice before Adam picked up, his voice guarded.

"Yep, you have Adam." Adam's stern voice came through the phone, and for once, I found myself speechless; no warmth streaked his tone, just a statement of fact. I struggled to find the words to ask about Charlotte, but Adam's harsh tone cut me off.

"I haven't got all day, you know that, right?" he snapped. I swallowed my pain and forced myself to speak. 

"I need to know why Sebastian wasn't at the meeting today. It was for all alphas. Sebastian was supposed to be there. The last I heard, your uncle was delegating tasks to him." A lie, and given the dark chuckle that slipped through the line, Adam knew this wasn't my genuine reason for calling. There was a pause, and I could almost hear Adam's hesitation. 

"There's been a change," he finally stated, his voice still devoid of warmth. He didn't go into detail, and the lack of information spiked my apprehension.

"A change? What kind of change, Adam?" I pressed, my mind racing. "Why wasn't I informed? Are the Lycan's cutting us off? Are they against us now?" The questions spewed from my lips as panic licked at my spine. It would make sense after everything that happened with Charlotte. The drama and heartbreak all seemed to be leading up to this moment of isolation. The silence on the other end of the line was almost unbearable.

"You're not being cut off," Adam replied, though his voice was tight. The fact that he wasn't using my name let me know my girl was close by. My ears prickled with Rolo's presence as he desperately tried to hear her sweet voice. 

"But things are different now. With everything that's happened, there are some adjustments being made." Adam replied coolly, the sound of the refrigerator opening sifting through the phone.

"Adjustments?" I echoed, my frustration growing. "What does that even mean?"

"It means," Adam expressed, his tone hardening, "that my uncle is taking a more hands-on approach. Sebastian isn't ready to lead, and until someone is, my uncle will be making the decisions." He announced with a sigh.

"Someone?" I asked, my lips curling upwards as pride exploded within me. He meant Charlotte. 

"Yes. Until he... or she is ready. Now, is that all?" He asked, goading me to ask about Charlotte, the reason we both knew I had called. 

"Eat this." I heard Adam bark as the sound of china being placed on a table filtered through the phone. 

"Do I look like a rabbit?" I heard Charlotte bark; the sound of the plate sliding across the table quickly made me smile.

"Veg?" I asked, my lips twisting into a smile.

"Broccoli. Her iron levels are low." Adam replied as the muffled sound of the phone being held to him cut off whatever he replied to my girl. My stomach ached to hear her again.

"If you try to feed me any more of this shit, Adam, I am going to shove this stalk so far down your throat you will shit enough trees to populate a forest of your own. Am I clear?" I heard my girl, sass.

"SHE is impossible," Adam snarled down the phone to me.

"Sweet potatoes. She likes them." I whispered, feeling my eyes prickle with hot, salty tears.

"How about sweet potatoes?" I heard Adam ask Charlotte.

"Yes, please, with mayo..." Her voice eased my heart, but when it vanished, it ached all over again.

"Me too." I heard Chase chime in.

"Me three," Liam added, and I fought the urge to laugh hearing Adam growl. 

"You fuckers can make your own. Unless you're pregnant too..." I knew without seeing Charlotte that she would be smiling happily. Surrounded by the family, she always craved.

"I will let you go." I sighed, wishing more than anything I was there with them. 

"One second," Adam grunted before the sound of a door closing, indicating that he had left the room.

"She is ok, Kane. You are welcome to..."

"No, it's for the best. Doctors orders.. No stress.. And me... Well, I am stress." I acknowledged. "But I do miss her. If you get a chance, I would love a picture of her... I bet she is getting big."

"Takes up all the room on the cuddle chair; not sure how much longer Chase will be able to nest in with her in the evenings before she crushes him." 

"I wouldn't let her hear you say that." I laughed. The image of the four of them playing happy families made me happy for her. But deep down, I resented that it wasn't me. Who I resented, I wasn't sure, but I did.

"You will see her for yourself at Connie's ball." My grip tightened on the phone, sure I had heard him wrong.

"What?" I asked, my mouth suddenly dry. "Why is she coming? She should be resting." I snapped, not sure how I felt about my precious Charlotte anywhere near Connie and her poison. 

"She is adamant, and what she wants... Chase makes sure she gets. And I am not saying no to that fucker... Sorry, Kane. She will be there." I closed my eyes and nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see me. 

"Remember, you are always welcome here if it's to see her or speak with your pups. They respond to Chase every time. The fucker is like the baby whisperer." Adam replied when I couldn't find my words. I pursed my lips to thank him, but the phone was snatched from my hands before I could.