Chapter 37: Paying His Debt

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Chapter 37

Around a week after I woke up from my coma, Thane allowed me to move around on my own.

Since I woke up, he's been taking care of me none stop even though I could tell he was exhausted and still recovering from his death experience. Every night I would wake up to see him wide awake and looking as if he was ready to fight anyone who dared to harm me and our baby.

And I would always have to coax him to go to sleep.

I appreciated his protectiveness but he was starting to worry me when I noticed how tired he looked day by day.

He made sure I was comfortable every second of the day by having my meals brought to me in bed, ensuring doctor Adler was only seconds away and keeping an eye on me whenever I moved a muscle.

When he finally gave me back my independence, my first request was to go visit our fallen friends' graves.

I picked sixty-two pink carnations from the garden in the backyard before Thane and I drove to where they buried pack members.

The cemetery was a huge piece of land that went on for miles and miles since generations of wolves have been laid to rest here.

The area was absolutely quiet and serene with a feeling of peace.

Thane wrapped his arm around me as we approached the graves that were freshly placed and I couldn't help but feel agony from both my own emotions and Thane's.

Thane knew these people his entire life and I could tell he was affected by their deaths much more than he was leading on.

I've only known them for a few months but they were family. They accepted me whole heartedly without reservations and treated me with respect. And what happened in return? My lunatic of an ex-boyfriend came along to their home and slaughtered them.

There was no way I would every forgive myself for that day but for their sake, I would try to live for them all and protect the pack from any other person who tried to harm us.

I soaked in each wolves' name to memory as I placed a carnation on each of their grave.

When I stood before Delilah's grave, I broke down. I fell to my knees before her head stone as I recalled our brief but strong friendship.

Thane disappeared as he gave me a moment alone to try and gather my thoughts and have a moment to thank them all.

"I'm sorry to all of you." I wiped my tears away and went on, "If I hadn't been brought here or if I was a better Luna then maybe you all would be here today with your families. I should've been there that day to protect you all and I wasn't and for that I'm truly sorry. I just wished I could have protected you all as you all protected me."

A gentle sweep of the wind was my only response and I hoped that if they could hear me and forgive me for putting them in danger.

I closed my eyes and sent a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess to watch over their souls. After saying my peace, I rose to my feet and dust my pants off before I heard a voice behind me,

"You can't blame yourself forever." Thane gently said.

"Maybe I can."

"Emery-"

I cut him off, "I really don't want to fight with you but I'm not going to blame myself fully. It was partially my fault but I know that in order to heal I need to forgive, even if it's myself. But something in me will forever hold myself accountable."

I turned towards him, right into his open arms, "You're as stubborn as a mule." He smirked.

"Then let's hope our baby comes out like you." I whispered as Thane's focus shifted to my little bump.

I was about four weeks pregnant but considering werewolf babies grow at twice the speed, it was equivalent to being eight weeks along.

"He'll be a little bit of the both of us." Thane pecked my lips before he lead us back to the jeep.

As I buckled up, I turned to face Thane, "I think it's time we go visit him."

He gave me a weary look, "I don't think you're ready yet."

"I've been ready since I woke up. You can't keep me from facing him forever Thane."

"I just think that you should rest some more before you decide what has to happen." He sighed.

I took his hand into my own, "I know what has to be done. He took our friends and family from us..."

He looked out the windshield at the cemetery before looking back at me, "Are you sure you want to do this today?"

I nodded without hesitation, "We've been keeping him around for longer that necessary. I could already tell some of the pack members are getting agitated."

He nodded and started to engine, "Then to the Crypt it is."

~~~

Thane's grip on my hand was tight as he lead us down the harrowing steps into the long corridor that lead to where he was keeping Jake.

His body was visibly tense and his jaw was set.

I knew that it was no easy feat for him to walk in there and not want to rip Jake to pieces but I had some questions for the murderer before he could die.

Thane surprisingly pulled me into a hallway to the left instead of leading us to the giant silver door that lead to the imprisoned rogues. I suppose that made sense since he never wanted me to step inside that room filled with wild rogues again.

"This is typically where we keep our most dangerous threat but since we haven't had a rogue in here for ages, we kept him in here instead. Though he wouldn't be able to get out of a simple room under my guards' eyes." Thane explained with a menacing smirk as we stopped in front of a heavily guarded silver door that was protected by thick silver bars that were mounted to right side of the wall.

"Alpha. Luna." The five guards greeted us before stepping aside to let us through.

Not letting go of my hand, Thane used his other to type in an eight digit code into a keypad on the wall before a screen above switched to some sort of scanner. He lowered his face closer to the screen before opening his right eye and allowing the green laser lights to scan his retina.

Wow! I had no idea that the pack went to such measures to hold their hostages. And I thought the silver door with the other rogues were much.

As soon as the high-tech security system analysed Thane's retina, the large steel beams shifted back into the wall and allowed entry to the silver door.

One of the guard stepped forward and unlocked the door with a set of keys before pushing it open with gloved hands. He handed something off to Thane but I didn't catch what it was before Thane tucked it under his t-shirt.

Before I could question what it was, Thane pulled me into the well lit room behind him as I nodded at the guards in appreciation.

As soon as I walked it, I was hit with the pungent smell of, body odor, human feces, blood and stale food.

Needless to say, I felt like vomiting.

I looked around the inside of the room to see that it was made up of large grey concrete walls that were lined with silver bars that illustrated something like a jail cell, even though the silver couldn't do our particularly human prisoner any harm.

The space was substantial but held nothing except for a few florescent bulbs over head, a single chair off to the left side of the room and four guards who immediately left and closed the door behind them.

Besides that, the only other thing was a chained up Jake who sat on the floor opposite of where we stood. His clothes were torn to pieces, blood covered his skin and he was slumped over. However he didn't appear to be harmed in anyway. There was paper plate of a half eaten sandwich which appeared to be growing fungi from the looks of it.

When the door shut, his sinister eyes looked up at us. It was only when I saw his face, that I realized that someone got their hands on him.

He had a black right eye from where someone must have punched him, there were dried blood under his nose and his lower lip was swollen red and split.

Despite all this, he still managed to grin at us with an evil glint in his eyes.

The way he smiled sent a chill of uneasiness down my spine and Thane's grip tighten on my hand.

'He's only trying to scare you.' Thane sent an assuring mind link to me.

"Can't say I'm surprised to see you both alive." Jake coughed out. "This really is some magical shit town isn't it?"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust at his state.

"A town you almost destroyed." I hissed through clenched teeth.

"Semantics." He mocked as he lifted his right hand up to wave me off but the chains attached to his wrist prevented him from completing the action.

I felt the anger boiling within me as I glared at him, "You marched everyone here and now they're all dead."

His expression quickly shifted to distaste and irritation, "Don't get it tied up pumpkin, it was your dogs that killed all my men. Most of which you've known your whole life or did you forget?"

I don't know what made me do what I did next, maybe it was him blaming the pack for what happened or him calling them dogs. But with in a second, I released Thane's hand and stepped across the room until I smacked his across the face.

My hand stung after I released that pent up anger but the look of pure shock and the red imprint of my hand across his face made it all worth it.

I knelt down to his level on the ground as a small smile tugged on the edge of my lips.

I pointed my index finger at him as I dropped my voice to a low menacing tone, "Don't you ever, and I mean ever blame my pack for what you caused."

"I must say you've grown a lot of balls since becoming a dog owner." Jake spat in rage.

I shrugged, "Something you've never had."

I heard Thane snicker behind me but I kept my focus on the disgrace before me.

Jake's jaw tense and his hands reflexively shot out to grab me but the chains yanked his arms back as Thane released a feral growl and immediately had me pulled back to my feet and away from Jake.

"I got this." I assured Thane as I looked back at Jake whose eyes were planed on my small baby bump.

"So you slept with the dog?" He accused appalled.

"Oh but didn't you as well?" Thane asked rhetorically as he drew his eyebrows together in mock confusion.

Jake's bloodshot eyes shifted to Thane, "As you can probably tell from my ex, I'm into flesh not fur. Most admit it Emery in my sheets were-"

Before he could even finish that sentence, Thane punched him square in the jaw before pulling his fist back only to slam it into Jake's left eye.

Hell, I should have done that instead of slapping him.

"Don't fucking talk about my wife like that." Thane fumed in anger.

"Why not? It's pretty fun seeing you all riled up." Jake grinned through his bloody face before he spat some blood out near Thane's shoe. "Plus it's not like I would have ever touched her anyways."

Thane swung his fist again and I heard the tell tale sign of Jake's nose breaking.

But he just sat there and laughed as he tried and failed miserably to wipe off the blood from his nose.

"We have a few questions we'd like you to answer." Thane began but Jake's laughter just got louder.

"I'm as good as dead anyways dog so you might as well just kill me and get it over with because I'm not telling you anything." Jake grinned up at us.

I knew he wouldn't have spoken this easily, which is why I had a trick up my sleeve.

"Tell him." I spoke up as my hands itched to drag Jake to hell. "Tell him about who he's been sleeping with."

Thane smirked as Jake's eyes grew weary, "That girl you've been knocking around with...what's her name Jake?"

His eyes flickered with an underlying fire as his body tensed up and I knew that was his weakness.

I walked over to Thane's side. "Abigail isn't it." I stated as I noticed Jake's jaw twitch.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Jake snapped rather hastily.

"Oh pumpkin," I used the slimy endearment he always called me, back at him, "I'm afraid we know more about her than you do."

Jake briskly scrambled up from his seat on the ground as he used the wall and his chains as support to keep him upright, "I swear if you don't shut your mouth, I'll-"

"You'll what? Put a bullet through me? Been there, done that. Remember?" I seethed. "Plus it isn't like you're in any position to make threats." I gestured to the enclosed room and his chains.

He seemed to think that over as he reconsidered what he was about to say.

"She doesn't have anything to do with this, I swear." Jake stuttered like a fool in love.

I turned to Thane as I threw on a good cop, bad cop act and rhetorically asked, "Think he's telling the truth?"

Thane pretended to ponder my question as he looked at me, "Hmm, I don't exactly think so love."

I shrugged, "Neither do I."

"I am!" He yelled at us in a panic. "Please Emery, listen to me, she hasn't done anything. She's a human from another state. Just leave her alone, please..."

I gazed over at him with a smirk, "Now you see we could..."

"But I'm afraid we can't unless you tell us everything." Thane finished my sentence.

"I'm not telling you shit." He snarled.

I rose my eyebrows in a questioning manner, "Is that really what you're going to choose Jake? Secrets over Abigail."

"You'll never get to her." He said with conviction.

I turned to Thane who took the lead.

"Well then I suppose we should just bring her in. Dead or alive is the question though." Thane shrugged in indifference.

"You're bluffing." He called us out.

I turned to face him with a serious expression as I clicked my tongue against my teeth, "Now, now, don't be so sure. Thane can bring in her head for you if you decide to be uncooperative."

"Her blonde hair and blue eyes would brighten up this room a bit." Thane mused.

Jake's looked at me nervously and I shrugged, "I suppose he has a point."

The calm demeanor that he sported all through out the conversation took a complete one-eighty turn as he tried to lurched for me.

His hands were only centimeters away from my face before the chains tugged him back fiercely towards the wall.

Thane's hands protectively pushed me back a couple inches before he growled, "You better start talking before I take Abigail apart piece by piece."

I really hoped this idiot was going to talk because we didn't have Abigail anywhere in our possession.

I tried to keep my confident stance intact as Jake looked at the both of us before peering down at his bruising wrists from the chain.

"I-i-if I talk...you'll leave her alone? Take her back to Fairbairn?" He pleaded.

I quickly nodded, "She'll be safe."

And I honestly hopped that she would be wherever she ran off to.

He look defeated as his eyes avoided our gaze, "Fine, what do you want to know."

Before I could articulate my first question, Thane beat me to it.

"Did you ever love Emery?" He probed with an edge to his voice.

Jake and I were both taken aback by Thane's out of topic question.

"You threatened my girlfriend's life to ask stupid questions?" Jake was outraged as he glowered at Thane.

"Just answer the question." Thane goaded him.

Jake theatrically rolled his eyes at us before he finally let in, "I didn't. When we were in high school I knew she would be apart of the ritual because of her age. We were always good friends so I convinced her that we had a thing. I only dated her to gain her trust so that she would allow me to implant a tracking device in her arm. I didn't know she would've been taken but it was worth a shot."

I blinked at him slowly as I tried to process what he just admitted, "You're psychotic! I can't believe you made me believe we loved each other just so you could stick a chip in me!"

The anger burned bright within me. I wasn't angry that he never loved me, I was angry at the the fact that he manipulated my emotions.

What kind of person did that?

Oh, wait...Jake was that kind of person.

I felt sick at his crazy revelation as I saw Thane's knuckles turning white from the tight fist his hands were in.

I reached out and took his left hand in between my own, "It's a good thing I never loved you either."

And it was true, despite being with Jake, I had never felt even a fraction of what I felt for Thane.

"Clearly your tastes have lowered." Jake provoked.

"If you weren't already going to be dead, I would have bitten your head off already." Thane barked at him before he opened his fist and interlaced our fingers.

"All bark but no bite." Jake kept instigating Thane's anger on.

I held Thane's body in place before he beat Jake unconscious and I couldn't ask my questions.

"Why'd you do it Jake? You must have known you would have lost the fight." I mused.

"Ahh, now some interesting topics." He smirked. "Well you see Emery, the only thing that I knew would make me loose was if your man dog here lived. I knew I would have been able to shoot him, which I did. But I didn't exactly expect him to come back from the dead either. Maybe I should have shot him twice."

Definitely a psycho.

"So you brought them all here knowing that there was a chance of them all dying? I knew you were insane but Jake you lead them to their death beds!" I hurled accusations at him.

He said nothing as his gaze fixed on his feet.

Thane's body was rigid beside my own as his clipped tone caught Jake's attention, "Was there anyone else in town who knew your plans?"

Jake didn't utter a sound and Thane finally snapped.

"Answer the god damn question before I drag Abigail in here!"

That quickly had Jake's mouth open and spewing words like a water fountain. "I told the group of hunters to keep it quiet, but I'm sure they must have told their families. The only person I know of who didn't show up here and knew what was happening was my dad."

Then something clicked.

"You spent your life trying to prove yourself to him." I reflectively murmured. "You finally found the beast and even to this day he still thinks you're nothing but useless."

Thane gave me a quizzical expression as Jake's eyes glowered at me.

"My father is nothing but a washed up old hunter who couldn't do the simplest thing." Jake's try tone held an underlying iceberg of anger.

I cleared my throat before I voiced my speculations, "You and your father never got along Jake. Everyone in town knew that. You may not have loved me back then but you confided in me on more than one occasion. You always told me how your father thought you were going to be just another unsuccessful hunter." After a moment's reflection I calmly stated the facts, "That's why you did it. To prove him wrong. Of course you wanted the pack dead but it was always more for you. You wanted the glory of being the 'beast slayer' to the town and your father."

My declaration made Jake acidly silent. That only proved that theory was indeed true.

"You gathered everyone to come here and then your father must have said no. He must have thought that you were delusional for going after the beast after what happened to your grandfather." I mockingly laughed, "You'd think that the hunters would have learnt their lesson that time. Your father wouldn't be proud Jake. He never wanted to hurt the beast and you know that. He just wanted answers."

"He was the delusional one thinking that he could just sit out on his porch until the beast waltz along." Jake fumed. "I found you guys out. I know everything that's been happening

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