Chapter 6 Meeting Him

• Caitlyn's POV:
• The man kicked me again, each blow harder than the last, as though I was the source of all his rage. I curled up, hands wrapped around my head, feeling every strike but powerless to stop it.
• He grabbed my arm and yanked up my sleeve, revealing the needle marks that dotted my skin like scars of a life I no longer controlled. His eyes were full of disgust. "Draw her blood," he ordered the doctor standing behind him.
• Then he turned back to me, sneering. "Stay put and stop pretending you're something you're not. You think you can still dream of being with an Alpha like Zephyr? Look at yourself. You're nothing."
• His words struck harder than any kick.
• I was nothing. Zephyr had risen, become an Alpha, powerful and feared. And I ... I was an Omega. Trapped in this room. Used, bled dry. My body was so weak from the constant bloodletting that I could no longer shift. I wasn't alive. I wasn't dead. I was just ... existing.
• I stopped resisting. I let them do what they wanted. The needle slid into my skin again, my blood drawn out drop by drop.
• The doctor, his hand shaking, glanced around the room, making sure no one was watching. He fumbled a small vitamin from his pocket, trying to slip it into my mouth. It wasn't much, but it was all he could offer.
• The door slammed open before he could finish. The pill dropped from his hand, rolling away across the cold floor.
• Lillian entered the room, her heels clicking as she approached. She was draped in fine silk, her jewelry gleaming in the low light. Her eyes landed on me, and that cold, familiar smile crossed her lips. "You saw it, didn't you?" Her voice was sweet, almost mocking. "Zephyr's back."
• She stepped closer, her gaze darkening, her smile twisting. "Five years, Caitlyn," she whispered. "You've been so quiet, so obedient. I think it's time I gave you a little reward. How about a chance to see him?"
• Hope sparked in my chest, my pulse quickening. Could it be true? Could I really see him again?
• "But ... there's a condition," she said, her tone hardening, snuffing out that flicker of hope.
• Lillian's words were sharp as a blade. "You turned him down once. Now he's back to make us pay. He's coming to take everything from us—Windwood Pack, all of it." She circled me, her cold eyes gleaming. "And this is all your fault. So, naturally, you'll fix it. I'll take you to him, and you'll convince him to stop. You'll make him leave us alone."
• She crouched in front of me, her fingers gripping my chin, forcing me to look into her cruel eyes. "Werewolves never forget their first mate," she hissed. "If you play it right, maybe you'll be useful for once."
• A chill crawled up my spine. I wrenched my face away, my heart pounding in my chest.
• "No. I won't do it," I said through gritted teeth. I knew the look on her face. It was one of conspiracy and plots.
• Whatever had happened between Zephyr and me, I had made my choice. I had turned my back on him. I had no right to stand before him now.
• A hand cut through the air and struck my cheek, sending me sprawling to the ground.
• "What makes you think you can refuse?" Lillian hissed, tugging at my hair to force me to meet her gaze. Her eyes were sharp, filled with ice and fury. "Caitlyn, remember this: I made you give up Zephyr once. I can drag you back to him if I want."
• "Oh, and guess what?" she continued, a twisted grin spreading across her face. "Your father is too weak to shift now. He lost his wolf. I just took him to a human hospital. He's barely hanging on, kept alive by a mountain of drugs. If he knew how you've lived these years, it might just finish him off. And your brother … "
• Her words struck me like a dagger to the heart. I felt her grip tightening, ready to crush me. I screamed, interrupting her. "Stop! I'll do it! Whatever you ask, I'll do it!"
• A thousand times, I wished I could shift and tear into her, to sink my teeth into her neck. But I couldn't. My father and brother depended on her.
• I needed answers. "Lillian, why? Dad loves you. I've always treated you like my own mother. Why do this to us?"
• "Love?" Lillian's eyes turned cold. She erupted in maniacal laughter. "He doesn't deserve it!"
• "Do you know how good it feels to see him suffering on that hospital bed?" She laughed like a maniac
• "You're mad!" I yelled back. "You're a monster! You'll go to hell for this! The fires will burn you!"
• Another blow struck my face, and I felt a tooth loosen, falling into my mouth.
• Lillian brushed her hands together and turned to leave. But then she paused, her voice dripping with cruelty. "Don't say or do anything foolish, okay? Remember where your father and brother are. No one else knows but me. Even if you tell Zephyr the truth, he can't help you!"
• The door slammed shut.
• Even after she left, her mocking laughter echoed in my mind.
• I lay on the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks.
• Zephyr.
• How could I ever face him again like this?
• But there was no choice. Soon, Lillian shoved me into a car and drove me toward Zephyr's new company.
• The car came to a stop, and someone behind me shoved me forward without mercy.
• I stumbled a few steps, raising my hands instinctively to shield my eyes from the bright light.
• It had been so long. I hadn't seen the sun in ages. The rays burned my eyes like fire, and I winced.
• Lillian's people had worked hard to cover up the marks on my skin. Even in the heat of summer, they had dressed me in a thick, long-sleeved dress that clung to me uncomfortably.
• Suddenly, a long black Lincoln rolled up. It stopped right in front of me, and the door swung open. A pair of long legs, clad in sharply pressed pants, stepped out.
• When I saw his face, time seemed to freeze. Blood rushed to my head, and my heart skipped a beat.
• Zephyr. My mate. I was finally seeing him again.
• "Look! Zephyr's here!" A shout erupted from behind me. A throng of reporters rushed forward, cameras flashing like angry fireflies.
• I was trapped in the chaos. People shoved me from behind, pushing me forward. I lost my balance and went tumbling into the crowd. The world spun as I fell.