THE CLAIMING (The Chosen Series #1)

CONFRONTATION

"He's not the monster." I sob, Isla's words repeating in my head as I break again for the man lying there alone, his body motionless on the small cot. My gut wrenches for the lost childhood and the pain, the pain others caused, but more importantly, the pain I caused. Griffin's life up until now has been nothing short of misery, and all I've done is fight him at every turn. My heart and head warring with each other, one part telling me that I don't want my decisions taken from me, and I'm not ready to be mated. But the other part...

Kneeling and taking my face in her hands, Isla wipes away my tears, smiling knowingly at me, her cheeks wet, "They were never given the chance to understand him." She sighs, biting her bottom lip and wrapping her arms around my neck in an embrace. "They, with their big house, are nothing but sheltered dogs, blind to the real evil beyond these fragile walls. Only some of them are kind, and even they don't know."

On reflection, I can't help but agree with her sentiment. Until just now, I had believed that my life was full of tragedy, but after sharing his memories, I know that I was blessed, I was loved... Now I have witnessed true torment; the abuse, the utter hell that Griffin and his sisters went through, would have broken me, but not him. He still gets up every day and fights for those he loves.

Why can't I remember? Was it real? The image of us in front of the Crann Fuinseoige, the beauty and innocence of our first kiss. Why can't I remember it?

Lowering her hands, resting them on the pockets of my jacket. Isla tilts her head and sniffs, her body tensing. "We need to go."

"Wait, what?" The last thing I want to do is leave.

"Now, Ava."

"But," I pause, shuffling so that my back is against the cot.

"Shay is returning, and the others, they're..." she closes her eyes, head wrinkling in concentration, "the others know we're no longer at the window."

Not entirely understanding how she knows, I nod anyway, standing, when Isla releases my body. I watch as she slowly shuffles around the room, removing any trace of our presence, except for the purple flower, which I know from Griffin's memories, is an iris, tightly hidden within his closed palm. Hesitating before leaving his cell, I turn back to him and lean down, taking in his scent and placing a light kiss on his lips. Even though I'm unsure about the bond, my heart feels for him, My Broken Wolf.

"Quickly," she scolds as I move away and slip out the door, Isla closes it behind me and seals up the control panel once I'm clear. Returning to her seat, she lets her eyes become unfocused again as Shay's footsteps can be heard coming down the stairs towards us.

Moving directly to Isla, he frowns before wiping away a stray tear from her cheek. Bending to lift her, he presses a kiss on her head, motioning me to follow. "No need to cry for me, Trouble, there's enough of this man-flesh to go around." He jokes, however, his voice seems flat, his usual charm lacking.

Climbing the stairs after him, he turns his head in my direction, then adds, "Bambi, I hope you got what you came for. I may not agree with everything he does, but this is too much. The way he's allowing himself to be treated is fucked up and nothing short of criminal."

Raising an eyebrow, I ask. "What do you mean?" surprised that there's someone in this clan that seems to genuinely care for Griffin and his sister.

Handsome face creasing in thought, he takes a deep breath. "You know his father was our old alpha, right?" he asks, turning his head back as we clear the top of the stairs and towards Isla's chair, not pausing in his stride.

"Yes," I reply, watching him lower Isla into her chair then commence pushing her towards the barn entrance.

"And you know it's Griffin's rightful place to lead our pack, and why?"