Stepped Up [COMPLETE]

43

"Now, unmuzzle him, but keep him still, please," Trisha requested, and I did as she asked. Rick's human form took gulping breaths, his body racked with coughs as if grappling with an unseen force that held him in place. His struggles against invisible bonds were palpable, a physical manifestation of the powerful command that constrained him. His bewildered gaze locked onto Trisha, the myriad emotions playing across his face like a turbulent storm.

Longing, hurt, pain, anger, and an undercurrent of guilt painted a complex tapestry of conflicting emotions. His expression betrayed the turmoil within him, a storm of feelings swirling beneath the surface. For a moment, he seemed on the verge of speaking, his mouth opening and closing, yet the words hung in the air, a weighty silence descending as he stared into the ethereal face of his true mate.

The connection between them, fraught with a history of pain, hung in the balance, the unspoken words echoing in the charged atmosphere. The intensity of their gaze spoke volumes, a silent dialogue between two souls bound by a destiny that had unfolded across the realms of life and death.

"Nothing to say, Mr. Head Alpha?" Trisha sneered. Trisha's spectral visage remained unyielding, her face etched with a potent combination of anger, disgust, and hatred as she locked eyes with the man who had once been destined to be her love, her mate—someone meant to protect her, but who had inflicted hurt instead. Her eyes, once the windows to a shared future, now reflected a tumult of emotions, each layering upon the other in a complex dance of resentment and betrayal. The only solace she gleaned from the tumultuous bond was the precious gift he had unwittingly bestowed upon her—Elena, the one beacon of light in a relationship tainted by pain and sorrow. "Well, let me begin then," She said as she stood before him.

"You destroyed me that awful night when you raped me. You took my innocence, my trust and my hopes. If it were not for Elena and Hope, I would have killed myself a long time ago. You are the worst kind of scum of the Earth, and I wish I had had the strength to tell you all this in life, but I will settle for in death." She began. Rick's gaze remained fixed on Trisha, an unyielding witness to the torrent of emotions pouring forth from her. Her words, laden with pain, anger, and searing hatred, struck him like a relentless barrage. The weight of her accusation, the acknowledgement of the agony he had caused, reverberated through the silent air, creating a palpable tension between them.

As Trisha's words seeped into his consciousness, a cascade of emotions flickered across Rick's features. His once stoic expression wavered, giving way to the tumult within. It was a visceral display—realising the profound hurt he had inflicted on the one who was meant to be his true mate. In that moment, the complex tapestry of emotions unfurled, etching lines of remorse, regret, and a dawning awareness of the consequences of his actions onto his face. The silent exchange between them unfolded, a poignant tableau of love shattered and a connection irreparably damaged.

"You are a pathetic little man, fueled by greed and personal desire, and you have no idea of the needs of your people. Your continued reign as 'Head Alpha' offends the Moon Goddess because she can see through your small, black heart. You're no Head Alpha, no Alpha...you do not deserve your titles, and so tonight, you are stripped of both," The surge of emotions prompted a reaction from Rick. He spat a retort, protesting that Trisha had no right or jurisdiction over his actions. Yet, in response to his defiant outburst, Trisha lifted her hand, a gesture of authority that carried a silent command.

Her ethereal gaze, stern and unwavering, silenced Rick with nothing more than a look. At that moment, the weight of her spectral presence held a power transcending jurisdiction and authority—a testament to their enduring connection that even death could not sever. The unspoken rule in her eyes resonated, bringing a momentary stillness to the tumult of emotions that hung in the charged air between the two, a poignant reminder of the boundaries between the living and the departed. "I am here on the orders of our Moon Goddess." She reminded Rick. "Elena will never know of you, I promise you that, right here, right now. You will have no true mate from tonight on, not in this life or any other – if the Moon Goddess even bestows upon you another life, but I doubt it."

"What?" Rick managed to squeak out like a little mouse.

"You are really obtuse," Trisha said, rolling her eyes at him. "After this night, I will be reincarnated into another and shall be bestowed another true mate, a better one, and you shall be nothing but a memory and ashes,"

"You mean to kill me? I'm your true mate!"

"You rejected me, remember?" Trisha spat at him. "Know this, true mate of mine, upon the end of this night, you will be in the deepest pits of the Moon Goddess' dungeons and shall be punished for all eternity for your ignoring of the true mate's destiny and the pain you inflicted upon your true mate,"

"No..." A whispered protest escaped Rick, a tremor of horror and fear flashing across his features. The weight of the situation, coupled with the intensity of Trisha's gaze and the repercussions of his actions, seemed to grip him with an undeniable sense of dread. At that moment, the haunting reality of his deeds echoed in his eyes, painting a vivid portrait of remorse and the looming consequences that awaited him. The air hung heavy with unspoken truths, and the echoes of love turned bitter, each passing second etching the gravity of the situation onto Rick's troubled countenance. "Please...do not kill me,"

In desperation, Rick dropped to his hands and knees before Trisha, a silent plea etched into his every gesture. The haunting echoes of his whispered horror and fear lingered as he begged her. The once-proud Alpha, now reduced to a posture of supplication, implored her with a vulnerability that belied the tumultuous history between them. The moment's gravity played out in the silent tableau, a man on his knees, seeking forgiveness from the ethereal figure who once held his heart in the delicate balance of love and pain. The air crackled with the intensity of emotions as the plea hung, suspended between the living and the departed, awaiting the response that could alter the course of their shared destiny. "I will leave, go lone wolf and never come near Elena or Hope again, I promise,"

"Bit late for this," Trisha's response came as a simple yet commanding gesture. With a wave, she dismissed the pleading figure before her. The air hung heavy with the echoes of her words, and the space between them crackled with the unresolved tension that lingered in the aftermath of the plea. "Don't you think?" Trisha huffed at the display before turning to me.

"Are you going to kill him?" I asked her, and she smiled at me softly.

"No," She said with a shake of the head. "Jack is,"