Anita

Chapter 20

"We were betrayed."

Stunned silence took over the room and everyone stared at me in silence, making me frown at the attention.

"Anita," Alec said, "What do you mean we were betrayed?"

I ignored him and decided to shove a chicken wing in my mouth instead so I didn't have to answer.

Bryan grimaced, "You can't just say something like that and then not explain."

I sneered at him, "Watch me."

Bryan growled, "You know what, I can't stand you. Long as I can remember, you've always bullied and teased. Walking around the halls like you own the damn place. Even if you do own the place, you don't need to act so arrogant."

Anita roller her eyes, "Look, I have no clue what your talking about. If you had stopped clinging to my brother all the time, then I wouldn't have needed to pick on you so I can spend time with him. You'd think that you guys were attached at the hip with the way you came around all the time."

"I had to come around for training. You don't just become Commander of the Guard by simply doing nothing!"

"You didn't need to train at the time, your father had it in the bag," she used the rolls to scoop up the potatoes before eating.

"Could we put your guys differences aside for now? Anita explain what you mean," Alec leaned towards me, "did you know all this time how we got kidnapped? How could you not tell me?"

I scowled, "I'm not telling you, I don't want you to know. It'll only hurt you."

He glared at me, "So, you're taking it to your grave? That's ridiculous. Just tell me and I promise I can handle it."

I pursed my lips, frowning. He did have a right to know, but that didn't mean I liked it. Should I tell him?

Nope.

But he needs to know, if we do end up going. No, I'll protect him.

I turned my back on him, "I'm not saying."

"Anita!" Alec snapped.

"Look, we're not going to the gathering, that's it," I snapped back. He growled a me.

"I'm going!" he growled, "Bryan we leave in the morning!"

"Like hell! I'll rip your ass a new one if you take him, in fact, you're not going either," I said, glaring at Bryan.

Lance put his hand on my shoulder, jolting me. I turned and bared my teeth at him, trying to shake off the tingles.

He put his hand up in the universal sign of meaning no harm, "Anita, is the betrayal why you don't trust anyone?"

I scowled. I did not want to talk to my mate. I wanted to put as much distance between us as possible. I looked away from him, cringing in to myself. I was scarred and damaged, he doesn't need a mate like me.

I heard him whimper softly at my rebuttal.

"Look it doesn't matter what you guys say, we are not going."

I scowled at the trees passing by, the cold breeze and the morning sun beaming down on us.

"Trying to keep me at the pack, the King would have a cow if I suddenly disappeared. Plus, I did tell people where I was going, they would've came looking."

I chose not to respond.

"It won't be so bad Anita we'll get to see mom and dad again," Alec said, happily.

Again, I chose not the respond.

"Mom has been crying all this time for us. She'll be ecstatic to see us," Alec grabbed my hand and I couldn't let go at the affection.

Lance sat in front of me, "Isn't that great, Anita, you'll see your family again."

"Alec is all the family I need," I muttered, but it would be nice to see mom again, I thought thinking of her loving touch. Unless she was in on the raid.

I thought of my mother, her beautiful smile and sparkling eyes as she cooed how much she loved her children.

I won't know until I see her.

"And dad will be ecstatic," Alec said.

He betrayed us, I linked Alec

"What did you say?" Alec said, looking at me wide-eyed. I grumbled.

Link it, you doofus, I responded.

Who betrayed us? he asked.

Father betrayed us, he planned the raid with a rogue leader, I said.

"Tell all of us everything, right now," Alec snapped at me, grabbing everyone's attention in the car.

I turned to snap my teeth at him.

"I trust everyone in this car and it's about time, you let yourself trust again," Alec glared.

I sneered, baring my teeth, "I don't need to trust anyone."

"Anita," Alec grabbed my hand, squeezing tightly, " Anita, I'm sorry, I am so sorry, that I was weak. That I let everything get put on your shoulder, all the pain and the torture that was meant for me, you took it on yourself to protect me. But, Anita, I can protect myself now."

I clenched my teeth as I remembered the pain of that Hell. I tried to turn away, not wanting to be vulnerable, but he grabbed my shoulder and made me face him.

"Anita, I have a mate now, who will protect me. You have a mate who wants you, but your not letting him. It's been long enough. You need to let people in, how else are you going to move one with your life."

I glowered at him as I felt hot tears trail down my cheeks, "I don't care about the torture that I went through."

He pulled away in shock.

"I knew what was going to happen to us, the first moment I heard father making a deal. I knew we would be taken, we were supposed to be killed, but Henry hated me so much that he decided to prolong my pain."

I shook my head, chuckling, "You think that I took all of it off your shoulder. The truth is that you were never going to be targeted. Henry's vendetta was against me. That bastard always hated me, you should have heard the things he said when he was dragging a knife across my skin. He got some sick pleasure in seeing me, the spoilt arrogant little princess, at his mercy. Turns out he always had a major inferiority complex towards me even though I was a little kid."