The memory of the threat weighed heavily on me as I continued my story. My hands trembled, and I clenched them into fists to steady myself.
"Not long after we announced our intention to mate, I received a threat," I confessed, my voice barely more than a whisper. "It warned that if I went through with the party and completed the bond with Jessica, I would regret it. We didn't have any proof, but we were sure it was from the Shadow Night pack." I could see the questions forming in Erica's eyes, her curiosity piqued by the mention of the rival pack. But I couldn't bring myself to reveal the curse, not now when she was just beginning to trust me again. And so, I rushed on, hoping to keep her from asking too much.
"Despite the threat, we decided to move forward with the celebration. Alpha's from packs around the world came to visit, and the atmosphere was electric," I said, recalling the night vividly. The air had been filled with anticipation and excitement, masking the undercurrent of fear that gnawed at me.
"Did you ever consider cancelling it?" Erica asked, her brows furrowed in concern. My chest tightened as I considered her question. Had I thought about cancelling it? Of course, I had. But the stubborn part of me refused to let the Shadow Night pack dictate my actions.
"I did, but I didn't want to let them control me or my decisions," I admitted, my heart heavy with the knowledge that my pride had cost me dearly.
"Even though there was danger?" she pressed, her green eyes searching mine for answers.
"Especially because there was danger," I replied, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. "I wanted to show them that we wouldn't be intimidated, that our pack was strong and united. In hindsight, it was foolish, but at the time, it felt like the right thing to do."
A silence settled between us as Erica pondered my words. I could tell she was struggling to understand my actions, and I couldn't blame her. The fear that gripped me now, the knowledge that I might lose her because of my past mistakes, was almost too much to bear.
"Did anything happen at the party?" she finally asked, her voice small and uncertain. I shook my head, tears threatening to spill over once more.
"No, nothing happened that night. Everyone left unharmed, and we thought the Shadow Night pack had just tried to scare us."
"Then what happened?" Erica's voice was barely audible, her eyes wide with a mixture of dread and curiosity.
"Jessica... she never made it to the bond completion," I choked out, the pain of that memory still raw. My stomach churned with guilt and regret as I tried to push away the images that haunted me, Jessica's lifeless body, the result of my foolishness.
“What?” Erica’s eyes were wide in fear.
"Jessica and I had planned everything so carefully," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "I thought we'd finally be able to complete our bond during the next full moon. We were going to spend the day apart, cherishing our last moments of solitude before becoming one. She went shopping with her friends and treated herself to a spa day." I paused for a moment, remembering the way Jessica's eyes had sparkled with excitement as she talked about the beautiful dress she'd picked out for our special night. I could still feel the softness of her skin as I held her close, promising that nothing would ever come between us.
"Everything was perfect. I booked a luxurious hotel suite, filled it with flowers and champagne, making sure every detail was flawless." I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, knowing how much effort I'd put into planning a night that ended in heartbreak. "But she never showed up." Erica's eyes widened further and she gasped.
"Oh, Liam... I can't even imagine what you must have felt."
"Despair, confusion, anger… I tried calling her, searching for her through our pack's mind link, but it was like she just vanished." I let out a shuddering breath, feeling the weight of those painful memories crushing me. "At first, I thought maybe she got cold feet or changed her mind, but deep down, I knew something terrible had happened."
"Did the Shadow Night pack scare her away?" Erica asked, a hint of anger lacing her voice. I shook my head, unable to meet Erica's gaze.
"At first, we thought maybe she had gotten cold feet or something," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "But about a week later, one night, the guards on the gates sent me a mind link, urging me and Dad to come down immediately."
My heart raced as I recalled the sickening feeling that had settled in my gut when I'd received the message. A part of me already knew what awaited us at the gate, but I couldn't have prepared myself for the horror I was about to witness.
"Jessica's body was hanging from the gates of our pack," I continued, swallowing hard as the gruesome image flickered before my eyes. "She was battered and broken, and it was obvious she had been raped and tortured before they murdered her. They displayed her like some grotesque trophy, a message meant for me." The memory threatened to consume me, and I could feel the intense guilt and sadness clawing at my insides. It was all my fault, I should have listened to the threat, taken it seriously. Instead, I had let Jessica down, and now she was gone forever.
A single tear escaped my eye and trailed down my cheek, betraying the overwhelming emotions churning inside me. I couldn't bear to look at Erica, but when I finally did, I saw her own tears streaming down her face.
"Did you know it was the Shadow Night pack?" she asked in a voice that was barely a whisper. I couldn't bring myself to speak, so I simply nodded, confirming her fears. The air between us felt heavy, laden with unspoken questions and unbearable tension. She stood abruptly, crossing the room as though she needed distance from me.
"Then why didn't you go after them?" Her voice grew stronger, fueled by anger and fear. "If you knew who killed Jessica, why didn't you do something about it?" I could feel her emotions through our connection, an unsettling mix of rage and terror. I wanted to tell her everything, to explain the curse that haunted our pack, but I couldn't. Not yet. Instead, I stumbled over my words, trying to find some way to make her understand without revealing too much.
"Erica, please, just listen to me," I pleaded, my voice cracking. But she wasn't waiting for an answer. Her anger was palpable, a raging storm that threatened to consume us both.
"Why didn't you seek vengeance? Why didn't you go after them when you knew they were responsible?" Erica demanded, her green eyes blazing with fury and pain. "Why didn't you tell me there was a threat on my life?" Tears streamed down her face as she grabbed the nearest book from the shelf, hurling it at me in a fit of rage.
"I was kidnapped, beaten, and abused! And I had no idea why!" she yelled, her voice raw with emotion. Another book followed, then another, each one connecting with my body like a physical manifestation of her anguish.
"Because of you, Liam! If you had gone after Jasper Blackwood when he killed Jessica, none of this would have happened to me!" She sobbed, her anger giving way to hysteria.
I could see her unravelling before my eyes, and I was powerless to stop it. My heart clenched with guilt as I realised the truth in her words: It was all my fault. I had failed her. I had failed Jessica. I had failed everyone. As book after book collided with my chest and face, I made no attempt to shield myself from her onslaught. Perhaps it was penance for my inaction, for the secrets that had led us to this point. The pain paled in comparison to the agony I felt inside, knowing that I had put the woman I loved, my fated mate, in harm's way. Through the barrage, I watched Erica crumple to the floor, her sobs echoing through the room like a symphony of sorrow. I sat there, tears streaming down my own face, unable to comfort her, unable to make any of this right. All I could think was: How had I let it come to this? How could I have been so blind, so foolish?
Chapter 31
