Mated To The King’s Gamma By Jessica Hall

Chapter 64

Abbie POV

Gannon was off doing an errand for the King about something having to do with Trey. So he and Dustin were looking through archives. He had been nagging me about Cassandra and what I wanted to do about her, but I had no idea. I didn’t like the idea of having someone’s life in my hands. Yet when he went off with the King, I wandered around the castle. Going down to the wine cellars, I was looking for the cobweb brush when I heard her calling out from the cells further down the corridor.

The wine cellar ran what appeared to be the entire length of the castle, with different underground corridors leading off in different directions, and the one to my left I knew went to the dungeons. Guards stood on either side of the arched tunnel leading to them, and I glanced at them. They paid her no attention while she continued screaming out for them to set her free.

Finding the cobweb brush, I head back toward the stairs leading into the kitchen’s huge pantry. Only once I am halfway up do I stop. Cassandra had three children, which had been nagging at me. As much as I wanted the woman dead, I didn’t want to punish her children for her crimes. Her husband and their father were dead, and her life is now resting in my hands.

Leaning the cobweb brush against the stairs, I walk back down the steps, over to the corridor, and stop in front of the guards.

“Miss Abbie?” one asks, and I chew my lip, glancing toward the dark dungeons.

“Can I see her?” I asked, looking at the man. He had a mustache and light blue eyes that were almost white they were that light. He glances at the other guard, who had a full beard, dark eyes, and long hair that cascaded almost to the waist and was tied in two braids.

“One of us will come with you,” the other man says, and I nod. I start walking down the corridor when I hear her screaming out again, and I stop. Her voice grating in my head as memories of the same voice teased and taunted me while she would hold my head to stop me from trying to pull away from him. She was just as sick as him to do that to another woman. I hadn’t realized I had stopped moving until the guard’s hand fell on my shoulder. Only then did I realize I was shaking like a leaf.

“I’m right here. She can’t hurt you, Miss; I have mind-linked Gannon,” he says, and I swallow.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” I murmured.

“It’s up to you. No one will force you to go in there, Miss Abbie,” he whispers.

I looked at the man, and his dark eyes looked black under the dim lighting. I should feel embarrassed that he knew what she did to me, yet his gentle voice held no contempt, and I nodded my head but forced myself to keep going until I was stopped outside her barred cell. She sat in the cell’s corner sobbing, her head in her hands and knees to her chest.

Cassandra looks up, and I could tell she was about to scream out again, but her words die out when she sees me standing there.

“I suppose you’re here to gloat?” she says, resting her head back on the brickwork. She turns her head away from me. She looked like crap, her nails all chipped, her hair a mess, her clothes wrinkled, and she had no shoes on.

Turning to the guard, I hold my hands out for the keys, and he looks at me. “Abbie,” he asks questionably.

“Keys, please.” I tell him, and he pulls them off the key chain and hands them to me.

Cassandra looks at me and jumps to her feet as I put the key in, but I don’t turn it. Instead, I noticed the bottled water just outside the cell door and pre-packaged sandwiches. I moved to the small table and grabbed two of the triangle packages and a water bottle before tucking them under my arm. My hands shook as I opened the cell, and my eyes went to her when I noticed the chain around her ankle that was attached to the wall.

Cassandra watches me warily as I enter, closing the door behind me. This wasn’t the same scornful, confident, and entitled woman I knew. This woman was helpless and looked petrified of me. She knew her life was in my hands. Gannon told her that much.

I take a step toward her, and she takes one back, her back hitting the wall. I hold the water bottle out to her, and she looks at me funny, tilting her head to the side. She reaches forward and grabs it like she thought I would toss it at her.

She opens the cap and starts gulping it down thirstily. When she was done, I handed her the sandwiches, which she took, and I watched her for a second before taking a few steps back and sitting next to the cell door. She watches me for a second before also sitting.

“Eat. You look hungry. I am not here to hurt you, Cassandra,” I tell her, and her lip quivers. She seemed shocked by my answer.

“Why not?” she asks, but peels the wrapper back on her sandwich and moans as she takes a bite.

“Because I am not you, I am not a monster,” I tell her, and she stops mid-bite and looks at me. She chews slowly and swallows, picking at her sandwich with her fingers. I observe her, and she can’t be much older than me. Without all the makeup staining her face, she looked very youthful, making me curious about who she really was.

Chapter 64

“How old are you?” I ask her.

“Twenty,” she answers with a sigh.

“Twenty!” I ask, knowing her oldest child was six years old.

“But Micheal is six,” I tell her, and she chews slowly and nods her head.

“I had him two days before my fourteenth birthday,” she answers, and I swallow. How different our lives have been, though that must have been tough to have a baby that young.

“I thought you and Kade were high school sweethearts?” She laughed and shook her head.

although he doesn’t look like it. I was one of

said you were fourteen when you

when I was thirteen. He saved me.” my eyebrows raise at that. Saved her?

the age difference, but he saved me. I was to be

you?”

and I worked at his brothel for a couple of

I tell her, and she looks down at her hands. “I know, but it’s

did you say

picked up outside his borders. He said I was old enough to be sold off, and he needed the money. He killed my parents right in front of me and handed me over

“Then what happened?”

but then Kade said he would buy me off him under the table, that no one had to know. They have

trafficking?” I

did was

you figured

she glances behind me and gets to her feet, and I hear a thunderous growl echo

with her?” he demands, and the man steps away

his eyes from the guard. He sighs and twists the

toward her. “Back off,” I tell

touching her,” I tell

you say

a monster, but even monsters have a story, even monsters can feel, and I am not a monster, and I won’t be responsible for her children being orphaned,” I tell him and I look at

is just as much a victim as I am,” I tell her, tears burning

“No!” he snarls.

my choice. You said it’s my choice.” I whisper, and

deserve to live after that.” He snarls, stepping toward her, and she whimpers, cowering away from him and I grip his shirt in my

but-” I look at Cassandra. “Fear makes people do foolish things. That is something I understand,” I tell

not letting her go.” Gannon

Chapter 64

what happened to her,

“Abbie!”

King, or go see Azalea. I won’t allow you to kill her. She has kids, and I am not leaving them orphaned to suffer the same fate I did,” i tell him and he snarls. Gannon walks out of the cell, slamming the door. Cassandra whimpers before she collapses, her body shaking as she sobs.

you, but if you come back, I will let him skin you alive like he wants to do, and I will hand him the tools while he does it,” I tell her. She nods, glancing at

I won’t give you a third,” I tell her before walking out of the cell. Gannon growls and looks away from me and I stop beside him and

mad at

my face in hand before pulling me closer. He kisses my forehead, hugging me tight, and I

and Azalea are on their way down,” Gannon

“Thank you,”

Azalea POV

hand later today we were going to visit mine and Abbie old pack after being poisoned I knew there was no way the King would leave me behind, to many attempts had been made on my life. Posioning, Cassandra and now having commanded the guard away and Abbie from coming near me, there was no way he would risk leaving me on my own. “Give it to Liam, and you’re on guard with

an enormous set of stairs led underground. Kyson kept a firm grip on my arm as we descended them because it was dark, and they were pretty steep. Once at the bottom, I look around and see this part is

closed and brings me to a dark tunnel, and I see Abbie, who goes running toward me before freezing like she hit a brick wall and became stunned. It was dark

going to

me?” I ask

I could command him, and that is why. Repeatedly I have heard Landeena’s blood is special. They have gifts, but after the way he said it and the feeling through the bond, it made me wonder if

she stood frozen, and I rushed to her and hugged her. Abbie explained about Cassandra and everything that she and Gannon found out. I wished she could come with us, but when I looked over at Kyson to ask, he was in the cells with Cassandra, his entire body tense, and I could feel he wanted to kill the woman but was respecting Abbie’s wishes. Yet he was angered because she didn’t just affect Abbie, but

punishment.” I hear

about Cassandra and Kyson commanding her to double-check what she

was a hero, yet she was entirely aware of her wrongdoings and apologized countless times. She just wanted to go home to her boys, and I agreed with Abbie she was as

and glares at her, and she back away from him when he bends down, gripping the chain off the ground that wrapped around her ankle. He yanks it, ripping it clean off the wall. Cassandra shrieks, and my heart beats

coming from you, I will have my guard hunt you down and string you up, then I will make your

will never speak or utter their names again,” he says, his voice so calm it chilled

here and help Liam and Gannon,” Kyson orders, and Dustin steps into the cell and grabs her arm, dragging her out when Abbie runs over to

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Chapter 64

and she hands them to Cassandra before shocking me and hugging her. Cassandra stood frozen and looked pained, probably because