Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 27 – The Truth

“There are so many things that I want so badly to tell you, but I just can’t.“–Nina LaCour, Hold Still

Neron

After the fiasco at my ceremony five years ago, I’ve learned that Halima had jumped off the treacherous cliff, five stories to her death. She accepted my rejection and ended her life. The soldiers spent weeks scouring the river below our territory for her corpse, but it was never found as if she disappeared in thin air,

I was elated back then. I broke our bond, so I felt nothing. I didn’t have to worry about someone I’ve considered worthless. Sure, I was pissed at Kwame for body–slamming me, the Alpha, in my ceremony, but I felt free. Free from the burden of housing someone my father and I believed is responsible for the death of my mother and sister.

I blamed her for everything. For leading my sister out to the pond against permission, forcing my mother to look for them, and forgetting about the rogue sightings her father warned about. For not mind–linking anyone about the disaster, not holding onto my sister tight enough, and for not screaming loud enough for the help.

Oh, how quickly love could turn into bitter hate…

I blamed Halima for being ignorant and irresponsible. Everyone did. We, collectively, believed she deserved the abuse she got. It is our own twisted way of exacting justice for our fallen Luna and her daughter. She was guilty in my eyes. She was nine and knew right from wrong. And I believed her selfishness caused their deaths.

But it didn’t

The Gamma Family had been working secretly on Halima’s exoneration, working day in and day out to track the bastard responsible for killing my mother and sister. It was only three years ago when the spikes of rogue attacks first began, that was when I was smacked with the truth.

The Rogue King, he called himself, though I knew him better as Uncle Zain, was infuriated with my father for being given the Zircon Moon pack, even though Zain was the eldest son. My uncle was considered unfit to rule and the title was passed over him to my father. Enraged, my father’s elder brother set out, breaking his bond with the Zircon Moon pack and plotted revenge ever since. I suppose he finally got what he wanted after so many years of waiting.

We hunted him down like the mutt he was, not without difficulty from his hounds from hell. Upon his capture, he confessed to slaughtering my mom and sister with a smile as big as the planet itself. He laughed right in my face, at my father’s face. He sniggered at the fact that it unintentionally liberated him from all crime and was smart enough to cover his tracks.

“All I had to do was wipe the blood on that stupid child, and then I was free! I had to avert suspicion away from me, and why not make the child look responsible“? Amazing how things turned out, huh?”

my father snuffed his life out in revenge. It forced me to face the truth that Halima isn’t the

did he kill? How many died

We all maimed, tortured, and starved her because of

thought. We all hold responsibility for how we treated an innocent pup because we were too deep in our grief to see

here. I’ve beaten her, starved her, and marked her for death. I marked my mate for death because I was

I pushed her to suicide. She jumped off that cliff because of me.

mate bond. May you all

her. I killed my mate. No wonder Onyx hates me. We’ve lost the one person the Moon

stamped diagonally on her file.

EXONERATED

of her innocence spread like wildfire amongst the pack. Much felt heavy remorse for their part while others didn’t care. They were swiftly dealt with. But it hit her family the hardest. Raina’s wailing could be heard for miles, Ashley lost all light in her eyes, and Steven shut everyone out.

if they have nothing to live for, and with Halima, which

haunt me in my dreams. The fear, the hopelessness, the loneliness–so many terrible emotions swam in those eyes, We, as a community, put that terror in her and I smiled back then, relishing in it. But in my dreams, they torture

every nightmare, she died, and I couldn’t save her. The pack had

child. Bright brown eyes sparkling, her cute lips widening into a big smile, her brown skin rich with life,

me with: a mate. My other half. The yin to my yang. My soulmate. My eternal lover. Rarely does she grant second chance

pray. I pray for forgiveness. I pray for redemption. What I’ve done is inexcusable. I deserved to be punished with the broken mate bond, never to rekindle again. I could never have my true Luna

children.

It hurts every time I think about Halima and her final days. But I needed to stop focusing on her, she was

tears, shaking away those thoughts as I

– The Truth

dialed a number. This was an enormous bruise to my ego, but

and I cannot afford to lose anyone else. No mate or family deserves the heartbreak of losing a loved one.

“Alpha Anthony speaking.”