The Imperial Wolf Series Books 1-3
Chapter 71

ΚΑΤΕ Ρον

friend. I hate them.

I wake up in my bed. I am chained so that I can barely move. The chains are heavy and cold, just like Erick's betrayal. All I can think about is Erick being with Cassie. They are laughing and playing with my baby. My child is in the arms of the man I love and my best That is my baby. I carried her. I gave birth to her. And now that whore has my child and my husband. I should have killed her myself.

I look around to see nothing. I am alone. My daughter's crib is empty. I close my eyes and try to imagine her in my arms. I need her. Why is this happening to me? Why is Erick treating me this way? Why did he choose Cassie over me?

I hear a low growl beside me. I try to touch the white wolf, but I cannot move to touch the wolf.

"Help me," I whisper to the wolf. The white wolf is the only one who cares about me. The white wolf will save me. The white wolf will give me my child back and help me kill all those who have taken from me.

I hear a noise, a creaking sound coming toward my bedroom. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep. I can hear him breathing. It is Alexander. He betrayed me. He is helping Erick take my child. He probably came at Erick's request. "Daughter, I know you are awake. You cannot fool me," he says to me.

I remain still. I have nothing to say to him right now. Not after he put me in these chains. No one is on my side, not even my father. He wants my child for himself. I can feel his betrayal, and it burns in the air like a hot fire coming off of him. He leans down close to my face. I open my eyes. "Let me out of these chains, you bastard!" I scream at him.

Alexander jumps back from me. He was not expecting me to speak to him. He thought I would lay here and play dead. The white wolf pounces in front of me and growls at Alexander.

"I should let my wolf kill you, Father. Doesn't my wolf look hungry? I bet my wolf would enjoy a vampire snack," I say to him.

Alexander begins backing away from my wolf and me. "I want to help you, Kate. That is why I am here. I came for you and only you," Alexander stammer to get the words out.

He is afraid of my white wolf. He should be petrified. All I have to do is so the word, and he is puppy chow. My white is growling and chomping at Alexander.

"Say the word, and I am ready to kill him. Ask him what he did to your mother?" the white wolf growls.

Alexander's face turns to shock. He moves closer to the door. "Do you think you can hide from my wolf, Alexander? My wolf will kill you, and there is nowhere you can go. It is time for you to face me once and for all," I laugh at him. Alexander is watching the white wolf and trying to talk to me. He puts out his hand as if to say, wait. "Let me explain, what happened with your mother, Kate," Alexander says.

His eyes go back to the white wolf. I have to admit seeing Alexander terrified is thrilling for me. The wolf chomps its mighty teeth at Alexander and growls loudly.

"Please, Kate, call off your wolf, and let's talk about the past. Is that what you want," Alexander says.

"Unchain me, Alexander," I say to him.

Alexander walks slowly to the bed I am chained to and begins to unlock my chains. "This is to protect you, daughter. You need to remain still and rest so your powers can grow," Alexander says.

Alexander unlocks the last chain. I leap to my feet and rub my wrist. My body is sore from the shackles. I smile at Alexander as he stands before me. I hiss at him and begin chomping my vampire teeth at him. I move closer to him. Alexander is shaking as I push his head to the side and bite into him, ripping his neck to shreds. My wolf jumps on him and begins biting him. Together, my mighty white wolf and I will destroy this bastard. Alexander screams and cries out in pain as we pull the flesh from his body. "I hate you. You are a liar," I scream out at him.

"Stop, Kate, Stop," Alexander cries. I stop for a moment and look at Alexander in pieces.

"Tell me, father. Did you kill my mother? Was it you?" I ask him. I kneel down on the floor and lift his head so he can look me in the eyes.

"Yes, I killed her. I had no choice," Alexander says. He begins to cry.

"No tears, father. You only get pain, fuck you. You abandoned me with that drunk. He abused me and then sold me. How could you abandon me?" I scream at him.

Alexander tries to move away from me. My mighty white wolf moves in closer, pinning Alexander to the floor.

"I love you, Kate. I loved your mother, but she became something dark, just like you are becoming something dark," Alexander says.

"That was no reason to kill her and abandon me. You left me!" I scream.

Alexander reaches for me. "I am here now. I am here to help you, Kate. Let me help you," Alexander says.

My mighty white wolf moves closer. The wolf is on top of Alexander with his teeth in Alexander's face. The wolf growls as his teeth are so close to Alexander and ready to bite into his head.

"You cannot help me. You only want to use my baby and me," I say. I look at the white wolf and nod my head.

"Do it, kill him," I say.

The mighty white wolf pushes his claws into Alexander's chest. I can hear bones cracking and breaking. Alexander screams out in pain as the white wolf smashed him.

"Help me, Kate," Alexander screams.

The white wolf bites into Alexander and begins to pull him apart. I sit down on the bed and watch as my wolf kills Alexander. Good riddance to you, father. You cannot control me now. You will not gain from my child or me.

My white wolf lays on the floor at my feet. The wolf is satisfied, and so am I with Alexander's death. He needed to die. He is responsible for everything that happened to my mother and to me. He got what he deserved. Now for the rest of them.

I get out of the bed and step over Alexander. The white wolf follows me into the bathroom. I need to shower and change before I go to take my child back. I cannot pick her up looking like this.

I look into the mirror. I notice my eyes. My eyes are darker now. My hair is turning white. My skin looks darker. My appearance is changing. What is happening to me?

I look down at the wolf, looking for an answer from my wolf. Strange, my wolf seems to have changed also. When the wolf was attacking Alexander, I felt a male presence, but now, I feel a woman in the wolf when I need comfort. "What is wrong with me?" I ask the wolf.

The wolf nuzzles me. "You are becoming a great wolf, a real imperial. Embrace your destiny, Kate," the wolf says now in a feminine tone.

A sudden fear rolls over my body. I can feel something coming. "We need to go," the white wolf says. She turns and starts to walk out ahead of me.

"I need a minute," I say. The white wolf growls then sits down and to waits for me. I wash my face.

I take the bloody clothes off quickly. I do not want to look like this when I take my daughter back. I do not want to frighten her.

I turn the water on in the shower. "Hurry, Kate," the white wolf says.

I jump in the shower and wash my body as fast as I can. I watch as the blood of my father runs down the drain. I hate him. I am happy he is no longer in my life. I feel a sudden relief and then a sudden dread.

I step out of the shower and towel off quickly. I do not have much time. Erick will be back. I need to be long gone when he arrives. I wrap in a towel and run back to the bedroom. I step over my father and grab some clothes from the dresser.

I get dressed in the hall. I do not have shoes. I go down the steps into Cassie's room. I grab a pair of her shoes and slip them on quickly. The white wolf comes into the room behind me. She shuts the door with her nose. "Be quiet," the white wolf says.

I stand still, waiting to see what has the wolf worried. I hear footsteps. "ALEXANDER!" I hear Desire scream out his name.

"Where is he? Where is Kate?" I hear a woman's voice. I listen again, waiting for the voice to speak.

"He must be upstairs with her," I hear Erick say to the two women with him. I want to know who the other woman is with him.

"We have to go, now. If Erick and Desire are here, we can get your baby, Kate," the white wolf whispers to me.

I nod my head. I go over to the window and open it. I leap out of the window. The white wolf follows me. We run across the back of the house. I look up to the window as we cross into the woods. I see her. It is Isabella. "Come on, and we have to get to your child," The white wolf howls loudly at me.

Isabella spots me. She is motioning for Erick to come to the window. They are coming for me. I run into the woods with the wolf behind me, running with me.

"KATE!" Erick screams for me. I stop. I want to stop. I want to see him. I love him. No, I do not love him; I hate him.

"Kate, let me help you. I will bring baby Belle home to you. Please stop," Erick screams out to me.

The white wolf runs back for me. "Come on, and we do not need him. We can do this without him," The white wolf says.

Desire is running ahead of Erick. She wants to kill me. My wolf jumps in front of me. "Run, Kate," the white wolf says.

I stand waiting for Erick. I see him in his wolf form running toward me. He looks like the wolf I saw at the water so many moons ago. The night I took my wolf form for the first time -the man I love. "Help me, Erick!" I cry out to him.

Erick runs in front of Desire. He is so close to me. I reach out and touch his fur. "Come home to me, Kate," Erick says as he stands in front of me.

"I love you, Erick," I say.

"I know you do. This is not you. You are not this person. Let us help you," Erick says.

I look at Desire and Isabella. "She wants to kill me," I say.

Erick turns back to Desire. "Leave us," he growls.

Desire walks away from us. Isabella moves closer. "Kate, I heard you were calling out to me; I came to help you," Isabella says.

I begin to cry. "Help me," I say to Erick as I fall to the ground.