Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(32)

"Good," Kaden said, crossing his arms.

"The Sun Witches came to see me, and they said my magic was strong. They wanted to kill me, but Jordan wouldn't let them. He planned to mate with me during the full moon, and he thought I would be more...compliant after that."

"He obviously doesn't know you very well," Kaden said with a snort.

That gave me a slight smile. "He eventually moved me into a house with Mira, and showered me with food and gifts, but I never forgot it was still a prison. I wasn't allowed to leave, and guards were stationed everywhere, but hey, at least I could shower. Jordan had dinner with me every night, and I pretended to warm up to him so he would let down his guard. Eventually, Mira and I tried to escape, but we were caught and thrown back in prison. I told Jordan I rejected him as my mate, and that's when he gave me the bruises you saw. Well, him and his guards. Oh and the Sun Witches scorched me with some of their magic too. Then it was the full moon, and, well, you saw how that was going...." I trailed off and glanced over at Kaden. "Luckily you showed up before anything happened."

He sat very still, but his hands were clenched and his eyes blazed with anger. "I should have protected you better. You shouldn't have had to trade your life for the safety of the pack."

"That was Jordan's fault, not yours. And I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"You said he kissed you. Twice." Kaden nearly spat the words. "But nothing else happened?"

"Not really." My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "It was hard though. The pull of the mating bond was so strong, almost like when I was in heat. But I fought it, and over time, it got easier for me to resist. And now..." My stomach twisted. "I think it'll be even easier to fight, knowing we're related."

Kaden let out a low, terrifying growl. "The next time I see him, he's dead. That will solve that problem."

"Trust me, I hate Jordan more than anyone, but I think, deep down, there might be a tiny sliver of goodness in him. I think he might care for me in his own, twisted way. I'm pretty sure he let us escape that night. Maybe if we—"

"He locked you up, punched you in the face, tried to rape you, and you're defending him?" Kaden roared, making me jump. "That is not how people show they care. Maybe you don't realize this, since your own father was an abusive piece of shit, but we don't hurt people in our family. Or our mates."

His words shook me to my core. God, was I that fucked up? Was I defending Jordan out of some messed-up daddy issues? I didn't think so, but I couldn't be sure either. I pulled over into the next turnout, my hands trembling, and took a shaky breath. Finally, I was able to whisper, "I know that."

Kaden got out of the car and slammed the door, then began to pace in the dirt on the side of the road, moving in and out of the beam of the headlights. I stared at my white-knuckled fingers on the steering wheel for a moment before getting out, though I wasn't sure what to say. I'd never seen Kaden like this before.

Kaden turned toward me, his body full of energy and his face twisting with fury. "No one will ever treat you that way again, not as long as you're in my pack, do you understand? Not the Cancers. Not the Leos. If anyone tries, I will rip them to shreds with my bare hands. I swear it."

I realized then that his anger wasn't for me, but for all the things that had been done to me, not just in the last month, but over my entire life. "You're right," I managed to say, though my throat felt scratchy. "Everyone in my family either treated me like shit or abandoned me. My mother left me when I was a baby. My dad and stepmother hurt me. Even Wesley is gone. So yeah, maybe I never expected to be treated any better. Not by Jordan or by anyone else. Until I met you. You made me think maybe I deserved something better."

"Ayla..." He slid his thumb across my cheek, wiping away the lone tear that had escaped my eye. Then he wrapped me in his arms, pressing me against his chest. All the breath went out of me as I was surrounded by his warmth and his strength. My eyes filled with tears as I leaned against him, relaxing for the first time since I'd left the Ophiuchus pack lands with Jordan. I was safe. I was home.

He held me like that for some time, and it was exactly what I needed. Then he pulled back and stepped away, turning his face so I couldn't get a good look at him. "I'll drive," he said in a low voice.

Once we were back on the road, Kaden behind the wheel this time, we fell into silence again, but some of the tension between us had vanished. At the very least, I no longer doubted my place in the pack anymore.

We continued through the mountains, the road empty other than a lone truck or car now and then, with the forest on either side of the winding road. Only the moon and our headlights illuminated our path, and I wondered if Kaden planned to drive through the night, or if we would stop and camp somewhere.

"Tell me about your parents," I said. Kaden rarely ever talked about them, but the past was looming over us tonight, and I thought I might get a rare chance to get him to open up more.

Kaden didn't respond at first, and just as I opened my mouth to tell him to forget it, he said, "They were great alphas, and even better parents. Honest, fair, and kind, though they had a firm hand when it was needed. I never had to worry about taking any issues or concerns to them, and none of the pack did either.”

He sighed and pushed a hand through his dark hair, the other one on the steering wheel. My eyes tracked the movement until I realized that I was staring at him instead of the road. I snapped my gaze back forward. If only I had the excuse of being at the wheel to make sure I wouldn’t do it again.