Chapter 23: Die!
*Jane*
Everything played out like a sick horror movie. One moment I
was trying to leave and the next my mother was trying to kill
- me. I looked into her eyes, saw the pure feral expression and
knew without a shadow of a doubt that she meant it.
Every inch of my body wanted to twist and escape from this
hellish and familiar control. But I felt as if I had returned to the
age of eight, holding onto hope tightly, hoping that this time
would be different, hoping that the look in her eyes when she
looked at me would no longer be contemptuous.
“Let me go” I said but her claw dis deeper into my skin.
“Not unitl you promised me”
I struggled to break free, but she held on tighter, nails… no,
claws digging into my arms. My blood pooled, dripping down
my arms. I didn’t just feel pain, I saw it. It triggered memories,
almost as if my life were flashing right before my eyes.
There was no love in her eyes, it was never there. It wasn’t there when she’d punish me for spilling milk, or when she’d lock me
Chapter 23: Die!
in a room for hours for going out for shifting. Or those long
lonely nights when she’d lock me outside in the cold, leaving me
shivering and humiliated.
I’d survived all those torments. And now, she’d come to finish
the job she’d started all those years ago.
“You’ve always been a disgrace to our bloodline,” she snarled.
“Everyone can see that there’s something wrong with you.”
“Xander is the Alpha every female would kill for,” she
continued. “Every woman dreams of him, and you… you still
manage to fail him as a mate.”
My throat tightened. I knew she felt this way. To her, I was a
faulty child, lucky enough to marry a powerful Alpha. But I
didn’t deserve to die for that. I didn’t!
“I gave birth to five children. Five!” She thumped her chest with
her free hand. “And you have given him none. Not even one cub
to carry on his line. That he still wants you despite your flaws is
a miracle. No other man would ever tolerate someone like you…
definitely not an Alpha.”
She traced the curve of my cheek with her claws. I winced in
pain as she gripped my chin and forced me to look at her. “You
were supposed to give him the child he wanted. Turn a blind
eye to his affairs. Let him fuck the entire world. At the end of
Chapter 23. Die!
the day, he’s still yours. Stop pissing him off. Be grateful he
chose you.”
The words were like a slap in the face. At that moment, I
realized what my feelings for my mother had been all these
years. I wasn’t sure before, but now I’m sure. That’s hate. I hate
her. She can no longer defeat me.
“Do it,” I growled. I didn’t recognize my own voice. “Push me.
End it.” I leaned toward the precipice, challenging her. “That
way, I’ll never have to look at you again.”
The shock on her face was worth every second of fear that had
come before this. Her green eyes widened, as she froze. I’d
caught her off–guard.
She recovered quickly, snarling as she yanked me even closer to
the edge. The toes of my heels scraped against the loose gravel,
sending them tumbling into the darkness below. I didn’t hear
them hit the water over the blood rushing to my ears.
Still, I held her gaze, silently daring her to do it.
“Hey!” A male voice suddenly pierced through our showdown.
“What’s going on over there?”
Three people approached the bridge. They must have seen that
something was wrong. I expected relief, but I felt nothing.
Chapter 23: Die!
My mother, however, changed instantly. Her claws retracted,
spine straightened, and the feral look in her eyes transformed
into concern.
“Is everything okay?” the tallest one asked, a man dressed in all-
black.
“Oh, everything’s fine.” my mother replied, voice honey–sweet
now. She loosened her grip on my arm and fixed a smile on her
face. “Just a little family talk. My daughter gets emotional
sometimes.” She turned to look at me. “Don’t you, dear?”
The men looked uncertain, gaze shifting between us. It was an
obvious lie. There was dried blood on my arm, my cheek, and I
was certain my hair was a disheveled mess. I wasn’t going to let
her get away with it this time.
I shook her off and moved to where the men stood. “She tried to
kill me,” I said, loud and clear. “She was going to push me over.”
My mother chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. “What are
you talking about Jane? I told you she has a flair for the
dramatics.”
One more look at me and the woman in the group moved to
stand between my mother and I. “I think we should call the
police,” she said, already reaching for her phone.
Chapter 23: Diel
That’s when panic finally flickered in my mother’s eyes, a fear I‘
d never seen there before. Her confident smile cracked and she
turned to the woman desperately. “No, please. There’s no need
for that. This is just a minor misunderstanding.”
She stepped even further, raising her hands up. “My daughter is
going through a difficult time. She doesn’t mean what she’s
saying.”
Then she turned to me. “Sweetheart,” she pleaded. “Let’s talk
this over privately. Let’s just go home and work this out as a
family.”
No. There’s no going back from what she did tonight. I knew
that if I didn’t take care of this right now, she would try again.
And she might just succeed. I wasn’t willing to take that chance.
“I’m done.” My voice was steady despite the adrenaline coursing
through me. My wolf howled in agreement, and I found the
strength to take a step toward her. “You are not my mother
anymore.”
“You can’t mean that, it’s…”
“I want you behind hars. I’m done being manipulated. Done
being afraid. You’re dead to me.”
She had the nerve to look hurt, as if she was the victim. It didn’t
Chapter 23: Die!
matter.
I could hear the distant wailing of sirens. In no time, red and
blue lights of a patrol car appeared on the bridge. I watched as
all the color drained from her face. She finally realized that it
was well and truly over.
And I felt nothing. Just a strange, steady calm. I turned in the
direction of the approaching car, already preparing a statement in my head.
On the way home, I tried to push everything out of my head,
her words echoed, almost as if she was sitting in the backseat
whispering, taunting me.
Instead of breaking me as they once would have, they fueled
the storm building inside. My knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. It felt like my whole body was on fire, holding
an entire wave of fury.
However, when I pulled up to the house and saw Xander’s Rolls
Royce in the driveway. I shifted my gaze and saw him, standing
on the porch, waiting.
My wolf growled at the sight of him, redirecting all our anger. I threw my door open, ready to bring the house down.
“Jane,” he called as I slammed the car door. “What happened
Chapter 23: Die!
tonight? Your mother called from the police station asking for
my lawyer.”
He’d spoken to my mother. The first person she’d called for help
after trying to kill me was my husband. I was going to get
answers, and I would get them now. I took a deep breath and
unclenched my fists.
ribs.
I walked straight up to him, heart pounding against my ri
“Did you tell her to do it?”
“To do what? What are you talking about?”
“Did you tell my mother to push me off that bridge?”
