Beyond Beta's Rejection

(Harper’s POV)

I looked over to see Colton standing there in a black suit and black tie. Despite everything that had happened between us, I couldn’t deny that he looked good in the suit. He moved into the room and kissed his mother on the cheek before holding his hand out to me. I looked at the hand, not wanting to take it. Colton sighed and then nodded to two warriors dressed in all black. They both advanced on Louise, and she backed away.

“My uncle was clear. You are both to be escorted this evening,” Colton said, his face blank. “It can be done the civil way or the not-so civil way, and I saw one of the warriors handling what looked like a collar and lead.

“Fine,” I snapped and took Colton’s hand. “But if he tries to put that on my friend, I will use it to strangle him with.” The warrior stopped and looked at Colton, unsure of what to do. I narrowed my eyes at him and saw genuine fear cross his face. He was still a warrior from the council and even working for the evil Circle. I knew he would have heard my reputation. Colton shook his head slightly, and the warrior relaxed. I saw Louise smile at the interaction but quickly returned her blank expression as the other warrior took her arm.

Colton tugged on my arm, and we headed out of the room and down the hallway. I could already hear the buzz of the pack downstairs and felt sick at the thought of what was going to happen.

“You look beautiful, Strawberries,” Colton whispered in my ear as we descended the steps,

“Bite me,” I replied, and he chuckled.

“All in good time,” he said, and I felt sick. The pressure in my head was almost unbearable. And my whole body felt hot enough that as we entered the main entrance and the warm summer breeze from the open door hit my skin, I actually shivered. We walked into the main hall, and the room fell almost silent as we made our way to the stage and the main table. I didn’t want to look at the people around me but couldn’t help but look up to see the room full of pack members. Some were smiling. Some looked sympathetic, and some looked scared. I saw my mum and sister sitting at the table opposite the main table. My sister sneered at me as I made eye contact, and my mum started crying. I couldn’t see it, but by the wince of pain that crossed her face, I guessed that my sister was stopping her from making any attempt to stop this.

We headed up the stairs, and Nathaniel stood there in a full tuxedo suit. He smiled at me like we were friends and took my hand as we reached him.

“Harper, my dear, you look simply delightful,” he said loudly.

“Go to hell,” I snapped, and he laughed. He turned to the crowd and began to speak loudly so that everyone could hear. He began to talk about returned love and the gift that it brings. Every word seemed to get harder for me to hear as the headache started to hammer in my head. I felt like I was going to throw up, and my vision was blurring. I looked up to see Colton staring at me with concern. I glanced down off the stage to see Louise being held at the back of the room and then Caroline standing close. Her eyes shifted to my arm and then back to me. Colton leaned into me, and I flinched, thinking that we had got to the part where he would bite me. Had I already run out of time.

“My mother said you are running out of time, and they might not make it,” he whispered in my ear. I pulled back and looked at him. My eyes widened in shock. Did he know? Was he aware of what was happening? Colton nodded again and looked at my arm. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I fought through the almost unbearable pressure and found a place within myself that was quiet. It held a different type of pressure, like the eye of the storm. I looked up at Colton again and let go of his hand. I reached up to my arm and slid the knife from the cuff and still barely aware that Nathaniel was still talking away, oblivious to what was happening between us. I gripped the knife and swiped outwards quickly. Nathaniel suddenly stopped stalking as a thin band of b***d appeared on his neck. The look of shock was clear on his face as he stared at me in confusion. I thought it was enough, but then the shock was replaced with anger as he sneered at the weapon in my hand. He looked down at Caroline, and I watched as she stared back at him in defiance. Colton stepped forward into his line of sight, and Nathaniel’s face twisted in fury. I went for a second attack as I vaguely heard screaming and saw warriors fill the room as I swung the knife at Nathaniel’s throat again. He grabbed my wrist before I could make contact and twisted it so that the knife fell out of my hand.

I saw his eyes shift to the empty black as he pulled me against him.

“I have had enough of your disobedience, Miss Kirby,” he sneered in my ear. “I have learned that you are not as required as I once thought. And I will not tolerate it anymore.” I tried to fight against his strength, but I couldn’t as he dragged me down the stairs. I kicked out at him and tried to drop my weight.

“You think that the simple strategies you have been taught will be enough against me, you insolent child.” He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. “I was the one who taught you them.” Nathaniel didn’t let go of me as he kicked at my knees, causing them to buckle under me, and I fell painfully, feeling like half my hair was ripped out. He then picked me up by my neck and squeezed. I grabbed at his hand as I fought for breath, but I was no match for his obviously demonic strength. My vision began to blur as he dragged me out of the room and the pack house. I was vaguely aware of being dragged through the woods and only realised that we hit the cell’s entrance when I heard the clunk of the door. I could hear shouting and screaming, but everything seemed to narrow down to the returning pressure in my body. I felt like the lack of oxygen was causing me to fade in and out of consciousness. The pressure inside me was about to burst out. I was jolted back to reality as my knees hit the cells’ cold, hard concrete surface. I looked up to see that I was in front of a bank of open cells. I could see Tommy and Marcus on the other side of the bars. I saw they were shouting and pulling at the bars, but I couldn’t hear anything against the roaring of the other cell. This one wasn’t open. It had a big steel door and a small window. I saw the unmistakable eyes of Elias appearing and disappearing before the door shook against the weight of something heavy hitting it.

Tears streamed down my face as I saw Louise dragged into the room by two warriors, and Tommy began to frantically claw at the bars. I looked at Louise in horror. Had what I had just done signed her death sentence? Were we being brought here to see her being killed? I was dragged to my feet and felt Nathaniel’s hand circle my throat again. I tried to struggle, but his grip only tightened.

“I have some good news,” he sneered into my ear. “It turns out that sweet Louise’s baby is more valuable than I originally thought, so she gets to live for now.” I stared at Louise, who was screaming and struggling against the two warriors that held her.

“But with my new knowledge, I now do not need the risk you bring me. It may take another twenty years, but this time I will ensure I do it right. I will ensure that the child is raised in full obedience to me.” I felt his hand on my wrist a second before I realised what he would do. I had no idea what he knew, but it was enough to know that it wasn’t Louise that was in danger. I tried to grab his hand on my wrist, but he just batted it away like I was an annoying fly. Nathaniel clicked at something, and I felt the cuff slide from my wrist and hit the floor. I heard it clank and saw it roll away. I looked up at the people in the cells and then at the eyes in the tiny window. I felt a calm wash over me as everything suddenly went deadly quiet. I stared at the eyes of the man I loved, committing them to memory. I felt tears flow down my skin as I felt the first lick of heat inside me. All the pressure that had been building up exploded through my skin, and I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out. I could feel the flames inside me reaching for my soul or whatever it was that made me who I was. I felt as it painfully burned through everything I was. I stared at the eyes in the window, wishing that for just one more time, I could see his face, feel his touch. I held on for as long as I could, clinging to the last seared edges of my humanity before the pain became too much, and I let out a piercing scream as the invisible flames consumed me. I dropped to my knees, the pain unbearable as I choked on my own b***d. I wanted this torture to so desperately stop, for me to finally be put out of my misery. Finally, I collapsed fully to the ground, and the pain dissipated as I felt myself disappearing into the dark empty blackness of death.