Freeing Starr

I placed the tray down on the dresser and sat down at the edge of the bed, gazing at the female that slumbered peacefully wrapped in my clothing.

After cleaning her up, I had laid her down on our bed then went to clean myself up and rid myself of the stench of that foul room. Then I went to prepare a fruit bowl, a sandwich and some water for her to eat and drink once she woke up.

I took my phone out of my pocket and called Niah.

"Hello?" She answered on the third ring.

"Niah, do you know anyone in the pack that's good at repairs? I exerted a bit too much of my strength and accidentally broke off the doorknob of one of the doors."

"Why were you using strength on the door in the first place?" she mumbled.

I faked a laugh, "it's the bedroom door. It got jammed and I didn't have the patience to call for assistance. I wanted to get it fixed as soon as possible... before Zion gets back. Y'know how he is."

Niah hummed, "right, I'll send someone over before the day ends. What are you doing though? I was gonna come and check up on you but Zion told me to do something, so.."

"Oh that's fine. I'm actually still going through some websites, looking for furniture I can order for the house and then I'm gonna take a nap then cook dinner to eat. Since I'm not coming to the packhouse today, I figured I'd take this time to relax y'know. I haven't had any me time in forever."

I subtly threw in that 'me time' to politely tell her I wanted to be alone and that she shouldn't come check in on me. Fortunately, she got the hint.

"Alright, then you do that. I'll come by tomorrow. I think Zion should be back the day after that so I'll probably pass by then to."

"Do you know why he went out this time?"

"I think it was to meet up with the contact your father gave us, I'm not too sure."

I pursed my lips, "why didn't he tell me?"

Niah snorted, "because it's Zion. Anyways, I gotta go. Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and sighed, running a hand down my face in exhaustion. I was mentally exhausted. I really wanted to just sink myself beneath some sheets and stay there for the rest of my life.

I glanced back at the female's sleeping face and frowned, "I know you're awake. Your heart rate increased."

The female's body shuddered in fear as she blinked her eyes open, peering at me with bright hazel eyes.

"I..." She croaked out nervously, her hand once again immediately straying towards her stomach.

I glanced at her stomach tensely as my heart clenched then looked away and cleared my throat. I reached a hand over to the glass of water then reached it out to her.

She eyed the glass warily and I forced a smile across my lips, "it's fine. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to help."

With much reluctance, she raised a hand tentatively then took the glass, wincing as she forced herself to sit up against the headboard.

With trembling hands, she placed the glass to her lips then began drinking the water, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

"I hope you don't mind but I took away as much of the pain as I could and cleaned you up."

She glanced down at her clothed body and relaxed even more, muttering, "thanks."

I nodded then took the glass away from her and pointed at the tray on the dresser, "I prepared some fruits as well in case you're hungry."

The girl nodded then played with her fingers, her eyes drawn to the blanket covering her legs.

"What's your name?" I asked tentatively.

"I'm Nadia," she muttered, glancing up at me briefly before her eyes strayed towards the mark that Zion placed on my neck.

Pain flashed in her eyes before she averted her gaze and stared at her feet again, a bitter smile making its way across her lips.

"You're his new mate. You're pretty... and strong." she whispered.

My heart shuddered.

"Zion?" I cleared my throat as my voice quivered.

She nodded.

"Who are you?" I inquired.

A choked laugh came out of her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes and began cascading down her cheeks. She hurriedly tried wiping them away but they just kept flowing.

"I'm his mate," her voice broke.

My heart fell as my wolf whimpered in the back of my mind.

I already guessed it since I first saw her... but hearing it directly was heart clenching.

"What?" I whispered, not sure that I wanted to hear the answer again.

"I'm his soulmate," Nadia repeated.

I immediately stood up from the bed and began pacing the room, my heart a mess of emotions. I was sad, angry, confused and lost. I had the urge to reach up and pull at my hair, just to feel the pain that lets me know that all of this was reality.

Nadia watched me through teary eyes as I paced and fidgeted in front of her, her body tensed as if waiting for me to snap and attack her.

I took a deep breath to try to calm my beating heart and turned to her, "Can you tell me your story? Why you're here? What happened? I promise you that I will not lay a single finger on you or your child... How far along are you?"

Nadia hesitated slightly as she caressed her flat stomach, "I'm two months pregnant."

My legs felt like jello as they collapsed under me and I fell to my knees, a hand going up to cover my mouth.

All this time. All this time I thought that Zion and I were going strong. That he was beginning to like me and accept me completely as his mate. All this time that I laid under him and took all of his touches, weakened to all of his advances... only to realize that I wasn't the only one.

The thought broke me more that I wanted to admit.

Nadia's eyes softened as she looked at me breaking down in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, "if I had the choice, I'd leave and never look back."

I shook my head and wiped at the tears that slipped from my eye, inhaling sharply, "it's fine. I'm the one who's intruding on your relationship. I'm the other woman. So please... tell me your story."

Nadia nodded her head then shyly patted next to her, "Can you sit next to me? I can smell Zion's scent all over the room and it hurts... really bad."

I nodded and got up off the floor, sitting next to her and pulling the blanket over my legs as well.

I tensed as she moved closer and placed her head against my shoulder.

"I was once a member of the Raylan pack. A small pack that got attacked by Zion's pack. They took our small territory and we had to submit to them and join the pack. That was how I met Zion. No one knew that we were mates because Zion didn't want anyone to know... He was ashamed of me. I was weak, a recessive omega with nothing to my name. My parents died when I was young and I was raised in a small orphanage in our pack. I had no one and when Zion came along, I finally found hope. He took me to this house and hid me away from everyone else. At first, he was a gentleman. He was kind, loving and thoughtful... but as the pack kept expanding, his power kept growing and he grew more distant. I was too weak to lead beside him. I was okay with staying locked up here. I had my mate and that was all that mattered. Until about a year ago... when he locked me inside of that room and told me that I wasn't good enough."

A sob escaped her lips.

"He told me that this was all my fault. That if I was an Alpha, he wouldn't have to look for someone else to mate... someone better. He stood there and he told me to my face that he was getting someone else to be his mate and that as punishment, I was to stay in that room for the rest of my life and watch as he lived with another woman."

Tears sprang to my eyes as I listened to her cry and I tried to hold myself together as I wrapped an arm around her and let her continue.

"I wanted to leave! I tried to leave but he was too strong. He forced me, he'd beat me and he'd rape me. Every day it was torture. Not only could I feel the pain of your bond growing but I could feel it every time he took you. There was nothing I could do but lay in that room, weak and pathetic and wishing for death to take me. The worst part of it all was when I found out I was pregnant. I was devasted and happy at the same time because I finally had someone to keep me company... but they were also trapped inside the room with me for quite possibly the rest of our lives while his or her father was just outside that door playing house with another woman. I just wanted to die... to leave and never come back. I want nothing to do with him! He's cruel and he hurts me so much and all I've ever done was love him. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

She cuddled into my embrace as she cried and sobbed, her cries overshadowing my own as I cried with her. My heart breaking for the both of us... for the pain we've had to endure and the suffering we were put through.

I hated it all.

"I'm sorry," I cried pathetically, "I didn't know. I swear I didn't know."

We stayed like that for a very long time and released all of our emotions.