💖 Don't forget to vote/comment! 💖

***Demetri's POV***

Lily looked broken. The days in the hospital had given her physical nutrients, but her soul was absent.

Staring at the fragile woman was exhausting. The secrets had cost her more than she seemed willing to spend. I could only hope that, somehow, we could bring her back to life.

"Lily, my name is Alpha Demetri. I'm a friend of Collin." I started.

The blank stare in her eyes gave nothing away. She was neither alive nor dead. She just was.

"We found you. A couple weeks ago. We were hoping to get to know you. We want to help you." I continued.

"He will find me." Lily mumbled.

Her voice was low and such a whisper that you could barely understand.

"Who? Landon?" I questioned.

"He won't let me go." Lily continued to stare at nothing while she pulled her knees into her chest. She weakly laid her cheek on her knees and closed her eyes.

We wanted to tell her he would never find her. Collin had ripped his body to pieces and burned him. However, I had a feeling that was not information that would comfort her at this time.

"We will keep you safe." Collin promised. His hand reaching towards her. She pulled tighter into herself and Collin withdrew his touch.

"You can't beat him." Lily whispered as slow, small tears kissed her frail cheeks.

I scoffed. A smirk grew against my face and I turned around so she couldn't see.

We had already beat him.

"Lily. Do you know who I am?" Collin asked. A hint of pain laced his stoic voice.

"I don't know." Lily admitted.

"Did you have a child?" Collin pinched the bridge of his nose while he squeezed his eyes.

"He died when I gave birth." Lily sobbed. Her trembling form rocking the bed.

"No, he didn't." Collin confirmed.

Lily grabbed her hair and started screeching like a banshee. Her form rocked frantically. The sight was unbearable.

"YES HE DID! LANDON TOLD ME!" She yelled.

"Collin, can we step outside?" I whispered.

We called the pack doctor and she came to administer meds to calm Lily.

The physical abuse was far less gruesome than the weight of the psychological abuse that was inflicted.

Once outside, we all stood. Collin looked desperate. Efran looked worried. Alex looked pained.

"She's traumatized. Collin, we are gonna have to figure out a way to convince Lily that you didn't die like Landon has brainwashed her to believe." I explain.

"How do you convince a mentally unstable mother that the man she loved, her mate, lied to her?" Efran deadpanned.

"He's not the only man she ever loved." Alex offered.

"Dad?" I asked incredulously.

"We should speak to Him and to Mom." Alex informed.

"Mom's pregnant. I'm not putting her under that stress." I argued.

"Alpha, our mother is stronger than you give her credit for. She is a Luna first. She will always be a Luna. Give Mom the choice." Alex justified.

"He's right, Alpha." Efran concurred.

"Demetri, I'm asking this of you, unfairly. But, please." Collin begged.

"I will talk to Dad. But, whatever he chooses, that is what happens." I swear.

"Thank you." Collin whimpered.

We left after that. Lily was back to sleep. A sedative had been injected into her pick line and there was no need to stick around.

I went back to my mate. I curled beside her and laid restlessly.

This has all gotten far beyond my comfort zone. I really don't want to involve my parents. But, the choice has been removed from my own hands.

<<<<<<

When morning came, I steadied myself for today's bullshit. I put it off with pack work and training. I tried desperately to procrastinate as long as possible.

My efforts were in vain as my mother made her way towards me in the dining room. She was beaming. Pregnancy had always agreed with her and this time was no exception.

We sat quietly at the table for a few minutes. Then Mom just broke the silence with no room for me questioning her authority.

"I asked Alex about Lily. He told me what's going on. Your father and I are going to visit." Mom started.

"You don't have to." I promised.

"Demetri, I appreciate the fact that you are trying to protect us. But, we aren't the one who needs a hero. I won't rob Lily of anymore of her life. I will not allow her to be a victim any longer." She continued.

Mom's resolve was so firm. The only feeing I could muster was pride. She is just so amazing. Like I said before, an earthly angel at her finest.

"I love you Mama." I whispered as I hugged her swollen form and kissed her cheeks.

"I love you Alpha. You always make me proud." She whispered thru her hugs and kisses.

<<<<<<

***Shaela's POV***

Grey and I headed towards the pack hospital of the Red Moon Pack. Our goal was to convince Lily of the truth. I wanted to open her eyes so she could start the long road to recovery.

My heart broke for the woman that once loved my mate. She had endured more hardships due to her own pairing than any person, or wolf, should be forced to face. Her life had been a living hell. It was time to correct that mistake.

I am not in any way disrespecting our Moon Goddess. While we do have our mates hand picked for us, Goddess can't be held responsible for free will. Landon was an evil man and he had taken his vile nature to extreme lengths. Unfortunately, he chose not to respect his mate. Instead, he used her for his own selfish motives.

Grey and I knocked quietly and walked into Lily's room. She was staring off blankly while sitting up in her bed. Her appearance lacked life. She could be rendered comatose for all the emotion she was withholding.

I stood at Grey's side and let him speak first. Hoping his presence would bring any semblance of memories to the beautiful shell of a woman in front of us.

"Lily. I'm Grey. I'm not sure if you remember me." Grey began.

Lily's eyes scanned his features and she stared for some time.

"Grey? My Grey?" She responded between a trembling lip and a shaking head.

The words My Grey weren't lost on me. But, I was not here to be petty. I was here to help.

"Lily. Yes, I was your Grey." My mate clarified.

I silently prided in his choice of words.

"Lily, do you remember anything from the past 22 years?" Grey continued.

"I can't tell you. He will find me." Lily chanted while curling into herself.

"That won't happen Lily. Landon has been confined. Permanently. He will never reach you again." Grey promised.

"You can't promise me that." She whimpered.

"What if I could?" Grey grabbed Lily's hand gently and massaged small comforting strokes into her frail skin.

"Then I would be eternally grateful." Lily shook. Her body revealing another physical scar to mirror the emotional hell she had been accustomed to.

"I can contest that Landon will never contact you. He is physically incapable." Grey confirmed.

Lily seemed to understand the weight of Grey's declaration. She nodded and her body calmed minimally.

"I remember a lot. Sometimes I would black out. So, there are pieces that are foreign to me." Lily began.

"Can we start from the beginning?" Grey urged.

"It was not easy. I was pregnant with my pup. A boy. You had found your mate. I had found Landon. At first, I was so happy to have found him. He was exciting. I was to be his Luna. The mate bond was strained. Almost non-existent. I figured that was because my heart had previously belonged to you." Lily started. Her voice was weak and full of pain.

Grey shot me a look of confusion and I mirrored the sentiment.

Even if a wolf was previously dedicated to another, the mate bond between an Alpha and Luna would be stronger than a normal bond.

"In the beginning, I trusted Landon. I told him of our relationship, you and I. He seemed okay with the information. Soon, I found myself to be carrying a pup. The sonogram made it clear the pup belonged to Landon. I told him that. But, he chose to believe I was still nurturing a relationship with you, Grey." Lily continued. Her voice never wavered from the painful whisper.

"He forced me to torment you with proof that our pup was just as likely yours as it would be his. We both knew the truth. I was too naive to realize he was setting a trap. I'm sorry for that Grey." Lily looked at Grey with large tears filling her sunken eyes. She then looked at me and mouthed I'm sorry.

I walked to the other side of her bed. I slowly approached and sat at her bedside. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her head.

"I'm Shaela. I'm Grey's Luna. I forgive you and I don't hate you. I'm sorry for what you have been thru." I cooed between strokes of her hair.

Her story had just begun and I already felt the need to stop listening. However, I needed to hear her.

"What did he do to you during those early days?" Grey prodded.

"He beat me." Lily choked the words out like stomach acid.

"I'm sorry." Grey stated.

Grey's eyes held remorse and sympathy.

"Once the pup was born, he died. Landon informed me after I woke from birth. We then left the pack and became rogue. Landon kept me chained to different structures during our journey. I was forced to mourn the loss of my pup and my pack all at once." Lily spilled the details of the lies she had been forced to believe.

"Landon punished me daily for the loss of our pup. He told me I was a weak Luna and the Moon Goddess had made a mistake. He told me he had to hide me away because no pack would accept a Luna who was unable to bare offspring. I was so devastated with my loss, I didn't bother to fight him. He was right. I was weak." Lily cried as she remembered the words of hatred spit by her mate.

"He starved me and beat me regularly. When he was especially disgusted by me, he would use tools to inflict pain. He went as far as using wolfsbane on me. He penetrated me with a rod that was covered in it. I was unable to conceive. I lost my wolf." Lily wretched the words out.

Tears pressed against my eyes as I listened to the mortal hell. The details were far beyond the pain I could have imagined. My stomach clenched and I tried hard to stay a pillar of strength. My pup moved in angst. My stress was causing the baby to flutter. The comfort of my child brought me a peace that steadied me.

"Lily. Landon was a vile creature. I have solid evidence that he lied to you. I also have a suspicion that would be of value to you. Do you mind listening?" Grey's voice was clouded with anger and hurt.

"I will listen." Lily confirmed.

"Your baby didn't pass away. Landon abandoned the pup. His sister took the child in. Landon is quite possibly not your mate if the bond was never formed. Did you feel any new pain the day you were brought here?" Grey asked.

"No, I haven't." Lily whispered.

"Landon was killed by your son's hands. If you were his mate, you would have died the moment he took his last breath. That Mother Fucker lied everyday to you." Grey spit the words with venom that could kill an army of wolves.

"That sucks." Lily shrugged the information off.

"What part?" I asked incredulously.

"That I wasted my life on a man that wasn't my mate. That I didn't get to watch him die." Lily let out a small laugh.

"Where is my son?" Lily looked like she had just found the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

I guess she had.

"Alpha Collin." I whispered.