The Dark Side Of Fate by Karima Sa'ad Usman

09 The One That Got Away

~Leo~

I woke up in wolf form. Amanda knelt beside me, and she was weeping. I did not know what had happened. Did they conquer us while I was out of it?

I shifted back to my human form, and she hugged me tightly and wept.

I searched about for Tamia. The last time I remembered, three of us were in the living room when the intruders barged in.

I broke the hug and gently got up to look at the mess that was once my living room. There was nothing to salvage. I had to replace everything.

"Where is Tamia?" I asked Amanda, and she continued to cry on the floor.

"Where is my wife? What happened?" I asked, and she managed to get up.

"They were trying to take you away as a trophy. You were almost dead. So she gave herself up in your stead. I tried to talk her out of it, but she shut me out. They took her away in chains, Leo. We stood no chance. The attack ended the moment they took her," Amanda said, rushing through her words, but I was lost from the moment she said Tamia gave herself up.

I fell to my knees and roared with anger. I punched the ground until my knuckles bled.

Tears were streaming down my cheeks. There was pain deep in my soul. How much pain did we have to endure? Who did we offend to warrant such a terrible life? First, our happily ever after was disrupted by my fated, and now this. There was no way I could get her back.

"Why!" I yelled, my soul in pain and my heart breaking.

How could I lose her? The last words we spoke to each other were painful. She felt I had wronged her terribly, and I was determined to fix it. I wanted children with her too. I would have made an effort. Tamia was my best friend before we got married. I felt like shit, and slowly rage rose in me against Kyle and Devin.

Why did Kyle look for trouble and bring this upon us? I had warned him to be careful that the Dark Alpha wasn't so forgiving, but he felt Devin would be there to rescue us.

Devin took land, money and tributes from us and did not come to our aid when needed. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

He might argue the attack was sudden, but that was what Alphas trained for, to counter sudden attacks. He should have had men here to help us.

I roared. My sweet Tamia is gone because Kyle chose to look for trouble. I got off the floor and went to our bedroom.

I looked around and felt like shit. Everything that transpired between us after the whole fated shit happened played in my mind, and I wished I could take it all back.

I wished I never went to the stupid party Casper invited us to. Our lives were perfect. She was perfect for me, and I knew she loved me. I knew that love made her give herself up for my sake. She was good at studying situations and understanding them. She believed it would be best if she gave herself up.

I shouldn't have told her Amanda was expecting. I saw the joy drain from her eyes and the hurt that replaced it.

I knew she wanted children, but I wanted us to enjoy our lives a bit before having pups. The thing with Amanda was sudden and unplanned, but I felt like shit because I had hurt that woman.

Amanda knocked on the door, and I could not let her enter Tamia's room. She might not be here, but no woman would enter her room or replace her.

It was now official that the Mountain pack no longer had a Luna. Amanda will never replace her. Fate had taken everything from us. Our joy, our strength and our happy ending. I planned on holding on to whatever was left of us.

I stepped out of the room, still naked, and she searched my eyes.

"What will we do, Leo? How will we get her back?"Amanda asked, and I did not know how to respond. No one dared go against the Dark Alpha. He was like a god. We would stand a better chance if the entire region joined with the south and went after him, but no one will want to risk that for my Tamia.

"We can't get her back unless he lets her go," I confessed to Amanda, and tears streamed down her face. I thought the news would make her happy, but I guess her life was just as fucked up as ours.

"I thought you would be happy?" I said to her, trying to understand why she was sad.

"Luna Tamia didn't have to give herself up. She could have pointed at me as your fated. I was more valuable than she was, but she chose to protect both of us. I owe her my life and freedom, Leo. I can never be happy that something happened to her. Fate messed us all up. It brought me into your happy lives. I thought it was a game and I should just take you from her because you are mine, but after everything, I realised the way I behaved and the lies I told just to get her out of the picture were cruel and unnecessary. How will I atone for my wickedness?" She said in tears and I wondered how many lies she had told.

"What lies, Amanda?" I asked her, and she bowed her head and moved away from me.

"I lied against you that we went all the way in the balcony. Then I lied that Luna Tamia sent men after me to kill me. That man we locked up was paid and compelled by my father," She said, telling me things I already knew. I did not bother to say anything; I just walked away from her. I picked up a pair of shorts and headed out to see what was left of my pack.

As I walked, I saw people mourning, but they all looked at me with respect. I am sure they believed I had given up Tamia for their sake, but they were wrong.

Had Tamia not given herself up, they would have all died because I wouldn't have given her up. I would have died instead.

People began to stand up and pay their respect as I walked past them.

They knew the attack wasn't my fault. I could not receive their thanks because it wasn't mine to take.

Tamia was the true hero and the best Luna this pack had ever had. Too bad they will no longer have a luna again because I won't marry Amanda. I can never replace my Emerald Queen, not in a million years.

***

I headed to the meeting early in the morning the next day. All the Alphas present were livid. Some had to give their daughters up as peace offerings while others died. Only two people gave their Luna, and I knew why.

Their Luna didn't mean shit to them. Kyle was the worst of them all because he caused the war. The moment I saw him and rushed at him, I began hitting him. I was furious.

"You bastard!" I said, straddling and punching him on the ground.

"My Tamia is gone because of you," I said. I felt my rage rising.

"Get off him, Leo. You won't solve the problem like this," I heard someone say, but I could not care. Eventually, I pulled off him, and I yelled profanities at the bastard.

"I did not do anything!" he yelled back.

"I was just as shocked at everyone when they attacked. They said I messed with the western border, which is now their territory, but I didn't. They said I called the Dark Alpha out, and I didn't, I swear. I can never do that. I do not know how they linked that shit to me. You have to believe me, Leo." Kyle said, and I did not believe him.

"I have lost everything," I said in tears, thinking of Tamia. I wondered how she was faring and what they were doing to her. I could not hold myself anymore. Max hugged me, but I refused to be held.

I was a broken man long before the attack, but this had just wrecked me completely.

"It is easy for you two to take this calmly. You wanted your Lunas out of the way so you could be with your fated, but I didn't want Tamia out of the picture. I wanted to keep her," I said, and Max pleaded with me to be calm.

"We need to get them back," I said, sounding frantic.

"No, Leo. Cut your losses and move on. Maybe that was why fate sent Amanda your way, to prepare you for this," Dickson said, and I growled at him.

"Don't you ever mention that word to me again! Fate is a dirty word that brings pain and misfortune and ruins perfect lives." I said to him, and he was silent.

"Alpha Kyle and Max have made peace with their loss, and the rest of us too. We all gave our daughters or sisters. It was a hard choice, but we made it. Do not expect us to go to war with the

monster because of your Luna; you dare not do it on your own because you will fail and bring his wrath upon us. Forget about her. Tamia is a strong woman. I am sure she will survive whatever happens in the north," He said, and I growled. I was confused and powerless.

"Where is the bastard Devin that we allied with?" Max asked Kyle because it was Kyle that introduced us to Devin. I remembered the bastard. He flirted with my wife and tried to fuck her on the dancefloor right before my eyes. We gave him his respect, and he did not fulfil his duty.

"Where is he? Where is Bane! It seems all he is good at is flirting with other people's wives," Max said and looked at me to apologise.

"No offence Leo, but the bastard was all over your wife the last time. He was also unapologetic about it. He should have the same unapologetic determination towards his duty." Max said, and I did not say anything. I was too angry to care.

"He is coming. He said the south was under attack at the same time, and he had to defend his region. I have sent people to confirm his excuse," Kyle said, and I did not care; I just walked out of the meeting. There was no solution to my problems there. If I couldn't get Tamia back, I had no business fighting with them or making plans. I would instead go home and lick my wounds.