Chapter 28

Adams POV

My eyes drifted to the audience around. They looked at me in horror. I just got into a fight with alpha James, my brother Leo. I think only the elders and close family and friends had realised that alpha James is truly my long lost bother and Tom's long lost son.

Even though felt angry with him, but part of me felt relief, relief for the fact that he is okay and has a life. Sure I'm angry with him, but the way he interacts and makes Mariah happy, makes me happy.

I have to say even though, I went all rogue on him; I felt no hate towards him. Dr Samuel had insured me that I will feel jealousy or even anger towards him. But that was part of my recover, expressing all my anger and letting out all my negative energy.

I know I never will be Mariah's but I still want to make things work between us for the sake of our daughter. I understand I don't even deserve to see her, but I know I can change if Alina is there.

Dr Samuel is happy with my progress so far, and he has mentioned I'm not a threat to Alina, but i still need to be careful around others. My protective nature seems to get the better of me when I'm around Mariah and Alina. Hence the reason I had hurt my own brother.

But what hadn't gone unnoticed was the glint in his eyes. My brother always had that glint when Aretha was around, but it had soon gone when she had ran away. I still don't know why she ran away, but when she had she took part of Leo's soul with her. I was angry about it that to, Leo had the best mate and one day she's nowhere to seen. My father had told me she had run away and the Leo wasn't stable to talk to anyone.

I loved my brother so much back in the day, that i would go through a hot desert to find a medicine to cure his depression. But being told thousands of time to leave it, I had. Even thought I didn't want him in that state I had to give him space.

However that space we had to give him took for ages. Which finalised our relationship when he ran away. Also the pressure that my father put on his shoulder wasn't helping much.

But what i still couldn't get through my head was why on earth he came with my mate and not his. I would have thought he would have searched for her. That is what confused me, he didn't brother to search for her or even find her, he moved around locking himself inside his room. I hated the fact that he is a useless mate.

Sure I'm not that good, but Leo isn't much better than me. But rather than finding her, he drowned himself into depression and sorrow. He should have been out their searching for her.

I felt a hand touch my shoulder and i knew who it was. "So we should have mentioned this to us" my father said guiltily.

"You think! What is wrong with you? You knew she was here and you didn't even inform me!" i exclaimed breathing heavily.

"This isn't the place to do it" my father spoke quietly. I looked around to see we were still in the backyard with all my pack stood their stunned and scared. Scared from my reaction to my brothers presence and the way I'm speaking to my father.

"You know what dad I'm not going to lie anymore. The guilt is eating me alive" I whispered back harshly.

I turned my back to my father and face my pack. "Look I know I never open up t o you as alpha, hell I'm may not even be the best. But the reason for my outburst today was because... Mariah is my mate" I heard gasps form my surrounding. Many shook their heads while other smiled. Their alpha had found his true mate. "But that not all, Mariah did run out she was" I breathed in. I knew speaking the truth would hurt members of my pack; they love Mariah as their own. And to admit the truth will really anger most members of my pack. "She was exiled".

There was silence around me; I felt anger of my wolf bubbling inside me. I felt him clawing my flesh so he could get a piece of me. I put my head down in shame, as my wolf hated me at this very point.

"Why Adam?" one of the elders was now in front of me, putting my face between her palm.

"I was stupid and ignorant and a fool. Status mattered to me."

"I know that Adam. But like a wise man said once 'your faults is what cures a person'. No one knew what that man was saying but then you came and now that had showed us. Your faults may have hurt you with great pain, but they are what are now curing you from your bad mistakes. If you had no faults then you would be the same and you couldn't strive to be better"

"Mariah's dad?" I whispered back. She nodded her head. Her father had always been the wise and inspirational man from our pack. His words were always so true and wise that no one would mock his words or even ignore his comments. His words were always believed, I never understood his words but now I know his words were always the truth.

"You mustn't dwell on the fact that you rejected her, exiled her and raped her" she whispered back.

I took few steps backwards when she said the last two words. I was shocked for words looking at one of the elders, who just smiled at my confusion. Also, how did she know I rejected her?

"How, err did?" I stopped not finding words to put into my sentence. The shock of the truth had gotten me so confused and scared at the time that even placing easy words in a sentence were hard.

"Elders are wise my child." she stated and walked back to her to her place, while her son had wrapped a loving arm around her. I felt sadness pouring at the view at an adoring mother; whose son was now taking care of her, and then on the other side a mother scowling her teenage son. I would do anything to have a relationship with my mother i once had.

No matter how much a stubborn child could say they hated their mother or could live without them, is a lie. A mother's embrace is like entering safety. A mother voice is like music to your ears. A mother's touch is like paradise.

I was such a foolish stubborn, arrogant teenager to realise a mother meant more than shoes on my feet or clothe on my body. Without a mother's love there is no point of life.

I searched the perimeter to find my mother, when she came in view I let out a warm smile. My mother stood there with teary eyes, nodding her head, letting her tears flow, while she clutched the shawl that was perfectly around her neck, sniffing into it. She raised her arms out to me.

This time my status or anything else didn't really matter to me. I ran in my mother arms, welcoming arms. This time I let her hold me like she once had when I was a kid. My mother wrapped her motherly arms around me. I felt like the old Adam again, I hadn't received this when I became the alpha and the stubborn disrespectful child. I was treated like the immature alpha I was. But being in my mother's arm made me aware of my past. I needed to make things right with Leo and Mariah. I know forgiveness isn't something I'm looking for or deserve, but what I do want is a chance to be their for my daughter.

I could hears sobs, but what I hadn't realised was they were mine. My mother's arms tighter around my shoulder, while I nuzzled into the crook of her neck, pouring my tears that were held for ages out.

A mother's touch could bring a child life back, and it was true my mother touch was what is making me stronger. She loving stroked my hair as I let my tears pour out.

"Shhh, my baby boy. You always been my son" she whispered.

"Mum I'm so sorry I know I don't deserve chances. But I was foolish and an idiot back then. I'm changing mum" a sob escaped my lips as I cried silently in my mother's arms. Like the child I once was. But I hadn't realised that scared little boy was back. He has always been a part of me and will always be.

"Adam what happened when they were teaching you to be Alpha?" I didn't answer her but took a step back as I looked into my mother's teary eyes. The guilt in her eyes made me hold onto my mother this time. This time she cried her heart out. I never realised my mother would have known what I had been trough.

"You think a mother would even see her childs change in behaviour" she cried, while laughing. But her laugh seemed to turn into cries. "Adam I should have seen it. The scars on your body and, and, and-"

I cut her off, saving her pain from her own words. "Mum what's done is done. They did make me stronger but they also turned me into a monster" my last words I spat bitterly, making myself feel agony with my own words. I felt a tear stream down my cheeks while my eyes stung with more tears, fighting to be free. But I wiped them away stubbornly.

My mother grip around my arms grew tighter, as she held onto my arms squeezing the life out of it, as her other hands were holding onto my shirt tightly. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, while she pressed her face into my chest. I rested my chin onto my mother's soft hair. I breathed in her scent, the scent that always made me feel safe.

I took around my surrounding witnessing everyone's teary gazes on us. That even included a heartless mother of Brad and Jesse. It shocked me to see Jesse holding onto her stomach and shaking her head. I knew I was right.

I let go of my mother, who let out a whimper. "I'm here mum. I'm not going anywhere now. Your little boys back" I chuckled as she nodded weekly.

I stepped forwards facing my pack members, as i stood there with authority, growing back my composure.

"From now on if any crime is committed in this pack, which includes any bullying or even brutal attacks on anyone, including the humans, I will be sure to give you a serve punishment. This means if you find it amusing to hurt anyone" my voice was stern. The past had made me learn my mistake.

"I am no saint myself. I will admit to my mistakes in my past. Like I said I was no saint and definitely no hypocrite." I took a deep intake of breath. My father nodded his head. "I bullied, and raped Mariah Mercedes" i closed my eyes, looking directly at the ground feeling ashamed with myself. I knew other around me wanted to beat the life out of me. I looked up to see elders who looked really angry and warriors stepping forward to lunge at me, but thankfully was held by their mate. I didn't blame them, Mariah was like their own. They had promised her father that they would protect her, but in a way they failed him. "But the worst part is I rejected her as my mate"

"You bastard!" Brad spat through his clenched teeth, as he launched at me. I fist launched into my jaw, while i stumbled to the ground. I let brad beat me up. I lay on the floor while his punchers grew angrier and stronger. I could feel the amount of blood seeping down my skin, while i lay down letting him hit me. The arrogant Adam would have beaten Brad up till he was dead for hurting him, but the old Adam wouldn't allow that. He let his brothers mate take his anger out.

I could hear the desperate cries of people. The warriors couldn't hold him back as his wolf was too angry. I knew the warriors scowled at me and didn't really want to get Brad for m beating me, I'm pretty sure they all wanted to be in brad positions, making sure to do damage to my face. But I was still their alpha, and they knew that they had to.

Even though darkness was finally setting in me, I forced my eyes open. I had to finish off my speech.

I got up from the help of my mother, who held onto my hands, squeezing for reassurance. "I deserved that" i chuckled as I spat out blood.

Even though my pack member looked at me in horror, they still held their fiery anger towards me. I bet I looked like shit. But I laughed it off, I needed a beating.

Brad was still ebbing restrained by the warriors. "Let him go" I ordered, they looked uneasy but they did as I said. As they let him go he pounced on me. I hadn't realised my mother trembling form beside me, that's when my instinct kicked in. As brad came for me I held onto his arm holding him firmly, glaring at him. "Keep your wolf in control, because boy you aint no saint yourself. You need to open up and stop blaming it all on me. Sure I'm, not too good but you have to stop looking like the victim. You were as bad as me, even worse. I know I'm a disgrace, but you're her bother" I whispered angrily. Brad needed to come out in the open. He nodded and let tears flow down his cheeks. I let him go, while my mother took his shaky form in her arms. My mother always so loves, no matter how much she's in pain her will never let you feel like crap. Even what I had done she still showed me love but not the love I once used to have.

"I know I'm not the greatest of alphas and my temper can get the better of me. I have no excuse for it, but I need to be honest." I swallowed a lump in my throat as I remembered my past. "Dad" I looked up at him. "Remember those men who you had trusted?" he nodded, looking confused onto where I was going.

I remember as an 11 year led boy I had feared the physical torture I had gone through. Leo was 17 at the time taking the role of an alpha, but because his mate had ran away i was left to take the role. I remember that 11 year old boy, his piercing secrets and cries still ringing in my ears. But I had to remember I was stronger and braver. Those men couldn't hurt me anymore. They couldn't hurt anyone now.

I lifted my top up and threw it away. I relaxed my muscles and turned my back to them so they could see the scars on my body. All I could hear were gaps and more cries of horror. But my fathers shock gasp had gotten my ears to reach out more. I turned back around so they could see my stomach. I trailed a finger down my marks. "These were from them. This is their way of showing me how to be a strong fearless alpha. They treated me like an artwork, actually their artwork. They would smile at the way they made me grow stronger to the pain. Every time they sliced the cold metal into my skin they were so excited by it. Every time it was placed on my skin the pain never got old, the pain was the same but the only difference was that I never shed any tears. That an 11 year old boy had to face." I hadn't realised the tears that poured down my cheeks. I remember they said if I didn't cry or scream when they sliced me, then the pain would be stop. And that is what I did, I didn't scream or cry every time i was beaten or scarred. "I know that no excuse from my actions but-" I was cut from my words as i let out a whimper of pain.

I felt my neck burning as my body ached. I felt Mariah growing weaker to me, but our bond was still there. I fell to the ground, clutching onto my throbbing head. Mariah ahs finally gotten the true love that she deserved. At least she has given herself to someone willingly and someone she truly loves. My mother cries hit me but I ignored them as I let the darkness take me.