Free Web NovelChapter 70: Liam is Safe
Liam felt a wave of shocked disbelief wash over him as the full reality of Anastasia’s words hit home.
She was actually proposing to sacrifice her own freedom, to remain trapped with this unhinged lunatic...all to secure Liam’s release.
A part of him had still clung to the blind hope that her steadfast loyalty would never waver, that she would have rejected Cobra’s deranged claims outright.
But she hadn’t.
His gaze bored into her impassive expression, searching for any flicker of doubt or deception.
Yet Anastasia’s beautiful countenance remained an inscrutable mask, giving no hint of her inner turmoil.
Swallowing hard against the lump of dread in his throat, Liam forced himself to remain silent. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
If this was the play she was making to buy them time, to attempt to survive this nightmare, he would follow her lead without question.
A cruel smile twisted Cobra’s lips as he raked his eyes over Liam in a mocking once-over. "Liam Snow. The long lost brother of Luna’s head alpha. An Omegerian alpha...how incredibly rare and fortuitous."
His tone dripped with thinly veiled disdain, but Liam refused to rise to the bait.
Raising one shoulder in an irreverent shrug, he smirked. "I did rather enjoy that deliciously dramatic introduction of myself, I’ll admit."
In that moment, Cobra’s carefully constructed veneer of control shattered.
A vicious snarl ripped from his throat as his body tensed, claws unsheathing in preparation to strike.
The blatant disrespect and taunting scent of omega pheromones from his rival sent Cobra’s wolf into a frothing rage.
He locked eyes with Liam, every muscle coiled to launch himself across the room and rip out the infuriating bastard’s throat.
"Cobra." The warning tone in Anastasia’s softly uttered voice had the effect of a shock collar.
Cobra froze mid-lunge, his ragged panting the only sound in the deafening silence.
Slowly, reverently, he turned to face the object of his obsession, his entire body thrumming with a soul-deep need for her approval.
"Yes, my love?" he breathed, eyes drinking in her beauty like a man parched. "Your voice calling my name is the most divine melody to grace my ears."
His gaze shone with desperate, untempered adoration, aching to hear that treasured utterance again. "Please, my love, let me hear it once more before I grant your wish. Speak my name again and I am yours to command, now and forever."
Anastasia’s expression remained stoically impassive, utterly unmoved by Cobra’s fervent pleas. "You’ll get what you desire when Liam walks free from this place unharmed. That was the deal."
Those coolly spoken words acted as a bucket of ice water over Cobra’s blazing ardor.
His jaw clenched mulishly, defiance and doubt warring across his features.
But one weighted look from Anastasia had his resolve crumbling.
He sucked in a sharp breath and nodded once in pained acquiescence.
Cobra turned to Liam, his eyes narrowing as he asked the question that had been gnawing at him. "I would release you, but I need to know if the rumors I’ve heard are true." He paused, jaw clenching. "Are you and him...dating?"
Anastasia’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Hell no! I hate omegas," she spat, her tone dripping with disdain.
A pang of hurt lanced through Liam’s heart at her biting words.
Cobra grinned, relieved. "I knew that, but it begs the question - why did you chase after him during the battle? Why insist on freeing him from my trap?"
Internally panicking, Anastasia fought to maintain her unbothered mask. "Obviously because he’s Xavier’s brother. I was charged with protecting him as part of our alliance. I may have cared about preventing his death, but I would never care for some low-born omega, even if he is half an alpha." Her lip curled. "I only lime strong, powerful alphas...like you, Cobra."
Cobra’s heart raced as he approached her, eyes glowing with excitement. "Really? You mean that, my love?"
Forcing a smile, Anastasia nodded. "Of course. Why would I ever want some spoiled rich kid who landed in a life of privilege when I could have a self-made alpha like yourself?" Her eyes raked over him approvingly. "You’ve built this entire pack for me."
Beaming happily, Cobra slipped on a pair of gloves and gently removed the cuffs from Anastasia’s wrists.
She whimpered at the sting of the silver, going to his knees as Cobra’s face crumpled in remorse.
Cradling her hands, he brushed tender kisses over her abused skin.
"I’m so sorry, my love. I thought you might try to run from me. I never wanted to hurt you."
Anastasia smiled at him lovingly, struggling to lift her hand and stroke his cheek.
"It’s alright. Now, will you grant my wish and let the omega go back to his brother? He has my warriors and my brother Alex in Luna’s pack. I don’t want him trying to use Alex against me."
Cobra smiled blissfully. "Yes, I’ll release him since that’s your only motive for wanting him gone." His brow furrowed. "If you’d like, I can retrieve Alex for you...and kill Xavier and his pack while I’m at it..."
Panic gripped Anastasia’s chest, but she hid it behind a placid smile. "No, no need for that. My pack there can handle things with Alex. Just send the omega on his way - from now on, I want all your time and focus on me."
Delighted, Cobra nodded rapidly, soothed by her easy deflection of his violent offer. "Yes, yes of course my love. I’m all yours."
He paused, to stand up, bellowing for his guards. "Guards!"
Cobra’s expression hardened into a mask of stern authority as his guards filed into the lavish chamber.
Five towering, powerfully built alphas awaited his next command with steely obedience.
"Set this guy free," Cobra jerked his chin towards Liam, "and while you are at it, find him a shirt to wear out of here."
One of the guards immediately turned on his heel and strode out to retrieve a shirt, while the others roughly hauled Liam to his feet.
Though every instinct raged at being manhandled, Liam knew better than to struggle against such overwhelming odds.
Outnumbered five-to-one by elite warriors, with Cobra himself lurking like a coiled serpent - not to mention the hundreds more awaiting outside - resistance would be hopeless.
For now, the only wise path was grim acceptance.
"Cobra..." Anastasia’s strained voice drew his focus back to her as she had a chain around his neck and had just pulled it. "Help me stand, please."
In an instant, the unyielding mask shattered and Cobra’s features melted into tender solicitude. "Yes, of course, my love. I’m so sorry."
With utmost care, he cradled her hand in his and guided her upright, his other arm curving protectively around her waist to support her wavering frame.
An electric tingle sparked through Anastasia at the intimate contact with her other fated mate - a feeling that should have been blissfully rapturous were it not tainted by gut-churning wrongness over his psychopathic obsession.
Biting back a wince, she pressed her free hand over the wound at her stomach as she rose to stand flush against Cobra’s built form.
For a heartbeat, she allowed herself to glance toward Liam, meeting the fury burning in his eyes.
The silent vow scorching across their locked gazes conveyed a lifetime’s worth of unshakeable promises - of determination, perseverance, and love eternal - before the connection shattered.
With one final look of soul-rending regret, Cobra swept Anastasia into his embrace and guided her faltering steps toward the exit as the guards began frog-marching a shirtless, silver-cuffed Liam in the opposite direction.
No words were needed.
Anastasia remained frozen, watching with a heavy heart as Liam was led away to freedom.
Her mind replayed the cruel words she’d hurled at him - spiteful lies about hating omegas and finding him unworthy.
She regretted each venomous syllable, meant only to deceive Cobra and conceal that Liam was her true mate too.
But somehow the look in Liam’s eyes told her he understood the deceit was a reluctant necessity.
As he glanced back at her, their gazes locked in silent communication.
Anastasia willed him to feel her apologies, her remorse, her reverence for his noble spirit.
Liam seemed to receive her wordless pleas for forgiveness,
Then, in a blur of movement, he shifted into his magnificent gray wolf form and took off sprinting through the trees, escaping to the safety of Luna’s pack.
Only once Liam had vanished from sight did Anastasia release the breath she’d been holding.
Cobra noticed none of this private exchange, too preoccupied barking orders at his men.
But the instant his eyes fell upon Anastasia’s face, his whole demeanor transformed.
A brilliant smile spread across his features as he swept her into his arms, cradling her shaky frame against his body.
"My love, I have a surprise for you," he spoke, lips brushing her temple. "But first, let me call for a medic to treat your injuries properly. And you must be hungry. Do you crave anything specific, my love?"
Held in Cobra’s intense embrace, Anastasia was struck by the jarring dichotomy of her situation.
His soft reverence, the tender concern shining in his gaze as he fawned over her...it was almost sweet, endearing even, if one ignored the madness poisoning his mind.
This bizarre reality was her new path, and she accepted it with resigned calm. Cobra was her true mate, the literal other half of her soul chosen by the Moon Mother herself. Just as Liam was her celestial match as well. Some ancient power had split her spirit into twin forms bound to two very different mates.
