Chapter 313
PRESENT DAY
“So because of you my mother died?” Jasmine demanded tears in her eyes. “All because of your jealousy.
“Your mother came into my life and chose to steal my husband away from me.” Maria said. “I only wanted her out of the pack. I did not want to to kill her. That was a mistake.”
Jasmine bit her bottom lip. “So what happened when my father returned?”
Maria took in a very deep sigh. “He seemed different. Like something had changed him. He was not angry at me. Rather he was angry at you. It shocked everyone.”
Jasmine could not understand any of it at all.
It made absolutely no sense.
He had been overly protective of her mother when she had first come so how had he turned out to be so wicked.
“When he returned he was not so upset.” Maria said. “It shocked us all. He did not punish me and I don’t remember much of it. But your father was not so upset as we all expected he would be. It was like a spell had come over him.”
Maria touched the side of her wall.
“From that moment, he became evil. From then he was not the kind and gentle man that I knew. HE changed and everyone saw it. So a lot of the people fled from the pack in fear of his wrath. A lot of the stories about him became true. The rumors the tales that parents would spin to their naughty pups about him. Because true.”
Jasmine touched the silver bar and gripped it hard and then looked at Maria hard in the eye.
“What you are saying can not be true.” Jasmine argued. “My father from the first moment I saw him was wicked. The stories that everyone has about him were wicked tales. Murderous and atrocious. But never for once good. No one. Not even those servants and slaves in our pack have anything good to say about him.”
Maria threw her head back and laughed so hard that the entire dungeon halls could hear her voice echoing.
“Ask your favorite Urma. She would yell you the truth.” Maria said. “Meet the oldest members of this pack before they were replaced with new ones and they would tell you about your father.”
“You tell more lies.” Jasmine said to her.
“Why would I lie? What would I gain from lying to you? I have nothing to bargain with you but what I know will be of good use to you.” Maria said.
Jasmine took her face away. “You sent a pregnant woman who had done nothing to you and locked her into a dungeon. You killed her with your bare hands.”
“I never denied it.” Maria said.
Jasmine’s jaw went hard and then she looked around the dungeon.
“Look at this place. This very same place where you had thrown my mother in to die. And now look at you. Atoning for the sins you committed.”
Maria looked back at Jasmine. “Yes, but because of that blood oath you swore fealty to me, I shall be set free.”
Then Xaden turned to face her.
“And my parents?” Xaden asked. “How could you take my sister away from my parents after you murdered them. You already took everything from them and yet you still stole my sister and raised her as your own.”
Maria turned and glared at Xaden. “I took her because she belonged to me. It was not fair that your mother had everything I always wanted. The man, the great pack. You think that I wanted to be in this pack?”
Maria shook her head fervently.
“Your father was my first love.” Maria informed. “From the very first moment that I saw him. Your mother knew and yet she did nothing but take him away from me. After I wanted him to myself. So why should I not take the little girl and raise her as my own? She was a replacement for what I did not have. A replacement from what had been stolen from me. I do not feel guilty for taking her away. Neither do I feel guilty for any of my sins.”
And then Maria sharply turned to Jasmine.
“Your promised me my escape.” She hissed. “I have answered more than enough of your questions. Now obey your side of the agreement.”
Jasmine looked at her and took in a deep breath and then she took the large keys from the guards and opened it.
Maria stepped out of the cell and smiled.
She was excited to be free.
Maria turned to smile at Xaden. “Goodbye sweet boy. Thank you for the freedom.”
And then Maria started to head out of the dungeon main gates before she turned around.
“One more thing flower girl.” Maria said turning to Jasmine and she flicked her tongue. “Bale was never your father.”
Jasmine’s face fell. “What do you mean by that?”
“It turns out your mother was in fact right.” Maria said. “I found out later that she was telling the truth. She died for nothing. That was my bad.”
Jasmine’s face fell. “You BITCH!”
And then at the mention of those words, the entire Dunegon shook like an earthquake had struck.
“You can not kill me!” Maria hissed. “I still hold more secrets that you would never know. You would never know who your father is or where your mother truly came from!”
Maria looked up and Xaden who was equally confused looked up at the walls that were beginning to fall apart.
“Jasmine we need to get out of here.” Xaden said and quickly grabbed Jasmine.
But it was like she was fire and she had burned him.
By the time he looked at his hand they were red like he had touched a blazing pot.
She barely even noticed him.
“You swore an oath now let me go before this place comes down on all of us!” Maria Screamed as she covered her head.
But Jasmine was not budging.