Chapter 21 - Death At A Funeral? - Part 2.

Cole's P.O.V.

Great, just f*****g great, I finally get a chance to declare my love for my beautiful mate without us fighting or Natalia being angry with me or anyone interfering in our business and these filthy mongrels have come along to ruin it.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME YOU BASTARDS OR SO HELP ME GOD, I'LL TEAR THE f*****g LOT OF YOU APART!!"

"Tut, tut, tut alpha Cole, you're in no position to threaten us"

The bastard rogue says whilst smirking at me, he's standing at a good distance away from me and he looks like a mafia lord, he's dressed in all black and he's even wearing black leather gloves which didn't intrigue me at first but then he pulled something out of the bag that he was holding and it's then that I realised why he was wearing gloves.

"Angelo....ANGELO!!"

"Jesus Cole, do you have to shout? what's up?"

"GET TO THE f*****g LAKE RIGHT NOW AND BRING BACK UP, THERE ARE THREE ROGUES HERE AND ONE OF THEM HAVE GOT A WEAPON LACED IN SILVER!!"

"SHIT!!, HOLD ON BROTHER, WE'RE COMING NOW, ARE YOU ALONE?"

"NO...NATALIA'S WITH ME!!"

Angelo was silent for a few seconds before sending a very weak and worried ok through our mind link.

"Hurry up Angelo, if one of us gets hurt with this thing then we're f****d"

"Don't worry, I'm on my way"

It's true that if this weapon even so much as grazes myself or Natalia then we're as good as dead, unlike wolfsbane which is harmful but not lethal unless it's taken in a very large dose, silver can actually kill us if it gets into our bloodstream and stays in there for a long period of time.

I try to get out of the rogue's grips but for some odd reason, I couldn't, it was like my body was being pinned by steel.

"I'm gonna enjoy killing you Cole Vasquez and taking over your pack, who knows I may even mark your mate as mine and make her my Luna"

This f*****g bastard.

I look over at Natalia who was on the ground clutching her head, the rogue chuckles as he stands in a certain position.

"The hell you f*****g will, SHE'S MINE!!"

"Well, after today she'll be mine...any last words?"

I chuckle slightly, how freaking cliche.

"Screw you asshole"

The rogue chuckles like all of this is humorous to him as he twirls the javelin like weapon around in a taunting way.

"No thanks but I'll happily screw your mate"

I growled a very deep growl as I used all of my strength to push these assholes away from me.

"Night, night Cole"

He threw the weapon at me and everything happened so fast.

"COLE!!"

One minute I was staring at a deadly weapon coming my way as I heard my beautiful mate's angelic voice shout my name, the next minute Natalia was in front of me and a sharp pain shot through my heart but it wasn't my pain....it was Natalia's.

Natalia was silent for a minute before looking down, she then screamed an ear piercing scream as she slumped to the ground.

f**k.

"NATALIA!!, NOOOO!!"

My heart was breaking seeing my mates lifeless body laying on the floor, it sent an unimaginable surge of rage throughout my whole body and I used this rage to kill these bastards...well, I killed two of them by ripping their hearts out of their chests and just for fun, I ripped their heads off their shoulders, as for the leader of this trio, I snapped his neck but not enough to kill him just enough to keep him unconscious until I'm ready to torture him.

I look around at the lifeless bodies smirking with pride at my creation, that's what you get for ruining a special moment, d***s.

Even though I know that the special moment definitely would've been ruined by my mate and her mouth but still, I'd much rather she ruined it then some damn rogues.

Speaking of bodies....where the hell is Natalia's body?.

I look around the woods for her and I was shocked and majorly confused when I found Natalia in the same spot where the rogue had thrown her, how the hell? what the hell? my eyes drift from the spot where she was where her blood is and the spot where her unconscious body is, how the hell did she get all the way over there?.

A weak whimper brought me out of my thoughts and I used my werewolf speed to go to my mate, I pick her up and hold her in my arms trying my best to be gentle and careful not to touch or move the weapon that is lodged in her chest.

"Baby...baby wake up, please, please wake up"

"COLE!!...COLE, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"OVER HERE!!"

I stand up as best as I can holding Natalia as close to me as possible without touching or moving the weapon, I turned around just as my brother appeared with my dad, Brody and alpha James following behind him.

Angelo looked at me with relief when he saw that I was ok but his relief quickly turned to horror when he looked down at Natalia.

"Natalia, shit Nattie, what happened?"

I look down at my mate with glassy eyes.

"She saved me"

Everyone was silent as they looked at me in shock, Nattie would rather chew her own arm off then save me or at least that's what she'd tell everyone but her actions today proved differently.

I take a deep breath and compose myself, I then tell my father and Angelo to take the rogue I kept alive to the torture room before mind linking some of my warriors to deal with the other two bodies.

I noticed that Angelo visibly flinched when I mentioned the torture room but I quickly ignored it and made my way back to the packhouse, my main focus right now is Natalia and making sure she stays alive.

I run through the woods and the pack gardens ignoring all of the shocked gasps and whispers from my pack and guests, I run straight to the infirmary and immediately shout for my pack doctor as soon as I burst through the doors.

"Alpha, what happened?"

"It's my mate, she's been stabbed in the chest with a silver laced weapon"

The pack doctor gasped as he looked at my mate, he then started to bark orders to those around him as he checked Natalias eyes and pulse.

"She's got a pulse but it's faint, we need to get her into the specialized emergency room right now, we need to remove this javelin as quickly and as safely as possible and we need to get her hooked up to the vacuum to drain as much silver as we can from her blood, LET'S GO, NOW!!"

He shouts to his workers who took Nattie away from me as soon as I placed her on a gurney, I didn't want to leave her for a single second but considering what we're up against here, I had too so that she can be treated efficiently without anyone or anything getting in the professional's way.

"Hey doc, I need you to do everything and anything to save her, ok"

"We will alpha, I promise"

"No, I mean it, doc...Natalia is your main priority today, if she dies then I'll burn this whole f*****g place to the ground, do you hear me?"

"Y..yes a..alpha"

"Good, now go"

He scurries away and I take a seat placing my elbows on my knees and running my hands through my hair, I was all alone for a few minutes with just worry and fear for company, the hallways were silent except for the sounds of machines and chit chatter between nurses and patients and nurses gossiping with each other.

Suddenly, the doors to the main building were burst open and my family along with alpha James and Brody frantically walked up to me.

"Cole...Cole, where's Natalia? is she ok? is she still alive? is she..."

"Calm down, brother, the pack doctor is with her"

Angelo sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Is she...is she still alive?"

I nod my head.

"For now"

Everyone was silent probably taking in what I just said, werewolves are taught at a very young age about silver and wolfsbane so that we know the dangers of it which means everyone here knows that Natties chances of surviving are very slim and get slimmer the longer the silver stays in her veins.

"How did this happen, son?"

My father asks with worry in his tone as he places his hand on my shoulder.

"It was a sneak attack, we didn't even hear them coming....one minute we were talking by the lake and the next we were ambushed by three rogues"

"What happened?"

I let out a breath.

"It all happened so fast, they knocked Natalia over and pinned me against a tree, I tried so hard to get free but I couldn't, the third rogue was being all cocky and was proud that he was gonna be the one to kill me and..."

"Wait...he was gonna kill you?"

Alpha James asks and I nod my head.

"Yer they were gonna kill me but instead...instead they got Nattie"

I felt like a robot, I spoke stoically whilst my mind was racing with numerous different emotions and thoughts, the attack itself didn't really intrigue me because whoever sent those rogues had picked a perfect time, my pack was vulnerable and everyone except for a few dozen security were attending the funeral but what did intrigue me was how Natalia was able to get from one place to the other without moving, we're naturally fast as wolves but the way Natalia appeared was as if out of nowhere, how the hell did she do that?.

"Cole"

"Hmm, what?"

I look at my father who was looking at me worried.

"You zoned out on us, son"

I look around at everyone, they all looked concerned...even alpha James and Brody looked worried or at least concerned for me.

"Sorry dad, I erm....I was just thinking"

"Thinking about what?"

I let out a sigh.

"My mate"

"Pfft your mate, why do you care about Natalia now? shouldn't you and your pack be happy that she's gonna die?"

"Brody"

"What the f**k did you just say?"

I took several angry steps towards Brody but was stopped by Angelo and my dad.

"Calm down, Cole"

"You should watch what you say next young man otherwise my son won't hesitate to kill you"

Brody chuckled at my father, did he think my father was joking? because he wasn't.

"Do you seriously think I'm scared of him or you for that fact?....men like you are pussys, you're only big and strong when you're picking on women or little girls, why don't you try picking on someone like me, huh?"

Alpha James holds Brody back as he aggressively tried to front me.

"ENOUGH BRODY!!....enough, Natalia doesn't need this shit right now"

I looked at Brody confused, I can understand why he called me a p***y because in a way I am, I beat her, I tortured her, I did things to her that I'll forever regret but why did he call my dad one? my dad has never hurt Natalia or any woman for that matter, he may have mentally, emotionally and verbally abused Natalia which I know is still really bad but he'd never lay a finger on her.

I move away from my dad and brother and walk over to Brody, tension was thick in the air as everyone watched us waiting....waiting for a fight, waiting for a war of words, waiting for something to happen but all I could do was ask him a question.

"What do you mean?"

"What?"

Brody looked at me confused.

"What did you mean that WE are pussys?"

I asked indicating to myself and my dad.

"My dad has never hurt Natalia"

Brody was silent for a minute as he narrowed his eyes at me, he then looked at me and my dad with a slight scowl on his face before bursting out laughing.

"What the f**k is so funny?"

Brody continued to laugh which was pissing me off, I looked at alpha James and Angelo who looked uncomfortable and tense and their eyes were filled with anger but I had a very strong feeling that their anger wasn't directed at Brody.

"WHAT IS SO FUNNY?"

I growled causing the whole building to shake.

Brody eventually stopped laughing and looked at me with a very serious and angry look.

"You wanna know what's so funny?"

Brody walks over until he's standing right in front of me, he was glaring at me before turning his glare to my father who was standing right behind me, he then looked back at me and I saw so much anger and sadness in his eyes as well as pain but it wasn't his pain.

"Ask your daddy?....ask him what he and his wife did to Natalia on her birthday after she'd already had a day filled with abuse, torture and unimaginable pain at the hands of you screwing some slut....go ahead and ask him, ask him what they did to her"

What the f**k is this moron talking about?.

I turn my head to look at my dad and to my shock, his head was bowed which is something an alpha wolf never ever does unless they're in the presence of royalty.

"Dad...what's he talking about?"

My dad looked up at me before looking around at everyone else, his face was stoic but his eyes were filled with fear except for when he glared at Brody and they were filled with so much anger which didn't sit right with me for some reason.

"He's talking rubbish son, I haven't got a clue what he's talking about"

"Oh please old man, you know exactly what you and your wife did to that poor girl, why don't you just be a real man for once in your pathetic life and tell the f*****g truth"

My dad started to shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other as he ran his hands through his hair roughly tugging on it, I didn't want to believe that my parents had physically harmed my mate in any way but I was starting to have doubts when I saw how he was acting and heard the shakiness in his voice.

Goddess, I really hope they haven't caused her any physical harm.

"Dad...what did you and momma do to Nattie?"

I asked my dad with a shaky voice, I know my parents aren't innocent and have caused Natalia a lot of mental and emotional pain but I honestly never thought they'd hurt her physically especially since they're both huge advocates for violence against women and kids and have raised so much money to help humans and supernaturals who have been abused by their spouses, partners, parents or guardians.

"Cole, I swear...we never..."

"Don't bother lying asshole, we all know what you and your bitch wife did to my best friend"

My head snapped to my left when I heard a female voice.

"Emily...wh..what are you doing here?"

"Are you kidding me, Angelo?....my best friend was attacked by a rogue and stabbed with a silver dagger because she was trying to save this horses ass and I had to find out about it from pack members instead of my own mate"

Emily looked furious and to be honest, I don't blame her, I'd be furious as well if someone I loved was attacked and close to death and I wasn't informed about it.

Emily walked over to us glaring at both my father and Angelo, her eyes were glazed over showing that she was in a mind link, she's probably giving my brother an earful, after a few minutes, Emily's eyes went back to normal and she gave one final glare to Angelo before turning to face my dad.

"Tell this jackass what you did to Natalia and don't bother lying to him alpha because we've all seen her scars and the wounds that you inflicted on her"

A low growl left my mouth but it wasn't because of the disrespect that Emily was giving me, it was because of the thought of everyone seeing Natalias bare body.

I looked at my father waiting for him to start speaking but he was just standing there silent which was pissing me off and I was getting fed up, I wanted...no, I needed answers to these accusations and I needed them right now.

I glared at my dad and demanded that he tell me what he and my momma did to Natalia but he didn't want to tell me and kept pleading with me and swearing that they've never physically harmed Natalia but I didn't believe him and it seems that I wasn't the only one who was getting angry with my evasive father, Emily was as well.

"Oh for goddesses sake, if you're not gonna be a man and tell him then I will"

Emily looked at me with sadness and anger in her eyes.

"They took her to the torture room Cole, she spent the final hours of her eighteenth birthday being tortured by this sick bastard and his wife"

"WHAT?"

My body stiffened, my eyes widened in shock and horror as my blood boiled with rage, my wolf was also angrily scratching away at me to let him out but I managed to keep him under control.

"YOU TOOK HER TO THE f*****g TORTURE ROOM!!"

I grabbed my dad by his throat and forced him up against the nearest wall, I was so f*****g angry and my breathing was becoming heavy, I can't believe they took her to that room, what the f**k is the matter with them?.

"C..Cole...c..calm d..down, p..please"

"Calm down...CALM DOWN!!. YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN WHEN I'VE JUST FOUND OUT THAT YOU TOOK MY MATE TO THE f*****g TORTURE ROOM!!"

"Y..your m..mate?....N..Natalia's y..your m..mate?"

"Yes dad, Natalia is my mate"

My dad looked at me shocked and confused.

"B..but I..I th..thought A..Aubrey w..was y..your m..mate"

I groaned in anger hearing the name of that wretched woman.

"No, she never was and never will be"

My parents were eager for me to make Aubrey my Luna but only if I didn't find my mate which I told them I hadn't, it wasn't a total lie because I didn't know Natalia was my mate until she turned eighteen and I'd been searching for my mate for three solid years at that point.

"We're getting off the track here...tell me why you took Natalia to the torture room?"

"Son, please don't believe them, I..I..I.."

"TELL ME!!"

My dad was silent for a few minutes as he pleaded with me to believe him but I couldn't and I chose to ignore his pleading altogether when Ace made a point of them not caring if Natalia was pleading to them when they were torturing her.

"Tell me now dad or do I have to get some of my warriors to take momma to the torture room so I can get it out of her?"

My dads face paled and his eyes widened in shock.

"You wouldn't dare"

"Wouldn't I?"

We had a stare off until my father finally gave in and sighed in defeat, my dad knows better than anyone that I don't show mercy to those who hurt the ones that I love even if that person is a member of my own family.

"W..we d..did it because she didn't come home straight away, she didn't do any of her chores, she didn't cook dinner for the pack and because she disrespected Aubrey in school"

That's it?....THAT'S f*****g IT!!".

"ARE YOU f*****g KIDDING ME?"

I punched my father square in the face knocking him to the ground, I then beat him up ignoring all of the attempts from my brother and alpha James to stop me, I was like a bull who had seen a red rag and I was determined to make this asshole pay for what he did to Natalia, I know I'm not innocent and I've done my fair share to hurt her but never would I ever even think about taking her to that room.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!.

I stopped what I was doing when I heard a loud beep, I looked up and saw a bunch of doctors and nurses rushing in and out of the room were Natalia is and my heart dropped when I heard one of them shout 'we're losing her'.

"No....NOOOOO!!"

I ran up to the room but was stopped from entering by Angelo.

"Stop Cole, let them do their jobs"

Myself and Angelo stood in the doorway of Natalias room watching in horror and panic as the pack doctor uses a defibrillator to save Nattie.

"Please, please, please save her goddess, please"

I whispered under my breath, I can't lose her, I just can't.