Heartless Angels

Chapter 55 – Bradley

Chapter 55 – Bradley

I’ve been having horrible nightmares ever since Oakley left. It’s like Elina, my mate and the twins and Oakley’s mother, has

been haunting me.

“How could you, Bradley?”

“I told you that she would be special. You didn’t believe me?”

“This is what you deserve. She’s never coming back because of you.”

“How could you take the side of that arrogant pr ick over that of our daughter?”

Every night is plagued by my beautiful mate’s face twisted in anger as she throws all the blame for our daughter’s demise and leaving at my feet. And, of course, that’s right where the blame belongs.

No, her mate never should have treated her that way.

No, her brothers should have never taken the side of a leader over that of blood.

They were all in the wrong. That I completely agree with. But what would have happened if I had stood up to Levi? What would have happened if I had brought up what happened to his father and mother? What about Brittany, who left him the second he told her what happened to Oakley? What would the pack have done?

If I had just said no. If I had just not allowed my darling pup to be treated that way, how would this have changed? I hadn’t thought that I had this deep seated prejudice against weak wolves. I mean, my own daughter was a weak wolf, key word being was. Based on what the twins are saying, she’s not weak anymore. Another trick that the Moon Goddess has pulled on us.

I used to be a very devout male, taking my pups to religious services every full moon and Monday night, reading scripture,

and offering prayers to the Moon Goddess before every hunt, run, and battle. I truly believed that the Moon Goddess had our best interests at heart, watching over us and guiding our steps so that we would live happy, fulfilled lives before our time was

down and we moved on to her

Now I snarl at the mention of her. Oh, I know that she is real. She is very real. But she’s also a vindictive, manipulative bi tch. She took my baby girl from me. She took a prejudice that I didn’t even realize that I had, one that my twins didn’t even

realize they had, and turned us against our own flesh and blood for the Moon Goddess’s gain. To have Oakley become one of her

Elite 10, one of her Heartless Angels.

As I said, I used to be a very devout man, more so than anyone would think. I know what happens to a wolf when they

become a member of the Elite 10. They get special powers, one of them being the ability to shapeshift into not just a wolf, but

to grow wings. They become what the humans would term an angel. And the reason that they never want to see their family or

friends again after becoming a part of the pack? Their humanity is taken from them. They literally become single minded killing

machines, following the plan that the alphas and the Moon Goddess have for them for their time as part of the Elite 10.

Should Oakley decide to follow through with this and become a member of the Elite 10, I will never see my daughter again. Not just because she has to keep her identity a secret. No, she just plain won’t care about me or her brothers anymore.

A small measure of her humanity will come back. Enough for her to procreate, to provide our oh so benevolent goddess

with the next generation, but that’ll be it. It didn’t take me long to realize that Elina was Elite 10. I had just hoped that she had a

sibling that we didn’t know about that would provide offspring for the goddess. When Jack and James didn’t leave the pack, I thought that we were safe. Oakley had too weak of a wolf. The Goddess wouldn’t require her to go protect the continent. Boy.

was I wrong.

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Chapter 55 – Bradley

I’m in the middle of wallowing in my self-pity when I smell her scent of fern and evergreen just before she opens the door to the library where I’ve been left.

She opens the door and it looks like my Oakley, but not my Oakley at the same time. It’s been two weeks since I last saw her and it’s mind boggling how different she looks than she did before. Her skin is glowing and healthy. Her hair is full and shiny.

She’s put on muscle and gained back much of the weight that she had lost in the three months that she had been recovering from the beating that punk as s alpha gave her. What I wouldn’t give to have either the chance to beat the sh it out of him or

watch Oakley do it.

“Father,” she says, nodding to me as she comes in.

“Oakley,” I cry, standing to run to her.

But she holds her hand up to me, telling me not to come any closer. She waves to me for me to sit down and I do. Though I

am struggling to hide the hurt that I feel from her not allowing me to come to her.

But I get it. I wouldn’t want anything to do with me either.

She comes and takes a seat across from me. “I’m so happy that you’re ok,” I say to her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says, though she looks distinctly uncomfortable.

“Look, Oakley. I know that we really f ucked up. And you have every right to be absolutely pis sed at the twins and me. We deserve all of your anger and hate. And we’ll do everything that we can do to make it up to you. You just have to come with us

and we’ll take you wherever you want to go. And we’ll fix this,” I say. I know that I’m blabbering, but I’m so excited to see my beautiful baby girl. I just need to do what I can to get her to leave this place. If she stays, it will be like I’m leaving her to a fate

worse than death.

“Father, I’m not coming with you. I asked you here to say goodbye.” Her face is solemn, her eyes sad, but determined.

“No. No! Oakley, you can’t do this. We need to get you out of here. You don’t have to come with us. You don’t. But you

can’t stay here. You can’t become a part of these wolves. They won’t care about you. They’ll throw away your humanity like it’s

Just a piece of trash. Read the scriptures. Look at what they say about those who become a part of the Elite 10. They have

nicknamed them Heartless Angels. They take away any love that you have for anyone from your past. They turn you into a

killing machine. Is that really what you want? I’m begging, pleading with her to understand.

She’s quiet for a second, taking in what I’ve said. “I believe you. I remember the scriptures and stories that you used to tell

us. But I also know that I can’t forget or forgive what you and the twins did to me. What you allowed my mate to do to me. You

never once stood up for me

“Oakley, I know I’m so sorry. I should have never – ”

She holds up her hand to me. “I’m not finished. “I know that wasn’t all of your doing. I understand that, but I don’t understand how you could have harbored those feelings in the first place. I loved you. You were my Papa. My everything. The only parent that I could ever remember.” She swallows, closing her eyes as she gathers her thoughts. “I have found my second chance mate. And I still haven’t decided if ‘m going to stay with him or be part of the Elite 10, but that shouldn’t matter to you.

You made it very clear what you think of me, deep down inside.”

“Oakley, honey, it’s what the goddess pulled out of me. And your brothers. You know how protective Jack and James are of you. How much they love you and want to keep you safe. That wasn’t them. It wasn’t even me. F uck, as much as I hate the guy, that wasn’t even Levi,” I plead with her.

“I know. Father, truly I do. But the knowledge that you felt that way about me, even if it was just a little bit…I can’t let that

go. I just plain can’t.” She looks down at her hands, unable to keep her eyes on me.

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Chapter 55 – Bradley

It feels like my heart has stopped. I dry swallow a few times before I’m able to talk. I’m sorry, Oakley. I’m so sorry that we hurt you that way.”

“Me, too. I do love you, Father. But I can’t see you again.” She stands and hurries out of the room.

And I’m left alone. Without my pup. Knowing that I pushed her away.

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