Sam's POV.
I stopped when I reached the edge of the cliff, barely noticing it until I was staring down at the rocks below.
I closed her eyes as guilt washed over me, whispering out in shaking words, "Diane, I failed you, I failed myself."
"Diane, this is too much for me. How can I live as the mate of your lover after what I have done to you? How could I live as the mate of the man my sister murdered you for? How did this happen? Is this how you choose to punish me? How can Ethan bear seeing me from now on? It would be only torture for him and it would make him lose his mind." A tear slid down my eyes as I cried out to no one.
I went on my knees, looking down at the cliff below me; a part of me imagined how final it would be if I jumped and chose to end everything. How It would save everyone involved from a lot of pain.
So taking a deep breath, I stepped forward concluding my fate had only come to this end.
But before I could let myself fall, an arm encircled my waist, pulling me back with a force that stole my breath.
I gasped, struggling, but the grip only tightened, placing me back on the solid ground. I twisted my face to see who had saved me, and my eyes were wide with shock when they met with Ethan's furious, golden gaze.
His hands moved to my neck, and his fingers pressed firmly against it, raising me as he glared down at me with a dark, menacing look.
"You don't get to do that, Sam," he barked. His voice was rough, trembling with barely controlled rage.
"You don't get to die, not by your own hand. If anyone is going to kill you, it will be me."
My heart skipped a bit; fear and despair took over me as I saw the raw hatred in his eyes, burning just beneath the surface.
"I didn't…" I began, but he cut me off, his grip tightening enough to make me wince.
"I don't want excuses," he spat, his eyes flashed with anger, but for a fleeting moment, I saw the depth of his pain.
His voice cracked as he spoke, "You took her from me, Sam. My Diane. My everything." He paused, struggling to contain his emotions.
"As the next Alpha, I have to avenge her death, but...but looking at you, feeling this bond between us, it tears me apart.'"
He adjusted his grip and his fingers brushed my neck, sending an unbidden shiver through me which reminded me of the unwelcome of the mate bond that now existed between us.
I saw his eyes flicker, and I knew he'd sensed it too. His jaw clenched, and for a brief moment, his gaze shifted, revealing a flicker of hesitation and uncertainty on his face.
Then he straightened, his eyes hardening as his gaze shifted back to me.
"It would be a disgrace to my name If anyone knew I was mated to you, an Omega, a murderer," he hissed with disdain as he focused his attention on me.
Taking a steadying breath, his gaze turned cold as he said the words that were meant to destroy our mate bond forever.
"I, Ethan Hayes, reject you, Sam as my mate."
But nothing happened which filled his gaze with surprise. And then it dawned on us that we were fated mates. Fated mates' bonds are the hardest to break.
"Let me go," I whispered, struggling against his hold, hating the tremble in my voice.
"Just let me go!" I yelled again.
Ethan ignored me, his jaw clenched in frustration, meeting my rebellious stare.
Without warning, I twisted free and darted toward the cliff, desperate to escape.
Ethan was faster. He seized me mid-lunge, his hands clamping around my wrists, and pulled me back from the edge. With fierce determination, he dragged me away.
I struggled, kicking and thrashing, but his grip was unyielding.
I stopped when I became exhausted and had no strength left to fight.
"You think you can escape me by dying?" He snarled.
"No, Sam. You'll live with this. You'll endure every miserable day I choose for you now as your mate and new owner."
He escorted me away from the cliff, his iron-like grip forcing me toward the hall where the ball was taking place as we headed back.
When he arrived back at the hall, faces turned with gaspers and shocked murmurs spread because of how he dragged me along with him like I had attempted to escape.
"Ethan, where have you been?" I heard Benny ask as she rushed forward to stand beside Ethan with concern, she tried to hold him but he removed a bit away from her, ignoring her.
"Well guys," he said when he got to the middle of the room, drawing everyone's attention.
"She attempted to escape and I was just in time to stop her," he announced to the crowd.
"What? You did what, Sam?" Benny yelled furiously and attempted to hit me but Ethan stopped her.
"Don't do that anymore. I will be the one that can only do that because she is now in my custody," he declared.
"Why? Can't you see she nearly got me into trouble? If she had successfully escaped, I would be the one in jail," Benny replied with anger as she eyed me and I scoffed within wondering why she wouldn't want to go to jail which was where she was supposed to be if the truth was made known to everyone.
"That's because I want to avenge Diane's death so I get to do whatever I want with her now and no one else gets involved," Ethan spoke up, his eyes warning Benny to stay clear.
They were friends but I couldn't understand why Ethan was being like that to her. It was like he now loathed her just as he loathed me.
He turned, his eyes narrowing as he nodded to his men standing at the back of the room.
"Escort her to the car. So she will be taken to the dungeon where she belongs. She'll learn there are no easy ways out." He instructed.
Some guards approached me, each looking down at me with the same disdain as the rest of the crowd and they grabbed me, leading me to the awaiting car.
The drive to Ethan's house was in silence. I sat in the back seat rigid and scared while Ethan made sure to stare out of the window with clamped jaws acting like he was avoiding locking gaze with me.
Upon arrival, he wasted not a minute ordering that I should be taken down to the dungeons by his guards.
I was dragged away under his instructions and was thrown into prison with the door locked.
"This is where you belong," Ethan said to me as he stood outside looking at me with disgust. "You'll stay here until I decide what to do with you."
My gaze met with his and out of fear, my voice started quivering and I didn't know when I uttered the words, "Ethan, please-"
Don't you dare," he cut me off immediately.
"Don't you ever say my name like you have any right to? You're nothing to me. You'll never be anything to me."
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping down to a dangerous whisper.
"What we owe each other now is finding a way to break the mate bond. You should start thinking of that. If not, I'll make your life so miserable you'll wish you never existed," he threatened sending shivers down my spine.
Taking a last look at me, he hissed in anger and turned to walk away but my voice stopped him.
"Ethan, wait!" I shouted after him feeling like he deserved to know the truth at least. I was feeling guilty to see him that hurt, maybe if he did, the pain of being mate with the murderer of his lover would disappear since I was innocent. Seeing him suffering that much hurt me too. I know it was a big risk but I decided to take it besides my life was already over.
He abruptly stopped but refused to face me. I quivered, holding onto the prison bars as I finally opened my mouth to say the truth.
"I didn't kill Diane," I said, trying to be as calm as I could even as my eyes became wet with tears.
Hearing my words, he slowly turned in my direction with an unreadable expression on his face.
"I am telling the truth, Ethan. I can tell you who did," I went on, my voice cracking.
"And I'll tell you why I took the blame."
The silence that followed was deafening, Ethan didn't open his mouth to say a word to me and the expression on his face remained.
I didn't know at this point what his next reaction but I was ready to bear the consequences of my words and I knew there was no turning back now.