CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55

Kael’s POV.

I woke to a loud bang on the door, my heart jumping, my body tense. The room was dark, the air cool, the candle long burned out, leaving only faint moonlight through the window.

Aria stirred beside me, her silver hair messy, her blue eyes blinking open, her face soft but worried.

My arm was around her, her warmth grounding me, memories of our night together, her touch, her moans, her tears, still warm in my chest.

Just as I was still trying to get my thoughts together, another knock came, heavier, louder, and my heart raced, my eyes narrowing.

"Who’s that?" Aria whispered, her voice shaky, her hand gripping mine, her worry clear.

I sat up, my ash-gray shirt wrinkled, my boots heavy as I slid off the cot. "Stay here," I said, my voice low, my eyes meeting hers, trying to keep her calm.

My heart pounded, irritation mixing with curiosity, Zeus growling, sensing trouble. I walked to the door, my steps quick, the floor cold, and opened it, my jaw tight.

Brian stood there, his brown eyes wide, his face pale, his breath heavy, panic all over him. "What’s wrong with you?" I snapped, my voice sharp, my hands clenching.

"Why’re you banging like that? You woke us up!" My anger flared, my worry for Aria growing, her sleepy face behind me tugging at my heart.

Brian’s hands waved, his voice quick, apologetic. "I’m sorry, Alpha," he said, his eyes dropping, his face tense.

"Something bad happened. You need to see it. Now." His words hit hard, my chest tightening, fear creeping in, Zeus growling louder, his instincts sharp.

My mind spun, Elijah, the traitor, awake and scared for his family, or something worse?

"What happened?" I asked, my voice hard, my eyes burning into his, my heart racing.

I wanted answers, needed to know what was bad enough to drag me out of bed, away from Aria. Brian shook his head, his face grim, his voice low.

"You need to see it, Alpha," he said, his eyes pleading, his hands clenching.

"It’s Elijah." My heart sank, my breath catching, anger and fear mixing.

Elijah, the Fang pack spy who’d tried to kill me, whose family was held hostage, something happened to him? I nodded, my jaw tight, turning to Aria, her eyes wide, her hands twisting the blanket.

"Stay here," I said, my voice soft but firm, my heart heavy.

She nodded, her face pale, and I followed Brian, my boots loud, the packhouse halls dark, the torches weak, the air cold.

My wound throbbed, my body still weak from healing Elijah, but my anger pushed me forward, my need for answers stronger.

Brian led me to the physician’s room, where we’d kept Elijah, his steps quick, his silence heavy. He glanced at me, his eyes tense, before pushing the door open, the hinges creaking.

I froze, my heart stopping, my feet wobbling as I stepped inside. Elijah lay on the ground, his body still, his face pale, blood pooling around him, dark and thick, the smell sharp.

My chest tightened, my breath gone, shock hitting hard. He was dead, his eyes open, empty, a bullet hole in his chest, his bandages torn from Nicholas’s claws.

My knees buckled, my heart racing, and I knelt beside him, my hands shaking, grabbing his shoulders, shaking him.

"Elijah!" I said, my voice loud, my eyes burning, trying to wake him, to bring him back, but he was gone, his body cold.

My throat tightened, tears burning, but I held them back, my fists clenching, Zeus growling, his rage hot, his pain raw.

Brian stepped behind me, his boots soft, his voice low. "What happened?" I asked, my voice rough, my eyes on Elijah’s lifeless face, my heart pounding with anger and grief.

He’d betrayed me, tried to kill me, but I’d saved him, healed him, and promised his family’s safety. Now he was dead, my lead gone, my answers lost. And from the look of things, it was clear he tried so hard to fight for his life.

"I don’t know, Alpha," Brian said, his voice shaky, his hands clenching.

"The night shift guard woke me up, said Elijah was dead. Found him like this." His words were grim, his face tense, and my anger flared, my fists shaking, my wound burning.

A guard? Supposed to protect him, and he let this happen?

"Get the guard," I said, my voice hard, my eyes burning into Brian’s. "Now." I stood, my legs steady but my heart heavy, my anger boiling.

Brian nodded, rushing out, his steps quick, the door shutting.

I stared at Elijah, his blood soaking the floor, my mind spinning. Who did this? Who got into my packhouse, killed my prisoner, and walked away?

The door opened, the guard stumbling in, his armor scratched, his gray eyes red, tears streaming.

He dropped to his knees, his voice shaking, begging. "Forgive me, Alpha," he said, his hands clasped, his body trembling.

"I didn’t know! I swear, I didn’t see anything!" His cries were loud, his fear real, but my anger exploded, Zeus roaring, his rage blinding.

"You didn’t know?" I growled, my voice booming, my eyes burning into his.

"Someone came into my packhouse, shot Elijah, and you didn’t know? You were supposed to protect him!" My heart raced, my fists clenching, my wound throbbing, my anger unstoppable.

I walked closer, my boots loud, and grabbed his neck, lifting him to his feet, his eyes wide, his cries louder.

My claws elongated, my rage taking over, and I pierced his shoulder, not deep enough to kill, but enough to hurt, to strip his strength. I could do that as an Alpha.

He screamed, his body shaking, my claws burning, my anger pouring out.

His eyes turned blue, his Gamma status gone, his body weak, his face pale. "You’re no longer a Gamma," I said, my voice cold, my eyes hard.

"You’re an Omega. Get out of my packhouse." I let him go, his body crumpling, his cries desperate, begging for mercy.

I turned away, my heart heavy, my anger still hot, Zeus growling, his disappointment sharp.

Brian stepped forward, his voice low. "Go," he said to the guard, his hand pointing to the door, his face tense.

The guard scrambled up, his cries fading as he left, the door shutting hard, the room quiet except for my heavy breaths, Elijah’s blood still pooling.

"Any leads?" I asked, my voice rough, my eyes on Brian, my heart racing, needing something, anything, to find who did this.

Brian shook his head, his face grim, his voice low.

"Nothing yet, Alpha," he said, his eyes dropping. My mind spun, my anger flaring, and then Nicholas’s words hit me, his cold voice in the dungeon, "Just disciplining my guard." His sneer, his claws on Elijah, his defiance.

My heart stopped, my fists clenching, realization hitting hard. Nicholas. He was behind this, I knew it, his Fang pack moving against me, killing my lead.

I turned, my boots heavy, heading for the door, my heart pounding, my anger burning.

Brian chased after me, his voice quick. "Where’re you going, Alpha?" he asked, his eyes wide, his steps matching mine.

"The Fang pack," I said, my voice hard, my eyes fierce. "To confront Nicholas. He did this." My heart raced, my wound throbbing, Zeus roaring, his rage pushing me forward.

Brian grabbed my arm, his grip firm, his voice urgent. "You can’t go alone," he said, his eyes pleading.

"It’s too dangerous." I shook him off, my anger too strong, my need to face Nicholas louder.

"I’m going and you can’t stop me." I said, my voice sharp, my eyes burning.

"Come with me if you want to." Brian nodded, his face tense, and we left, heading for the Fang pack, my heart heavy, my anger driving me.