Bound to Kill

Alexa

Bile rises in my throat as Darius confirms my worst fear. My mouth moves, but words don’t come. Hunter! It’s not until Darius wraps his arms around me that I realise sobs rack my body. For the longest time, we hold each other.

“I’m so sorry, Darius!” I force the words past the boulder in my throat, knowing my pain is only a fraction of his.

“Me, too.” His voice breaks.

I squeeze my eyes tighter, willing the tears to stop.

The Alpha clears his throat. “Let’s go see him; say goodbye.” In silence, we head toward the infirmary, leaning on each other—supporting one another.

Seeing Hunter lifeless, burns and wounds still marring his body, brings on another flood of tears. He should have healed by now. I bite down on my lip so hard I taste blood.

Lana breaks the silence. “We found hundreds of microscopic pieces of silver embedded in his brain.” She takes a shaky breath. “Paul must have hidden silver throughout the cabin in preparation for an attack like this. Hunter wasn’t able to heal with it in his system. There was nothing we could do.”

Overcome with rage, Darius loses control of his wolf. A sorrowful howl rips from his throat as he shifts. I drop to my knees and bury my hands in his fur, spilling more tears. “I will make that son of a bitch suffer. No matter what it takes,” I vow through gritted teeth.

After spending some time with Hunter, we check on Amanda. Some burns still cover her arms and face, but she’s healing.

“I ran blood tests. Luckily, no silver was in her blood. I’m weaning her off the meds and expect a full recovery,” Lana says.

Thank the Fates.

“Let me know as soon as she wakes,” Darius requests. His relief pumps through our link.

“I will, Alpha.”

Pack enforcers arrive at the infirmary to transport Hunter to his final resting place. Walking silently, I numbly follow Darius as he helps carry the Beta to the pack burial site. Two rows of packmates stand at the front door, making an aisle for us to traverse. They follow us to the cemetery. It’s quiet; even a human could hear a pin drop.

After the pallbearers lower Hunter into the ground, packmates take turns to say a few words. Some speak of his strength and leadership; others talk about his humour and antics.

“He was always there when I needed him, cheering me up when I was down, calling me out when I was wrong...” Although Darius stands tall and appears to hold it together as he speaks, his grief flows through our bond in waves. “Even as a pup, he was there to keep me out of trouble. Well, at least, most of the time.” That gets a few laughs. I smile, thinking of the mischief those two must have caused together as kids. “We’ve lost the heart of our family today, but we’ll always carry his memory in ours. Rest easy, brother.”

I slip my hand into Darius’. A few others say their goodbyes. I want to say something, too, but my guilt weighs too heavily. Instead, I speak privately. I’m sorry, Hunter. If I could take your place, I would. Thank you for accepting me. Don’t worry about D. I’ll take care of him.

After the burial, everyone returns to the assembly hall. Darius says the name of every packmate we’ve lost over the last few days.

“Only time will heal our grief, but they died warriors, with honour. They’d haunt our arses if we mope around.” Laughs reverberate around the room. “So for them, we’ll stay strong. And we will avenge them.” We all bang our fists on the table in agreement.

Darius and I are the last to leave when the meeting ends. I study his face, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. “You look exhausted. Did you get any sleep?”

He sighs, rubbing his temples. “Not yet. There’s too much to do. I need to tighten up security and handle some business.” Darius kisses my temple. “I’ll catch up with you in a little while. Will you be okay?”

“Yeah. See you in a bit.”

As Darius heads off to carry out some Alpha duties, I return to his bedroom and retrieve Paul’s journal from my backpack. Most entries are mundane, so I skim over those pages, stopping when I reach the day Kayleigh was last seen.

04/04/20

Kayleigh called me to say Darius knew about the affair and asked me to come over. On the drive there, I thought this is it; finally, we’ll be together. Instead, she told me she wanted to try to work things out with him. I fought the urge to shift but still lost my temper. In a blind rage, I flipped the glass table over. Kayleigh screamed as the glass shattered. With a roar, I lifted an armchair and threw it into the 50-inch TV mounted on the wall. I blacked out while I continued trashing the place. Kayleigh was begging me to stop. Eventually, I did and left.

She appeared at my cabin shortly after I arrived home. “I’m sorry how things turned out. You helped me through a difficult time. I will always have a place for you in my heart,” she told me. “I owe it to Darius to try to work things out. He doesn’t deserve this.” I stared at her, watching her fidget. “Can we stay friends?”

Unable to contain my disgust, I scoffed. “Offer declined. I suggest you leave before my wolf makes an appearance.”

She just left without a backward glance. I was so sick and tired of Darius getting everything. I saw red. Not this time; he doesn’t get to have the girl. After grabbing a concealment spell from my office, I used it and ran after her. It was quick. She didn’t suffer or see it coming. One sharp twist and her neck snapped like a twig.

I slam the journal closed, fighting back nausea. What a fucking monster!

When my stomach settles, I take a few deep breaths and reopen the journal, discovering Paul had help getting rid of her body from someone named Theo. As time goes on, Paul begins to struggle with his guilt. His journal entries don’t make much sense. He becomes delusional, convincing himself that Darius killed Kayleigh. What the fuck? I continue reading, looking for clues about who the traitor is. The only name that keeps coming up is Theo.

I link Darius. Hey, is there a Theo in the pack?

No, why?

He’s helping Paul.

Maybe it’s someone in Lakeside?

Maybe. I’ll check with my mum. Darius, there’s something else I have to tell you. It’s about Kayleigh.

Meet me in my study.

On the way to meet Darius, I switch my cell on. Several missed calls and a text from Mum await me. Paul must be gloating.

Mum: Alexa. Are you alright? You better call me back or so help me...

Smiling because I can picture the look on her face as she admonishes me, I fire off a reply.

Alexa: Sorry it took so long to get back to you. My cell was off. I’m fine.

Mum: Oh, thank the Fates! I’ve been going out of my mind since I heard what Paul did. I’m so sorry.

Alexa: I don’t want either of us to lose anyone else. I’m coming for Paul, and I need your help!

Mum: Of course, honey. What do you need me to do?

Alexa: Can you lure him away from his spells, somewhere I can get to him?

She doesn’t respond for a while. I begin to worry she fears Paul too much. Then my cell pings.

Mum: Yes, he’s made several passes at me. He wants me to be his Chosen. Like I’d forgive what he did to my Fated mate.

Fury and nausea hit me in equal measure. This bastard is more twisted than a broken slinky.

Alexa: I’m sorry to ask you to do this. I feel sick just thinking about it.

Mum: The thought makes my skin crawl, but I’ll do it for you and your father. I’ll ask him out for drinks, get him drunk; wait for us in the alley outside Scarlet’s at eleven tonight.

Alexa: Thanks, Mum. Before I forget, is there a Theo in your pack?

Mum: No, why?

Alexa: It doesn’t matter. I’ll see you tonight.

Rushing the rest of the way to Darius’ study, I fill him in on the plan. His mood brightens considerably.

“Perfect plan, little wolf. What did you need to tell me about Kayleigh?”

Mouth dry, I pass the journal to him, opened at the entry where Paul confesses.

“FUCK!” Darius roars, throwing the journal across the room.

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I’m just here for him. We stay like this for a while— no words passing between us—until his erratic breathing settles.

Then I whisper the only words he wants to hear right now. “Tonight, we’ll make Paul pay for all his crimes.” I rub my hand up and down his back until I feel him relax. “But first, you need sleep.”

He puts up little fight, exhaustion winning out. After tucking him in bed, I sit on a loveseat and keep myself occupied by fantasising about how I’ll make Paul suffer.

Later that night, Darius and I hide in the alley outside Scarlet’s, waiting for the text.

Mum: We’re leaving.

Smiling, I show Darius the message. “It’s time.”

I’m practically bouncing on the balls of my feet while Darius is still and silent, his clenched fists the only indication he’s angry.

We hear the buzz of the bar briefly as its door opens and closes. Seconds later, Paul comes into view, his arm around my mum. Slurring, he tells her how hot she is. Pig!

Before I move, Darius bolts out of the shadows and grasps Paul by his shirt collar. He hulks out, lifting Paul into the air, then slamming his body into the ground. Paul grunts and mutters something unintelligible.

Darius searches his pocket for spells, coming up empty. Before Paul is out of his daze, Darius uses his face as a punching bag. Bones snap, and bloody teeth fly. He's out cold by the third punch.

Understanding my mate's ire, I try to hide my annoyance. "We need to question him first; find out who he's working with. Then you can rearrange his face."

"My bad." The huge grin on Darius' face makes it clear he has no regrets.

I return the smile. "Let's go, Tyson."

Walking toward our ride, the sound of Paul’s dead weight being dragged unceremoniously across the cobblestone brings another smile to my face.

After the short drive back to Shadow Creek, we get Paul settled into his new abode and patiently wait for him to wake. It’s a short wait. Paul groans. His eyes flicker open. Horror flashes across his face when he notices the shackles on his wrist and his tiny dungeon cell. When his eyes meet mine, his Adam’s apple bobs.

Darius stands stock still, his demeanour downright terrifying. I smile at Paul, somewhat manically and say, “Hello, Fucknut! Nice of you to stop by.”