Bound to Kill

Darius

Luckily, when we reach the lake, it’s late, no one is around. There’s a hint of death surrounding the Trossachs, confirmation it’s a hybrid we are dealing with, a wolf-vampire mix. We narrow his location to a cave and set up a perimeter, but I order the pack to wait him out; entering the cave is a death trap.

My attention snaps to the east, between the trees beyond a hiker trail. I growl, sensing a little wolf hiding in the shadows. Mate! Her presence is a distraction I don’t need.

Rain begins to lash down, hard enough to hinder our sight. Puddles immediately form.

Hunter brings my attention back to the cave. Alpha, we have movement.

A blur of fur speeds out of the cave, moving so fast it’s hard to keep track. I start running toward the rogue. Muck splashes every which way as my pack tramples through puddles. Raindrops pelt into my eyes, blurring my vision and soaking me to the bone.

One of my enforcers yelps, but her cry cuts off abruptly, and my connection to her blinks out. No! A mist of red sprays through the air as the rogue rends Patricia apart limb from limb before moving on to the next wolf in his path. Within ten seconds, he dismembers another five packmates. I howl long and loud, mourning the loss.

Pure rage drives me to move faster. I leap through the air, pouncing on the hybrid, snapping and shredding bone. An unnatural hissing howl rents the air as I violently remove his limb. Disgustingly thick, cold blood with a hint of rot fills my mouth. I spit it out, repulsed, but the injury slows the hybrid down, and a deadly battle ensues. Claws come at me and almost slice my face in half. I yowl as white-hot fire shoots down my face. Another inch to the right, I would have lost an eye. I stumble, allowing the hybrid to go for my throat, but pull back in time. His fangs bite into my shoulder. Hunter slams into the rogue, launching him through the air and giving me a short reprieve.

Alexa

When I feel Darius in pain through the bond, panic almost consumes me. My wolf fights to take control, but I know our best shot at survival is a silver bullet. The rain slows as I take off toward the fight with a Glock. There’s no time to doubt what I’m doing. I don’t stop to think why I’m running to his aid when I’m supposed to be here to end him. I’m operating on pure instinct. I need him to be okay.

As I reach the clearing, a wave of nausea hits me. It’s like a scene from a horror movie. Wolf limbs hang from trees. There is blood and gore everywhere. Darius and the hybrid are doing death rolls; neither can get the upper hand. I edge closer, extending my arms and aiming the gun at my mark. My mate’s pain pulses through our connection, making my wolf murderous. I reach out through the bond, unsure of how this works but trying to give him strength. Ease his pain.

The relief I feel when his pain lessens speaks a thousand words. Darius kicks the hybrid off, sending him crashing into a tree thirty feet away. I aim to take the feral out while he’s dazed, but the Alpha is back up and running toward Dexter, blocking my shot.

“Darius, get out of the way,” I yell, but he’s too caught up in the hunt to hear me. I reach out through our bond once more and attempt to communicate with him mentally, the way I talk with my wolf. Get out of the way of my shot! He shifts direction mid-leap, allowing me to make the kill. Three blasts sound as I fill the hybrid with silver, two to the chest and one in the head.

Another one bites the dust. My smile falters when I feel a burst of fury through the bond. My gaze flickers to Darius, who stares at me intensely like he doesn’t know whether to fuck me or lock me in a tower and throw away the key.

What the hell are you doing here, Lexi?

A thrill of excitement runs through me as his husky voice growls in my mind. Saving your ass, obviously. You’re welcome.

I drop two severely injured wolves off at the packhouse. Darius called in help to gather those who died in battle. Just as I’m about to drive off, Hunter springs from the forest, racing to my car. He shifts, slides on shorts and knocks on my window.

“Where ya running off to, trouble?”

“Thought I might start a bar fight with some bikers, you know, the usual. Tell Darius I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

His smile widens. “No can do, pretty lady, you’ve gotta stick around. Alpha’s orders.”

I raise my eyebrow. “Well, lucky for me, he’s not my Alpha.”

“Yet! If yer serious about joining the pack, you should wait,” Hunter replies, all trace of humour gone.

Dammit! After an exasperated sigh, I follow him inside. A woman with long blonde hair is waiting in the foyer. She’s wearing a white cami and the tiniest pair of denim shorts I’ve ever seen. She could be pretty, but it’s difficult to tell with the grimace on her face.

“Lexi, meet Stacey; she’s gonna hang with us until the Alpha returns.”

“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you.”

Really? Why don’t you tell your face that? Her tone is about as unwelcoming as her face, but I offer a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you too, Stacey.”

“I have to stop by the office real quick. Start showing Lexi around. I’ll catch up in a bit.”

“Sounds good.” She gives Hunter a warm smile before linking her arm with mine and leading me around the mansion, introducing me to pack members along the way.

There’s a large lounge with a bar to the side where a few elders smoke cigars, sharing stories of their younger years. We pass by a game hall, an indoor pool, a gym, and numerous beautifully decorated bedrooms occupied by the unmated wolves in the pack. A pup comes bounding around the corner, crashing into a table and knocking over an expensive lamp. There’s a clang as it hits the floor, shattering to the point of no return. I cover my mouth to hide my grin while his mama rushes after him, yelling he should be in bed. The last place Stacey leads me to is a massive library, like something out of my wildest dream. The shelves span from floor to ceiling—five levels high. There are cosy nooks everywhere, with luxurious seating comfortable enough to fall asleep in.

I spin around slowly, taking it all in. “Wow! I’ve never seen anything—”

“Listen up, bitch! I don’t know where you crawled out from, but I’m the Alpha female around here!” My eyes widen as Stacey drops her facade now that we’re alone. “When Darius is ready to settle down, he’ll pick me as his Chosen. Don’t think you’re special,” she smirks. “He’s just biding his time to get an easy lay before rejecting the mate bond.”

My blood begins to boil. I don’t want the asshole Alpha, but hearing Stacey stake a claim on my Fated has me and my wolf ready to claw her eyes out.

Her smirk turns into a wicked grin. “If Alpha lets you into our pack, know your place. It’s beneath me.” She flicks her hair.

This bitch! I close the distance between us, getting all up in her personal space. She has no idea who she is fucking with. I take out bigger nasties on the regular. Giving my most sinister smile, without shifting, I allow my wolf to surface and stare her right in the eyes in challenge. She holds my gaze for three seconds before submitting and stepping back. Well, that’s just embarrassing.

I step closer, allowing her to feel my dominance. “No, you listen. If Darius wanted an easy lay, he’d call your desperate ass.” Her brows furrow, but she stays mute. “Make no mistake. If I decide against rejecting him, he’ll be so busy eating my pussy that he’ll forget you even exist.” I give her one final glare, looking at her with disgust. “Know this. If you come for me, I’ll gladly accept your challenge. And I. Will. Win!”

With that handled, I leave her to simmer and decide to wait for Darius in the room with the bar, but the confrontation leaves two questions racing through my mind... Why haven’t I rejected him? Why hasn’t he rejected me?

I bump into Hunter as I exit the library. “Making friends, I see,” he chuckles.

“Always.”

“Darius is waiting for you in his study.”

“Lead the way.”

Minutes later, I’m face to face with the Alpha. Hunter’s parting words light me up inside. “Thank you for coming to our aid, Lexi. We would have lost many more wolves without you. Maybe even our Alpha.”

A stupid lump forms in my throat; I don’t remember the last time someone thanked me. “You’re welcome.” He hugs me, then disappears.

Darius paces in front of his desk. Emotions run wild through the bond. Anger and grief are at the forefront. “Why were you there?” His voice is so low I would have missed his question if not for my wolf.

“I knew he was a hybrid. That you’d need help.”

“How did you know he was a hybrid, and where to find him?” His eyes bore into mine. If he’s wondering why I can hold his stare, he doesn’t show it.

I know the following words that come out of my mouth are pivotal. I have two choices: lie and hope my training saves me from detection, or tell the truth and deal with the consequences sooner rather than later.

Taking a deep breath, I make my decision.