SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirty
Tim’s Pov:
“What do you mean, she is gone?” I snapped at Madeline in utter disbelief. There was no way Amethyst would disobey me or leave us so vulnerable. “Just what I told you, Timothy; she is not here nor is Joseph. They seemed to have vanished,” Madeline grumbled through our link.
I glanced over at the remnants of the window. The witches had long stopped flooding in. Taking advantage of this, I raced to my former room. By the stench in the halls, the witches were retreating. “Amethyst?” I cried over our link. It was my hope she only ported home with Joseph and wasn’t kidnapped by these beasts.
“What? You didn’t trust me?” Madeline growled, annoyed. “Not now Madeline,” I spat. “Thyst, please, if you can hear me, please tell me where you are,” I tried again. But still I received nothing.
“Did you see which way those things went?” I hissed at Madeline; she shook her head. “Jennings, everyone ok?” I linked, trying to keep calm. I still needed him for answers. “Yes, mostly we are ok. They took Sanders, but that’s the only person we lost,” he replied.
“Jennings, I assume you can now explain what the hell is really going on?” I snapped. “I, I…” he stammered. “We will be in your office in 3 minutes. You better weigh your answers, or those witches will be the least of your concern,” I warned him.
Minutes later, we took our seats in his office, which appeared it was targeted as well. “Now, tell me what is really going on,” I demanded. As I could not control my anger, it suffocated the room.
“I’ve told you everything,” he said. “Liar, I warn you, they took Amethyst,” I seethed, watching the colour drain from his face. “Timothy, please be reasonable. They have my son,” he pleaded. “And he is dead. Amethyst retrieved some of Joseph’s memories from the time he was missing. A witch who fled the nest, she warned Amethyst that Sanders was dead, as well as your son,” I growled.
Jennings sank into his chair. The weight of the situation crushed him. “It was my hope if I did what they said, they would let my son live. I was sure I could save them both,” Jennings sobbed. Madeline walked over to him and rubbed his back. “Now they have nothing on you, so let’s kill the bastards and rebuild your pack,” she cooed. For a warrior of her caliber, she somehow always kept a certain amount of compassion for all those around her.
I leaned back in my chair, taking in the scene in front of me. They broke Jennings, they somehow gained the upper hand and abducted Thyst. Was she blinded by the bond and allowed Joseph to overpower her again? My heart raced with all the possibilities, and yet none of them seemed to make sense. “I beg you Timothy, please don’t blame the pack. I did what was best to save my people,” he continued to sob.
“Do you have any idea where their nest might be?” I asked. “Only where they dumped Joseph and that witch,” he choked out. “We will start there in the morning,” I sighed, giving Jennings a pitiful glance.
Those bastards knew if they attacked Eclipse, Jennings would send for aid from the Elders. They realized it would be me who would come, and in return, I would bring my Thyst. I delivered her straight to them. How was I so blind? “Thyst, please be ok.” I tried linking her once more.
I motioned for Madeline to follow, leaving Jennings to wallow in his own guilt. “You don’t expect Joseph harmed Amethyst, do you?” she asked. The worry she tried to hide was slipping out in her voice. “I can’t be sure; all I know is they are both gone without a trace,” I sighed, trying to suppress my rage.
“It is possible that he is as much a victim as she is,” I admitted. “For all we know, they used Joseph against her,” I muttered. The prospect of her future daughter would have made her submit. Madeline contemplated my words, but said nothing. Once more, I bid her good night. My aching heart drew me to the room where Amethyst was last. Her mild scent still lingered. I laid my head down on the pillow she must have used and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to overtake me.
Suddenly, an intense pain tore through my mind. Every fiber of my being felt as if it was being torn apart from within. I struggled to breathe from the sudden shock of pain.
“Madeline, Madeline?” I screamed through our link, praying the witches hadn’t returned. “Timothy? What in the name of the Goddesses is wrong?” she shrieked back. Because of the stress in her voice, it would be only moments before she broke down the door.
As predicted, she was in front of me with worry dripping off of every feature. “A pack link was severed. If it was not you, then it was my Thyst,” I breathed out, trying to regain my composure.
The atmosphere in my room suddenly shifted as my words hit Madeline. “Timothy, she can’t be gone. The witch, she is just too strong.” She choked back her tears and disbelief. “I know what I just experienced, Madeline. You forget, I’ve gone through it every time a Gamma has passed. I was too afraid for Amethyst to totally sense Gretchen’s passing, but I felt something. I’ve felt every passing of every member of this pack since I became its Alpha. While we rule equally, you forget Alpha’s go through the pain of every loss. It tears at their souls. It’s why they do the stupidest things to stop a death of a pack member. The pack is bound to the Alpha, but few understand just how bound the Alpha is to his pack. It’s their curse. Trust me, by the intense level of pain I just experienced, it was one of you,” I said.
“We are going after the wretched beasts now, I take it?” Madeline growled, plopping herself down on my bed. Her eyes dragged over me, studying me closely. Her emotions ripped through her faster than any avalanche ever could. “No,” I said dryly. “It’s what they expect.”
She exhaled sharply; her eyes narrowed. “I mean it Madeline,” I snapped. “They assumed they’ve weakened us. They want to provoke us into attacking them,” I pointed out. “So, we leave the witch? We abandon her?” Madeline spat with hatred in her eyes.
“Never,” I yelled with such force, she slunk back. “Never, never, I just can’t risk you, too. My love for Amethyst…. It blinded me until I lost her,” I whispered. The rage which was rolling off Madeline thankfully died. “I understand. We wait,” she whispered. “Rest wolf. Tomorrow, we send every one of those beasts to the hell of the Goddesses choice,” she spat before leaving me to my grief.
Morning arrived quicker than any night ever passed before. The gaping hole in my heart was far larger than even the one my mate created when she passed. I sat up, unsure of how to start my day, knowing it would no longer include Amethyst. Why didn’t I mark her when she was 18? We could have had several lifetimes together, instead I insisted she wait for the man that most likely ended her life. Why had I been so blind? The ache in my heart refused to allow me to think straight. It would only replay every moment, every mistake I made with my darling Thyst.
A sudden knock on the door roused me from my thoughts. “Your Gamma told me about the loss of your Amethyst. I am truly sorry. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.” Jennings’s words breached the silence of the room. Rage filled my soul. I dragged my eyes to meet his.
“Lead me to where you think the nest of witches might be. I want to kill every last one of them,” I growled, causing Jennings to take a step back. “You need to keep your head about you, Timothy. You are not immortal. Just extremely difficult to kill. There is a difference,” Madeline scoffed, rolling her eyes at me.
“The witch would not want you to run out and be fool hearted, nor would the Goddesses.” She reminded me. I cast my eyes down, knowing Madeline was right. Somehow, they got the upper hand on Thyst. They were more dangerous than we expected. I couldn’t just rush in. “Jennings, take us to where you found Joseph and Sanders.”