ACES POV
I was breathing hard as I kept pinching the hag. Last night was essed up. I couldn’t sleep I woke up around four in the morning despite having forced myself to deep late around 200m and came straight to the gym. I hit the bag again, harder than usual. as Davidson’s face lashed in thy head, they killed hi
Davidson had been my driver even before I became Alpha. He wasn’t just staff, he was family. His wife had just given birth and was still in the hospital, probably still waiting for him to show up with that smile he always had. He would never come back to them anymore, anger took over. I punched and kicked the bag until it burst open. I dropped to the floor and yelled at the top of my lungs. Sweat poured down my face, soaking my body. My inner body burned with so much pain.
I had interrogated the animals who did it, but they gave me nothing useful. We caught seven Rougarous, the rest escaped. I had them moved from the cage to the hole. A few hours in there and they would start talking. They always do.
I was fixing another bag when Roman’s scent hit me.
“You’ve burst four bags already, Alpha,” he said, sounding worried. “You need to slow down.”
“How do you want me to fucking calm down?” I hissed, slamming my fist into the bag again. It swung wildly. “What am I supposed to tell Davidson’s wife? She’s still waiting for her mate
Roman stepped closer. “It’s not your fault. Davidson was doing his job, same as every other person in this pack, when this misfortune fell on him.”
I shook my head, gasping for air. “He asked me for one month leave,” I forced out, struggling to steady my voice. “Just one month, to take care of his pups while his wife recovers. It was supposed to start today.” My hands clenched into fists. “But he told me he’d work one more day. One more day. I should have said no.”
My hands started shaking. The air felt too tight in my lungs, like couldn’t breathe properly. My wolf pressed harder through the surface, against my control like he wanted out right now.
Roman was quiet for a moment, then he rolled his shoulders. “Fight me.”
I turned to him slowly. “What?”
“You need to let it out,” he said. “Not on the bags. On me.”
I didn’t argue. We stepped onto the mat. We punched each other until we got tired.
We left the gym together around 9:42 in the morning. I took a long shower, letting the hot water hit my back, but it did nothing to cool the fire burning inside me. I pulled on a black shirt and black pants. I already made up my mind. Until those men talked, every single one of them was going to die.
I was on my way out of the pack house when Nana appeared like she always does. She blocked my path and grabbed my arm, her eyes full of worry. She kept insisting I eat something, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since yesterday. I tried to walk past her but she wouldn’t let go. In the end, I gave in. Two bites of pancake and a sip of coffee, that was all she got from me.
As soon as I stepped outside, I mind linked Roman, telling him to bring the men out of the hole and back into the cage. I wanted them alive long enough to speak. My phone started ringing before I could take another step.
It was Gavin, I hesitated before I picked up. “I’m busy,” I said flatly, already moving to end the call.
“Not so fast, brother,” his voice came through, annoyingly. “Judging by the news spreading across the neighboring packs, you caught some of the animals terrorizing their packs and yours. And if you’re still the same Ace I know, you’re heading to the cages right now to make them talk.” That scoundrel sounded like he knew me and he was right. My wolf stirred, irritated at the sound of his voice.
1/3
10:43 Tue, Feb 10 6
Chapter 50
“What do you want, y path me thing out
“That question shodd be reversed I’m the nor helping you If you lover wired, no matter what you do tothole creantes, they want call. You can torture them, threaten them freak their bones, and they will keep quiet. All they’ll do i piss you of mind all you want is to snuff the life out of them
Everybody break at some point, dead or alive? I tail.
“True,” he replied “But you have to understand something Dodany parks are depending on you right none They re counting on you to do what you do best, huni them down and we them out. And you can’t do that without my help you won’t get Ravok through his men. He’s smarter than that. Slippery than anything you’ve seen. No matter what you din to them, they won’t give up his location.
Three days,” he breathed. “That’s all you have to face the in the fight. If you win, I’ll give you Ravok, their leader myself”
“Three days.” I repeated.
“Good,” he said. “It’s going to be at Red Hollow. Same place fight like this have always been settled.” The line went dead,
Damien mind–linked me, saying Kathryn had something important to tell me. I told him to bring her to my office. I wanted to see her myself, to be sure she was okay. The cage could wait, those animals weren’t going anywhere.
Damien and Kathryn joined me a few minutes later. She looked haken but no serious injuries, no visible wounds. She explained everything she heard while she was being held in the cabin.
“Were you able to see their faces?” I asked, anger burning hot in my chest. “The man or the woman you heard talking?”
She shook her head slowly. “No. I couldn’t see their faces from the small hole. I couldn’t recognize their voices or their scents either.” She hesitated for a second. “But I saw the woman’s legs. They looked smooth and young”
That was enough to make my blood boil and I needed to vent on something.
I nodded once. “Thank you, Kathryn.” I waved my hand lightly. “You need to rest. After what you went through yesterday, you shouldn’t be here any longer than this.”
“There’s one more thing, Alpha, Charlotte.”
The moment her name left Kathryn’s lips, everything else faded. My full attention snapped to her.
“What happened to Charlotte?” My voice came out extremely low, like I was afraid of the answer.
“That night you banished her, the moment she crossed the borders. She was alone, injured, and it was already dark.” I swallowed hard, my head becoming heavy because I knew that the next thing to come wouldn’t be easy to digest. “Someone intentionally hit her with a car… then pushed her off the cliff.” The room suddenly became hazy.
My head became heavy, like it was filled with stones. I stopped breathing for a second, then air rushed into my lungs in sharp gasps. My hands gripped the edge of the table as if it was the only thing keeping me standing. My wolf slammed against my chest. I had banished her and someone tried to finish what I started.
Kathryn was shaking badly now, her whole body trembling as Damien pulled her into his chest to steady her. “The woman said she did it so Charlotte wouldn’t come back to take what belonged to her. So while we all thought Charlotte disappeared on her own, someone hit her with a car and pushed her off the cliff. I believe that accident is what caused her memory loss.”
Kathryn broke down in tears and Damien had to take her out. I was suffocating, my wolf was going crazy at the revelation of what happened to our mate. He wanted me to free him and I did. He jumped into the woods and we ran. I don’t know how long we ran but I knew that I almost ran through my pack. I didn’t know where I was running to, it was dark when I found myself in front of the estate that I bought, the new property where Charlotte was.
I felt like shit, I didn’t deserve Charlotte and I knew it. After everything I put her through, she deserved to get her memories
2/3
734
Chapter 30
back and throw me ont like 1 sul to her. I deserve that much. That feared suit will fear what
happen the steps for remembers eriything. The night I slept with her and insinued that she was a cheap prostitute like ber uniber or the night I recited and banished her scalesen a second thought I kes the was suffering, chilk 1 telt her par heur ! ignoreet ipy. sharing out her tears she’s going to rancher how I loved and later her sister for years even though I had ferdings for forg
I never paid attention to her until that night I waveil her from rogs That was when I started noticing her She looked at me with those big gisteful eyes ilat later changed to what I believe as a crush. My wolf was panting and roaring in my heel he will wanted to run but if I ran any more than I already did, my body would give up
I stood there for hours contemplating whether I should go inside or not. Then I saw the light in her room come on and someone staring at me through the window. It was Charlotte, it was too far so I couldn’t see the expression on her face. I wanted to see her close, hug and kiss her like my life depended it because at this point it does. After a few minutes the went back inside.
Does she know something? Does she not want to talk to me anymore? My world was shattering into pieces and I couldn’t do anything to save myself.
3/3
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
