The Beast (Alpha Trilogy #1)

Chapter 18

Demon

As soon as we get back in the house, I take control. I could tell my mate was worried about something, but it still hurt when she snapped like that. I can't forget the way she dismissed us so easily, not even bothering to follow us inside.

I know I shouldn't hold it over her, but I can't help but get angry. She treated us like shit, so I decide to ignore her now. I feel like I'm the only one invested into this mate bond. It fucking hurts.

Shane stays with me, equally mad at the unfair treatment of his Luna. We sit in my living room, but after a while as my mate still doesn't come back, I start pacing around the room. What if she left me? Oh shit!

'Shane, I'm going after her. You can follow me or stay here.' I say as I hurriedly leave the house, smelling around to find a trail. I can easily find her scent, and take off. I have to get her back! She can be in danger!!!

I barely notice Shane following right behind me as we run through the woods.

Only few minutes later we find a wolf lying on the ground, whimpering in pain. Who the fuck is he?

I quickly look over him, immediately realizing that he can't move, since his spine is broken. And not in one place. It's basically shattered all the way from his neck to his tail. Who did this? This is fucking torture!

'Alpha! His whole back is shattered to pieces. But I don't smell our wolves on him. Only Luna...' Shane reaffirms what I suspected. My mate did this... What is going on?

'Shane, try to contact the patrols. How the fuck did a rogue come onto our territory undetected?'

I snarl at the fucker in front of me. He has the same smell we found on my mate when we met her. I have to get to her, fast!

I follow the faint scent of my mate that leads us further into the woods, Shane close behind. What we find next is indescribable. I can't move as I take in the sight in front of me.

My mate standing in the middle of a group of rogues, with a bleeding heart over her head, her body covered in blood, hers and someone else's.

We stand hidden, stunned as she roars at the wolves to bow to their queen. They submit to her. As we get closer, they start growling our way, as if protecting her from us. What the hell happened here?

I ignore them and get closer, slightly apprehensive as I catch the expression on my mate's face. She regards me with a cold and emotionless look that makes my blood run cold.

She drops the heart from her hand, raising her other hand, making the other wolves stop. They shift one by one, standing by her sides, guarding her. I whine sadly, getting her attention.

"Beast, what are your orders?" One of the men asks her, others waiting silently for her command.

I hear Shane snarl behind me, obviously noticing that ALL of them smell the same. Just like that fucker we found earlier.

'Shane, calm down. We don't know what's going on.'

'Alpha, there's a dead wolf behind her. It looks like she ripped his heart out!' His words make me look behind my mate, only to see that he's right. The wolf behind her has a huge gaping hole in his chest where his heart should be, his front leg is bent in a weird angle and his eyes are gone.

I look at my mate, my own heart breaking as she still looks at me with no emotion in her eyes, as if those weeks never happened between us.

"I don't need you protection anymore. I will deal with the man after me myself. There is no need for you to get involved. I can't just wait for him to come and get me." She tells me, monotonous, void of any emotion. She has never looked at me this way. I should have come with her, she was right that something was wrong!!!

I'm close to tears. For the first time in my life I'm almost crying. I finally found my mate and I'm about to lose her before I even have a chance to talk to her. Just 2 more days, and I would be able to shift, but how do I get her to come back with me? What about those guys? Oh Goddess, this is so messed up!

"We belong to Beast now. Where she goes, we go, so don't get any ideas." The same man speaks up again.

"Delta." My mate speaks up, making the fucker turn towards her, completely ignoring me.

"Yes, Boss?"

"They are not a threat, so leave them be. Take Axe and bury the body. The rest of you will change back, and try to convince more of the Death Squad to join. Kill whoever refuses. It's time THAT fucker realizes that I am in charge now. Go." My mate gives orders, then as the rogues shift and leave to do her bidding, she turns back towards me, staring deeply into my eyes and for a split second I see her mask crack.

"I'm not going to overstay my welcome, so we are going to take our leave. I will make sure to stay out of your territory. And I also apologize for the way your wolves were treated tonight. I have been told they're alive, just unconscious. They will wake up soon." As soon as she finishes her first sentence, I go towards her, nuzzling my nose into her neck, trying to convey my message, that I don't want her to leave. I'm not even opposed to those fuckers staying with us if she wants that, but she can't leave me!

I whine sadly, putting my head under her arm.

"I know Puppy. I told you already that I don't want to leave you. But I have to. I know you won't be able to accept the guys the same way as you did me, and I can't put you in a position where the safety of your pack is compromised because of me." I huff at that, and she looks up at me confused.

Since I can't say anything, I try to get the message through with my actions. So I crouch in front of her, just like I used to when I wanted her to ride me. She seems to understand my intentions, but as she tries to get on my back, she winces in pain from the wound on her upper body. It's deep and keeps bleeding.

She steps away from me suddenly.

"If I come with you, they come too." She says, her tone stern and leaving no room for discussion. I look behind her as the two rogues she assigned to burying the dead body come back.

I simply nod at her, by now I will do anything to keep her with me. But I will still have to talk to them and make some rules. I have to know what is going on.

The one called Delta shifts and comes to help my mate get on my back when she gestures him to help her. I snarl at him as he touches her, but he only smirks at me knowingly.

"You're kidding, right?" The other one, earlier referred to as 'Axe', exclaims shocked. "Beast is your mate?!"

My eyes widen as I growl at him furiously, my mate patting my head, calming me down slightly. I was supposed to be the one to tell her!

"Oh shit! Beast, this is serious." Delta tells my mate as she sits on my back.

"Why?"

"I'll explain if you let me, but only after your wound is taken care of. You're losing a lot of blood." He calmly states, but I can tell he's worried about her.

"Okay, fine." She pats my head twice and I lead take her back to my house, rogues following us in wolf form.

What the hell is going on?!