"I wouldn't dream of that, Lockhart. You're too murderous for me to become allies with." I scowled.
His lips twitched into a smirk. "Murderous indeed. By any chance, sweetheart, have you seen my sister?"
My shoulders went rigid. "Your sister?"
He winked before transforming into a huge red wolf and sprinting away. The two men with him followed suit.
"That was weird. Why would he ask that?" Riley scratched her head, watching them leave.
My heart dropped. "Olivia."
I transformed into my wolf and sprinted toward the pack house, Blaine by my side.
'Find Olivia, your Gamma's mate, quickly!' I mind-linked my entire pack with urgency as I raced through the woods toward the pack house.
My paws carried me forward as I strained my muscles to go faster. I had to find her. I couldn't tell if what Lockhart had said was a threat or a prediction, but I needed to make sure we had security around Olivia now.
I shifted back into my human form once I reached the pack house. I ran through the disordered house and up to Xavier and Olivia's room. I jiggled the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.
"Olivia?" I knocked on the door. "Open the door! I think you're in danger."
After a few seconds without a response, I kicked it in, breaking the door off the hinges. My hands flew to my mouth once I saw what was on the other side.
"Sophia, slow down!" Blaine caught up to me before stopping short.
Olivia was struggling against one of Lockhart's warriors, he tangled his hand in her hair as he held her up, a knife to her throat. He used her body to shield himself from us.
I held up my hands as I took a few steps closer. "I know you're under orders, but you don't need to do this. Olivia is your Alpha's sister, for fates sake."
He placed the knife on her skin and applied pressure, making a trail of blood leak down her neck. "Don't come any closer or I'll kill her!"
"You do that, and you die too," Blaine's gruff voice spoke from behind me.
"You think I care? My whole purpose in life is to serve my Alpha. Dying while doing so is an honor."
Olivia squeezed her eyes shut. "It's okay Alphas. I knew my brother was coming after me. Please, just, tell Xavier I'm sorry." Tears trailed down her face as her eyes fluttered open. "Tell him I love him."
I felt useless. I couldn't attack him or move the knife away without him dragging the knife across her neck before I even moved an inch. I was an Alpha and yet I couldn't save my best friend's mate.
I nodded, clenching my fists as I heard footsteps stomping up the stairs and toward the room. "I will."
"Liv!" Xavier came to a halt as he entered the room. His eyes turned black once saw her. "Get your filthy hands off my mate."
"No can do, buddy. Alpha's orders." He jerked her head back roughly, exposing more of her neck.
"I love you Xavier. Please remember that! This isn't your fault. It's nobody's fault." She maintained eye contact with him as she sobbed.
"I love you Liv. I can't lose you. I won't lose you." Xavier shifted, launching himself toward the warrior.
In a matter of seconds, the man pushed the knife across her throat. Blood gushed from the gaping wound. Her eyes widened as she clutched her throat and gurgled on her own blood. The life left her eyes as her body hit the ground.
Xavier's wolf caught the man's neck in his mouth, and he ripped it open, decapitating him. His claws dug deep into his chest, shredding him to pieces as he bit chunks of flesh off his face.
Tears pricked my eyes as I stood at the doorway. "Xavier, he's dead."
My words didn't faze him as he continued mutilating the warrior's body. His primal instincts had taken over.
I turned my head and mind-linked Caroline, 'Xavier's mate has been murdered in their room. He killed the man responsible.'
'Xavier's mate? Olivia? Oh, fates. I'll notify my team. How is he?' she asked.
'How do you think?' I asked.
'I lost my mate too,' she said before cutting off the mind-link.
I took a deep breath and walked over to him. "He's dead, Xavier. Stop."
Xavier growled at me before shifting back into his human form. His body was saturated in blood, unmoving from the disgusting mush of flesh on the floor. "She's dead. I waited for her for so long, and she's gone." Tears ran down his face, mixing with the blood.
Blaine walked over. "You did the right thing. You avenged her death."
"You don't get it! I wasn't here. I was on a fucking mission when I got the mind-link you sent Soph. I ran as fast as I could, but I still couldn't save her."
My shoulder sagged. It was me who sent him on that mission to talk to the rogues, but that was part of his job as a Gamma. Nobody knew this would happen. "It must've been intricately planned. Everyone was so focused on the meeting with Alpha Lockhart, and he took that chance to move in on her. I'm sorry I couldn't protect her, but this wasn't your fault."
"I know whose fault it is. That fucking Lockhart Alpha." His eyes turned an even darker shade of black. "She was his sister."
"He doesn't care about family. He made that abundantly clear." Blaine rubbed his face.
"Yeah, he fucking did. I swear I'll kill him for this."
I let out a breath and nodded. "You just killed the warrior. You need to put Olivia to rest before you decide on any revenge plans. You know I'll support you, but we still need to think about our pack and the consequences if we go directly to the source of this."
His head whipped toward me. "Seriously? You think I can't fucking think straight? I know exactly what I want to do and that won't change. I want to slit his fucking throat!"
Blaine stepped in front of me.
