The Shadow Alpha novel Chapter 42

~Flashback~

“Kage?” Panic was evident in her tone, but the fear I expected to hear never made an appearance. She was staring wide eyed at the figure behind me, but as I was about to turn around, the horror in her eyes stopped me dead in my tracks. She gripped onto my arm anxiously, her nails digging into my skin, but I paid no heed to it as my anger rose.

I pulled her close to me when I turned around with a murderous look directed at the man who couldn’t seem to tear his leering gaze from my mate.

The house was in shambles; broken glass littered the floors, the furniture was either damaged or thrown around haphazardly and amidst the chaos laid an array of dead bodies. We were woken up a while ago by the trip alarm set around the house going off, the hour following that was filled with fists flying and teeth ripping through flesh, once we took out all of Kage’s rogues we wound up facing the man himself which is where we were right now.

Kage was flanked by four other rogues, whom by the looks of it were his personal minions. His tactic disgusted me more than anything, he sent the group ahead of him knowing full well that we would kill them. Only then did he show up later expecting that we would welcome him with open arms and had over whatever he demanded.

“Hello darling, miss me?” he smirked at Sherice who was peeking at him from behind my back, my hand involuntarily tightened around her arm. My wolf was growing increasingly angry; so much so that I was having a hard time controlling him while fighting my own anger.

The only thing that kept me from pouncing and ripping his head off his shoulders was Oliver’s eyes on me reminding me that any rash behaviour could mean our own demise and while my mate was in question, I still had a responsibility towards the group.

Noticing my action Kage’s smirk grew and his cronies chuckled at his ability to get a rise out of me, but I couldn’t care less.

“What is your business here Kage?” Oliver’s strong voice broke through the tense silence.

Kage tilted his head towards Oliver in a mocking way, “You have something of mine and I came to take it back.” I bristled at the hungry gaze he sent towards Sherice.

“Over my dead body!” I burst, stepping forward, unable to hold back my anger.

“That can be arranged.” The Rogue smirked with a sick look in his eyes.

“NO!” Sherice’s cry interrupted our intense stare down, before I could grasp onto her she sprang forward and into the arms of the man who could not tear his eyes from her, the man I despised.

My anger morphed into shock and fear, “What the hell are you doing Sherice? Come back here right now!” I rushed out, alarm ringing in my tone.

Kage cackled, mirth dancing in his eyes, “You really think she would leave me for you?” His smug voice put me slightly on edge, but I paid no attention to him as I stepped forward to grasp her arm, but just as I did he pulled her body flush against his.

His action did not surprise me, what caught me off guard was her lack of protest.

“Just leave me, Chris… Let me go.” She expressed in a sorrow filled whisper.

“No! I’ll never let you go without a fight.” I asserted, unable to see her give up on me this easily.

With that said I leapt forward, shifting mid-air into my Ash brown coloured wolf. My bloodlust urged me to clamp my jaws around his neck and sink my canine into the tender flesh that lay above his Aorta, but before I could get to him, a searing pain erupted in my chest; it was so painful that I fell to the ground in a heap unable to withstand the agony, I let out a loud howl that would surely be heard for miles.

Through hazy eyes I watched as the room fell silent, a few of my group members took a defensive stance as they prepared for the attack, but their eyes were trained on me.

My unfocussed eyes moved from them to my mate who stood flush against Kage with a hazy look in her eyes as the Rogue’s teeth sunk into her neck, the sight was accompanied by a jolt of sorrow. My undoing came in the form of the moan that omitted from her lips; she was enjoying it despite all she said about her hate for him.

With a newfound anger and resentment I forced myself to stand up and looked her directly in the eye, “What is wrong with you?” no matter how much I tried to hide the anguish, my traitorous voice betrayed me.

We were still walking in the forest; I couldn’t sense anyone else in the forest apart from the both of us and the border control who were closing in on us as we spoke. I grasped his arm and steered him in the direction of the pack house away from any prying ears.

“What is it?” I enquired, unable to figure out in what direction the conversation was heading.

“I want to break the bond. I want to accept the rejection.” He asserted and my brows shot up in surprise.

“I thought you’d already done that?” realisation dawned upon him as he realised why I was shocked.

“It’s been four years, a lot longer than any wolf has held on for. I don’t know what to expect, except for the fact that it will be very painful, I don’t know what will happen beyond that.” His thoughts materialised and as they did I suddenly remembered something I had read about rejected mates back when I was still trying to learn about the mate bond of the Shadow Wolf.

“I can’t.” I stated frankly, a hurt look appeared in his eyes, but before he could speak I continued, “When a mate bond is broken at such a stage where the bond of one mate is completely severed, the only way to mend the bond of the accepting mate is to recreate a bond with another, otherwise all you’re left with is a loose thread. That alone will make a wolf go feral.” I disclosed; a mask of pain settled in his eyes as reality dawned upon him.

“So that’s it then, there’s no way out?” he clarified brokenly. I wanted so badly to help him, but I couldn’t and never had I felt so terrible in my entire life.

“I’m sorry Christopher, I really am.” I uttered feeling worse than I had before the conversation began.

“It’s okay Alpha… It’s my fault I guess, so many people told me to just accept it, but I was too stubborn to listen, I guess this is the price I have to pay,” my frown deepened at his words.

“No Chris, there’s nothing wrong with having hope. You gave your mate the benefit of the doubt, just because she was too stupid to realise what she lost doesn’t make you the bad person here. Maybe a little naïve, but you don’t deserve this either way.” I reassured him, hoping that I could lift his spirit, even just a little.

He sent me an appreciative smile which I was glad for and just like that we walked back to the pack house silently, both lost in our own thoughts.