Logan’s POV
I had been hiding my vengeance for far too long.
Aria thought she could escape me. She thought she could run into the arms of that weakling of an Alpha, Denderick, and be safe. She was a fool, and so was he.
My hand tightened into a fist as I stalked through the forest, kicking stones and sticks in my wake. She was mine, and no one took what was mine. Denderick would pay for his arrogance, and as for Aria, she would learn the true meaning of regret.
I reached the hidden spot deep in the woods, where even the moonlight could not reach. A sinister smile curled on my lips as I approached the metal grate that was hidden from every eye. I kicked aside the leaves and dirt that concealed it, exposing the rusty bars covering the hole. With a swift, practiced motion, I pulled the grate aside, the screech of metal tearing through the silence of the night.
Inside the pit, four pregnant women huddled together. Their pitiful whimpers filled the air as they clung to each other, eyes wide with terror as they realized who had come for them.
They looked as wretched and as hungry as ever. When I had captured them, they’d been healthier and much chubbier. But now, they were nothing but bags of bones and skin, with protruding belles.
Good. The more emaciated they were, the better for my scheme.
“Please,” one of them begged, her voice trembling. “Please, don’t hurt us.”
I chuckled, a cold, cruel sound that echoed in the night. “Hurt you? Oh, I’m not going to hurt you.” I jumped down into the pit, landing with a thud that made them flinch. “I’m going to do much worse.”
I reached out and grabbed one of the women by her arm, dragging her out of the huddle. She screamed, her voice shrill and desperate as she struggled against my grip. I enjoyed the struggle, the way her fear fed my anger. But her screams only grew louder, grating on my nerves.
“Quiet!” I barked, yanking her closer. She tried to twist away, her eyes darting around for an escape, but there was none. Not from me.
She clawed at my hands, her nails scraping against my skin as she fought for her life. “Please, no! I-I have a family! A mate! Please, don’t do this, Alpha Logan Don’t kill me!”
I laughed again, a dark, hollow sound. “Your mate? Your family? They’re nothing to me.” I tightened my grip, then rose deftly from the hole with her in my arms.
When I got out, I let go of her, and she fell to the ground, gasping and sobbing.
“Get up!” I snarled, grabbing her arm. I yanked her forward again, forcing her to her knees as she sobbed, pleading for mercy.
With a swift, brutal motion, I struck her across the face, sending her sprawling to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, a flash of hope in her eyes as she tried to make a run for it. But I was faster. I stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I taunted, grabbing her by the throat. Her hands flew to mine, trying to pry my fingers away as she gasped for air, but it was useless. I lifted her off the ground, watching as her face turned red, then blue, her struggles weakening as the seconds passed.
Her eyes rolled back, and her body went limp in my grip. I dropped her to the ground, her lifeless form crumpling at my feet. The satisfaction of her death was fleeting, a short release of the rage that burned inside me.
But it wasn’t enough. It was never enough.
The remaining three women in the pit screamed, their cries filling the night air as they huddled together in terror. I turned to them, my eyes cold and merciless.
“Shut up!” I roared, my voice echoing through the trees. “If you don’t want to end up like her, you’ll keep your mouths shut.”
Their screams turned to sobs, the sound pitiful and extremely annoying. I took one last look into the pit and shoved the metal grate back over the opening, trapping the rest of the women inside once more. They were lucky I needed them for now. But that luck wouldn’t last long.
I grabbed the dead woman’s body, hoisting it over my shoulder. The scent of her blood filled my nostrils, a sweet, metallic tang that only fueled my anger further. I could still hear the cries of the women in the pit as I shifted into my wolf form. My powerful jaws clamped down on the woman’s lifeless neck as I bounded through the forest, her limp body dragging behind me.
The border of Denderick’s territory wasn’t far, and I made quick work of the journey, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I reached the edge of the territory and tossed the woman’s body across the border, her broken form landing in a twisted heap. Then I morphed back into human form.
The scene was perfect, exactly as I had planned. The fools in the Council of Alphas would find her and immediately know that she was one of mine. They would assume Alpha Denderick was the killer. They’d never suspect the truth that it was I who had orchestrated this.
I smiled to myself and dusted my hands against my trousers. But as I was about to turn and leave, a voice called out from behind me.
“Logan?”
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Slowly, I turned to see Liam, Denderick’s beta, standing a few paces away. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the body, then back at me, suspicion and confusion written all over his face.
“What are you doing here, Logan?” Liam demanded, his voice edged with accusation. “And that’s a dead body. Why is it here?”
For a moment, our eyes locked. I could see the questions forming in his mind, the doubt that crept into his gaze. But I wasn’t about to stick around and give him answers.
I turned and fled without sparing him a response.
I didn’t stop running until I reached the edge of my pack’s territory. The trees thinned out, giving way to familiar ground, but my heart still pounded as if Liam were right behind me. I knew he wasn’t, but the thought of what he might do now sent a fresh wave of anxiety through me.
I burst into the pack house, slamming the door behind me with enough force to rattle the walls. The sound echoed in the quiet of the night, but I didn’t care. I needed to think-needed to figure out how to fix this mess before it spiraled out of control.