41

Dominic’s P. O. V.
The moment I stepped into the pack house, an unsettling feeling clawed at my gut. Everything seemed as it should be-nothing out of place, no sign of disturbance-yet something was undeniably wrong. A gnawing sensation, like a void opening in my chest, had taken root, though I hadn’t fully realized its presence.
Hunter, my wolf, stirred uneasily within me. *”Do you smell that?”* His voice was laced with a tension that matched my own. I lifted my nose to the air, and the scent that hit me made my blood run cold. It was the unmistakable, metallic tang of fresh blood. But not just any blood-Katarina’s blood.
The memory of that fateful night, when she had tried to take her own life, surged to the forefront of my mind. Her blood had seared itself into my senses, a scent I could never forget, no matter how hard I tried. I had spent months fearing for her life, constantly on edge until I saw her slowly regain her happiness, her zest for life. The progress she had made through therapy had soothed my fears, but now, all that fear came crashing back, tenfold.
Hunter’s strength surged through me, and before I knew it, I was bolting up the stairs. The panic was almost paralyzing, but the mate bond drove me forward, its urgency pushing me to the brink. The thought of being too late was unbearable, more torturous than the countless hours I had spent searching for her when she was kidnapped.
My eyes landed on her, and in that moment, the world around me faded into oblivion. The only thing that existed was Katarina, lying there on the cold floor, a pool of blood spreading around her. The sight of her so pale, so lifeless, ripped through me like a knife. Her porcelain skin, now almost translucent, was a stark contrast to the dark, crimson liquid that seeped from her body.
Hunter’s howl of pure agony reverberated through my mind, a primal sound that echoed my own feelings of despair. My wolf was unraveling, torn between the instinct to hunt down whoever had done this to her and the overwhelming sorrow that threatened to drown us both. But I couldn’t afford to lose control-not now.
Forcing myself to stay focused, I dropped to my knees beside her. Her face, so peaceful in unconsciousness, burned into my memory. I knew that this image of her would haunt me forever, just as the scent of her blood had. But I couldn’t afford to dwell on that now. The faint, sluggish beat of her heart was all that mattered, the only thing keeping me from descending into madness.
*”I need a pack doctor to my bedroom. Now!”* The command tore from my throat, infused with the desperation and fear I could no longer keep at bay. The shock rippled through the pack as my emotions flooded the bond we all shared, but I didn’t care. I only cared about her.
One of the pack doctors responded almost immediately, “On my way, Alpha.” But his voice barely registered. I was already acting, my movements automatic. I turned Katarina onto her back, my breath catching as I saw the silver dagger embedded in her abdomen. Without thinking, I tore off my shirt, balling it up to press against the wound as I carefully removed the dagger. I knew it would have been safer to leave it in, but the silver would kill her faster than the blood loss.
I pressed the makeshift bandage against her wound, holding my breath as I watched her chest rise and fall in slow, shallow breaths. The conflicting emotions within me were tearing me apart. Hatred for myself for leaving her, for not being there when she needed me, warred with the fierce determination to save her, to find Oliver and make him pay for what he had done. I had left her to hunt him down, thinking I could protect her that way, but now it felt like I had failed her in the worst way possible.
Time lost all meaning as I knelt there, counting the fragile beats of her heart, each one a lifeline that I clung to desperately. When someone touched my shoulder, I nearly lashed out, my instincts urging me to tear apart anyone who dared to come between me and my mate.
“Alpha, you did the right thing. You need to let go now,” the pack doctor said, his voice steady despite the urgency of the situation. I could barely process his words, but I forced myself to step back, to let him do his job. My instincts screamed at me to stay by her side, but I knew I couldn’t help her this way. I had to let the doctor work, even though it felt like ripping out a piece of my soul.
As the doctor lifted Katarina’s shirt to examine the wound, a low growl rumbled in my chest. But I bit it back, reminding myself that this was necessary, that she needed help more than I needed to protect her modesty. He quickly barked orders to the others in the room, and they moved to lift her, to take her away from me.
“Where are you taking her? Is she going to be okay?” The questions tumbled out of me, my voice rough with the fear I couldn’t contain. I looked down at Katarina’s pale face, feeling weaker and more helpless than I had in my entire life. The big bad Silver Alpha, brought to his knees by the sight of his mate bleeding out on the floor.
“Alpha, you helped stop the bleeding. If you had gotten here any later, she’d be dead. I can’t guarantee anything, but I will do everything in my power to save her,” the doctor said, his words slicing through me like a blade. I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to lash out, to kill him for daring to suggest she might not survive.
“Go!” I commanded, my voice harsh as I forced them to take her away. “I will be there shortly.” I needed to stay, to figure out what had happened, to understand how someone had gotten so close to her. If I didn’t, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to control the storm of rage building within me.
Only after they left did I allow myself to take in the rest of the room. Everything was in its place, untouched, as if nothing had happened. Yet the shattered window and the faint trail of blood leading away told a different story. Whoever had done this had escaped through the window, using the pipe outside to make a quick getaway.
My gaze shifted to Lucian, who was hunched over his mate’s unconscious body. His relief was palpable as he removed a vial of blue liquid from her neck, the long needle that had pierced her skin glinting maliciously in the light.
“It’s just wolfsbane,” Lucian muttered, more to himself than to me, as he reassured himself that she was alive. His voice, raw and broken, mirrored the turmoil I felt inside. I envied him, his mate still breathing, still with him.
“Why kill Katarina and not the others?” The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of the attack. I thought back to the moment I had found Katarina after she had been kidnapped. She had mentioned something about a sister, but I had dismissed it, too focused on her immediate needs to pay it any mind.
Hunter, ever the voice of my darkest thoughts, erupted in a fury within me, cursing and blaming me for not taking her words seriously. But I didn’t need his help to feel the crushing weight of my guilt. I had failed her, failed to protect the most important person in my life.
“They didn’t have enough time,” Lucian whispered, still focused on his mate. I couldn’t blame him. His relief was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the despair I felt. I looked at him, our eyes locking briefly before they moved to the other body in the room.
“Tori,” I murmured, recognizing her instantly. She was the other casualty, lying motionless on the floor. My mind struggled to process the events that had unfolded, to piece together how everything had gone so wrong so quickly.
But one thing was clear: whoever had done this would pay. I would hunt them down, and they would suffer for every drop of blood they had spilled. No matter the cost, I would make sure Katarina survived, and I would avenge her. This was my vow, the only thing keeping me from falling apart.