74

Kieran
It wasn’t our intention to find Sophia in the forest, but once we caught her scent, stopping became impossible. Ethan and I locked eyes, our wolves inhaling the creamy scent of our mate. She sat alone, her back against a large tree, sunlight filtering through the leaves and illuminating her in a perfect glow. Her chocolate hair shimmered like freshly spun silk, and her unique eyes radiated with color in the sun’s rays.
“Are you going to eat me or not?” she huffed, her face impassive as she looked at my brother and me. There was no fear in her eyes, just the acceptance that her life might end today. The thought sent a sharp pain through my body, and I was reminded of the night we first encountered her.
She had been stumbling down the sidewalk, looking terrified. Ethan and I noticed her before she saw us. Her face was swollen, and it was clear our mate was hurt. Now, something had changed about Sophia. She smelled different-stronger than usual, her scent amplified by some unseen force.
It was clear something had happened inside the house, something Sophia couldn’t bear to talk about. She stumbled away from us, begging us to leave her alone.
“What the fuck happened to her?” Ethan snarled through the mind-link, his eyes scanning her body for injuries.
“Someone hurt her,” I growled. “And they will die for what they’ve done.”
From what we could see, only her face was harmed. But when I noticed her jeans were unbuttoned and the zipper was down, my body trembled with the urge to shift. Ethan saw it too and fought the same urge. Sophia’s fear helped us maintain control. She needed us right now, whether she knew it or not.
“Sophia,” Ethan was the first to speak, his voice filled with pain as Sophia stumbled away from him.
“Leave-leave me alone,” she hissed, much like a frightened kitten. “P-Please just leave me alone.”
Sophia took off running into the woods, her speed impressive despite her injuries. “Follow her,” I instructed Ethan. “Stay hidden, don’t approach her. Just make sure she gets home safely.”
Determination mixed with pain in Ethan’s eyes as he bounded into the woods after her. I wanted to follow, but I needed to figure out who had hurt Sophia. Her terrified face would haunt my dreams, those unique eyes filled with pain instead of love and light.
I spent over an hour searching the house, trying to piece together what had happened. Only one person could offer any helpful information-a girl with curly hair and dark espresso skin who told me Sophia had come to the party with a friend named Lilian. But I couldn’t find Lilian anywhere. As I turned away, I felt a light hand on my shoulder and smelled the familiar perfume and hairspray. I knew who it was without looking.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Jessy purred, placing her hands on my shoulders and lifting onto her toes.
“Not now,” I snapped, anger filling me. I removed her hands, even the thought of touching her skin disgusting me.
“You seem stressed,” she continued in what she thought was a seductive tone. Jessy had always been an easy distraction, nothing more. Our relationship was devoid of love or emotion.
“I’m sure there’s an empty room around here somewhere,” she giggled, trying to pull me towards a bedroom. But something in her eyes stopped me. They bulged, her face turning purple as my hand wrapped around her skinny throat.
“Jessy,” I snarled, “I will only ask once. Did you touch Sophia?”
Jessy sputtered, her face a deep shade of purple. I loosened my grip, realizing I had nearly killed her in my blind rage.
“Sophia?” Jessy spat. “Why the fuck would I touch her?” Her eyes were bright and defensive. I had to give it to her; she recovered quickly after almost being choked to death.
“Have you seen her tonight?” I forced my voice to remain calm, but my eyes burned with fury.
“She’s here?” Jessy spat. “Fucking great.”
I turned away from her without another word. There were still more people to talk to, and I was determined to find out who had seen Sophia.
“You came all this way,” Jessy whined. “Why don’t you just hang out with me?”
“I didn’t come for you,” I replied, walking away without looking back.
“She’s home safe,” Ethan’s voice flooded through my mind, a thick sense of relief washing over me.
“Good,” I nodded. “All I’ve learned is that Sophia came here with a girl named Lilian.”
“No one else saw her there?” Ethan grunted, his voice thick with irritation.
“So far, no luck,” I grimaced, feeling just as frustrated. “I’m not leaving until I’ve spoken with everyone here. Someone saw her, I know it.”
I found myself in the kitchen, trying to talk to a girl who had clearly had too much to drink.
“Sophia?” she slurred. “No, I’m Lizzy.”
“Have you seen Sophia?” I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling sharply in a poor attempt to remain patient.
“I don’t know who that is,” the girl slurred, shrugging before stumbling to the side. “You can call me Sophia if you want, though.”
“Long brown hair,” I said, closing my eyes to picture her. “She was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and jeans. I’m sure you would’ve noticed that.”
Every girl at this party was dressed to impress, wearing short form-fitting dresses and heels. Sophia was the only one dressed down, dressed for comfort.
“Oh, that chick,” the girl hiccuped, capturing my full attention.
“Where did you see her?” I demanded, towering over the drunk girl.
“Calvin picked her up from the floor,” she shrugged. “Chick was wasted real good.”
A grimace formed on my face. Sophia hadn’t been drunk when we saw her. Ethan and I would have smelled it on her. She wasn’t drunk, yet she had been on the floor? The name Calvin sent possessive jealousy through me. Another man had held her, and she had run from the house with her pants unbuttoned. My vision began turning red, and I stormed through the house in search of Calvin.
I recognized the name immediately. He was a member of our pack, two years older than Ethan and me, but still a lowly Omega. Known for constantly begging for a shred of power.
“Have you seen Calvin?” I growled at everyone I passed.
Finally, someone pointed me in the right direction. I stormed up the stairs, opening door after door until I found him. Calvin sat in a bathroom, gingerly touching his head, his fingers coated in blood. If only he knew, he was going to bleed a lot more before the night was through.
Calvin locked eyes with me for just a split second before bolting for the window. I was faster, fueled by anger and a thirst for vengeance. I pinned him against the wall, my claws piercing his abdomen. Blood pooled, seeping into his shirt.
“What did you do to Sophia?” My voice was calm, relaxed. I was past the point of blinding fury. This pup would die for his crime.
“I-Alpha, I didn’t.” Calvin stammered, but it’s hard to lie with claws piercing your skin.
I pushed my claws in deeper, hearing the squelch of tearing flesh.
“Okay, okay, okay.” Calvin pleaded, his face slick with sweat, his body shaking. He knew he was going to die.
“What did you do,” I repeated, moving my fingers slightly to increase his pain.
“I just did what I was told, man,” Calvin whimpered, his lips trembling, his eyes wide with fear. Did he really think he’d survive this?
“Did you rape her?” I got close, my chest vibrating with fury.
“No,” Calvin stammered. “She hit me-got away-so sorry.”
He dissolved into a quivering, sobbing mess. It was a shame how some people lost all dignity in the face of death, begging for their lives. I refused to die that way, stubborn and insolent until the end.
“As your Alpha, I sentence you to death for your crimes against Sophia, your Luna.” My words were calm, but my eyes burned with fury. For a split second, realization dawned in Calvin’s eyes before I drove my claws into his chest, severing his heart.
“Where are you?” Ethan’s voice rang through my mind. “I came back to the party.”
“Second floor, fifth door on the left,” I replied.
A minute later, Ethan opened the bathroom door. His eyes widened at Calvin’s lifeless corpse. I walked to the sink, scrubbing the blood from my hands.
“Damn,” Ethan nodded. “He was one of ours, right?”
I nodded, retracting my claws.
“What’d he do?” Ethan grimaced.
“He tried to rape Sophia,” I stated calmly, though the words sent my wolf into a bloodthirsty rage. Sophia was ours as much as we were hers. “He said someone put him up to it. I let my anger get the best of me before I could ask who.”
Ethan looked frustrated but sighed in understanding.
“I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same,” Ethan grimaced, “but I would’ve been much cleaner about it.”
Ethan and I were nearly identical in every way except our personalities. We both enjoyed killing, fighting, and defending what was ours. The difference was, I was more bloodthirsty, more feral. Ethan was more strategic, preferring the smartest kill, while I sunk my teeth and claws into whatever flesh I could manage.
“We will find out who put him up to it, brother,” I growled under my breath. “Until then, we keep an eye on Sophia.”
Ethan nodded. “If she goes anywhere, we follow.”