Chapter Thirteen
I Would Die for You
LIAM O’CONNOR
In the ashen gloom of the narrow alley, I keep to the shadows. Hidden from prying eyes, I stand still as stone, my gaze riveted on the heart of the town square.
The small park teems with preparations for the upcoming wedding. A framework already stands at the center, a skeletal tribute to the arranged union. The sight is enough to twist my stomach into knots, the bitter bile of dread gnawing at my insides.
Amid the sea of faces, Gen stands out like a beacon. Her bright blonde hair glistens in the sunlight of the morning. She’s locked in an animated conversation with the town florist, their hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as they talk.
From my hidden vantage point, I study her, my heart tangled with conflicting emotions.
In a perfectly timed, irritatingly inevitable manner, Aiden strides into the scene just as the florist departs. With him, he brings the unmistakable scent of Rachel Mason’s coffee—a rich, intoxicating aroma from the Steeping Cauldron. Those witches have the hookup when it comes to good coffee.
He hands the cup over and Gen’s face softens into a smile. That smile, so radiant and warm, tightens a noose around my chest. It’s not a smile meant for me, and the sting of that realization is a raw reminder that I’m on the outside looking in—the only role I’ll ever play in her life.
The prickling sensation of jealousy claws at my insides. Witnessing Aiden’s effortless intimacy with Gen, the shared warmth, the exchanged smiles—it leaves a bitter aftertaste, like burnt coffee lingering on the tongue.
It should be me at the receiving end of her smiles, it should be me offering her that comforting cup of coffee.
But I swallow down the bitter pill of reality, reminding both myself and the wolf within of the harsh truth. We’re leaving.
The torment of watching her from a distance, desiring her but unable to have her, has an expiration date. Once she’s mated to Aiden, she’ll be safe, yes, but she’ll also be untouchable.
Off-limits.
The thought alone is a blade, cutting me deeper than any physical wound ever could.
Just as I’m managing to shove my wolf back into its corner, I sense Aiden reaching through the alpha link to locate me. It’s warm energy and slightly invasive, like a parent pinging their kid on a GPS.
He extracts himself from the bustling scene across the street and heads toward my hiding spot.
Gratitude for the absence of an emotional link surges within me. If such a bond existed between alphas and pack members, my secret longing for Gen would lie exposed before him.
Aiden steps into my realm of shadows, his figure melting seamlessly into the darkness. He leans against the rough brick wall opposite me, the semblance of nonchalance cloaking his frame. “Anything?” he asks, a thread of genuine worry lacing his words.
He’s not just my alpha—he’s my friend, my cousin, and his concern is authentic, making it difficult for me to harbor any resentment for the position he’s placed me in.
After all, it isn’t his doing. If he knew the truth, knew Gen was my fated mate, he’d never go through with this arranged marriage. I know him.
The urge to spill my heart out to him teases the edges of my resolve. But I resist.
“Nothing worth reporting yet,” I reply, my voice flat and emotionless, betraying nothing of my inner turmoil. The facade feels dirty and wrong, but necessary. We’ve known each other too long, making it all too easy for him to decipher my true feelings.
Aiden pins me with a probing look. “I took her out to my place and then to my mom’s to meet everyone yesterday. Where were you?” he asks, his tone teetering between accusation and curiosity.
“It was crowded and you asked me to stay out of sight.”
He accepts my answer without pause and moves on. “She’s going to need all of our support. Her dad...he’s a nightmare. She trusts no one, believes he’ll use our marriage to control me.”
“You think she’s wrong?” I venture, my gaze locked onto his.
Aiden’s eyes ignite with a fierce determination that sends a chill down my spine. “Oh, I believe her one hundred percent. That’s why I’m warning you. It’s going to take the whole pack to protect her. To show her we’ve got her back.”
“You know we will, Aiden.” At least I will until the wedding.
“I do. I’m circling the wagons. We need to be ready for anything, especially since Meredith is being cagey about whatever’s going on with Emma too.” He gives me a curt nod and steps back out into the light of the street and walks to where his truck is parked. Moments later, his truck roars to life, and he’s retreating into the distance, leaving me alone once again.
The silence in the alleyway is deafening, echoing the unspoken words that taunt my conscience. The words I can’t say and the feelings I can’t express. I’m forced to stand by and watch and guard the woman my heart yearns for. The woman I can never call mine.
This is my fate. My duty. And I won’t fail.
A sudden shout of alarm pierces the weighty silence like a serrated blade, brutally jolting me back to reality. My heart lurches in my chest, the force not unlike the bone-jarring kick of a startled horse.
Gen! Gen! Gen! My mind screams her name like a primal chant. Where is Gen? Desperate, I search through the panicking crowd for any trace of her.
A thick cloud of smoke rises from the pyre of building supplies next to the pavilion. It billows into the pristine sky, covering blue with angry black tendrils. The potent scent of burning timber invades my senses, accompanied by the metallic bite of mounting panic that stings my nostrils.
Then, I spot her. Gen emerges from behind a table, cradling a toddler protectively in her arms.
She bolts toward the park, her eyes reflecting terror and determination.
Another woman races toward Gen, her arms outstretched in silent plea.
A deafening gunshot rings out, breaking through the commotion. My heart seizes in my chest.
What the actual fuck is going on?
Seconds drag like hours. I watch with horrified fascination as the grass near Gen’s feet bursts into fragments.
The screaming intensifies, battering against my eardrums. With a swift motion, Gen transfers the toddler to the woman and then pivots, launching herself in the opposite direction.
Another gunshot.
More grass explodes into a shower of green. Then a spray of bark erupts from a tree trunk next to her head.
The realization strikes like a bolt of lightning. The shots are aimed at Gen. Only Gen.
Adrenaline rushes through my veins, drowning out any semblance of control I might have had a second ago. In one breath I’m rooted in the alley and in the next, my wolf surges forth, shredding my clothes and propelling me into the chaos on powerful limbs.
Mate. Protect.
Those words whip through my mind like a tornado as my legs devour the distance between us, pounding against the unforgiving pavement, then the yielding grass.
I’m almost to her. Almost.
Another shot echoes like a war cry, splitting the air with its horrifying intent. Gen stumbles, her silhouette swaying in a dangerous dance of mortality. My heart plummets, the possibility of the worst-case scenario flashing through my mind.
But with a display of pure determination, she scrambles back onto her feet and continues running.
The park is consumed by chaos. Screams fracture the once-peaceful atmosphere into a thousand fragments, the waves of everyone’s terror lapping at the edges of my heightened sense.
Yet even in that maddening symphony, my focus narrows to a single point. Gen.
I leap.
My body hurtles through the air, a missile aimed straight at my heart’s target. Just before I collide with her, a searing pain explodes in my side and the impact sends shock waves through my body, stealing my breath, but I muster through it.
Nothing matters but her safety.
I stand over Gen, keeping a large paw firmly planted on her shoulder, pinning her to the ground, concealing her from sight. I have to keep her safe.
“Liam!” She pushes at my foot, trying to get loose, but she’s too panicked. Her wolf isn’t really fighting me. Her wolf knows the safest place for Gen is exactly where I’ve got her.
Two more gunshots ring out in quick succession.
I yelp at the impacts. Pain flares as the bullets lodge into my side. My legs wobble beneath my weight, threatening to buckle. But surrender is not an option. I will not fail her.
Clenching my jaw, I push through the agony, steeling myself against the waves of darkness lapping at the edges of my vision.
“Liam, no! Please. Liam!”
My mind grapples with the sensory overload—the shock of the raw pain, Gen’s heartbreaking sobs, the alarmed shouts of my brothers ringing across the park.
As their formidable figures move closer, I can see their faces etched with worry and urgency. Panic curls in the pit of my stomach.
“Shift back, Liam.” Bast’s voice resonates with authority, the low growl unmistakably an order, not a suggestion. “Gen, get out from under him. We have to get him to shift back.”
I try to argue, but all that comes out is a pained whimper. I’ve been shot before, but this is worse. My strength is waning, ebbing away like a receding tide.
In a sudden flurry of movement, Gen wriggles from beneath me. Instantly, panic claws at my insides, my wolf responding to her absence. I reach out with a paw, herding her back to the safety beneath my protective bulk.
Her place is here. With me. Always.
“I’m fine. The shooter is gone.” The words seep from Gen’s lips, each syllable laced with desperation. “Liam, please,” she pleads, crawling out from under the fortress of my chest.
The pain is less now.
I’m doing better.
Except I’m not standing. My head is on the grass.
“Liam, now. We can’t lift you in this form.” My youngest brother Jackson’s voice slices through the mental fog. He’s carrying a tarp. “Shift.” The command is unmistakable and sounds strange coming from him.
But my wolf relinquishes and I shift.
The world shimmers and I focus on Gen’s face, except she doesn’t look happy to see me. Her eyes are wide with terror and tears run down her cheeks.
“Keep her safe,” I grind out, the words more of a plea than a statement.
“You did, you idiot,” she chides, the sharpness of her tone belying the worry etched on her face. “Let your brothers help you.”
I laugh at her comment on the inside. She’s safe. That’s all that matters. Everything else is hazy and unfocused, but I know I kept her safe.
I’m lifted from the ground and put somewhere, probably the back of Jackson’s truck. My eyes flutter open and I see Gen again. That’s all I need. Her image is a beacon through the crowding shadows.
Her touch is featherlight as her fingers ghost over my face, tracing lines of concern. Her closeness, her care, ignites a warmth deep within my chest.
My mate is with me where she belongs.
She’s staying with me.
“He’s fading!” I hear her shout, panic underlining her words.
The truck lurches forward, and a spike of pain assaults me, swiftly replaced by an empty chill. A desire for warmth crosses my fragmented thoughts. Clothes. Or a blanket. A blanket would be nice.
“Focus on me, Liam. Don’t you dare die.”
Die? I’m not dying. I can’t die. I can’t leave my mate.
With a herculean effort, I force my eyes open, locking onto hers. By Fate, she is beautiful.
“That’s right. You fight, you hear me?”
Her voice and her touch are my anchor, but the link to her is dwindling, a thread threatening to snap. I can’t feel her hands anymore. And her voice is foggy and sounds so far away.
An abyss of darkness yawns open, pulling me under its inky water. I’m slipping, fading...
And then, with a gut-wrenching finality, I lose her.