31. Rip
Chapter 31
Rip
I don’t know where Hettie is.
I’ve spent my day seeing my men off, making sure their departure went according to plan. It feels like the first act of war, probably because it is. We need the dragons’ numbers and strength. I need King Malix’s knowledge of defeating Nephilim. All of these things I stressed to Thorne repeatedly until he grabbed my shoulders and told me he understood.
Then I watched the group of alphas leave, praying to the Goddess each one of them will return home safely. The beds in the infirmary are already full of sick wolves. I have no space for injured ones.
After consoling a few omegas and setting them up in the packhouse together and then checking in with patrol, I go in search of my mate. I search in her usual spots—the dining room, the bathroom, and our bedroom. I search our bond, but it’s fuzzy at best. A faint light flickers, catching glimpses of her emotions, but I’m not truly able to feel her.
I wonder if she remembers what she said to me the other night. Love you. Two simple words that hit hard. Is that the reason she’s ignoring me? Because she’s embarrassed? My wolf growls, letting me know he wants us to tell Hettie our feelings for her.
I check Tallie and Thorne’s house, but it’s empty. So I go to the last place I can think of: Aunt Imelda’s house. I barge through the door, keeping down my rising panic. My aunt jumps off her couch in alarm at my abrupt entrance.
“Rip, goodness, child. You scared me,” Imelda gasps, holding a worn book in her hand. When she reads, Imelda completely immerses herself in her books, forgetting the world around her.
“Sorry. Have you seen Tallie and Hettie?” My tone is far too brisk, worry slipping through.
Imelda tilts her head to the side. My stomach drops when she shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry, Rip. I haven’t seen them. Have you?—”
I’m not one to turn my back on my aunt. She’s the closest thing I have to a mother, and I show her nothing but the respect she deserves, but my mate and cousin are missing. I’m out the door before she can stop me.
My mind fills with the worst possible scenarios. Did someone come for them? Steal them under our noses? That seems unlikely, even with our smaller patrol units—which means they probably left of their own accord to follow the call. Without me.
Even after she promised me she wouldn’t.
The moment I’m outside, I shift. My clothes rip, falling to the ground in shreds. My wolf is angry and scared. A deadly combination for an alpha. I can smell and see better in this form. Hints of my cousin and Hettie linger in the air. I also smell Grass. Should have known the dog would follow those two anywhere.
I don’t think. I run. Push my legs as hard as they can go. A new layer of snow covers any tracks the three of them may have left, but their scent hasn’t completely gone away. It’s muted, but the farther into the woods I go, the clearer my bond comes with Hettie.
And she’s fucking terrified.
I push myself harder. Branches and twigs scrape at my fur, but I ignore it. Hettie is close. I feel her. Can taste her fear like poison on my tongue. I hear the sounds of a struggle and a scream, and it’s the last push I need to get to Hettie.
“Hettie, I’m coming,” I roar into our bond.
“Rip!”
I break through another thicket of trees, and the scene before me sends me into a murderous rage. Tallie’s crumpled body lies next to a tree. Grass crawls over to her, whimpering and nuzzling her flank.
Then I see Hettie. A brown wolf, twice her size, pins her to the snowy ground. He exposes his teeth and lunges for her, and that’s when I attack.
My body crashes against the brown wolf, claws and teeth sinking into his flank and neck. The wolf howls in equal parts surprise and pain. Hettie whimpers. I’m not sure what the brown wolf did to her, but I don’t need to know.
I’ve seen enough.
My cousin is down.
Grass is hiding.
Hettie’s hurt and scared.
The wolf deserves no mercy from me. The brown wolf wrestles his way out from under me, limping slightly. He lunges for me, but he’s sloppy and untrained. I swipe my paw out, claws scratching down his chest. The air blooms with a coppery smell. Red wells up, dampening his fur .
It only proves to piss him off. He throws himself at me, attempting to bite down on my leg. His fangs don’t get me, but his claws do. It hurts like hell but gives me perfect access to his neck.
The easiest way to kill a wolf.
With him distracted, I growl and clamp my jaw around his neck. Instantly, the wolf stills.
Normally, this would be the part where I would give him the chance to submit to me. Allow him a choice on whether he will follow me or die. But I don’t feel particularly merciful tonight. Not when he’s hurt my family.
I bite down harder on his neck, feeling his body tense. He tries to pull away from me, but my grip on his neck is too hard. Blood fills my mouth, and I jerk my head to the side roughly.
He howls, body spasming.
Then everything goes quiet, and he goes limp.
Dead. With his throat ripped out.
Red stains the snowy white ground. His life bleeds into the earth. But I feel no remorse.
I shift. Blood still coats my mouth down to my chest. My calf has claw marks on it and hurts like hell. It’s the only place I’m bleeding, though. My first instinct is to look over Hettie. Her hair is a mess, and she hugs her arms around her chest. Her lithe body looks even smaller now.
But physically she’s fine.
I tear my eyes away from her and go to my cousin. Tallie doesn’t stir. Her body is far too still.
I lean down, reaching out my hand to rest on her back. For a moment, I feel nothing. No intake of breath. No beating of her heart.
For a moment, I think Tallie is dead.
For a moment, I’m broken .
Then I feel the slightest rise of her chest, and the tension in my body leaves immediately. “Tallie.” My voice cracks, seeing my strong, capable cousin reduced to this. Blood coats her fur, and I brush my hand through it.
That’s when I feel the bite. Not something I would normally be too concerned about, but the last time rogues attacked and bit my pack, they instantly fell ill with the cursed sickness.
No. Not Tallie. Never Tallie. I’m supposed to protect my family, but I’ve never felt so helpless.
“Is she okay?” I hear a small voice behind me.
I spare Hettie a glance. She’s picked herself up off the ground. She’s holding her bloody ax at her side and looking at me with a mixture of concern and dread.
“No,” I snap. “She’s not, thanks to your actions.”
Hettie flinches, and I almost feel bad. Almost feel the need to apologize, but I can’t find it in me. I’m too mad. My cousin is hurt because of Hettie. She promised me just the other night that she would not go into the woods without me. If she would have just fucking listened, none of this would have happened.
I’m gentle as I pick Tallie up. She hasn’t shifted back, but I know it’s only a matter of time before she loses the connection with her wolf.
“Grab Grass and follow me. Don’t fucking wander.”
Again, she flinches, and again I feel like an asshole, just not enough of one to change my tone or apologize. From the corner of my eye, I see Hettie nudge Grass. The dog is a little shaky on his feet, but otherwise looks unharmed. He stays by Hettie’s side, whimpering.
I carry Tallie close to my chest, listening to the soft footfalls of Hettie and Grass behind me. I’m on full alert, making sure no one else will appear from the darkness .
“Rip, I’m…” Hettie starts, but I glare. Her words die on her tongue.
I’m not ready to talk to her. I’m not ready to hear her excuses.
“I need you quiet unless you want to get attacked again,” I say, not kindly.
She sniffles but nods.
So we walk in silence all the way back to the infirmary as the future I once saw with Hettie starts to crumble.