Chapter 2

“Mate.” Max, his wolf, hollered loudly, but his human counterpart was still in a state of confusion as he locked eyes with the blue ones that supposedly were his mates, and he was lost for words.

The young girl had brown curls for hair; she was fair but had become pale as she looked at him. She was barely holding up as she inhaled the gas that had weakened her wolf, but her gaze dropped to the woman who had been with her, and she began to sob.

Her cries were guttural and sad, and they triggered something in him—something he never thought he had. Sympathy.

Kane quickly tucked the guns away, and he came closer to her, taking slow, careful steps so as not to startle her. But Ariel curled into herself, wailing aloud, even as she felt the cord that linked her to her family, to her pack getting broken.

Her pupils widened in fear, and she whimpered, trying but failing to scamper away from this man. She was bound by her mother’s words, so she couldn’t leave the bunker.

Kane continued to approach the frightened girl, his wolf itching him to meet her so he could touch her. “Get a grip, Max. She is already frightened, and I don’t want to startle her anymore than she already is.” Kane cautioned his impatient wolf.

Of all the things he had expected, the last thing on his mind was finding a mate. And from what he could see, it was likely that she was the alpha’s daughter.

“Alpha. The pack has been wiped out; save the alpha, and we await your judgment.” Toby announced as soon as he got closer, and Kane froze as he heard that.

Shit.

Ariel only took so long before it registered in her mind that it was her pack they were attacking and her father was going to be the next target whose blood would be spilling on the floor, and she was screaming bloody murder.

But there was only so much she could do; the air she was inhaling had gotten tainted, and each breath she drew weakened her.

“What the hell, Toby, Mindlink?” Kane roared at his gamma, spittle flying from his mouth.

His wolf wanted out; he wanted to teach the disrespectful wolf a lesson, and maybe he would think twice before scaring his mate.

“Oops.” Toby gave a tight-lipped smile, his hands flying to his hair to scratch the messy lock. “My bad.” He apologized and was running back to where the other warriors were before Kane would react.

Kane could hear them chanting war songs, no doubt with smiles on their faces, and he managed to smile despite his condition.

There was no time to waste, so he grabbed the hands of his mate. “Fuck.” Kane shuddered as he felt the unmistakable spark that erupted on contact.

He closed his eyes, ignoring her shouts and struggles. Her tiny fists were pounding on his arms, but he could care less. Instead, he sucked in a large amount of air, exhaling it rather noisily.

“Let’s go.” Kane said to the child, his anger only rising by the minute. She was still looking at him with pure hatred in her eyes, and if looks could kill, he could be six feet under now.

Such looks don’t fit her, and he wishes he could erase whatever she had just seen.

You can. The taunting voice in his head was loud, but Kane shook his head hard, erasing such thoughts. He would never do that to her; he had already taken her family away from her, and the last thing he was going to do was take away her memory.

“What the fu...” Kane yelled, his eyes looking down at the culprit. The little shit had bit his hands so much that he could perceive the faint smell of blood reaching his nose. “You.” Kane snarled, baring his teeth as his wolf threatened to come out.

His wolf would tolerate no disrespect, and if it were an ordinary member, they would have been on their knees with some of their teeth gone.

Before he could rein in his wolf, Ariel had fled the area, letting her father’s scent guide her to him, wailing for the world to hear.

“Fuck.” Kane exclaimed, rubbing his hands through his hair. He had cursed more times now than he would have in a day, and it was all because of the mate the moon goddess had decided was a great match for him. “Fuck.” He screamed his frustration again, and he was marching towards the door, following her tiny footsteps.

It wasn’t long before he saw her kneeling in front of her weakened father. The once-great man was also on his knees, his body covered in blood, bruised and battered, and a sheen of sweat covering his face.

Even he could realize when he had been defeated, and there was nothing he could do.

“Dad!" Ariel cried out, shaking her father with her tiny fist. “Please don’t go.”

Kane hated to admit it, but her pleas were doing something to him. It had been a long time since he had experienced such emotions, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

But he knew he couldn’t spare this alpha.

His mate would get over it; he had also lost his parents, and he managed to survive; surely she would be fine without them.

“Kane.” Ariel’s father spat out with what little strength he still had. His words were laced with so much hatred and venom that Ariel was turning her neck towards him, mirroring her father’s look.

It soon came to put him back on his ass because he doubled up in pain, holding his chest as he coughed up blood.

Kane could only shake his head in sympathy. The once-great alpha has been reduced to a caricature of himself.

“It is alpha to you, John.” Kane spat out with the same venom. Their hatred had run deep, and it was only death that could put an end to it.

It wasn’t going to be too long now since John was already knocking on heaven’s door or wherever werewolves end up when they die.

“You are no alpha, Kane,” John sneered, baring his teeth as you would a rouge. “You are nothing but a wannabe, a filthy wolf, and a feral, and no matter how you try, you will never be a real wolf.” No sooner than he finished saying those words, his face was meeting the floor in a thud.

Kane, unable to bear the words he had thrown at him, had kicked his head so hard that it met the floor in a sickening crunch that was bound to affect his skull, and his nose flared as the undeniable smell of metal reached him.

“Dad!” Ariel yelled a blood-curdling scream, and he was cringing from it. “You!” She had forgotten her weakened state and bared her canines to him before she was pouncing on him.

But Kane was quick; he dodged her attack and held her hands behind her. “Mason!” Kane yelled for his beta, “Come, get her out of here.” He couldn’t stand to see her in pain, especially when he was the cause of the pain.

Quick footsteps were approaching them, and Mason was soon in sight. “Alpha.” The beta said, lowering his head in respect.

“Get her out of my sight. She doesn’t need to watch this.”

“Yes alpha.” Mason replied and was moving towards her side; no question was needed. All he cared about was doing his bidding.

Mason jerked her off Kane’s hold, dragging her away. But the little shit still got a fight in her. “Noooo.” Ariel cried, and both men were cringing from the noise; it was too loud for their sensitive ears. But Ariel saw an opening, and she jerked her arms from Mason’s hold.

Maybe a little too hard, as she felt sharp pain like that of a lightning bolt traveling down her arm, but she ignored it and ran towards her father.

“Dad? Daddy? Wake up, please wake up.” Fat drops of tears were dripping out of her eyes as she held on to her father, shaking him hard.

“Ari.” Kane heard the weary voice of the alpha, and he knew that it wasn’t long before he met his ancestors. His little girl moved closer to his face as she heard her name, and Mason made to go after her, but Kane raised his hands.

It is alright; just give them time.

It was only right that he gave the father and daughter a little bond time—a parting gift.

Ariel kneeled in front of her father, applying her ears to his mouth, and the dying alpha was whispering to her ears even as Kane looked on with a faraway look, and Ariel was nodding her head at every word.

The next event happened so fast that Kane could barely stop it. The alpha produced a needle from his pocket and stabbed his daughter’s thigh, even while the other needle was already jammed in his thighs, pumping loads and loads of wolfbane into his system in such a lethal dose that no wolf could survive it.

“The fucker!” Kane yelled, kicking the syringe out of his hands. But it was too late; the damage had already been done, and the alpha fell on his side, white foam spewing from his mouth.

Kane heard a dull thud, and he watched in slow motion as his mate crumpled to the floor beside her father. Wet trails of tears were still visible on her face, and he shook his head.

“What have I done to deserve this?”