Chapter 51

Nathan’s POV

I looked at Stella and, for a moment, I couldn’t remember why she was so close to me. But then a sweet scent from her wrist hit me, and I wanted her to be mine all over again.

Stella is your Luna. Stella is the choice took the ceremonial dagger. The steel was cold against my palm. I was

ready to bleed for her. I was ready to

Alpha! ”

The voice broke through the haze. I snapped my head toward the back of the hall. It was my Beta, his face white, his chest heaving as if he’d run miles. He didn’t care about the sacred silence of the Priestesses. He didn’t care about the visiting Alphas.

He reached me.

“ Alpha, we have trouble with rogue and that witch, ” he barked. “ It’s urgent. We need you, now. ”

The mention of the rogue sent a surge of adrenaline through me.

“ Guards! With me! ” I shouted.

I didn’t look at the Priestess or the crowd. Stella grabbed my arm, her face full of anger, but I pushed her away.

We ran outside, heading fast toward the building on the edge of pack where the dungeon were. The last time I was here was when we caught Emily, thinking she was the Rogue.

As we reached the stairs, I saw two dead guards on the ground. We ran down into the dark stone hallways, our boots making a loud echoing sound. We finally reached the heavy iron doors of the deepest cells.

The smell of blood hit me immediately. It was everywhere. The guards who were supposed to be on duty were

lead.

“ Goddess, ” one of my men whispered.

The dungeon was a bloodbath. Three of my best warriors were dead against the walls, their wounds too clean to e from a wolf. In the middle of the room, the rogue Alpha Marcus had captured for us was still tied to the chair.

His neck was snapped.

And then, I saw the witch.

She was slumped in the corner, her brown dress soaked in crimson. Her hands shook violently as she tried to wipe he blood from her eyes.

I stepped over a body, my claws extending, my wolf growling at the back of my throat.

“ What happened here? ” I demanded.

She looked up at me like a broken doll.

): 44 am WWW

“ I couldn’t stop it, ” she rasped, her voice a broken whistle. “ It happened so fast … ”

Who did this? ” I grabbed her by the shoulders, lifting her nearly off the floor. The Alpha power radiating off me.

“ Talk, Zynair. ”

“ I didn’t see. One moment rogue was breathing … the next, we were all drowning in blood, ” she sobbed, blood eaking from a cut on her forehead.

I dropped her, and make low growl. Someone had murdered my men and killed our only source of information

ight under my nose.

“ Did you at least find out something? You were so close to breaking him, ” I said, praying she had.

“ I got into his mind for a second, ” Zynair whispered, her voice shaking. “ Just a second … before something tore

him apart. ”

“ What did you see? ” I demanded.

‘ Nothing. ”

“ Nothing?! ” The word exploded from my throat. I roared, the sound echoing off the damp stone walls. “ You’re elling me my brothers bled out on this floor for nothing?! ”

I was a hurricane of rage. I smashed a hand against the wall, pacing like a starved predator. Zynair shrank into the corner, looking small against the cold stone, trying to hide from my fury.

“ You are the reason they’re dead! ” I snarled, grabbing her shoulder. I shoved her toward one of my dead warriors.

‘ Look at them! ”

She trembled, but then, she suddenly went cold. She pulled herself together so fast it felt like she had been acting he whole time. I thought she wasn’t actually afraid of me at all — that she was just playing a game. I pushed the

hought away.

“ Touch me again, ” she hissed, her voice like a knife, “ and I will lay a rotting curse on your skin until your limbs fall

› ff. ”

She stood up on her own, staring straight into my eyes with total defiance.

“ This mess? ” She gestured to the blood – soaked floor. “ This is your failure. Your guards were too weak to hold this ine. You want someone to blame? Blame Marcus for dragging me here. Blame the Rogue King and his filthy witch or shielding that rogue’s mind. But don’t you dare blame me. ”

She stepped closer, her eyes burning. “ I have given you more help than your entire pathetic pack combined. ”

She turned on her heel, her dress brushing through the pools of blood. Without a single look back, she walked

over the dead and disappeared into the shadows of the exit.

“ And that, ” I spat, watching her go, “ is exactly why I hate witches. ”

“ Should we head back? ” my Beta, Blake, asked quietly. “ The ceremony was cut short. Your bonding with Stella isn’t finished. ”

Stella. The ceremony. The words felt heavy, like lead in my stomach. I didn’t have the energy to play the role of the happy groom anymore. Not after seeing my men slaughtered,

“ Not today, ” I snapped. “ I’m going home. Now. ”

As we broke out into the cold night air, Liam was already rushing toward us. He stopped dead, his face pale.

“ Goddess, what happened? ” His eyes searched mine, frantic. “ Are you hurt? ”

“ I’m fine, ” I grunted. “ We got here too late. ”

Liam knelt beside one of the fallen guards, his jaw tight. “ Who did this? ”

“ I don’t know. The witch claims she saw nothing. ”

“ That doesn’t make sense, ” Liam said, standing up slowly. He didn’t look at the bodies anymore; he was staring at

me, his eyes narrowing as if he were looking at a stranger. “ And you? How are you holding up? ”

“ What is that supposed to mean? ” I growled, crossing my arms.

“ Nathan, look at me, ” Liam stepped closer. “ An hour ago, you were ready to exile me and Emily. Not to mention he fact that out of nowhere, you flip and kiss Stella in front of the entire pack and Alphas. What the hell was

hat? ”

The memory hit me, but it felt like it was behind a thick fog. In that moment at the hall, I had been sure Stella was

he one. I had been sure Emily was nothing to me.

“ I don’t know, ” I said, looking at Liam with total confusion.

Next Chapter

Chapter 52

Rate Chapter

Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.