64. I hate you

✧ Luke ✧

The car stops by the borders of the Goldstein territory, the guards watch us with apprehension before opening the doors.

It takes every bit of willpower in me not to prowler inside the damn pack house and rip it apart brick by brick. It takes every bit of restraint not to snap Zoya Goldstein’s neck when I see her standing by the temple of moonshirne.

I force myself to take a breath, to push the instincts aside and focus. My eyes take in the cars parked nearby, my senses busy in distinguishing which scent belongs to which pack.

The six surviving Hunt competitors other than me have arrived. The Alphas that hadn’t participated are also here, as well as those who have taken charge of their packs after their Alphas couldn’t make it back.

“Alpha Winters,” Goldstein flashes me a smile that looks like a snarl “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“I’m the guest of honor,” I look down at her “How could I not?”

“Allow me to treat you as such,” She sweeps an arm towards the temple

Forget the plan, lets kill her right now, Casper says as we do inside.

Don’t tempt me, I say, thought my eyes do turn to Goldstein’s neck for a second, my hands itching with grim anticipation.

Not yet, I close my hands into fists, death so quick would be a mercy.

My eyes go over the others in the temple. Joseph meets my eyes and inclines his head towards Parks. He doesn’t meet my glance, but nods as if sensing my attention. I notice his beta is not with him.

The rest of the Lycans all glance anxiously between Goldstein and I, the air is palpable with tension. Goldstein goes ahead at the small stage on the marble floor, warriors flanking her.

“As all of you must know,” Goldstein beings “We’ve gathered here today to unfold the truth about my beloved brother’s death. One which is unfortunately, related to our new Alpha Supreme.”

She gestures to someone, and a girl with pale blond hair walks towards the stage. She whisper’s something in Goldsetin’s ear and her expression shutters.

She recovers remarkable fast, and if I hadn’t been watching her so intensely, maybe I wouldn’t have noticed.

The blond finishes talking, and steps away from the stage. Goldstein smiles at all of us.

“And now, an eye witness, who is not from my pack shall come forward and tell you the truth of what happened on the Hunt!” She says, failing her arms for the effect

My eyes dart towards the doors of the temple, hungry for the sight of my mate, to know she’s here.

The doors slam shut.

“Or that’s what I would say,” Goldstein says “But I’d rather not waste any more time.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Joseph demands “We came for the evidence. Well, where’s your witness?”

“Alpha Luke Winters murdered my brother,” Goldstein ignores him, addressing the crowd “He probably even got my brother’s mate and daughters killed. Would you want this murder to be your leader, or the one who should rightfully be?”

No one speaks, the temple is absouletly silent.

Fury crosses Goldstein’s face, her fists balled “I am the rightful successor to the title. You will pledge fealty to me!”

“And if we don’t, Goldstein?” Alpha Nox asks

“Then you will not be leaving this temple,” Goldstein pins her cold gaze to him, and snaps her fingers

The warrior standing at her left is shot. The smell of blood taints the air.

Goldstein whips her head towards the rafters, confused and outraged “Kill them! Kill all of them!”

The warrior standing at her right is shot.

Her breathing is sharp as she backs away from the stage

“What are you idiots doing?!” she looks at the rafters, the figures hovering there, armed with guns containing wolfsbane injectors and silver bullets

“Saving their family and mates,” I say calmly “I happen to take some inspiration from your methods, Goldstein.”

“You—All of you will stand this?!” She looks around alarmed and furious “You’re in my territory, Winters! My pack—

“Is waiting for their fates to be determined,” I step towards the stage, over the blood “As will you.”

Another shot rings in the air, a bullet goes through her arm, another through her leg and she cries out, collapsing on the white marble, staining it red.

Goldstein snarls from the floor, baring her teeth “Diseased mutt.”

I crouch down so we’re on eye level and hold her gaze with every bit of that diseased mutt in my eyes.

“You need one diseased mutt to put down another.” I say, with the underlying promise of a very painful end  

Men shuffle inside the temple, Park’s beta among them.

“Alpha Supreme,” He makes a customary nod towards me

“Did you find Elise?” I stand up

His face is unreadable as he shakes his head “Searched every inch of the Mansion. Her scent if faint. She hasn’t been there for at least a few hours.”

A termer goes down my spine, and the stillness in my bones shudders. My head is full with the roaring of blood in my ears.

Goldstein barks out a hysterical laugh “You’ve run out of luck, Winters. Your little mate likely ran into some other border, or rogues, or who knows? Maybe I killed her!”

“Luke,” Casper turns his eyes to me, but doesn’t put a hand on my shoulder, has the good sense to stay away “You’d know if she’s dead. Mark or no, you would know.”

She’s alive, I hold onto that fact with the remains of reason I have left, she’s alive. I’ll find her. She’ll be okay.

But a pit of darkness in opening under my feet, swallowing me the more I try to wrestle my way out.

I need to find her. A feverish urgency to look for her is filling up my chest.

My eyes snap back to Goldstein. I could kill her. I should kill her. I should pain this temple red with her blood.

Someone steps in my way. I wonder if it’d be too much trouble if I kill Parks instead.

“Alpha Winters,” He stress my name as if I need to be reminded of it “Leave Goldstein to my team. We’ll be back to you with whatever she knows as soon as possible.”

He pulls out his own gun and hands it to me, wolfsbane swirls in the little cylinder attached to it. My lips have been stitched together, no words matter anymore.

I take it with a nod, and people part for me to walk out of the temple.

The moment my feet leave the marble floor, the cylinder of wolfsbane is at my lips, the bitter taste of poison burns down my throat. I relish the fresh pain, a thread grounding me in this body.

“Luke,” Casper is standing behind me “What’s the plan? What are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know,” the cylinder slips from my hand and rolls on the earth
He comes around to stand in front of me “What do you mean you don’t know?”

I close my eyes and drag my hands through my hair, locking my fingers at the back of my neck. My knees threaten to buckle as I pace. My head is full and empty. Everything is spiraling out of control.

“Send search teams through the surroundings,” I say, my hollow voice carries “Interrogate every member of that damn pack. I want to know everything that happened when she was here.”   

He nods, but doesn’t walk away. He takes a few steps towards me, puts a hand at my back. It feels like dead weight.

“We’re going to find her,” Casper says quietly, fiercely

I hope he’s right. I hope we find
her.

Because if we don’t, I’m going to lose myself too.

…

Thunder roars over head.

I stand in front of the pack house, drenched to the bone, empty to the core.

Each step feels like wading through sand, weighed by stones.

Find my daughter, Alpha.

Thud, thud, thud.

She trusted you.

Thud, thud, thud.

Your luck has run out, Winters.

Thud, thud, thud.

Its only when rain stops splattering over me that I realize we’re inside the pack mansion.

Casper puts a hand on my shoulder, and gives it a squeeze once before going towards his room, I realize the pack warriors with us must’ve went for the warrior’s lodging.

The past few hours swim in my head.
Goldstein had no clue where Elise is, the surrounding packs hadn’t had anyone barging in their territories.

There were six dead bodies outside Goldstein’s pack. Elise wasn’t one of them.

Its as if my mate has disappeared into thin air.

I drag my feet up the stairs, wolfsbane drugging my blood, making my eyes burn and blurr.

I close the room behind when I enter my room, leaning my back against it, glad to finally be able to let my fingers tremble, with both poison and panic.
My numbed senses catch a faint scent.

I suck in a sharp breath, half sure I’m being delusional.

The scent of gardina flowers and rain hangs in the air, taunting.

My eyes are drawn towards the antechamber of the room, which has my bed and dresser.

I push myself off the door, and start towards it. My feet stop at the threshold, afraid to go in and find it empty, wanting to indulge in this delusion for just a moment more.

I close my eyes, and step inside, knowing that when I open them again, I will have to face an endless abyss or reality.

I open my eyes.

She’s here.

Air rushes in my lungs so fast, its almost painful. There’s an unbareable quietness in my head.

The next moment, I’m leaning over the bed on which my mate is, my eyes snag at the details of her face, finding no injury there or at her hands, holding tightly onto the comforter.

But her closed eyes are swollen, the pillows under her head stained.

“Elise?” I’m torn between wanting to touch her and make sure she’s real, or not to touch her lest I shatter this image  

Still, my hand reaches for hers. The jolt in my spine at the contact finally making it clear that she’s actually here.

“She wont be waking up for a while.”

My head snaps towards the threshold of the antechamber, where my father is standing. I didn’t even hear him come in.

“Real mature blocking all of us out like that,” He says

“How—” I’m staring at him like I used to when I was a child, unable to make sense of something

“She came back on her own,” Father walks in, a glint of approval in his gaze “Your mate is capable of taking care of herself well enough.”

I gather my scrambling thoughts “Why wont she wake up?”

At that, my Father sighs “She wouldn’t stop blabbering about how you’re going to end up dead and she needs to go save you. A lot of dramatic language. The healer mixed up some sleeping tonic in her water lest she gave herself a heart attack.”

I nod, unable to bother myself into thinking what exactly might’ve happened.

“Is she hurt?” I ask, turning my eyes to Elise again

“Not physically,” Father shrugs “And if she’s always neglecting how to act around her betters, then mentally too.”

I don’t bother mentioning how no one is her better now, technically, she’s the Luna Supreme. She outranks everyone, even me.

“Go dry off, you’re ruining the sheets,” Father says “We’ll talk in the morning.”

I hear his footsetps towards the door, hear it open and close.

And that’s all it takes for me to collapse face first on the mattress, right where I am, beside my mate.

My hand, now dry because of being put on the sheets, reaches for hers and I interlock our fingers, too aware of the tremble in my own.

I give her hand a squeeze. Perhaps I’m too desperate for anything from her, because I feel give squeeze back, just a bit.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, overcome with relief and disbelief and tiredness the like of which I haven’t ever felt before.

But she’s here.

And that’s all that matters right now.

…

۝ Elise ۝

My head is pounding when I wake up, my chest feels caved in, and my eyes are burning. There’s something sluggish about my senses, which I’m sure is Alpha Jax’s doing. I don’t remember falling asleep.

The scent of coffee and pine trees surrounds me. The room I’m in is vaguely familiar from the few times I’ve cleaned it.

Luke’s room.

Luke.

What time is it?

The thought seems to snap my body into panic-stricken action and I push myself up the mattress. My eyebrows knot and so does my stomach. 

I walk out of the bedchamber, curtains are drawn over the windows, strips of sunlight escape, filtering tiny dust particles in the air. My eyes swim towards the couches—

And stay there.

I hold my breath, eyes wide in disbelief. I’m afraid to blink.

Luke looks up from the papers he’s reading, stormy blue eyes locking with mine.

“Morning, Hazel.”

Before I know it, I’m upon him, wrapping my arms around him, almost falling over him on the couch.

My finger dig in his shoulders, anchoring him there. The sound of my heart beat is uncomfortably loud in my ears.

“Is this a dream?” I ask him, closing my eyes tightly, my head is surely swimming enough for me to believe that

Luke’s arms are solid around me, fingers gently running down my hair, untangling a knot “No.”

“If this is and you’re lying, I’ll kill you.”

“Then I suppose I should be glad.” I can almost hear his smile

I pull away just enough to look at him, glaring daggers “You are a bloody idiot.”

Luke raises his brows “Why? What did I do?”

“Why did you go there?” I ask, not sounding as stern as I would’ve liked, rather my voice has a slight termer “Why would you fall for such an obvious trick? Did you really think she would just hand me over to you there? Didn’t you see it was a trap?”

Luke brushed my hair back from my face, along with the treacherous tears that escape, though I’m still glaring at him.

“I don’t care what it was,” He says “But I would barge into hell to get you back if I had to.”

I groan in frustration, and bury my face in his shoulder. Now is not the time for romance, but my dumb heart melts anyways.

“I hate you.” I tell him, holding his tight

“Really?” Luke asks, returning his arms around me “Then let me go.”

“I hate you and I am not going to do what you want me to.”

He chuckles at that, pressing his cheek to my head. We stay like that for a few moments, until my heart finally stops beating so hard and fast, until I’m sure that he’s okay, and he’s with me.

“It’s finally over, right?”

Luke presses a kiss to my head “Yes, Hazel. Its over, for good.”

I let out a long, long breath and pull away from him. A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth.

“Well then,” I grin “When are we moving to New York?”

… 

Please don't kill me😅