Chapter7
1204 Words
Ryker's POV
I stood at the broken window, my wolf clawing at my insides. Someone had dared to threaten my mate. Someone had thrown a brick through her window and called her a traitor w***e.
They were going to die screaming.
I took a deep breath through my nose, filtering through the city smells. Gasoline, garbage, and fear. And then I caught it. A scent that didn't belong.
Young male wolf, nervous sweat, and cheap cologne.
And underneath it all, the faint smell of the Silverfang palace dungeons.
My eyes flashed gold. "I've got him."
Ronald looked up from where he was holding Anna. She was crying into his chest, her small body shaking. It made my blood boil hotter.
"Go," Ronald said quietly. "I'll stay with her."
I didn't need to be told twice.
I jumped out of the broken window, shifting mid-leap. My bones cracked and reformed in seconds. My clothes tore away as thick black fur erupted from my skin. I hit the ground on four massive paws and took off running.
My wolf was faster than any motorcycle. I tore through the streets, following the scent trail. People screamed and jumped out of my way. I didn't care. Let them see what happened when you messed with what was mine.
The trail led me through three blocks and into a dark alley. I could hear rapid footsteps ahead. Someone running.
I put on a burst of speed and launched myself around the corner.
A young wolf was sprinting toward a rusty fire escape. He looked back and saw me. His face went white as a sheet.
"No! Please!" he screamed.
I shifted back to human form mid-run and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. He was maybe nineteen or twenty. Skinny and weak. He reeked of fear.
I slammed him against the brick wall hard enough to crack it. His head bounced off the stone, and his eyes went unfocused for a second.
"Who sent you?" I growled. My hand was around his throat.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" he gasped. His feet were dangling off the ground.
I squeezed harder. "Wrong answer. Try again."
His face was turning red. "Okay! Okay! I'll talk!"
I loosened my grip just enough for him to breathe.
"Derrick!" he wheezed. "Derrick paid me! He said to scare the girl! He said she deserved it for what she did to him!"
My vision went red. Of course, it was Derrick. That pathetic excuse for a Beta was still trying to hurt Anna even from his cell.
"How much did he pay you?" I asked. My voice was deadly calm now.
"Five hundred dollars," the boy whimpered. "Please, I didn't know she was your mate! I swear! Derrick said she was just some troublemaker! He said you wouldn't care!"
I looked at this trembling kid and felt nothing but disgust. He had terrorized my mate for five hundred dollars.
"What's your name?" I demanded.
"C-Caleb. Caleb Morrison."
"Well, Caleb Morrison, you just made the worst decision of your short life."
I grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and started walking. No, not walking. Dragging. I dragged him through the streets like a sack of garbage. He stumbled and tried to keep up, but I was moving too fast.
"Please! I'm sorry! I made a mistake!" he babbled.
"Yes, you did," I said coldly. "And now you're going to face the consequences."
People stared as I hauled Caleb through the Silverfang territory. Good. Let them see. Let them all see what happened when you threatened the Luna.
By the time I reached the palace, my phone had buzzed five times. Ronald had texted me.
Anna is calmer. Bring whoever did this to the throne room. We're coming.
I kicked open the palace doors. Guards jumped to attention, their eyes going wide when they saw Caleb dangling from my grip.
"Clear the throne room," I ordered. "The Alphas are holding court."
Ten minutes later, I was standing in the massive throne room. Caleb was on his knees in front of me, shaking like a leaf. Blood was dripping from his nose, where I'd gotten a little too rough dragging him up the palace steps.
The doors opened.
Ronald walked in first. Then Anna.
She had changed clothes. She was wearing jeans and a simple black shirt. Her hair was pulled back. Her eyes were red from crying, but her face was set in hard lines.
She looked like a warrior.
Caleb took one look at her and started crying. "I'm sorry! Please! I'm so sorry!"
Anna walked right up to him. She didn't say anything. She just stared down at him with ice-cold eyes.
"This is the boy who threw the brick," I said. My voice echoed in the huge room. "He confessed that Derrick paid him five hundred dollars to scare you."
Anna's jaw clenched. "Five hundred dollars. That's what my fear is worth?"
"I'm sorry!" Caleb sobbed. "I didn't mean it! I needed the money!"
"Shut up," Anna said quietly.
Caleb's mouth snapped closed.
Ronald moved to stand beside me. The three of us looked down at this pathetic boy who had terrorized our mate for pocket change.
"What do you want to do with him?" Ronald asked Anna gently. "He's yours to judge."
Anna was quiet for a long moment. I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was thinking about mercy, about justice, and about what kind of leader she wanted to be.
Finally, she spoke.
"You're banned from Silverfang territory," she said. "You have twenty-four hours to pack your things and leave. If I ever see you again, I won't be so generous."
Caleb's eyes went wide with shock. "You're letting me go?"
"I'm exiling you," Anna corrected. "There's a difference. Now get out of my sight."
Caleb scrambled to his feet and ran out of the throne room like his tail was on fire.
When he was gone, Anna turned to look at Ronald.
"Derrick is still pulling strings from his cell," she said. Her voice was steady now. Strong. "We need to deal with him permanently."
I smiled. My mate was learning.
"We will," I promised. "But first, we need to make sure you're protected."
Ronald nodded. "We need to assign you a bodyguard. Someone we trust completely."
I had already been thinking about this. There was only one wolf in the entire pack whom I would trust with Anna's life.
"I know the perfect wolf," I said.
Anna crossed her arms. "I don't need a babysitter."
"You need protection," Ronald said firmly. "Someone tried to hurt you tonight. It won't be the last time."
"Who?" Anna demanded. "Who is this perfect wolf?"
I met her eyes.
"Marcus Steele. He's been with our family since we were children. He's loyal, skilled, and he's one of the few wolves who never participated in the pack's treatment of you."
Anna's expression shifted slightly. I could tell she was remembering Marcus. He was the guard who had been stationed outside her apartment. The one who saluted her.
"Fine," she said quietly.
"But I'm keeping my gun."
I grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
- Writer
