ALEXANDER
~Failure.~
Fucking arrogance.
Useless.
Weak.
These words echoed in his mind as he threw another punch. ~And another~.
He blamed Jason, but he wasnât the one who deserved the blame. It was on ~him~. He should have been certain.
He should have stood over that damn grave from dawn to dusk, day after day. He should have made sure. He should have ensured that he couldnât breathe again, that his heart wouldnât beat again.
But he hadnât.
He was arrogant. He thought he was stronger. He thought he was superior. It cost him the safety of his mate, the safety of his child.
He could lose everything because he was an arrogant fool who thought heâd won.
Olivia was his mate, and he hadnât been able to face her. He hadnât been able to hold her and look at her while accepting the harsh truth.
She was in this situation because of him. Heâd promised her that Will would never hurt her again, and heâd broken his promise. He had lied to her. He had to make it right.
He punched the brick wall again, the sound of his knuckles threatening to split open echoing in the silent night. Heâd circled the building five times already. He checked every nook and cranny.
Maybe they planted something, maybe they were spying on them somehow. He used all his senses but found nothing. There was nothing.
Linaâs phone was already smashed to bits.
He didnât want her to have intentionally or unintentionally downloaded anything on her phone. He wasnât going to take any risks. She claimed she didnât know anything. He didnât know how much he believed her.
She seemed honest, but then again she had hidden so much from them.
Her grandmotherâ~his~ grandmother.
She had to know.
He needed her to know because he couldnât control the rage swirling in his chest.
It was like a beast trying to break free, demanding blood in revenge for the betrayal that had occurred right under his nose. Jason had warned him he was distracted. He hadnât taken it seriously enough.
If it werenât for everything, for her, for her constant heats, would he have noticed something sooner?
Would he have somehow known that the damn bastard was alive?
It felt like the answer was yes.
If he were a better alpha, he would have known.
He should have known but he didnât.
Alexander knew it wouldnât end well for Olivia if another pack got their hands on her. Of course, it wouldnât. But now, it somehow felt worse.
For the pack to help himâthey must be doing it for their own benefit. He knew how an omega could be perceived. Heâd offered a tempting promise. A breeding bitch.
Will had spent years manipulating Olivia psychologically.
Alex knew she was strong, but he knew if Will ever tried to get his hands on her, heâd try to break her. Heâd try to take her back to that place, that time when she was all alone and broken and thought that all she had was ~him~.
Heâd spin another false narrative.
Adding physical abuse to the mix? Sheâd eventually give in. Anyone would.
An omega, ready to be bred. One that could be used and controlled. They had an alpha.
Heâd exerted such force on her. Heâd dominated her, misused his authority, and sheâd become so susceptible to his influence. She wouldnât have a life of her own. Sheâd be a plaything, an object. A tool for his purposes.
Just the thought of it was enough to make his blood seethe. Heâd rather die than let her suffer such a fate. Heâd rescued her all those years ago, and it wasnât for her to exist like this.
To be nothing more than a vessel for offspring. She was more than that. She was Olivia. He ~loved~ her. She was ~his~. And he was ~hers~.
He couldnât live without her.
She was omnipresent. In his mind. In his heart. In the very air he breathed.
Heâd always had a clear mind, but she clouded everything. Her presence was like a sheer curtain draped over his life. It didnât block his view, but it added meaning to everything he did.
He finally understood why he kept striving, why he had to keep moving forward.
~And now there was the baby~.
A child that was both theirs.
A piece of him. A piece of her.
Another precious thing to love, to guard.
But also another vulnerability.
He slammed his fist into the wall again, blood spraying from the wounds on his hand. The wall was already stained, but it wasnât enough. It wouldnât be enough until he fixed this mess. Until she was safe.
Until their family was secure.
Alex had thought the game had ended, but he was mistaken. It was still in progress, but he wasnât about to lose. If that bastard wanted a battle, he was going to get one.
And it would conclude with Willâs head on a fucking stake. He would behead that jerk himself, display his head as a warning to anyone whoâd dare to threaten him ~or her~.
He wouldnât stop until there was carnage, until all their heads rolled and not a single one of them was left alive.
He would show no mercy.
The only option was ~death~.