OLIVIA
His voice echoed in her ears. It had been so long.
So much had happened.
Yet, all she could think about was the taste of his blood. ~Blood. Death~. An eye for an eye. He had taken so many lives. ~So many~.
He deserved to die. ~He deserved to suffer~. He had to pay for his sins. The thirst for vengeance was consuming her, choking her. It seeped into her thoughts, it overpowered her feelings until it was all that remained.
It wasnât all her.
But it was all she needed.
She extended a paw, bridging the gap between them.
He was almost unrecognizable.
If it wasnât for her intimate knowledge of him, his aura, his scent, she might have doubted her own eyes.
His skin was coated in a coppery substance, dried and crusted, distorting the flesh underneath. What on earth was it?
âLina wasnât supposed to spill the beans, you know. But then she started yapping. Time was running out. I had planned to be more subtle. Another woman messing up my plans.â
~How long had he been lurking~? How did he know Lina had spilled the beans? There was no way he could have gotten that close without being detected.
His laughter sent chills down her spine. How could a sound she once longed for now fill her with dread? âYou like my new look? Itâs quite useful, donât you think?â
He tugged at his shirt, stretching it out as if it was a masterpiece. âWe got them good once. They bled a lot. Blood and dirt. Makes a good disguise, wouldnât you agree?â He grinned.
âThen I got used to being buried alive.â
Had he been hiding since the bloody attack? No, that was too long ago. He couldnât have been. He wouldnât have survived... It didnât add up.
And what did he mean by buried alive? How had he remained hidden? He hadnât just shown up. It wasnât possible. Everyone was on high alert. He couldnât have slipped past them all.
âSo, you didnât hesitate to betray and kill me last time we met. Whatâs holding you back now?â
She wanted nothing more.
All she craved was to sink her claws into his skin, to hear the sound of flesh tearing, to see the blood spurt from his wounds. But she couldnât.
Even though she was ready to attack, something was bothering her, making her senses heighten. It felt like she was overlooking something.
He wouldnât be caught off guard. This was ~his plan~. Butâ~blood. ~No, no.
She had to stay focused. She had to think clearly. She ~knew~ this was a trap. She ~knew~ he had something up his sleeve. He always did. The deceit, the schemes, the manipulation. That was his nature.
He wouldnât confront her without a plan. What was it?
Could she overpower him?
She wanted to believe she could. ~Yes, yes, she could. Heâs nothing~. No, no.
Just because she hadnât seen him transform didnât mean he couldnât. He had lied about so many things. ~All lies. All betrayal. Must die~. No, no. Yesâhe had to die. But no.
She dug her paw deeper into the ground, trying to assert herself.
If she attacked now, she was doomed. She had to suppress the pain.
And the others were on their way, right?
She had heard Jason, Alex, and others calling out to her.
âAre you waiting for ~him~? Is he your knight in shining armor?â He laughed. âCanât do your own dirty work, Liv? Do you need an alpha to protect you? You ~are~ an omega.â
He sneered. âJust a piece of ass to fuck and nothing more.â
Olivia knew he was a fucking jerk, but hearing him confirm that everything had been a lie, that nothing had mattered...it was like reopening an old wound.
~He toyed with her then, he was toying with her now~. She was just a plaything to him.
~Respect. He needed to learn it~. Fear. ~She had to instill real fear in him~. He had to experience the same pain he had inflicted on her.
He needed to experience the pain she had endured. He needed to feel the sharp bite of teeth, the rending of claws. He needed to suffer, to truly ~suffer~.
Her gaze locked onto him, her paws lifting from the earth as she charged. ~Wait. Wait. Stop~. But she didnât halt. She lunged at him, the beast within her taking control. The beast he had provoked.
A magnetic pull, the same one that had drawn her from her room. A compulsion to confront him.
Revenge.
~Desire~?
She couldnât tell.
But it was too late.
Her jaws opened wide, saliva dripping from her fangs, and she bit into his abdomen, tearing through his ripped dark green shirt. Blood filled her senses, relief washing over her.
His cry of pain reached her ears, his knees buckling beneath him, and a sense of triumph swelled within her. But then, she froze.
His arms wrapped around her smaller form, pulling her close.
âBotulinum toxin.â He laughed. âWhy do you think I let you become a nurse?â
~Let her~. As if he had control over every aspect of her life. Had he?
She couldnât recall, she thought the idea had been hers. Had he planted it in her mind? Had he manipulated her every decision since the day he attacked her? Had he orchestrated her entire life? Sheâd been blind to his deceit.
Sheâd followed him, cared for him. But he had calculated every move. There was no remorse or guilt for his actions. Heâd merely used her for his own gain, every step of the way.
There had been nothing.
Nothing but his self-interest.
But now, she was helpless. She was completely paralyzed, unable to move. She could think, she could breathe, but everything else was a struggle.
The effects would wear off ~eventually~âperhaps quicker given her non-human metabolismâbut there was no way to know how quickly. ~Come on~.
This was bad.
What about her unborn child?
She almost spoke, but then she couldnât. ~He didnât know.~ As long as he remained ignorant, she could protect her baby. If he discovered the truth, there was no predicting his actions; would he stab her in the stomach?
Would he kill her outright? One thing was certain, he wouldnât leave her alone.
Despite her limp body, she felt a familiar sensation, a stretching; she was transforming back. Was it the toxin? Her loss of control? ~Damn~.
She was stronger in this form, had a better chance of recovering. No, no. But the fog in her mind, the buzzing in her head was slowly dissipating.
The anger remained, veiled behind her other emotions, but the rest had vanished.
A low grunt escaped her throat, a desperate gasp for air as she shifted back into his grip, her bare body pressed against him.
Now that she was taller, her feet touched the cold mud, her toes digging in, but she couldnât move them. It hadnât made a difference; she was still at his mercy.
âNow, this is a form Iâm more familiar with, isnât it?â
Her upper lip curled slightly, revealing her blunt teeth, and she wanted to ~spit~ in his damn face. Heâd exploited her and now he wanted to remind her of it. She didnât need the reminder; it was etched into her skin forever.
He had no right to see her, to gaze upon her. She should blind him.
âThis is why they were so easily persuaded. A perfect little breeding bitch. Then you went into heat so many times. You stirred them up. Thank you for that. They desired you even more.â
His rough tongue brushed against her cheek and nausea welled up within her. âI havenât decided what Iâll do. Maybe Iâll join in. Maybe Iâll watch. Maybe Iâll just abandon you to your fate.
âI was there for you and you rejected me for that ~alpha~. I warned you alphas were nothing but trouble. But you didnât listen.â
He was so self-absorbed that he couldnât see the truth. ~He~ was the root of all the problems.
~He~ was the issue. Not her, not Alexâ~him~.
â~Get your fucking hands off her.~â
The sound of his voice was like a soothing balm, and for a moment, she thought Will might have the sense to be afraid, but she should have known better. ~He didnât know his limits.~
He didnât know how to be anything other than this... arrogant monster. Heâd gotten away with so much. He believed he was invincible.
Willâs laughter echoed as he tightened his grip around her throat.
âThey thought they could distract you for a while. I knew better. Unless, of course, the alpha hasnât shown up yet.â
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing Alex standing before her.