Chapter 38: Chapter 38

RAGE

Everlee slurped a noodle from her plate and moaned deeply.

Everything had changed in minutes. As soon as I sunk my teeth into her neck, and marked her flesh, everything she did, I felt. Every move. Every emotion.

An invisible string connected us.

There was no way someone could mimic the connection. It was a gift from God himself. The promise of a forever mate. Her hazel gaze shifted toward mine, and a smile crossed her mouth.

Her skin had been flushed since the marking.

Even after we washed the second round of sex off our skin, she was red. From the bond. From the revelation that we could do that for as long as we would like.

I reached over, kissed her shoulder, and inhaled her scent. “You’re not eating your food,” she turned to me and said. “Is something wrong?”

I chuckled. How could anything be wrong when this was so right?

“No,” I said, snagging an egg roll. “My wolf is restless, and he feels new. He wants to run, and I need sleep.”

She smiled. “I can only imagine how good I’m going to sleep after I finish this. I can’t believe you’re not starving.”

“Oh, I’m starving.” Her eyes shifted toward mine. “But I’m giving you a break. I don’t want you to walk funny tomorrow.”

She barked. “Oh, fan your ego, Rage Hunt. I’ll be walking just fine.”

I reached over and snagged a piece of chicken off her plate, and playfully took a bite. “We’ll see how you feel after a day or so. I may make you eat your words.”

“I’ll gladly swallow them,” she whispered, a smirk resting on her face.

I leaped over the food to tackle her, knocking her off the bed and making her laugh when someone knocked frantically on the door.

I stood up, offering her my hand and she walked over. I noticed she looked at her mark in the mirror with a soft smile before opening the door. Heather stood on the other side, with her robe wrapped tightly around her, and a worried look on her face. “Is everything okay?” Everlee asked.

Heather shook her head. “No, actually it’s not. The chancellor needs you both to meet him in his office now.”

Ever looked back at me. “Did he tell you why?”

Heather shook her head. “No. He just said to lock the doors when you both leave.”

Everlee nodded. “Let me get dressed, and we’ll go over.”

Heather left the doorway, and Ever shut the door behind her. “What does he want in the middle of the night?” She walked toward her duffle and grabbed some clothes. “I can’t imagine it’s anything good.”

I followed her lead, grabbing some clothes, I dressed and met her at the door. Her eyes lowered to my neck.

“Tomorrow?” I asked.

“Tomorrow what?”

“You can mark me tomorrow.”

She smiled. “I’ve been waiting on you to ask. My wolf is practically begging for me to do it. This better be important,” she said. “If not, we’re coming back and sealing the deal tonight.”

Ever and I walked toward the chancellor’s office. Nothing seemed amiss on campus. There were usual wolves running along the edges of the woods, and campus police patrolling like usual.

When we made it to the chancellor’s office, Alpha Allaire was waiting for us.

His gaze shifted toward mine and then dropped to his daughter’s neck. “Dad, what are you doing here? You couldn’t have called?”

“This is too important for a phone call. I see you made your decision?”

Ever lifted her chin. “I did.”

He nodded and offered me a handshake that I took. “It’s good to have you in the family, Rage. Now, I’m sad to tell you both this but Harlan escaped tonight.”

I felt Ever’s pulse heightened at the mention of his name. “Escaped from the kingdom? Where did he go? Why?”

Alpha Allaire rubbed his palms over his face. “We had a witch doctor come look at him. She said he was cursed, or rather, his father was cursed, and he inherited it. The only way to rid him of the curse was to take out his wolf and make him human.”

Everlee gasped and wrapped her palm around her mouth.

Extract a wolf? I wasn’t even sure that was a thing, but apparently it was. “What happened after that?”

He turned his attention to me. “We chained him up, because he fainted. His wolf sensed that Ever was marked. He fainted out of heartbreak. Then we heard commotion an hour or so ago. He was gone, and there was a scent of a lycan in the room. We think it was…”

“Erick,” I asked. “He seemed hell-bent on becoming Harlan’s friend.”

“Yes,” he said. “We think he escaped with him.”

“Where is he going?” Ever asked. “You don’t think he’s coming here, do you?”

Alpha Allaire glanced at the chancellor. “We don’t know where he is going or if he’s coming to the university. Everlee is here, so we assumed he is coming here. Perhaps to fight Rage, or… We don’t know.”

My wolf grew feral instantly. I just marked my mate, and all of a sudden Harlan is ready to fight. I’d been so high off her that I hadn’t even thought about Harlan showing up.

“We’re going to put guards up along the borders of the university,” the chancellor said. “You both kept your word,” he said. “I appreciate it. No one intended for this to happen, I’m sure. We will attempt to capture him. Chain him. Do what we can to bring him back to your kingdom.”

Alpha Allaire nodded. “Gabriela, the witch doctor, is waiting for us to bring him back. She’s ready to extract his wolf.”

“That’s the only way?” Ever asked in a small voice. “Taking his wolf is…is wrong. It’s going to destroy him.”

“So is letting his wolf take over, Ever. I was there. I know how ruthless and mean his father became. Harlan turning human is a better situation than him letting his wolf win. Trust me.”

I felt Ever’s tears before I saw them. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but at the same time, I felt unhinged. My wolf was ready to fight. “We’ll send over warriors from our Kingdom just in case,” Alpha Allaire said. “I don’t want the university to take a hit because of this.”

The chancellor dismissed himself to ready the staff and students in case of a breach. Alpha Allaire turned toward me, and his intense stare told me everything I needed to know. Harlan was coming for blood. “I know you’re the son of the alpha king. I believe you can end Harlan, but if you can get by without killing him, please do it. He’s like a son to us. We raised him. However, we killed his father because of how evil he’s become. No one will blame you if you have to end it.”

Ever’s cry touched my heart. My wolf hated to see her in tears, but we all knew protecting Everlee, and the university was important. “I’ll do my best, Sir.”

He looked down at Everlee’s torn face. “You need to be somewhere safe. He’ll come for you, too.”

She wiped her face suddenly and pretended to put on a brave face. “Where?”

“Go to the alpha house. Stay there. Rage, you tell the alphas what’s going on, and keep her safe.”

He bent down and kissed Everlee’s forehead. “Everything is going to be okay.”

As he left, I felt Everlee’s doubt grow in her stomach. She didn’t think any of this would turn out okay, and I was right along with her.

I interlaced my fingers with hers and dragged her toward the doorway. I listened to her heartbeat as I led her down into the night toward the alpha house. Her soft cry began to wear at me.

Turning to face her, I cupped her cheeks in my hands and kissed her softly. “I will not kill him,” I whispered. “I’ll do my best to keep him alive if he comes for me. I promise.”

She nodded. “I know you will. I’m scared. I’m scared for you both.”

“Don’t be scared for me,” I said. “Let’s get you safe so that I can prepare. Okay come. I need you to keep up.”

She ran the rest of the way with ease, leaping up the front steps and toward Brett’s room. I nearly beat down the door before he walked over with sleep in his eyes. “What the hell, Rage?”

“I need you to keep Everlee here. Harlan broke out of the kingdom and maybe coming here. I need you to promise to keep her safe. Lock the doors. Put up guards. I don’t care what you have to do.”

He blinked and the sleepiness left. “Sure. Come inside, Ever. I’ll wake up the other alphas. Where are you going?”

I swallowed. “To the field. The chancellor is waking up the guards. I’m going to meet them there.”

Before I could turn, Everlee wrapped her arms around me and pulled me down toward her mouth. She kissed me like we were alone. Like we hadn’t spent most of the night together, and someone deranged lycan wasn’t coming to kill me. “Be careful and please come back.”

“I’m coming back,” I said, because I knew I would.

My wolf wouldn’t allow Ever to wallow in the heartbreak of a dead mate right after she chose me. Brett reached over Ever’s head and shut the door as I stepped away.

I felt my heart breaking as I ran from the front doors, but my wolf took over, and for the first time in my life, I felt my name was fitting.

Rage settled into my bones.