"I can't go," Calvin says urgently. "He told me to stay in this chair no matter what happens. I can't move, Ed. I can't- I can't move, or else he'll hurt me again."
Victor feels something profoundly painful rip into him.
His wolf snarls, wanting to tear through his ribs. He doesn't want to be a man anymore. He wants to run away, slipping into an animal's safe, numb mind.
"He can't h-hurt you anymore," Edward whispers. "He's not here. He lost. We saved you. Please, Calvin, just come with me. I love you. I promise he'll never touch you again."
For a moment, everyone stands still like a statue, then Calvin jumps from his seat and into the silver Omega's arms.
The Beta cries so hard, shuddering into the tight embrace. "He hurt me so much."
At that moment, Victor's shoulder burns where the bullet had grazed him.
Now that the danger has passed, his body wakes up. He is wounded, and his nerves decide to remind him so.
But he's relieve
Victor does not give a f*ck. Every drop of effort he ever put in rescuing Calvin swirls down the drain.He's ready to claw the Beta's eyes out, tear his head right off."Then kill me," Calvin says, tears streaming down his face. The boy's whole body vibrates with grief. The kind proceeded with black suits and umbrellas.The Alpha is ready to do it, twist Calvin's thin neck, burn the whole house down and any semblance of a happy family.But the second that Victor takes a step forward, Edward screams and rushes him, one hand still nursing his dislocated shoulder.The boy tackles Victor to the ground, and the momentum is lost."Don't hurt him," Edward shouts, a blubbering mess.Victor doesn't have enough time to right himself. Calvin's going in for the kill, squeezing Ariadne's neck hard."Please, don't," Victor screams, scrambling off the floor.The Beta has no remorse, choking the life from his Omega. "Ariadne-"Th
"Calvin's up. He's in a bad way. Victor, if you want to talk to him- um- you can." Victor drains his coffee. "God damn, you need to use measuring cups next time. This is more bitter than my ex's asshole." Waylon flushes. "I'm sorry I can't make coffee-flavored water the way you like it. Just drink up, b*tch. I can't leave Calvin unattended." Victor sighs, "Iamdrinking it." The Alpha likes disrespectful Waylon more than he should. The two march back upstairs to the guest room, where Edward sits by Calvin's side. The Beta's eyes look positively war-torn
They get in their car with Miner in tow. "You're going to talk to me, or you're dead."Miner swallows audibly. "I don't know anything."Edward and Victor have the girl sandwiched between them.Edward pulls a pocket knife out, pressing it against the smaller Omega's throat. "You're Arthur's new bitch, aren't you? Well, I'm the old bitch. I did his spy shit for him in the glory days. I already know you know."Victor's eyes flicker dangerously. "You've been spying on us for him. You know who we are and what we're willing to do. I'm going to skin you alive, anyone who had anything to do with killing Ariadne.""She's dead?" Miner says uncertainly."You killed her," Victor spits. "Just as much as that monster.""We can't stay here," Nathan says. "We're drawing too much attention. Did you have to go all primal, Victor?""Then drive," Victor orders. "The Casino is near here. We'll get a nice, quiet room. Then this Miner here is going t
Ariadne watches as the two Alphas circle each other. Tremors run through Victor's body.His eyes are glowing coals. His claws are razor blades.As if to set the ambiance, Arthur's GT catches fire in the background. The explosion is so powerful that the car leaps off the ground in a blue ring of destruction before crashing down in a thunderous boom.From the ashes, plumes of thick gray smoke and burning debris.The Alphas remain unaffected. Both Victor and Arthur continue circling one another with pinpoint focus.All the while, Victor is profusely bleeding from a bullet graze on the top of his head. It looks terrible, a tar-black line coated in red, bits of hair, and skin torn right off.But as bad as Victor is, Arthur is even worse. His left arm is dislocated, hanging uselessly at his side. He has scratches everywhere. One along his eyes is so deep that he can't even open it.Ariadne sees everything in slow motion; all the molecules i
"- I think that Ariadne should do it," Dustin says in a small voice, visibly put out.Victor's eyes narrow. "What am I supposed to say to that? Who'd expect you to be reasonable of all people.""If she really is the White Wolf, then she's the only one who can do this," Dustin responds evenly."Yes," Victor whispers, and his voice commands attention. "This can only be settled with justice.""She's not the White Wolf. Sure, she's beautiful but-" Harry begins."I saw it with my own eyes-" Nathan interrupts, even though Anna shoots daggers in his direction.Ariadne can't breathe. There's a crushing weight settling on her chest.What is she to do?"-She is the White Wolf. I'm sure of it. I swear on my mother," Nathan continues.Another silence befalls the table that Ariadne doesn't understand.Edward and Dustin look equally quizzed, but everyone else is in on whatever it is."Then Ariadne is the only one," Harry
“You saved my life,” Victor whispers.Ariadne’s heart thuds in her chest. What is the Alpha talking about?“How can you explain that? Why didn’t you just let me die then?” Victor continues. “Then you could’ve had everything you wanted.”“It was a trick,” Arthur spat. “You think I could have the throne if I let you die?”“No one would have known. It would have only been your word,” Victor answers. “But you saved me anyway.”Arthur sounds like he’s crying. “What do you want from me, Vic? You have everything already. Do you want me to love you too? Just like everyone does, even Ariadne, and she-she doesn’t love anyone. Somehow you won her too. You win. Is that what you want?”“I just want to say goodbye,” Victor says.“I hate you. I hate you so much, you f*cking idiot. There’s nothing that
"Don't you want to know who's responsible for killing your family, your father, mother, and your older brother?" Arthur says quickly before Ariadne can light a second match.That's specific. Ariadne's never told anyone other than Victor about her family. She pauses, looking at Arthur with wide eyes."Oh, that got your attention," the man says with a disgusting, crooked grin. "So you do want to know who killed them."Ariadne's never been sure. She'd been so drugged up then. The details, they escaped her."You're lying," Ariadne hisses. "You bugged us somehow. That's the only way you'd know.""Don't stop fighting. Live, you have to live. We love you. Don't forget us, Snowflake," Arthur replies.
Digging graves by car light in the late hours of the evening is not exactly the most fulfilling task. Harry offered to, being the only other viable choice according to the Old Ways. But ultimately, it was his Beta Lisa, who Victor took the mud-covered gauntlet. So here he was at two at night, shoveling loose bits of dirt, making a hole deep and wide enough for a six-foot one-long body bag. Lisa, his First, helps wordlessly. She's surprisingly not bothered by the earthworms wriggling in the crust all around her or the dusting of brown on her cheeks. She works at a steady pace, tirelessly, hair tied up in a high ponytail. "Do you think he really did it?" Victor asks, tossing a shovel full over his shoulder. It could mean many things, but the Beta knows what he's talking about. Her eyes flicker in the dark, a glimmer of amber agitation before they settle dim again. The woman's expression tightens her lips, a thin line. "You don't