CHAPTER 1: HE'S REALLY GONE

Essex's POV

Lex was gone. My little brother was gone. My mother and father were in hiding and the alleged half-sister no one ever mentions sent word that I would be seeing her soon. I needed to tell Tavi of my lineage.

Would she think I was an abomination? NO! She would accept me, right? Now was not the time for regrets, secrets, or second thoughts. I just wanted a sensually satisfying night with my mate and my Queen.

"I don't want to put pressure on you to consummate our marriage. It should have never been this way for us," I said staring Tavi in the eyes. "Essex, although I'm not a fan of being on a timeline, I want to give myself to you. I'm a twenty-year old Alpha Queen by birth right. If I did not desire you in my bed, I wouldn't make it so," she bluntly said. "And what if I refuse?" I asked jokingly. "I'd just order you to free yourself of your clothes as I am doing now," she smirked.

I dismissed the fellow wolves who only wished to serve us without hesitation. They were doing their duty, but tonight Tavi was MINE!

"How could I ever deny my Alpha?" I mischievously asked pulling her into my lap. "Naughty, naughty, wolf. How dare you force me to do all of the work?" She sarcastically asked nibbling at my bottom lip.

Just as I wrapped my hands under her thighs to lift her...

"ALPHA! We need you!" Two warriors yelled in unison. "What is the matter?" Tavi asked angrily moving away from me. "I-It is Alpha Killian. He's gone rogue!" one of the warriors shouted. "What the hell does that mean? SPEAK!" I demanded. "H-He took lady Violet!" they replied.

Octavia had already redressed herself and sprinted out of the door ahead of me. I struggled to get my boots back on, but I wasn't far behind her and I would never be. Her enemy would always be mine.

"HOW IN THE HELL DID HE ESCAPE?" Octavia growled. "We don't know! One second he was chained and the next he's gone and so is lady Violet!" One of the warriors explained. "This is complete bullshit! I find it quite concerning that this ass and that animal was so heavily guarded that no one saw what happened!" Octavia angrily said looking between Vincent before dashing toward the outside.

I understood exactly where she was coming from. Vincent and Killian were set to die tonight. They got their wolfsbane slashes yesterday. There's no way they've gotten far with our added security.

"They couldn't have gotten far. My men said they heard whimpering and growling in the East," I said shifting and taking off.

I felt Octavia hot on my heels. Her aura seemed to have grown stronger over the last few days. It almost made me want to submit, but I was her mate, her equal once we marked each other.

"You okay?" She asked through our mate link. "Yeah, just be careful. I just got you and plan to live out our forever together," I replied. "On my honor, mate," she said sprinting ahead of me.

It wasn't until we came upon three other wolves we recognized as Romeo, Vidalia, and Violet.

"SHIFT!" I demanded and they did. "Where's Killian?" Octavia furiously asked. "We are hunting him," Violet confessed. "I know you want revenge, but this was supposed to involve more than just you! Vi, you gave us quite the scare!" Octavia replied angrily. "I'm sorry. I just want him dead. I want the son of bitch to know how I felt," Violet answered. "Me too," Octavia replied before stepping aside. "So, you let him out?” I asked annoyed and she nodded.

If it wasn’t for Octavia asking me to go easy on Violet I would’ve crushed her with my words.

“It's not fair that you have all of the fun," I smirked before calling on more warriors to hunt down Killian.

It's time Killian feels what he inflicted on others. The hunt is on.

"He dies TONIGHT!" Tavi told everyone through mind-link.

Because she's the true Alpha Queen, she can speak through anyone's link regardless of the pack they were affiliated with. Once we mate, I would also be the same. We would become one.

"I can smell him! We're close!" Violet shouted still in human form. "Violet, don't!" I heard Tavi shout just as Killian tackled Violet to the ground.

I growled ferociously before knocking him off of her. We grappled with one another before a few other wolves took nips at his flesh just as he allowed others to do to Violet.

"He's my kill!" Violet shouted amongst the chaos.

"You couldn't kill me even if I laid my neck on your sword, whore!" Killian snarled before trying to dart off in the opposite direction.

Violet violently bit him on his hind legs as he partially shifted.

"That's called wolfsbane, asshole!" Violet growled.

Killian limped away as different wolves nipped at his flesh. It was a replication of what he had done to Violet.

"It's time that he died, NOW!" I angrily shouted. "I agree. It's long overdue,” Tavi gently said placing her hand over my chest. "My pleasure," Violet said forcefully yanking at Killian's hair so that she looked him in the eyes. "How are you going to explain to our pups that you ended their father's life?" Killian laughed.

I was a sickening outburst on his part. He was up to something.

“You don’t know our pups and they don’t know you!” Violet yelled. “I love you, Vi. Everything I did was because I didn't want to lose you," Killian surprisingly pleaded. "You never loved me! I only served your purpose to bear your children. I was always nothing but a breeder!" Violet said on the brink of tears. "NO! That wasn't it. I'll forgive you! Lex told me that you tried to get back at me. He said he pushed you off of him and you got angry and had sex with Oscar. I was angry about you carrying Oscar's offspring," he explained. "WHAT?!" Violet asked perturbed. "It's okay, especially now that it's no longer my concern, right?" Killian smirked. "I'll always love you, mate," Killian said slowly trying to rise to his feet. "No, that's not it. It was Lex’s pup," Violet dryly said. "WHAT?" Killian asked just as Violet ran her elongated claws against Killian's neck. "You heard me," she said looking down at Killian's convulsing body.

Violet's eyes held so much emotion before she fell to her knees sobbing. I knew then that she was not okay.

"I'm going to check on her before we go end Vincent," Tavi said pressing her lips against mine. "Okay, I'll go prep the prisoner slave," I replied taking a few warriors with me.

Truth be told, I was really hoping me and my mate could finish what we started. Everything thing else was really pissing me the hell off!

"Hello brother," my sister’s chilling voice echoed behind me. "Are you still calling me that these days?" I asked annoyed before dismissing my warriors with their orders.

Shock was painted all over the guards faces but they said nothing. I just needed to make sure Vincent was where he was supposed to be.

"Our father won't wait forever, you know? Haven't we hid in the shadows long enough because of their kind?" She rhetorically asked. "Their my kind too, Alexis!" I boomed before dragging her by the arm to the side of the Tirado castle. "Essex! I miss you! You're my brother and the only time I get to see you are in the shadows. Why are you ashamed of us? Our brother, Nimrod feels the same way! Our cousin, Valaris does too!" Alexis reasoned. "Nimrod is happy I don't come around! He's convincing everyone that he is the original vampire when we both know it is our father. I do not think our father falling ill is an accident!" I rebutted. "No! While you were away calling that sorry excuse of an Alpha father, we are caring for ours! So, you have no fucking right to say such things about Nimrod! He would never be the monster you make him out to be!" Alexis said slapping my chest.

When a ferocious growl sounded from the trees, I knew Tavi was near and her wolf was very unhappy.

"If you ever touch my mate I will rip your pale head from its body. WHAT ARE YOU?" Tavi asked with glowing amethyst eyes. "Tavi! Please! She's my sister, Alexis," I hurriedly explained blocking each other's view of the other. "Is this why you're staying?" Alexis scoffed. "What happened to the other monstrosity, Rose?" Alexis smirked trying to piss Tavi off. "Essex, explain this to me inside," Tavi interjected hinting at onlookers. "If she's not answered my question, I expect her to sleep with the goats until she's ready to talk," Tavi added. "Tell her or I will. Time is running out," Alexis said smacking me in the back of my head.

Tavi had her pinned to the ground in matter of seconds piecing her skin with her fangs.

"No!" I shouted realizing that Tavi's bite could kill a vampire which she couldn't have known. "Essex...what's happening?" Alexis croaked. "Tavi! I need your little brother, Jonah to heal her. PLEASE!" I begged before she sent for Jonah who came rushing down in an instant. "I'll tell you everything," I said watching them carry my sister away.