Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Chapter 53: Games
***Caine***
“His Majesty has requested I return to Crescent Mane for reinforcements,” Gamma Wyatt mutters.
“He wants to show the little Queen what a reaI King can do,” he adds, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“This is not going to end well for us,” he shakes his head.
“But in the meantime, you two will go to River Moon to deliver this,” he says, grabbing a sheet of paper and scribbling something on it before handing it to Korbin.
“Make sure Zane gets that.” Korbin stares at the sheet of paper and reads the note aloud.
“Please rethink your decision.Your father needs you now more than ever.Signed Wyatt.”
A bitter anger ripples through me.Father didn’t need anyone else but me.I’m his heir, not Zane.He was a useless mutt for 26 years and he will remain a useless mutt for what little time remains of his life.
“What’s the sudden interest in that worthless omega?” I snarl, ripping the sheet out of Korbin’s hands and stashing it in my pocket.
“We don’t even know his gift or if he has one.”
“Do not question your King,” Wyatt snaps back.
“It is his will and we will do as we are told.Besides, that worthless omega, as you so call him, is your brother and the one true heir to Scarlett Haven so I suggest you shut your f*****g mouth before I shut it for while Zane still has a chance to come to his senses.I’ll be back in three days.Please don’t make me regret leaving you two alone.”
“Don’t worry, Dad.We got it all under control,” Korbin smiles.
Gamma Wyatt eyes me suspiciously but I flip him the bird and act uninterested, meanwhile a plan formulates in my head.
A plan leading to my brother’s demise.
Wyatt reluctantly calls an uber to the airport, reminding Korbin and I to behave while he’s away.
As soon as Wyatt is a safe distance away, Korbin goes out to start the car, leaving me alone in the hotel room to get what I need.I pull out a revolver from my bag and load it with silver bullets my mother made me bring to complete my mission.
“Aim for the head or the heart,” she told me.
“He won’t be able to heal as quickly from silver bullets.”
Of course she forgot to take into account that silver wolves are not as easily affected by silver as regular wolves but as long as I aim right, I won’t have a problem.I stash the revolver in the back of my pants and head over to the car, demanding Korbin to move out of the driver’s seat.
“Fine, dude chill,” he mutters as he climbs into the passenger seat.
“It’s not that deep.”
I don’t respond and take the wheel, driving out of town towards the outskirts of the city.
As I’m driving, I see an SUV in yesterday while we were visiting River Moon.Are you sure about this? Abel, my wolf, hesitates.
Hesitation is for the weak, I snarl back, pulling out the revolver from my pants and rolling down the window.
Upon seeing the gun, Korbin starts to panic.
“Ay yo, what the f**k are you- ”
Ignoring him, I aim at the passenger’s side where I see Zane looking stupidly at his mate.
As I pull the trigger, however, Korbin pulls my arm and the bullet flies towards the drivers side, hitting Zane’s stupid mate instead.
Their car swerves like a snake down the middle of the road and I stop ours knowing my mission has yet to be fulfilled.
“What the actual f**k was that?” Korbin shouts at me, his heart rate soaring as he breaks into a full sweat.
“We were just supposed to deliver a message!”
“I am.”
***Jane***
“Talia!!” I shout, putting pressure on her wound as my mind erupts into chaos.
“Ta-Talia I-”
“Mommy!”
Kota wails upon seeing the blood squirting all over my arms down to shield.
“Is everyone okay?” She calls out.
I respond with a nod and notice some blood spilling from her shoulder.
“I’m alright,” she reassures me.
“It just nicked me in the shout- Look out!”
She cries, pushing both Kota and Agnes’ head’s down.
A second gun shot is fired, the back windshield of the car cracking and we hear a commotion outside the car.
Kota begins to scream and cry uncontrollably, Grayson fighting to surface and protect our family.
A third gunshot is fired but it seems to miss the car entirely.
We need to stop the shooter before he hurts Kota too! Grayson snarls, but a part of me refuses to leave Talia.
“Ri-Rionna” I stammer, pulling my shirt over my head and using it to cover the wound on Natalia’s collarbone.
“H-help.. P-please.” NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
“Okay, okay, okay,” Rionna replies, leaning her body into the front seats and taking over for me, applying pressure to the wound.
“I’m linking for back up.” Reluctantly, pull my hands away from Talia and lean over to kiss her forehead.
“I-I’ll be back,” I murmur, moving to climb out of the car, when I feel my mate grab my arm.
“Zane…” Talia croaks.
“I-I love you.”
Her words are enough to unleash Grayson wrath and he takes round the car. I see Korbin and Caine standing in the middle of the road, their car just a few feet behind them.
Their hands are held above their heads as they fight for control of a revolver, a fourth shot firing in the air.
Cain hooks his foot around Korbin’s ankle and elbows him in the face, knocking him onto the ground while he takes control of the revolver.
His eyes narrow to slits as he turns to face me, pointing the gun in my direction.
Not an ounce of fear passes through me as I face the barrel of the gun, Grayson tilting his head to the side in amusement.Do it, cocksucker, Grayson dares him, planting his paws firmly on the ground.
“Hello… mutt,” Caine smirks.
“Or should I say goodbye?”
Grayson sprints towards him at full speed as Caine pulls the trigger, swiftly dodging the bullet with ease.
As he pounces on my brother, Caine activates his gift, Grayson’s mouth filling with sand as he sinks his canines into Caine’s shoulder.
We fall right through Caine and land on top of Korbin, Caine’s body now a cloud of sand.
Like my father, Caine’s gift, sand manipulation, makes it difficult for anyone to ever land a blow, his body turning to a cloud of sand at the slightest touch.I scramble to my feet as Caine’s body comes together, the bastard once again pointing the revolver at me.
The sound of screeching tires momentarily distracts us andMoon.
A sinister look flickers in Caine’s eyes as he watches the car drive down the road in a frenzy.
“I’ll show you what a real Alpha does to win a war,” he snickers, a cruel smirk curling on his lips.
Choke? Grayson sneers, baring his teeth and snarling in warning.
Before Caine hands can turn to sand, Grayson and I let down our walls, channeling his river of thoughts into my head.
All of his memories and vile recollections flood my brain but I build my dams up so that only his current train of thought flows between us.
“Stop,”
Grayson commands, Caine suddenly standing very still as a black film covers his eyes.He tries to take another step but his body refuses to react, remaining glued in place to obey my orders.
“What the-”
“Faceme, ” Grayson snarls, rage lacing his every command.
“What is going on?”
Caine thinks to himself, a slight tremor ripping down his spine.
“Who is speaking to me?”
“Why, you don’t recognize an Alpha when you hear one? . Grayson snickers, very slowly circling his prey.
I can hear Caine’s heart pound against his chest in fear, the sound music to my ears as his eyes flicker around in panic in search of an escape.
“Are you scared, Alpha?” Grayson taunts him.
“Want to play a game with your big brother?”
Caine doesn’t say a word but he once again tries to move, his body refusing to react to his commands.
He’s under my control now.
“Since you like to play with lives…shall we play with yours? Grayson asks, beads of sweat gathering at Caine’s temples.
‘ What’s wrong brother? Wolf’s got your tongue?”
Grayson teases him as he eyes the revolver still in Caine’s hand.
“How about a round of Russian roulette?”
Caine’s eyes widen as Grayson takes full strides towards him until he’s only a few inches from his face.
“You used five bullets to terrorize my family ,” Grayson growls.
“I just need one to make you regret ever existing. Now, spin the cylinder and point the gun to your head .”
Caine pants frantically as he executes the command, his hands shaking as he spins the cylinder of the revolver before pushing the barrel against his own temple.
“Pull the trigger,” Grayson demands, the hairs along his back bristling as he bares his teeth at our trembling brother.
“Please…”
Caine whimpers as he uses all his strength to keep from pulling the trigger.
“Please, don’t do this…I-I didn’t mean it.I was …I was just going along with …with what my mom told me to do…”
But the image of my mate bleeding in the car will forever be always haunt my nightmares.
There is no forgiving what was done to my family today.
“PULL.THE.TRIGGER ,”
Grayson snarls, Caine taking a deep breath and closing his eyes as he pulls the trigger.
The sound of the empty click boils my blood, Caine sighing in relief to have survived the shot.
This, however, is far from over.
“Again,” Grayson commands, the fear once again returning to Caine’s eyes.
“But I-”
“A true Alpha never shows fear…isn’t that what you and Father always said?”
Grayson spits, Caine whimpering in fear realizing the only way this game is ending is with his body dead on the floor.
“Do It again.”
“I don’t want to die! Please! Have mercy!” He cries aloud, tears rolling down to his cheeks.
“Did you have any when you shot my mate?”
Grayson snarls, just barely containing his rage through gritted teeth.
“Did you have mercy when you shot at my son?”
Caine only whines and whimpers as I instruct him to once again put the barrel to his temple.
In his fear, I notice his pants darken as a pool forms around his feet.
“Oh look, a coward…” Grayson snickers, a smile of satisfaction stretching across his face.
“Are you scared? Hold onto that feeling,” Grayson mocks him.
“Because it will be the last thing with a scream.Once again, the empty click brings relief to the trembling Alpha, though his reaction is short-lived when Grayson instructs him to shoot again.
“Please, I’m your brother!” Caine begs me, his lips quivering with fear.
“But were you my brother today? ”
Grayson snarls, his nostrils flaring as he glares at the man who tortured me for years thinking I was nothing more than an mutt
“Times up ,” Grayson says, turning his back to Caine and walking towards a terrified Korbin still laying on the floor.
“Shoot.”
A group of birds flutters through the forest as a loud bang echoes off the surrounding trees, by the thud of a dropping body following it.
Grayson stops in his tracks for a moment, my heart racing in my chest as I process what we’ve just done.I steal a glance at the body lying on the floor, Caine’s eyes still wide open as they stare into empty space, before turning back to Korbin.
“Please, I had nothing to do with this.I was just told to deliver a message by my father and that’s all I came to do!” He pleads.
“Caine pulled out a gun and I didn’t know what the f**k was happening.I was just minding my own business when he started- “Stop talking, ”
Grayon mutters, trying to make sense of A black film washes over Korbin’s eyes and he shuts up, nodding his head in obedience.
“What’s the message ?” Grayson sighs.
“The gamma wants you to reconsider your decision and join us willingly in the war against Ravenstone,” he explains.
“You have three days before Crescent Mane declares war and my father returns with reinforcements.”
“I see,” Grayson says as he turns his head to look at Caine’s i lifeless body.
The war has already begun, I tell Grayson and he grunts in agreement.We have three days to prepare for it.
“Take that halfbreed’s body back where it belongs,” Grayson orders, Korbin scrambling to his feet.
“And tell your Alpha he’s I going to regret ever pushing me away.”
Grayson doesn’t give Korbin a chance to respond, sprinting off in the direction of the River Moon Pack.
The adrenaline g pumping through my veins is numbing the pain but I can still feel my mate’s soul… and it’s slipping away.