Chapter 29: Chapter 29

ETHAN

A low, even growl hums through my chest and throat as I stand, jaw and fists clenched tightly. Part of me wants to storm the stage and rip into that piece of shit alpha. The other part of me is trying with all my might to not make a scene.

Alphas and other high-ranking wolves from across the country are here, and I can’t afford to make any rash decisions. Unfortunately, that also means that all these wolves are seeing the large canvas sitting front and center on the stage.

Scarlet’s form is in the middle of the painting. Her body is facing away, just slightly twisted as she looks over her shoulder with a come-hither look as though beckoning her lover to follow her.

A sheer sheet is clutched to her chest, slightly blurring the side of her breast that is shown and the part of her ass that the fabric trails behind like a train. The rest of her is completely bare.

My wolf is going ballistic inside of me, desperately wanting to take control.

After the few seconds it takes me to register the painting of my mate, bared for all to see, I turn to her.

“What the hell is this?” I snarl through gritted teeth. She turns to me; her eyes are wide in surprise and brimming with unshed tears. It’s clear that this isn’t what she was expecting either, and I reach out to grab her hand before she takes a step toward me.

“I swear to you, I was fully dressed. I didn’t agree to this. This—” she gulps as she tries to regain her composure.

“I know. I believe you,” I state plainly, my anger softening slightly as I pull her into me.

Bids start coming in, and we both tense. There is no way in hell I’ll willingly let another male hang a picture of my mate for them to ogle over, especially one where she’s so indisposed.

The auctioneer rattles off numbers as the amount continues to rise higher and higher. Without even thinking, I raise my paddle. I don’t care what it will cost me. That painting is mine.

As the amount climbs higher and higher in the hundreds of thousands, Scarlet tugs on my sleeve. “What are you doing?” she whispers harshly, her eyes wide.

“Don’t worry about it. This is nothing,” I assure her. Her jaw drops as she looks at me. I simply give her a smile and raise my paddle again, not even listening to the amount that is being said while my eyes stay trained on her.

Her gaze alights as she stares back at me. Suddenly, she grabs my jacket collar and pulls me to her, crashing her soft lips against mine in a deep, commanding kiss.

One of my arms wraps around her waist, lifting her from the ground as I hold her body flushed against mine. The other hand still goes up to bid whenever a number is called out.

Many have given up, but there are two other men that continue to bid against me. They are both unmated alphas, one from what used to be California and one from what used to be New York.

Both of their packs are known to be some of the wealthier ones in the region. As the one from California bids again, I let out a loud roar before my gaze looks pointedly at each of my opponents. I’m done with this game.

Scarlet is my mate, and it’ll be over my dead body that I’ll let one of them take home this painting of her. The auctioneer calls out another number, and I raise my paddle, silently daring either of the other alphas to chime in. Neither do. Finally, the auctioneer bellows out, “Sold! To Alpha Ethan Kane for $850,000!”

I lightly place Scarlet back on the floor before I stroll up to the stage. I shake hands with the auctioneer. Then I turn to Alpha Lucien.

A grin is plastered on his face as he tries to keep his friendly demeanor, but when I meet his eyes, it morphs for a second into something wicked. This asshole is severely trying my patience. I take his outstretched hand in mine and squeeze tightly, feeling the bones break as he flinches in pain.

He quickly recovers as he pastes his fake smile back on his face.

I yank him toward me as I lean forward and whisper near his ear, “You come near my mate again, and I’ll kill you.”

Lucien glares unhappily at me as I turn to face the audience. They are applauding, so I wave and smile at them before gesturing to a group of my men off to the side.

They immediately come up the steps of the stage as I mind-link them. “~Cover that up and take it to my penthouse.~” They all nod before I also link Alex to lead the way, since the men now carefully wrapping the picture of Scarlet don’t have access to my home.

I continue pleasantries and try to stuff my anger down until I get a mind-link from Alex.

“~Ethan, get here now. One injured guard, one dead. Front door compromised. I’m going in.”~

“Shit!” I say too loudly as people close to me turn to look at me.

“What’s wrong?” Scarlet says as I pull her to the front door.

“You stay here. I will be back for you. Someone broke into our building, and one of the guards is dead.” I begin to run toward the car when I see Scarlet rip off her heels and throw them to the side.

“I’m coming with you. I can fight too.”

I don’t have time to protest as we both climb into the car and book it to the building.

“Stay close,” I whisper, as we enter the building. Unsure of who this attacker is and how many there are.

Scarlet nods, her eyes alert and scanning the surroundings.

I’m tempted to mind-link Alex for information, but I don’t want to put him in danger by distracting him. It’s mostly quiet, so I check my office first.

A guard lies motionless by the entrance to my office, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Another, bleeding heavily from a small chunk missing in his side, tries to speak but manages only a feeble groan. I crouch beside him, pressing a hand to his wound. “Who did this?” I demand.

“Witch…teleporting,” he gasps.

Shit. The witches must’ve known most of my guards would be away at the gala tonight. I hope there is only one in here to deal with.

I inhale deeply trying to pick up any unfamiliar scents. As I concentrate, I pick up the smell of burned herbs, damp earth, and a sharp, metallic tang that leaves a bitter taste at the back of my throat.

“Come on, let’s follow the scent. Don’t separate from me,” I tell Scarlet.

But it’s not long before the trail goes cold. The scent is there one moment, then gone the next, as if they’re phasing in and out of existence.

I feel a mind-link start to come through. I duck into a nearby office and tell Scarlet to keep watch.

“~Thirtieth floor…she’s on floor…~” Alex’s mind-link is spotty.

I grab Scarlet’s arm and run toward the elevator. “We’re going to floor thirty. Alex spotted the witch there.”

“Thirty? That’s where Silver Shadow Pack is staying.”

The elevator starts to head up. “I know, we have to keep our guests safe. I don’t know if any of them are back from the gala yet. But a dead wolf would mean the alliance doesn’t stand a chance of going through.”

As the doors slide open to the thirtieth floor, the air is charged with magic, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. We step out cautiously, scanning the corridor. The scent flares up again, stronger this time.

“She’s close,” I whisper.

We follow the trail down the hall, and as we turn a corner, see Alex and a wolf from the Silver Shadow Pack, both bristling with tension, surrounding the witch. She looks tired, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Sweat glistens on her forehead, but her eyes are sharp and defiant.

Scarlet and I move in to help surround her. The witch’s eyes dart between us, calculating her chances. The Silver Shadow wolf growls, his muscles tensing before he lunges at her. The witch raises her hand, and a blast of amethyst energy erupts from her palm, knocking the wolf unconscious.

She then turns her attention to me, positioning her hands to cast another spell. I prepare to lunge, muscles coiling, but before I can move, a brilliant white light bursts from Scarlet beside me.

The light is powerful, enveloping the witch in its radiance. She screams, a sound filled with pain and terror, before the light consumes her completely. When it fades, she collapses to the floor, lifeless.

Scarlet stands beside me, her hands still glowing faintly, her expression a mix of shock and confusion.

Alex runs over to the witch. “She’s dead,” he declares.

“What was that?” I ask Scarlet.

“I…I don’t know,” she whispers, her voice trembling.

I pull her close, feeling her tremble against me. “Well, whatever it was, you saved us. That light…it was incredible.”

She’s shaking, fear and confusion etched on her face. I lift her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “Hey, look at me. You’re safe. We’ll figure this out together.”

Alex crouches over the Silver Shadow Pack member. “He’s alive. I’ll get some help to get him to the infirmary. And I’ll mind-link Caleb to help with the guards next to your office.”

I feel relief at hearing the Silver Shadow Pack member is alive. This alliance just might stand a chance still.

I turn to Scarlet. “Let’s get you to bed. We can deal with it in the morning.”

We make our way to the penthouse, the silence heavy between us. Once inside, I lead her to the bedroom, her steps unsteady. She sits on the edge of the bed, staring blankly ahead.

I kneel in front of her, taking her hands in mine. “You did what you had to do. She was a threat.”

“I didn’t mean to kill her,” she stammers.

“You saved us, Scarlet. You saved me. Thank you.” I take her hands in mine and kiss her on the forehead.

She looks exhausted. I wonder if the power takes energy away from her as I tuck her into bed. “Get rest, I’ll be here to watch over you.” And I mean it. No way am I sleeping tonight.

As she drifts off to sleep, I stand by the window, looking out over Crescent City. The night is still, the city deceptively calm. But the events of the evening play over in my mind. A witch, dead by Scarlet’s hand, and a power we don’t understand.

Tomorrow, we’ll seek answers. But tonight, I’ll keep watch over her, protecting her from the darkness that threatens our world. For now, she needs rest, and I’ll make sure she gets it.