Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Bix

I felt it again. That unsettling sensation surged within me once more, a constricting weight scizing my chest, rendering every breath a struggle. Each step faltered, sickness knotting my stomach as an undeniable sense of wrongness permeated the air. Something wasn’t right! Did something happen to… I shook my head to brush these feelings of paranoia away but it did not help.

By inquiring amongst the pack members, I discovered that Reuben and Oran hadn’t returned to the pack grounds yet. Their lingering absence since the previous night and being unreachable by phone when I had called was worrisome. Having just returned a moment ago after being within the Shine Moon Pack’s territory overnight, I kept track of the timing of the Alpha meeting. Reuben and Oran were expected back late last night. So how come they were not here yet? Reuben loathed prolonged stays away from the pack unless it was a dire situation. It seemed improbable that he’d have agreed to the Blue Heavens Pack’s hospitality, particularly with Willow staying in the Emerald Bright Pack.

Ella had been unresponsive to my calls since last night. What had occurred during my absence? As I entered the front yard of the packhouse, I glimpsed Ella passing across. the clearing.

“Ella!” I called out, hastening toward her. “Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” I inquired, noting the dark circles under her eyes and their puffiness. “What’s happened?” I furrowed my brow, lifting her chin to meet my gaze. Her eyes held a faint redness and a lifelessness that deeply unsettled me. “Have you been crying? Who caused you pain? I’ll make them regret it…

Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke in a horse voice, “I confessed my feelings to Reuben,” she sobbed, burying her face in my chest.

Ella’s confession struck me like a spring blizzard, despite being aware of her feelings for Reuben. The revelation froze my heart, though her distraught state already hinted at the outcome of her admission. Reuben must have brutally rejected her or worse.

I put my hand on her back, “It’s okay…” I began, but before I could offer further support, a gust of air surged past me, violently thrusting Ella away from my embrace.

It was Oran.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!!” Oran’s voice thundered, his intensity hinting at a primal rage. He loomed over Ella, a threatening presence poised to tear her apart.

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“Oran…” Shock engulfed me as I beheld his bloodied form. A moment of blankness swept over my mind. How had he ended up in such a state? Despite his towering six- foot figure, he bore evident wounds, scratches and other signs of a savage attack, yet he stood resolute fixing Ella with a menacing glare.

Ella winced in discomfort, the force of Oran’s grip on her arm pulling me back to the

present.

“Oran, let her go,” I interjected, quick to intervene and easing his grip on Ella’s arm. I shielded her as she wept. “Why are you yelling at her?” I demanded

“BECAUSE SHE KISSED REUBEN!” Oran’s growl pierced the air, his glare directed at

“What… The mention of a k*ss froze me in place. I turned to Ella, who stood, gaze fixed on the ground. “You… k*ssed… Reu…”

“Yes, she k*ssed Reuben, and you know what else?” Oran took a step closer, locking eyes with me. “Willow witnessed the entire thing,” he revealed, a smug of dried blood marking his temple. I stood there mute, anticipating the inevitable misunderstanding that must have plagued Reuben and Willow due to Ella’s actions. Reuben…I could not begin to predict how insane he must have gone.

“Their bond was already fragile, but she…” Oran clenched his jaw, edging closer to Ella

once more.

“Oran, no!” I gripped him firmly, preventing any regrettable actions from coming back. to haunt him later. Oran’s usual demeanor was serene, akin to a tranquil river, but when provoked, he transformed into a raging beast. Containing his fury was a daunting task, some likened him to a psychopath, second only to Reuben..

“Oran, please calm down. First, tell me what happened to you. Why are you wounded and where is Reuben?” I attempted to redirect his focus, yet Ella unexpectedly spoke up.

“It’s not as if you were unaware of my feelings for Reuben,” Ella’s voice trembled with emotion as her words pierced the tense air.

“What did you just say?” Oran halted his struggles in my grasp, reduced to a low growl directed at Ella, while I also turned my gaze toward her. Why did she have to say that in front of him at this moment?

“I’ve loved Reuben for years. What harm did I do by confessing and k*ssing him? After all, I’m his fiancée,” she spoke, biting her l*p, her gaze meeting Oran’s intense stare.

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“What you call love is nothing more than a betrayal,” Oran snapped, wrenching free of my grasp. “You claim to have loved Reuben for years. How’s that possible? Wasn’t Willow the first to fall for him? How dare you set your sights on your best friend’s lover! You’ve not only betrayed Willow but Reuben as well. Seeing that he has only ever seen you as a friend and nothing more,” Oran’s words dripped like venom as he confronted Ella head–on. “Let me make one thing clear, Ella. You’re not the only woman attracted to Reuben. There are many within this pack alone. Does he need to respond to every admirer? Just because he hasn’t, did that prompt you to act shamelessly and k*ss him? You k*ssed a man that has a soulmate and two children! You shouldn’t even begin to think that Reuben noticed the affection in your eyes all this time, because that selfish bastard can’t manage to see beyond Willow. He’s blinded by love. So don’t weave some twisted fantasy that he noticed your love and just didn’t acknowledge it, giving you false hope. Reuben never saw you as a woman, Ella. Not even before Willow came into his life. He’s not responsible for anything concerning you. You claim to be his fiancée, so does that excuse your actions towards him?” Oran laughed bitterly before continuing.

“You don’t even want to get me started on the pathetic fiancée facade. You’re the one that knew your relationship only existed on paper and accepted it six years ago without a fuss! Reuben never gave you the slightest bit of hope, he always kept this situation crystal clear from his end. He was well aware of the messed–up game your uncle played five years ago, yet he gave you the benefit of the doubt all these years. Though as it turned out, you ended up being the one to clutch at his hand when only a finger was extended. Everything about your supposed love for Reuben or the act of k*ssing him was wrong of you!” Oran’s bark cut through the air, causing Ella to flinch in horror. “Those damned marriage papers, that binding spell that was forced on him, shackling you around his n*eck! Everything is…”

“Oran, that’s enough!” I yelled, tightly gripping his arm, feigning a private conversation to deter his outburst.

“Why? Does it hurt when she cries?” Oran’s glare intensified, drawing closer to my face.

“Stop it,” I growled at him.

“Why? Are you angry at me?” He chuckled.

“Don’t provoke me, Oran,” I cautioned.

“Why? Do you want to kill me?” He leaned dangerously close. “Why not do it now and. be done with it, Bix,” he

whispered.

“Stop it!” I roared, shoving him away and landing a powerful punch to his mouth.

He made no effort to evade my blow, instead accepting it. Ella gasped in shock, while

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my hand trembled, the one that had struck Oran, faltering at the sight of his wolf’s piercing gaze fixed on me. His hair was down, covering his forehead like always, yet I felt ensnared by the radiant intensity of his wolf’s eyes lurking beneath the shadows.

The sight of blood at the corner of Oran’s mouth combined with his eyes jolted me back to reality. What had I done? I shouldn’t have raised my fist against Oran, knowing well he’d never retaliate. I shouldn’t have…

“Enough the both of you,” a commanding yet subdued voice that was unmistakably Reuben’s pierced the tension.

Looking past Oran, I spotted Reuben leaning nonchalantly against the car, smoking. His condition looked far worse than Oran’s. He’d been observing the three of us in silence all along.

Reuben

Love and friendship had been the essence of my life, the sight of Oran and Bix at odds, a rarity over the past eight years, was unbearable.

“Stop this before I toss the both of you over the pack’s cliff,” I muttered, crushing the cigarette under the heel of my shoe. They remained fixated on each other, enveloped in an eerie silence that gripped the surroundings until another voice shattered the stillness.

“Alpha!” Mia’s entrance into the clearing, her loud shout, grated on my already frayed nerves. Pissed off and battling a pounding headache, I turned my gaze toward her, causing her to flinch and freeze in place.

“What’s the matter?” I inquired in a hushed tone.

“Willow…”

At the mention of Willow’s name, my attention sharpened, and Dex’s voice echoed in my mind, “What about Willow?”

Mia took a deep breath before responding, “I can’t find her anywhere in the pack!” she exclaimed.

“What the hell does that mean?” My eyes instantly darkened. “What about Wyatt and

Lori?”

“When I went to pick them up for kindergarten this morning, they were missing too,” she stuttered.

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The news made my mind go blank. The children were missing and Willow too. Did she…did she…

My sanity snapped like an over extended thread.

“HOW DID SHE DISAPPEAR?!” I roared, any trace of composure I had shattered. Mia screamed in fear, stepping back, while Ella flinched, gripping Bix’s hand tightly..

“Reuben…” Bix’s voice held a tinge of panic as they watched my wolf taking over, their fearful eyes fixed on the blood trickling from various injuries on my b*dy, flowing more steadily with every passing moment.

“Reuben, stay still! You are losing a lot of blood” They both attempted to approach me, seeking to stop whatever was happening, but I turned my gaze around.

“Where’s Willow? Did she run away?” I repeated the question, my mind grappling with the possibility of her taking advantage of my absence to escape with the children.

Her words echoed in my mind, ‘I can’t forget Ella and you….

My heart skipped a beat, remembering her tearful confession. She was hurt and resentful toward me. She didn’t want me; she abandoned me once more.

No…this couldn’t be happening.

“WILLOW!” I roared, my voice echoing through the clearing. She couldn’t leave me. I couldn’t lose her!

“Search for Willow before Reuben does something insane!” Oran’s urgent yell pierced. the air, the entire area becoming a frantic game of hide and seek. I stood alone in the clearing, my eyes desperately searching for her.

“WILLOW!!”

If I couldn’t find her, if she escaped, I was going to annihilate every living thing I possibly could. Then I was going to end myself, until…

“Reuben”

She came to stand in front of me…

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