Chapter Forty Nine.

Theo's pov:

The house is quiet when I leave.

Micah and Ivy are curled up with Callum in the nest, their soft breathing filling the space. Elias is in his room, pretending to do paperwork but watching over them just as much as I am. None of them know I'm going out tonight.

They wouldn't approve.

But that doesn't matter.

I pull on my jacket, my movements precise, controlled-calculated. Every part of me is thrumming with purpose, every instinct honed in on the task ahead.

Find them.

Make sure they never even think about touching what's mine again.

Because that's what Callum is.

Mine. Ours.

And they hurt him.

I step out into the cold night air, fists clenching at the memory of it. Callum, too still. Too quiet.

I grit my teeth, shoving the thoughts away as I slip into my car.

I have work to do.

It starts with a name.

Or, rather, the lack of one.

Callum didn't recognize his attackers. But someone in this city knows something. And I don't care how many people I have to go through to get my answers.

I start at the club.

Not ours-ours is clean, safe, secure.

No, I go to the kind of place where lowlifes talk too much, where favors are traded in dark corners, where the scent of desperation clings to the air like cheap perfume.

A handful of cash gets me a conversation.

A well-placed threat gets me a name.

Jace Lorne.

A rogue Alpha.

I roll the name over in my mind as I stalk through the city streets. If there's one, there are more. Alphas like that don't act alone.

A second name follows the first. Then a third.

I carve a path through the underbelly of the city, tracking them like prey. Because that's what they are to me now.

They aren't predators.

They aren't Alphas.

They're dead men walking.

I find Jace first.

A rundown bar on the edge of the city. He's leaning against the counter, laughing at something, completely unaware of what's coming.

I see red.

I'm on him before he even registers the threat. My hand grips the back of his neck, slamming his face against the bar. A glass shatters. A strangled yell erupts from his throat.

"Wha-?"

His words cut off as I twist his arm behind his back, pinning him with ease.

"Who were you with?" I growl, my voice low, dangerous.

"I-I don't know what you're-"

I press down harder. Something pops in his shoulder. He screams.

Wrong answer.

"I don't have patience for games." My breath is hot against his ear. "Tell me. Now."

I feel his whole body tremble. He knows I'm not bluffing.

"Tobias-Tobias Reed," he chokes out. "And Logan-Logan Hart."

I commit the names to memory.

Then I tighten my grip just enough to make sure he understands. "If I find out you're lying to me-"

He whimpers. "I swear! That's all I know, I swear-"

I release him, letting him collapse against the bar. He gasps for breath, cradling his injured arm.

I don't spare him another glance.

I'm already gone.

Already hunting the next one.

Already thinking about Callum-about Ivy, about Micah, about Elias. About my pack.

And the fact that I will never let anything touch them again.

Not while I'm breathing.

Callum killed one of them.

And I don't regret it for a second.

The bastard deserved it.

But there's still one left.

Logan Hart. The piece of shit who orchestrated everything. The one who found Callum. The one who thought he could get away with it.

He won't.

Not while I'm breathing.

The underground poker room reeks of sweat and stale cigars. Logan is at the center of it all, laughing, cocky as ever.

Like he didn't destroy something precious.

Like he didn't break Callum.

I want to rip him apart.

I don't give him a chance to react.

One second he's grinning over his hand of cards. The next, I've slammed him against the wall so hard the whole table shakes.

The room erupts-chairs scraping, voices rising-but no one interferes. They won't.

They know better.

Logan gasps, his hands clawing at my wrist. "What the-"

"Remember him?" My voice is low, lethal. "Remember Callum?"

His eyes widen. He knows.

And for the first time, I see it-fear.

Good.

I tighten my grip, watching him struggle. Watching the panic set in.

"You thought this was over, didn't you?" My lip curls. "Thought you could walk away?"

He wheezes. "I-I didn't-"

"Shut up." I slam him harder. "You don't get to speak his name."

My fist crashes into his ribs. Then his face. Again. And again.

I don't stop until he's on his knees, gasping through bloody teeth.

"You should be dead." My voice is steady, calm-dangerous. "Callum should've finished you too."

Logan flinches. Good. Let him remember.

I crouch beside him, gripping his hair, forcing him to meet my eyes.

"If you ever breathe in my pack's direction again..." I lean in, my breath hot against his ear. "I'll make what Callum did to your friend look like a mercy."

He sobs. He fucking sobs.

Pathetic.

I shove him away, standing tall. Blood stains my knuckles, but I don't care. I wipe my hands on his expensive shirt like he's nothing.

Because that's all he is.

Nothing.

I turn and walk away.

No one stops me.

No one dares.

By the time I get home, the adrenaline has worn off, replaced by something heavier.

Something deeper.

I step inside, inhaling the scent of my pack. Warmth, comfort, safety.

They don't need to know the details.

They don't need to see the blood on my hands.

All they need to know is that I will always protect them.

No matter what.

~~~~

I shake off my jacket and loosen my tie as I step toward the bedroom. The door is cracked open just enough for the soft glow of the bedside lamp to spill into the hallway.

I push inside.

The nest is full-warm and soft, blankets and pillows tangled together, carrying the scents that calm every frayed edge of my nerves. Micah is curled against Ivy, their breathing slow and even. Callum is tucked close, his fingers curled loosely in the fabric of Micah's shirt.

And Elias-

Elias is awake.

He's propped up on one elbow, watching me as I toe off my shoes and undo the first few buttons of my shirt. He doesn't speak, doesn't ask. Just waits.

I don't deserve him.

I don't deserve any of them.

But I crawl into the nest anyway, letting the exhaustion sink into my bones as I press my face into Elias's shoulder.

His fingers find my hair, his touch firm and grounding. "It's done," I murmur, my voice low and hoarse.

Elias exhales slowly. Not surprised. Just waiting for more.

"Logan Hart," I say after a moment. "He was the one who found Callum." I swallow hard, gripping Elias's wrist like it's the only thing keeping me tethered. "It wasn't random. It wasn't some sick mistake. He did it to send me a message."

Elias stills.

I lift my head just enough to meet his gaze. "He wanted me out. Out of the club, out of the city. Callum was supposed to be leverage. A warning." My jaw tightens. "He thought he could use my mate to scare me away."

The words taste like poison.

Elias's grip tightens in my hair. His eyes are sharp, burning with something dark. "And now?"

I huff a humorless laugh. "Now, he knows better."

Elias doesn't push for details. He doesn't need to.

He knows what I did.

What I'd do again in a heartbeat.

A long silence stretches between us before Elias shifts, wrapping a strong arm around my waist and tugging me fully into the nest. I don't resist. I let him hold me, let the weight of the night press out of my chest as our legs tangle together.

"Callum doesn't need to know," I murmur, voice barely above a whisper.

"No," Elias agrees. His fingers trace slow, soothing patterns down my spine. "But we do."

I close my eyes, breathing them in.

My pack. My family.

Safe.

And that's all that matters.

~~~~

Hiiii!

I tried something new... lol.

Idk! I think I like it!

Love Theo sm ❤️

I hope that wrapped things up okay! In regards to this part of the story any way. Not gonna lie I am just rolling with it.

First story and all 😊

Hope your all hydrated and thriving 🫡