Chapter 8 Abort Mission
ZADE
Her beautiful amber eyes bulged in their sockets as she took in the sight of me. Indigo's face turned even redder as she quietly shifted her gaze to a random spot on the wall.
"Your condition is more serious than I thought. Not even the fever reducers are working," Giselle said to her, and she lowered her head, her shoulders slumped.
My chest suddenly felt too tight for comfort, seeing how dejected she looked.
"Maybe this is my punishment. This is what I get for being selfish—"
I cut her off, ignoring my painful erection.
"Don't you dare."
Her eyes locked with mine once more. They were filled with tears this time. I wanted to kiss it all away. Fuck, I wanted to brainwash her. Make her forget her ugly past. She deserved to be happy.
It fucking killed me to think of how long she'd been exposed to suffering. My angel didn't deserve this.
"Giselle, will you step out for a moment?" I said, not taking my gaze off my bunny.
"Alpha—"
"Now." My tone left no room for argument.
She rose to her feet right away and left the room, shutting the door behind her. A stronger wave of Indigo's floral scent hit me, and I gritted my teeth to keep myself from groaning. My cock felt like it was seconds away from exploding.
"Did you really have to use handcuffs? Those look painful," Indigo said, and I flashed her a practiced smile. It was a habit.
From a young age, I knew I was the farthest thing from normal, but she was the first person that ever fascinated me. And to make her trust me, I had to learn to be 'normal,' practicing my expressions in front of the mirror to gain mastery. Eventually it stuck to me like a second skin.
"These handcuffs are the least of my worries," I said, lifting my hands. "I'm more concerned about you."
She was right about them being agonizing. Hell, they left raw red marks around my wrists. But the pain had nothing on the one in my groin.
"You are not being punished, Bunny," I told her, moving closer, even though it felt as though I was walking into hell.
My wolf growled inside of me, eager to pin her to the bed and fill her with my seed.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away, anger flashing across her face.
"It feels like it, Zade."
I clenched my fists, my gaze roaming over her beautiful features.
"Think of it this way. You've probably not had a good fuck in a long time."
Her eyes bulged in their sockets. Bingo. Looks like I was right. I bent over by the bedside, the corner of my lips tilting upwards. "This is your body's way of reminding you what you truly need. And while I'd be more than happy to oblige, I do not want to put any pressure on you."
She seemed to relax, her shoulders sagging.
"For now," I smirked.
"Z-Zade, w-we can't—"
"What? Fuck?"
She gulped audibly.
I let my eyes travel down her face to her collarbones. Sweat dripped down the valley between her boobs, her white camisole sticking to her skin. My throat went dry, hunger stirring inside of me.
Indigo was blinking hard at this point, her heart pounding erratically. She was barely even breathing. And with every rise and fall of her chest, I grew more aware of the outline of her hard nipples poking against the tight fabric.
Well, fuck me. Abort mission.
"Zade, this isn't right." Her voice was firmer now. There she was. My fierce bunny. She was slowly regaining her spark.
And for some reason, that turned me on even more. So much that it gave me a headache.
"And since when has that ever bothered me? You can deny it as hard as you can. I know you want me too. We've got time," I said, straightening.
She looked away, biting her lower lip. The thought of her pushing back against me was enough to shove me into a spiral of obsession. I wanted it so bad.
"Freshen up and come down for breakfast when you're done," I said, keeping my expression blank.
Then I sauntered towards the door and headed straight for the bathroom. Only then did I snap the cuffs apart, letting the broken pieces fall on the floor. I blinked at them in disappointment.
My gaze drifted lower, landing on the bulge in my crotch area. I must've terrified her.
Letting out a sigh, I unbuckled my belt and unzipped my pants, pulling the fabric low until my cock popped out. I winced at the sight of the scars marring the thick flesh, angry veins looking swollen and inflamed. Precum beaded at the tip as it throbbed with the urgency for release. A broken man. That's what I was. But did I ever let it stop me? Absolutely not.
Gritting my teeth, I reached for the lube in the cabinet, pouring an ample amount on my palm. A sharp hiss left my lips as I massaged slowly, squeezing my eyes shut as pleasure wrestled with the pain.
My breathing grew heavier, and I tilted my head backwards, guttural sounds rolling out of me. I could still smell her. I rubbed harder, fighting through the agony at the thought of fucking her and feeding the beast purring under my skin. Her soft skin...those round tits...
"Fuck," I growled, hitting my release with bated breath.
A fresh wave of disappointment washed over me as I stared at my semi-hardened length. The hunger stayed lodged deep, coiled and furious, my wolf snarling in protest beneath my skin.
I let out a slow, humorless breath, resting my forehead against the cool mirror.
Pathetic.
I straightened, disgust simmering as I cleaned up and stepped away from the sink. The ache remained. This was torture.
...
"Alpha?" I glanced up at the door of my study, leaning back in my chair at the sound of my beta's voice.
"Come in," I said, returning my gaze to the paperwork piled in front of me. I was gone for less than a day, and I already have so much work. How irritating.
Noah stepped inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. He didn't speak right away.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Paperwork blurred in front of me—incident reports, patrol rotations, council notices. I forced myself to refocus, flipping through the stack with a barely existing patience.
"Well?" I muttered.
Noah shifted his weight. "The revenants."
My hand went still.
"What about them?" I asked slowly.
"They're gone."
I looked up.
"Gone," he repeated, his voice firmer now. "Completely. Patrols swept the outer perimeter at dawn. Base A reported zero activity. We thought it was a mistake, until Base B confirmed the same thing. Base C too. No residual energy. No sightings. No attacks."
My headache spiked.
"That's not possible," I said. "We've burned them, bound them, salted the ground they crawled out of. Every time we thinned them out, more showed up."
"I know," Noah said. "That's why I triple-checked the reports. I even sent scouts past the tree line."
"And?" I demanded.
"Nothing," he said. "It's like they were never there."
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time in years...I realized something else.
The whispers.
The constant murmur of the dead poking at the edges of my mind—begging, screaming, accusing—
They were gone.
My jaw tightened.
Since I'd returned... I hadn't heard a single one.
Noah watched my expression carefully. "You felt it too."
I didn't answer.
Instead, I exhaled slowly and dragged a hand through my hair. "That's not a coincidence."
"No," he agreed. "Which brings me to the second issue."
Of course there was a second issue.
He hesitated.
I lowered my hand. "Say it."
"It's Indigo," Noah said.
My spine went rigid.
"Her scent is still spreading," he continued. "Not just inside the packhouse. It's bleeding into the lower grounds now. Warriors are restless. Omegas are reacting. Even some of the elders reported agitation during morning council."
My headache throbbed harder.
"How bad?" I asked.
Noah didn't sugarcoat it. "If this continues, instinct will override discipline. We can manage it for now…but not indefinitely."
I closed my eyes.
Confinement.
I already knew what he was going to say.
"For her safety…and the pack's," Noah said carefully, "we may need to place her under temporary confinement.”
My chest tightened.
"No," I said immediately.
Noah didn't flinch. "Zade—"
"I said no."
"She's becoming a catalyst," he pressed. "Whatever she is, it's affecting things beyond scent. The revenants disappearing. The unrest. The timing—"
"I will not cage her," I snapped, slamming a hand on the desk. Papers rattled.
Noah held my gaze. "Then you need another solution. We need it urgently."
I clenched my fists, my chest caving in.
‘Alpha, you have visitors.’ Mason, one of my gammas said through the mindlink.
And I blinked.
‘Who is it?’
He paused, hesitance bleeding through.
‘A very angry husband who apparently wants his wife back.’