Chapter 20

I saw the moment that Reid decided to initiate his attack. I observed as his muscles went taut; they constricted just a split second before he pushed off from the ground and moved weightlessly through the air towards Eli, with all the power, agility and speed that his muscular frame provided him. Years of intense training was evident before he even landed his formidable strike on an unaware Eli, yet alone when his balled-up fist connected with its target with effective precision.

It sounded like a sharp crack of lightening had clapped in the skies above us, deafeningly loud and momentarily stilling the battling figures on the ground, utterly stunned at the shocking sound. The noise was the sound of Reid’s fist connecting with Eli’s cheekbone, throwing him off-balance, along with the rolling waves of his Alpha aura. He staggered backwards, away from the crowd of stunned wolves that had been trying to force his submission through brute force, until they were knocked-for-six by Reid’s aura and his mighty strike.

The shock was clear on Eli’s face just before he fell to the ground, on the verge of losing consciousness as Reid straddled him ready for his retaliation. But Eli was in no condition to try to defend himself. Without his wolf, he was incapable of standing up to a strong wolf such as Reid; a well-trained Alpha heir.

All the while, I did not move, not even a twitch of the finger was possible. My mouth hung open in a silent scream as everything unfolded before me. I knew that Eli was not going to be able to fight his way through the whole of Corbin’s army, and that someone would get the better of him. But to see it happen, and Reid being the one to do it, was turning my stomach and nerves against me.

My anxiety was running at an all-time high; I felt unnaturally hot, my hands were shaking, and it felt as though some kind of drug was running through my veins, making me very antsy and fidgety. I wanted to run at the pair, but I had no idea who it would be that I would stand up for, so I stayed where I was. My cold, dirty feet were firmly planted on the well-beaten soil and grass.

Reid huffed heavily, still mounted over Eli’s tired frame in a significant advantage, with anger pouring from him as he eagerly waited for him to respond.

“Get up, pup, I dare you.” Reid’s deep and gravelly voice challenged Eli, hope that Eli would put up a fight tinting his words.

Eli groaned, exhaustion all over his features along with a ton of fresh, deep blue bruises fast appearing as he fought to stay awake. The screams and growls had resumed all around us, fueling the hectic situation.

“What? Fight back just so you have a reason to kill me? I’m not gunna give you the satisfaction of ending me.” Eli’s stubborn Alpha streak was still shining through, spitting blood on the floor at Reid’s feet as a mark of disrespect towards him.

“Why not? Too pussy to have a go?” Reid was teasing Eli, baiting him into reacting.

Eli rolled onto his side, pushing at Reid’s legs to move him away as he struggled to rise to his full height; he swayed as if drunk on his feet. I could see the tiredness in his dark eyes, everything tonight had really taken its toll on him.

“Fuck you, I will not fight back; you dicks ain’t worth it.” Eli arrogantly stated as he held his arms forward, both wrists joined as a mark of surrender.

At least six ragged, rotten smelling wolves descended upon Eli quickly to bind his limbs before he had a chance to go on another rampage. At the sight of the ropes and a shining set of silver handcuffs, holding his hands bound behind his back, and a newer dark bruise forming around a small and bleeding cut at the top of his hard, high cheekbones, Reid’s face broke out in a smug grin over the small battle victory.

Four of the wolves moved away, leaving two to hold Eli; one shoulder and an arm for each. Reid stalked the last few paces closer to Eli just as he stiffened his posture, ready for another blow or whatever else that Reid’s temper wrought.

Reid goaded Eli further by stopping just mere centimetres from his face, one eyebrow cocked, daring him to react. But an Alpha wolf cannot leave a challenge unanswered.

In a just a blur of speed and power, Eli drew his head back to build momentum, before slamming his forehead forward into Reid’s face, instantly breaking his nose and causing blood to gush unforgivingly from it and forcing him to stagger backwards and double over.

It was my turn to grin in satisfaction.

Eli’s laughter at Reid’s suffering was like music to my ears. But the pain and blood that he had spilt from my mate made an instant, unwanted rage unfurl through me like a wildfire spreading through dry grass in the summer and I struggled to hold myself where I was. My hands fisted tightly as claws slowly, but forcefully erupted from my human nailbeds. I fought myself with everything that I had to hold onto my control.

Reid stood upright pinching his nose with his fingers then looked down at his hand to check that his nose was indeed bleeding, before whipping his head back up to look at Eli with such fury, that if looks could kill, then he would be dead from a thousand different ways and in the most pain as possible.

“You fucking cunt!” He bellowed, spewing his rage verbally and looking scary as fuck, instantly dousing my own anger as if I was thrown into the Arctic seas. “I will fucking kill you for that!”

Reid launched himself at Elijah, ready to do goddess knows what just as the remaining two shaggy wolves dove out of the way of his wrath just in time.

“Enough!” His Royal Dickhead shouted, still watching from his makeshift stage of shitshow central and just as Reid’s strong hands wrapped around Eli’s throat, making him instantly loosen his grip, but not entirely letting go. Both were huffing angrily and glaring at the other, their chests heaving from and adrenaline-fueled breathlessness.

An almighty and ferocious roar thundered through the air so loud, that it echoed through the night and onslaught, shaking the trees and causing me to feel the vibrations through my chest and stirring a forgotten sense of familiarity. It pulled my attention from the pissing contest between Eli and Reid. All our heads whipped around towards the direction of where the roar had come from, and we watched as the furious, giant wolf-man struggled slowly to get up from the cold ground to face the destruction of his pack, and the mutilated display that was once his son, Elliot.

Alpha Brock had come to, and the concern on Reid and Corbin’s faces was on display for everyone to see. They looked mortified that Brock was conscious once again.

“What the fucking hell, have you fuckers, done to my son?!” Brock bellowed full force, power leaking from every pore on his body as he let his emotional distraught known to everyone. His heavy footsteps were slow and careful as he moved towards what remained of Elliot, weary of making a sudden movement that could cause further damage to his remains.

I could smell the sorrow and pain pouring from him as I watched on at the worst moment that could ever happen to a parent. It felt like I was invading on a private moment that should not have been so open to the public. He should have been able to grieve with just his family and loved ones surrounding him. But then again, he should not have been in mourning for his son at all.

As Dad got closer to Elliot’s mutilated corpse, he stopped advancing forward barely a step from him and froze, just staring with a lost look on his face as he took in the sight before him properly.

After a minute or so, our mighty Alpha dropped to his knees with his broad shoulders sagging, completely defeated and as though all his anger, energy and life had been drained from him, as though he would never have the motivation to move again.