Chapter 80: Hunger

Leo's POV 

"What time did she escape?" I growled, my voice rough with frustration as we stormed out of the courtyard, the heat pressing down on us like a heavy blanket.  

Zane kept pace beside me, his urgency matching my own. "I alerted you the moment I found out," he said, his breath slightly uneven. "So, let's say as early as ten."  

A growl rumbled low in my chest. That meant she had a head start—hours to disappear into the wilderness, to cover her tracks. My hands curled into fists. We needed to move faster.

My warriors stood in a loose formation at the forest’s edge, their eyes gleaming under the clear sky. The tension in the air was electric, humming with the promise of blood and vengeance.  

I took a slow, deliberate breath, rolling my shoulders as I let the shift take over. My skin burned as bones cracked, realigning, reshaping—fur sprouting in a wave of scorching heat. My claws extended, muscles thickened, and within moments, I was no longer a man but a beast—powerful, relentless, and made for the hunt.  

The others followed suit, shifting in perfect unison. Growls and snarls echoed in the silence, and then—stillness. 

Through the mindlink, I issued my command.

"Spread out. Sweep the area. No mistakes. No mercy."

Like shadows, we melted into the wilderness.  

Zane moved left, his dark form blending seamlessly into the trees, while Matteo took the right flank. The others fanned out, their padded paws silent against the earth as they disappeared into the forest.  

I ran ahead, the wind cutting across my thick fur, my senses hyper-focused. Every rustling leaf, every snapped twig sent adrenaline surging through me.  

In the distance, I heard Matteo’s warning snarl.  

He found something. 

A guttural roar tore from my chest as I lunged forward, breaking into the clearing where Matteo and the others stood, his massive black wolf looming over a cowering figure.  

I stepped closer, my golden eyes flashing as I loomed over him.  

He reeked of fear.  

Pathetic.  

I let the shift take over once more, my body contorting back into human form. The transformation was swift, seamless, and when I straightened, I was already rolling the stiffness from my neck, my lips curling into a slow, predatory smile.  

The rogue was left behind to slow us down. A final obstacle in Malrik’s escape plan.

“We caught him just as we were closing in on what little trail remained,” Matteo said.

I crouched in front of him, leveling my gaze with his.

“Where did they go?” I asked, my voice deceptively calm.

He spat blood onto the dirt, his lips curling into a sneer. “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.”

Wrong answer.

In a blur, he lunged at me, his claws slashing toward my throat.

I didn't even flinch.

Before he could blink, I sidestepped, grabbed him by the neck, and snapped it clean.

His body hit the ground, lifeless.

Useless.

I exhaled sharply, shaking off the irritation as I turned to my warriors. “Spread out. Make sure no one else is left behind.”

But we already knew. Malrik had planned this too well. He was long gone, vanishing into the wilderness with his mate.

We had nothing.

Frustration coiled inside me like a living thing, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. I almost had him. He would have fallen for the trap if not for that useless traitor.

I mindlinked Zane.

"Check every guard for more traitors working for Malrik. If they exist, let them meet the same fate."

"Understood," Zane responded without hesitation, his tone sharp. 

The sun had dipped low by the time we returned, casting the sky in streaks of gold and crimson. The air had cooled, but my blood still burned with fury.

I wasted no time.

The second I reached the palace, I grabbed my keys and left, speeding down the road before anyone could question me.

I needed Ivy.

The city lights flickered in the distance as I weaved through the streets, my grip tightening around the wheel.

She is the only person that could drown this fire inside me.

But as I drove, a dark thought settled in my mind like a storm cloud.

If Malrik gets even the slightest idea that I have a mate—

He’d come for her.

And when he did...

I’d be ready.

****

I barely parked before I was out of the car, slamming the door behind me as I stormed into the mansion. My heart was already racing, the hunger inside me twisting into something darker, something violent.   

The second I stepped inside, my pace faltered.  

Ivy was curled up on the couch, a damp towel wound around her neck. Her face was pale, her lips slightly parted as though she had been struggling to catch her breath.  

My body moved before my mind caught up. 

I was at her side in an instant, scooping her into my arms, cradling her against me. “Hey, what’s wrong?” My voice came out rough, urgent. I whipped my head toward the hallway. “Isabella!” I roared.

“I’m fine,” Ivy murmured against my chest, her hands pressing lightly against me as though trying to soothe me. “Leo, I’m fine.”  

I pulled back slightly, searching her face for any sign of a lie. “What happened?” 

Her gaze dropped to the towel in her lap. “It was Daniel,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “He went berserk on me. For no reason.” Her brows pulled together in confusion. “I don’t remember doing anything to provoke him.”  

My jaw locked, a deep growl vibrating through my chest. Daniel.  

Ivy exhaled shakily before continuing, “Isabella came in at the right moment and stopped him.” She bit her lip. “If she hadn’t…”  

Rage burned through me like wildfire. “Did he say why the hell he did it?” My voice was lethal, every syllable laced with fury.  

“No,” she said softly, shaking her head. “But he apologized… Said he doesn’t know what’s been going on with him lately.”  

I clenched my teeth, my muscles tensing. That wasn’t good enough. That wasn’t even close to good enough.  

Gently, I scooped her up and started toward our wing. 

The second I laid her on the bed, she unwrapped the towel and flexed her neck. “I don’t know why I keep healing,” she whispered, her voice tinged with something between awe and fear. “But no wolf yet.”  

I exhaled sharply, pulling her into my arms. She melted against me, and for the first time in hours, something inside me eased.  

“It’s going to be alright,” I murmured against her hair. “Look on the bright side.”  

But my body betrayed me.  

A slight tremor ran through me as we stayed locked in that embrace, my hunger resurfacing. Ivy must have felt it because she pulled back slightly, tilting her head up to look at me.  

“You look worn out.” Her hands slid to my face, her fingers cool against my heated skin. “Where have you been?”  

I couldn’t meet her eyes.  

The need inside me was consuming.  

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she felt me tremble. Without hesitation, she lifted her arm toward my mouth. “Here,” she whispered. “Take as much as you need.”  

I shot off the bed, a snarl ripping from my throat. “I told you not to do that again.” My voice was sharp, but the command felt weak against the force of my need.  

She inched closer. “That was before we found out I could heal.”  

“Ivy,” I warned.  

She ignored it. “Hey,” she said softly, her voice like silk, coaxing me like I was a frightened animal. “Come here.”  

Every part of me screamed to resist.  

I can’t keep using her as a refill for this darkness. I need a permanent solution for this curse.  

But the moment she reached for me, every ounce of logic drowned beneath the hunger.  

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her arm and sank my fangs into her flesh.  

A soft moan escaped her lips, sending a fresh wave of heat through me.  

I didn’t stop. Didn’t think.  

The moment I pulled away, I crushed my lips to hers, swallowing the breathy gasp that followed.  

Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, deeper. My hands roamed over her, gripping her hips, her back—anywhere I could reach. She met me with equal force, her body arching into mine, as though desperate to be closer.  

The kiss turned frantic, desperate, a tangle of teeth and tongues, of gasps and growls.  

But we wouldn’t cross that line.  Not yet. 

I tore away, my breathing ragged, my forehead resting against hers.  

Her lips were swollen, her pupils blown wide.  

I didn’t trust myself to say anything.  

Just then—

A sharp pulse rippled through the mindlink, a presence pushing through the static like a desperate whisper.

"Go on," I growled, my voice edged with a warning.

A beat of silence. Then—

"We found him. We found Dante!"