Ill Intent

Ill Intent
RYDER

It doesn't take me too long to figure out that the knife he's holding against Mell's throat is made of silver. 

The glare of it almost disorients me, but I refuse to take my eyes off his face. Mell's panicked eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second and I see the pleading look in her eyes though I'm not sure what she's asking for exactly. 

"Going somewhere?" he questions. 

My anger rips through me. It takes every drop of self-restraint to stay put and not attack him outright. Every wrong move will directly impact Mell's life and we can't lose more people to the mess that is this war. 

"What the fuck do you want?" I demand, not bothering to hide my contempt. At the first opportunity, I'll end him. 

I swear on everything that's dear to me that I will. 

"I don't understand why you can't just stay put," he hisses. The good guy mask has slipped from his face, and he's revealing exactly who he is. 

Took him long enough. 

"How can I do that when you're a threat to everything I'm trying to build?" I question while simultaneously trying to figure out how I'll disarm him. He's wearing a leather glove, but he's holding the handle and that's not made of silver. I wouldn't be able to reach for it without getting poisoned, but it's a risk I'll have to take. 

A chortle leaves his lips. "You're the one who's a threat to everything. You and that stubborn mate of yours. Do you two even realize what's at stake here? You're fighting us from all sides here, and we're supposed to be on the same side!"

I shake my head. "We haven't been on the same side from day one. Don't stand there and act like I'm the reason why all of this went to shit! We welcomed you with open arms and you showed us exactly why so many Alphas were unfair toward Nocturns and why, for centuries, they've been oppressed and feared!"

A wild look enters his eyes and the knife inches closer to Mell's neck. She closes her eyes. "Spoken like a true Alpha! Do you think we don't have the right to want better? Why should we suppress our power just because Alphas like you feel threatened by it?"

I step closer to him. He doesn't seem to notice because he doesn't react to it at all. "Nocturns aren't fit to rule a pack. You may have influence over Alphas, but the rest of the pack doesn't respond to you. This is foolish! Why haven't you realized that yet?"

"That's what you're for," he spits. "We'll use you to get what we want. It doesn't have to be complicated. If you just stayed put, we wouldn't have a problem—but no. You had to make a mess of things."

My thoughts shift to Aria and how I should've never let her go. Hatred toward myself washes over me and fills me with despair. I have to get out of here. 

I have to fix the mess we made. 

"We need Alphas who agree with what we're doing and are willing to work with us. But for that, they have to know their places, and that's something completely unfamiliar to you, isn't it?" he spits. "No worries. We already have the perfect replacement."

"Nobody would agree to this," I claim. "You're crazy if you think anyone would willingly become a puppet for you. Besides, that won't work with the hundreds of Alphas who rule the other packs. You'll have to fight everyone to push this agenda of yours."

Wilson smiles and shakes his head. "It so happens that there are other Alphas who are...more ambitious than you are. Step outside now or this bitch gets it. I mean that."

Mell shakes her head and that's when I realize that she wants me to abandon her to her fate and get out of here, but I can't do that, not when she's only stuck in this situation because of me. I follow him outside. His eyes never leave my face. 

I have to distract him somehow until I figure out what to do. "Why did you separate Aria and me? What was your plan?"

"Doesn't matter. She's proving to be just as stubborn as you are. We thought it might be your influence, but it's all hers."

I grow cold and my body seems to shake. Regret eats me up bit by bit. I feel a helplessness so strong that it nearly brings me to my knees. "What the fuck are you going to do to her?"

"That's no concern of yours after tonight," he claims. "You had your chance to cooperate. Now, someone else is stepping into your shoes and they'll do a hell of a better job."

Who is this person and why is he putting so much fucking emphasis on this new person? I have a bad, bad feeling about this. 

If I could turn back time...Fuck, everything could've been different. 

"I doubt that. Alphas hate Nocturns. They'd never willingly participate in your victory."

"Oh, this one's different," he claims, still smiling. I make eye contact with Mell and take note of the way she stills. "He hates you enough to want your death no matter what it takes. He'll bring all the Alphas together and we'll have a chance to get rid of them one by one. We'll transform the whole werewolf world into a single pack, ruled by its rightful leaders, and Nocturns will never again be oppressed."

I scoff. "That's a stupid fucking plan. It would never work! Alphas have control over their own packs. How could..."

I trail off when it hits me. Ray Laws. 

That's who he's fucking working with. 

As for the other packs, they could be under his control if Ray challenges the Alphas to a duel one by one. 

Wilson's head is tilted to the side and the blade is touching Mell's throat now. Her jaw is clenched and her face is a mask of pain. I step forward instinctively but the blade just cuts into her skin even more. 

The scent makes my stomach churn. 

"I think you've finally understood," he states. "I'll let you in on another little secret: Your Luna is the one who'll pay for all of this. She's his only demand—he wants her in exchange for his cooperation."

Rage swallows me whole. I clench my fists and imagine myself tearing him apart. My wolf threatens to rise to the surface, and it becomes harder for me to think straight. 

I won't let them get to Aria. 

Not my Aria. 

Something catches my attention, and when I see Finn in wolf form behind one of the bushes near the sidewalk, my heart swells with relief. I can't acknowledge his presence or Wilson will notice it. 

I can only wait for the perfect moment. 

In the meantime, I have to extract more information from him. The more he tells me, the more I can use. "It hasn't occurred to you that he has wicked intentions and that once he gets what he wants, he'll send you and this senseless plan to shit?"

Wilson surprises me by chuckling. "As if we'd ever give him the chance. He'll meet his end as soon as we get what we want."

"And my mate?" I question. "What will happen to her then?"

I see ill intent in his eyes. "You know, when I first laid my eyes on her, I couldn't believe that she'd gone for someone like you. Aria is remarkable in every sense of the word. Who knows? Maybe after you're gone, I can show her what it's like to be with a real man."

I can't control what happens next. I advance just as Finn jumps out from behind the bushes.