Chapter 248

Rion's POV

Erik nods again, determination etched on his face. “We’ll find them, Alpha. I’ll bring Celio back, I promise.”

He turns and disappears into the chaos with the two warriors, leaving me to continue my advance toward the Alpha’s office. My heart is pounding in my chest, a mix of adrenaline and anger fueling my every step. I will not rest until I have Isla and Celio. I will not rest until justice has been served.

As I approach the Alpha’s office, I find Alpha Ezra sitting comfortably behind his desk, completely unbothered by the chaos unfolding around him. His expression is calm, almost bored, as if he had been expecting this all along. It’s infuriating, the arrogance and disdain in his eyes as he watches me approach.

When I enter the room, he stands up and bows his head, a gesture of surrender. “I admit defeat, Alpha Rion,” he says, his voice steady. “I am not a fool who will die uselessly fighting a lost battle. We have been conquered, and I choose to die with honor.”

His words only fuel my anger, my rage boiling over as I step closer. “You think you’ll be granted an easy death?” I snarl, my voice low and dangerous. “You have a lot to pay for, Ezra. You and your demoness of a daughter.”

Before I can say more, Erik and the warriors return, their expressions grim. “Alpha, there's bad news. We’ve searched the entire place,” Erik reports, frustration evident in his voice. “Isla and Celio are nowhere to be found. She must have fled with the child before we got here.”

My heart drops at his words, a cold dread settling in my stomach. Isla has escaped, taking Celio with her. “Damn it!” I curse, slamming my fist against the wall, the pain barely registering. “We were so close!”

Alpha Ezra’s laugh rings through the room, a cold, derisive sound that grates on my nerves. “You may have won the war, Alpha Rion,” he sneers, “but you’ve lost something precious. That whore will never see her son again. Isla will take him far away, somewhere you’ll never find her.”

“Shut up!” I roar, my control snapping, but Ezra continues to laugh, his eyes gleaming with twisted satisfaction.

The sound of his laughter sends a surge of rage through me, a white-hot fury that blinds me to everything else.

Before I knew it, I had half-shifted, my fingers elongating into sharp claws. I lunged at Ezra, rage driving my every movement. My hand plunged into his chest with a sickening crunch, tearing through flesh and bone with ease. My claws closed around his beating heart, and with a violent yank, I ripped it from his body.

The room fell silent except for the sound of blood splattering onto the floor. Alpha Ezra’s eyes bulged, his mouth opening in a gurgling gasp as he tried to breathe. Blood poured from the gaping wound in his chest, soaking his clothes and pooling on the floor around him. His face twisted in agony, his hands clawing at the air as if trying to grasp something—anything—to hold onto life.

He looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, where his heart had been just moments before, his expression filled with disbelief and terror. His body convulsed violently, a grotesque dance of death as his life slipped away. Blood bubbled up from his mouth, gushing out with each desperate, choking breath. His skin paled, taking on an ashen hue, and I could see the light fading from his eyes.

Ezra’s knees buckled, and he crumpled to the floor, still desperately trying to cling to the last shreds of life. His body jerked and twitched, his mouth working soundlessly as if trying to form words, but all that came out was a wet, rattling gasp. Blood spilled from his lips, dripping down his chin and staining his clothes. His fingers clawed weakly at the ground, leaving bloody streaks on the floor.

I watched, my own breath heavy and ragged, as the last vestiges of life drained from his body. The look of pain and fear etched onto his face was the last thing he ever showed. Finally, his movements slowed, his limbs going limp, his eyes staring blankly ahead as he took his last breath. Blood continued to pool around him, a dark, viscous reminder of the life that had just been snuffed out.

Ezra’s body lay still, lifeless, his chest a gory, gaping wound. The heart I held in my hand, still warm and twitching, was the last remnant of his existence. I tossed it aside, my breathing heavy as I stared down at the lifeless body of the man who had caused so much pain.

Erik stares at me, his expression a mix of shock and concern. “Alpha, you didn’t have to kill him,” he says, his voice low. “He could have told us where Isla went. We could have gotten information out of him if we’d tortured him enough.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. “He wouldn’t have told us anything,” I say firmly. “He would have rather died than reveal Isla’s location. But we’ll get the information we need from Blade. He knows where she’s gone, I'm sure of it.”

Erik nods, though he still looks uneasy. “What’s the plan then?”

I clench my fists, determination flooding my veins. “We interrogate Blade. We find out where Isla is, and we bring Celio back. No matter what it takes.”

I turn to look at Ezra’s lifeless body, a cold sense of satisfaction settling in my chest. He had chosen his fate, and now he would pay for his sins. But I wouldn’t rest until I had my son back. I would find Isla, and I would make her pay for everything she had done.

I promised myself—and Jaselyn—that I would bring Celio home. No matter the cost.