Page 71

71

Kaylee

Keeping my gaze neutral as I try to fight back the laughter threatening to spill with Lucas’ greeting to Ramos, I watch the omega wiggle free of Ramos’ grasp and run down the hall towards another room.

“L-Lucas,” Ramos stutters as Lucas takes a step towards him. “What are you doing here in Oak Fur after turning your back on it?” he demands, his words becoming confident. It seems Ramos still has some bravado left after how cowardly he’s been acting.

“Like Lucas said a moment ago,” I decide to answer, leaning against the staircase railing. “As its rightful alphas, Lucas and I are back for our pack.”

My words hit their mark, and Ramos clenched his jaw in annoyance. I can’t help the smirk that grows as Ramos chooses to ignore me to focus on Lucas. He sees my mate as the biggest threat from the two of us, and that’s fine. Having an opponent underestimate me makes the beating I give them oh-so-satisfying.

“Ramos,” a shrill voice calls from the open door. Lucas stops walking, his head cocking to the left. My smirk grows—it seems my prey has decided to present itself.

“Why is the alarm blaring?” Marilyn steps out of the room towards her mate as if on cue. She takes in Ramos’ stiff stance, the fear he tries to hide floating in the air, and the direction of his gaze as she grows closer to him, her body hastily clothed in a baggy T-shirt. I can tell that Marilyn is confused, her brows furrowed, but she hasn’t yet noticed Lucas and me.

“Marilyn, go back into the bedroom,” Ramos orders, his voice threateningly low.

“Why should I when no one is telling me, the Luna, why that alarm is blaring?” Marilyn snaps back in a bratty voice. I watch Lucas wince, regret flashing in his eyes as he stares in disgust at her. Being with her for years must have been a nightmare.

“I can give you a hint,” I call out, taking slow, measured steps and relishing how Marilyn’s body snaps straight. Her disgust and anger for me are thick in the air, and it takes everything in me not to laugh at her little display of power. To think I used to be scared of this she-wolf and what she could do to me by tattling to Ramos, that I used to avoid her to keep the peace outside of the sparring ring.

“I see attacking them is unnecessary now,” Marilyn scoffs, crossing her arms across her body. Lucas lets out a warning growl while I stare at her baby bump. She really did get pregnant just to secure her spot as Luna.

“Tell me something,” I start, looking up to find Marilyn glaring at me. “What would you have done if things had gone to plan and Lucas marked you, only to cause a miscarriage? From my understanding, he never fucked you. So everyone would have known that you cheated on him.”

“Shut up, you bitch!” Marilyn snarls as soon as I finish speaking. I chuckle, deciding to toy with her before I end her.

“Why should I? As Lucas’ Goddess-given mate, I think I have the right to ask questions like this of my step-mother-in-law,” I shrug, catching a twitch in Lucas’ stoic mask. Now, it’s my turn to make him hold in his laughter.

Marilyn says nothing and instead surprises me when she lunges at me. Her claws have replaced her nails, and on instinct, I dodge her, jumping to the side. She lets out a snarl of frustration and tries again, swiping at my body.

“Marilyn!” Ramos cries out before gasping in pain.

“Sorry, but your fight is with me. Kaylee has been waiting since the day you banished her from the pack to get her revenge on Marilyn,” Lucas says, his voice so dangerously low that it makes me shiver with delight. Goddess, I’m so happy he and I made up.

“Pay attention to your fight, love,” Lucas calls as I barely manage to dodge the pissed-off Marilyn.

“How can I when you sound so sexy?” I ask playfully, watching a blush creep along Lucas’ face before he dodges a kick thrown his way by Ramos.

Marilyn is now frustrated, her eyes narrowed as she snarls with every swipe. On her next attack, I step towards her, landing a punch to her jaw and wincing when her claws barely graze my arm. Marilyn is sent flying into the wall behind her, her body landing with a hard thud before she crumbles to the floor. Her face has paled with pain as her hands move to protect her stomach.

“I...I’m sorry, Kaylee,” she stutters, her eyes wide and fearful, as I step close to her. Ramos is snarling by now, trying his best to get to his wounded mate, but Lucas keeps him back, laying strike after strike to Ramos’ face, legs, and torso.

“I’m sorry I had my friends attack you after your birthday. I’m sorry I hurt you growing up. I’m sorry for everything. Just please, spare me and my baby,” she pleads, tears welling in her eyes. I scoff, grabbing Marilyn by her hair and lifting her head so she looks me in the eyes.

“Why should I spare you and your pup when you and your allies were coming to Ivory Fangs to kill everyone I care about, including me and my unborn pup?” I ask with a snarl, my hatred for the two wolves spilling over.

Shock crosses Marilyn’s face as she looks at my stomach. Unlike her, I am not far enough along to really show, but that doesn’t stop her from scenting the area.

“No!” she gasps in shock.

“Yes. My pup will rule Oak Fur eventually,” I state with a grin, enjoying the look of despair on her face. “Unfortunately for you, your pup will join you in the afterlife.”

With that, I take out the dagger I stole from the warrior earlier and plunge it into Marilyn’s heart. Pressing the small mechanism, I release the wolfsbane from within the handle and watch as the pain of the poison flickers into her eyes. Letting go of Marilyn’s hair, her body slumps once again. She’s fighting to stay alive, but that fight is futile.

As Marilyn takes her last breath, Ramos lets out a sorrow-filled scream that echoes through the halls of the Oak Fur packhouse.

“You bitch!” Ramos snarls, his anger so strong that it has me shaking for a moment.

I turn just in time to see Ramos hit Lucas in the stomach with a punch, making Lucas let out an “oomph” in pain while his body hits the door frame behind him. This gives Ramos a chance to break free from my mate, and he takes this as an opportunity to charge at me, his claws aiming for my neck. I managed to duck just in time, hitting the floor and rolling out of the way.

By now, Lucas had regained his composure and rushed to my aid, tackling Ramos from behind. The two never noticed how close to the staircase Marilyn and I had been, and as Lucas connected with the tackle, he sent both of them tumbling down the stairs.

“Lucas!” I scream, rushing to the top of the staircase to find that my worries are for nothing. At the base of the steps, Lucas straddles Ramos, sending punch after punch to our enemy’s face.

Blood splatters on the walls and floor, but I don’t rush to stop him. Lucas has been put through hell by Ramos. Ramos had abused him into becoming a miniature version of himself just for the sake of appeasing Nathaniel Cross. He’d belittled him, cursed him, and threatened him just to control him for his own gain. Now, it’s time for Lucas to exact his revenge.

“Lucas!” someone shouts, and soon Titus appears, gently placing a hand on Lucas’ shoulder.

“He’s dead. You can stop now.” Titus says softly.

Lucas’ fist is held at the ready, poised to land another strike on Ramos. He takes deep, heavy breaths as the tension in his body slowly releases.

“He’s dead?” Lucas asks quietly, his fist lowering.

“He’s dead,” Titus confirms.

I sigh with relief, turning to find Marilyn’s lifeless body with a pool of blood gathering beneath her. Both wolves are dead. They will never terrorize any innocent wolves here in Oak Fur or harm smaller packs again.