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CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

~Arcay~

“ULGAR!”

I STRODE into Ulgar’s quarters, bellowing his name, and found him with his betas huddled around him. He spun towards me, alarmed at my sudden appearance in his quarters. The guilt was clear in his eyes.

That was all the confirmation I needed.

The marks on his neck where I had choked him were already gone. Disappointing. He should have to wear a constant scar of shame for what he had done to Clay. The thought of it made me want to crush his throat in my hand all over again and watch the life seep out of him. But that wasn’t why I was here. At least Clay was far out of his reach, along with the rest of the other humans. He would not be able to hurt any of them ever again.

“Give us the room,” I snarled at the betas, not taking my eyes off Ulgar.

He frowned, then dismissed the betas with a wave of his hand. We stood, staring each other down as the room cleared around us. Finally, when we were alone, I spoke.

“I know what you did. You kept those humans caged when they should have been released,” I said. “You disobeyed Jursin’s direct order, as well as my own.”

His eyes narrowed at me, making no attempt to deny it. He looked behind me at the empty passage, and tilted his head. “You have not brought any guards with you,” he said.

The corner of my mouth curled to a degree, calculated to aggravate him. “I do not need any. You are weak enough for me to handle alone.”

He reacted exactly as I had hoped. His face twisted and his body tensed, lowering and widening his stance, readying himself for a fight. He stepped forward, eyes lidded, his mouth a straight line of distaste.

Predictable as always. Ulgar was a disgrace to alphas, but I could rely on him for this one last thing. This one act of love that I could gift to Clay. I braced myself.

But Ulgar stopped a few paces from me, primed to fight but still holding himself back. Clearly, our last two encounters had beaten some small amount of sense into his thick head.

I spat at his feet. “I should have known it was you that kept the humans. Who else would do something so idiotic and short-sighted? I will take joy in ensuring your punishment is as humiliating as possible.” I sneered. “Then all Aldar will see you for the sniveling, pathetic coward that you—”

He was on me in an instant. His claws flashed for my chest and throat, going in for the kill. I raised my arms, unable to fight my instincts, but my hands remained curled, leaving myself open for Ulgar to tear into me. His claws connected, slicing through my flesh, and pain stabbed into me.

This was how I would make everything right.

By allowing Ulgar to kill me.

The only way to break a soul bond was death. With me gone, Clay would be entirely free. It would be as if we had never met.

The thought sent a bolt of grief through me as Ulgar swiped again. His claws sliced down my side and I could not help but cry out and lash at him instinctively as my body fought against me to defend itself. I caught him on the upper arm, opening a gash that oozed blood, before I managed to regain control and forced my hand down again.

Although it violated everything in me, I had to let him finish me. It was the only thing that would free Clay and set everything right again. Ulgar would not be able to conceal my death. It would mean the end for us both. Finally, he would be punished for his crimes against Clay and the humans; the penalty for killing a high alpha outside of a tournament was life imprisonment.

But before he dealt the final blow, he stopped and retreated. He watched me, blood dripping from his hands, his brow deeply furrowed.

“Why are you not fighting back?” he snarled.

I slumped down to the floor, and he circled, watching. His narrow eyes ran over me and then he tilted his head and tasted the air. His lips curled.

“The omega’s scent is weak on you,” he said. “Has it tired of you already? I heard it rejected you, but I did not believe it was true. How could an omega reject an alpha?”

Disgust dripped from his voice as he circled, watching me bleed. I needed to provoke him into making the last killing blow, but my energy leaked out with my blood.

“You were never alpha enough to tame the human. Pathetic. Weak. Sentimental. The omega needs a true alpha to break him.” He raised a brow. “Where is the omega now? I thought you would have learned not to leave it alone. It does not matter, I will take him when you are dead.”

I coughed, sending lances of pain through my body. “You will never have him. He is gone.”

Ulgar stopped pacing. “Gone?”

I smiled weakly. “I let him go. With the rest of his crew. They are all gone.”

His eyes widened. “You did what?”

His expression made my smile widen with cold satisfaction. Even with everything that had happened, and my imminent death, I took joy in this. Clay and the humans were safe, our bond would end, and Ulgar would be punished and prevented from causing any more harm. And I would be at peace knowing I had finally done the right thing. It was the best possible outcome for everyone.

Suddenly, there was a lurch inside me and the bond jumped. It felt as though someone was pulling on a wire wrapped around my lungs, stretching and constricting them. Clay must have reached the wormhole with his crew.

I tried to let the satisfaction of that calm me in my last moments, but I could not help the sadness washing through me at the life I could have had with Clay, but would never get. I closed my eyes and let my memories of him fill my mind. His joy flying the jet. His arousal igniting a fire in me. His laugh. His smile. The fierceness in his soul. So sweet. So defiant. So perfectly imperfect. So…Clay.

“You will never be able to hurt anyone again,” I said.

There was a pause. “Is that what you think I was doing with the humans? Hurting them? Do you have any idea what you have done?”

What was he talking about? I opened my eyes to see his, burning into me, alight with hatred.

“Those humans have a higher purpose. My work with them is vital, ” he spat.

“Your work?” I frowned. I had assumed he kept the humans to carry out his sadistic pleasures, torturing and playing with them as he pleased. But was there a different reason?

I remembered the way Tarro had creased in pain and refused to speak to me. In the drama with Clay, I had all but forgotten about him.

“What were you doing with them?” I asked. “And what have you done to Tarro?”

He kicked savagely, slamming his foot into my side. I curled up, screwing my eyes closed in pain as he snarled. “You have ruined everything. I was so close.”

What was he talking about? My chest would not allow enough air in to speak. He kicked me again, burying his foot in my stomach. I fought not to be sick. He grasped my throat and lifted me partially off the floor. I struggled to draw in air, my mouth opening soundlessly. He struck me in the face. My world spun on its axis and I went limp in his grip.

This was it. My life was over. I did not know what his plans were, but it did not matter. I had stopped them. He raised his hand, and I tensed, awaiting the killing blow.

But it did not come. Instead, he leaned low into my face, his hot breath brushing against my cheek as I choked. I squinted up at him through hazy eyes as he shook his head in disgust.

“You formed a soul bond with the human, and then let it go. You really must have lost your mind.” His brow creased, utterly confused. “Why would you ensure that you live the rest of your life in utter misery?”

I wanted to tell him that my life would never be as miserable as his. That I had felt love. But I could not draw air past his fist.

He hissed into my face. “You are selfish as well as stupid. Why claim the omega for yourself if you will not put him to proper use? He could have been mine .” He paused. “You are a disgrace to our race. Luckily for you, that will not be the case for much longer.”

As the darkness closed in around me, I closed my eyes and brought the last image I wished to see to my mind. Clay, with his startling blue eyes wide and his lips in an open-mouthed grin, looking at me with pure joy.

Live well, my omega. Know that you were loved.