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CHAPTER TWO

REECE

Reece had been looking forward to a weekend of fun, mischief, and a little chaos with his old friend Trevor and the new toy he’d been bragging about.

The last thing he expected was to find Trevor’s lifeless body sprawled on the bed, his throat viciously torn out.

Blood soaked the sheets, the metallic scent thick in the air, mingling with the scent of Trevor’s alpha musk, now tinged with the unmistakable stench of death.

For a moment, Reece just stood there, frozen in place, staring at the body of the man he’d known for years.

They’d been through so much together—fights, hunts, the kind of debauchery only two like-minded alphas could indulge in.

Now, all that was left of Trevor was a bloody corpse, his eyes wide open in a vacant, lifeless stare.

Rage began to simmer inside Reece, slowly at first, like a pot beginning to boil, until it exploded into a full-blown inferno.

The longer he looked at Trevor, the more the anger festered, curling through him like a poisonous vine.

There was only one thought on his mind: Nathan, the omega Trevor had recently acquired, had done this.

The little ungrateful traitor.

Reece clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

There were only two scents in the cabin: Trevor’s and the faint, lingering smell of the omega. Nathan.

The name rolled through Reece’s mind like a curse.

He could picture it now—the fragile omega attacking Trevor when his back was turned, driven by some desperate, foolish need to escape.

The thought only fueled Reece’s anger. Nathan wasn’t just a traitor; he was a coward.

A coward who needed to be taught a lesson about what happened to those who crossed the wrong alpha.

Reece took a deep breath, forcing the rage down to a simmer. He could bury Trevor later; right now, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

The trail was still fresh, and if he acted fast, he could catch Nathan before he got too far.

He needed to find that traitorous little omega and make him pay for what he’d done.

Stepping out of the cabin, Reece surveyed the area with a practiced eye, looking for any sign of where Nathan might have gone.

It didn’t take long to find the faint imprint of small footprints leading away from the back of the cabin and into the dense woods.

Reece curled his lips into a sinister smile. So, the little omega had run into the forest, thinking he could escape. How quaint.

Reece crouched down, inhaling deeply to memorize Nathan’s scent.

It was faint, diluted by the night air and the overwhelming stench of blood from inside, but it was there.

A trace of fear clung to it, making Reece’s pulse quicken in anticipation.

He loved the chase, the thrill of the hunt, especially when the prey was already terrified.

He straightened up and walked back to his motorcycle, the engine growling to life beneath him.

The woods were dense, but there was still a dirt trail he could follow for a while.

Nathan might think he had a head start, but Reece knew better. An omega was no match for an alpha, especially not in a hunt.

Reece had hunted down plenty of prey in his time, and Nathan would be no different.

As he sped down the trail, the wind whipping past him, Reece’s mind wandered back to the phone call he’d had with Trevor a few days ago.

Trevor had been so smug, talking about how he’d finally found himself a new omega, one with a spirit that needed breaking.

Trevor had mentioned that Nathan was born and raised in a trailer park a few towns over.

A meek little thing with no real experience, certainly not in moving through the woods.

Reece’s smirk widened as he imagined Nathan stumbling through the underbrush, sweating and panicked, running from him like a frightened prey animal.

The thought made his blood race, the primal part of his alpha nature reveling in the anticipation.

Trevor and he had always enjoyed playing with their prey before delivering the final blow, and Nathan would be no different.

Trevor might be dead, but Reece would make sure his old friend’s legacy lived on.

The dirt trail ended abruptly, the path swallowed up by the dense forest. Reece growled in frustration, but he wasn’t surprised.

The woods had grown thicker, the trees looming tall and dark around him.

He’d have to abandon his motorcycle and continue on foot from here, but that was fine.

He could move faster and quieter without the bike anyway. Dismounting, Reece took a moment to orient himself, his sharp eyes scanning the area.

He could still catch faint whiffs of Nathan’s scent, but it was weaker now, scattered by the wind and the terrain.

Reece didn’t mind, though.

The hunt wasn’t just about the kill; it was about the chase, about drawing it out and savoring every moment of fear and desperation from his prey.

He moved swiftly through the underbrush, his boots crunching softly on the leaves and twigs beneath him.

He was focused, every sense attuned to the forest around him, searching for any sign of Nathan.

The little omega couldn’t have gone far.

Reece could practically feel his presence, the faint echoes of his fear thrumming through the air.

When Reece reached the edge of the ravine, he scowled in frustration.

The cliff was steep, the drop at least thirty feet, with jagged rocks jutting out from the sides.

An alpha shifter could survive a jump like this, but an omega?

Reece doubted it. Still, something told him to keep searching, to look more closely.

His instincts were right. Squinting against the darkness, Reece could just make out a shadowy form down the ravine, half-hidden by the underbrush.

His eyes widened, and then he smirked. So, Nathan had jumped, after all. Brave, for an omega. Or maybe just stupid.

Reece took a step closer to the edge, his gaze fixed on the shadow below.

The game would be ruined if Nathan died by accident, and Reece wasn’t about to let that happen.

The omega might have jumped, but it didn’t look like he was moving much now. Injured, most likely, but alive.

That was good. Reece wanted him alive, at least for a little while longer.

He took a deep breath, letting the excitement build inside him.

This was going to be fun. The chase had only just begun, and Reece intended to enjoy every second of it.

He would find Nathan, drag him back to the cabin, and make him pay for what he’d done to Trevor.

The thought of the omega’s fear, his desperation, as he realized there was no escape, made Reece’s heart race with anticipation.

Reece backed away from the edge, turning his attention to the safest way down the ravine. He needed to be careful.

One wrong move, and he could end up as a broken heap at the bottom, just like his prey. But Reece was no fool.

He’d hunted in rougher terrain before and come out unscathed. This would be no different.

He found a narrow path winding down the side of the ravine, barely visible in the darkness.

It was treacherous, but it would get him to the bottom in one piece.

Reece started down the path, moving with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

His senses were sharp, attuned to the slightest sound or movement, but all he could hear was the faint rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of insects.

As he descended, the shadow at the bottom of the ravine became clearer, taking shape as he drew closer.

It was definitely Nathan, curled up in the underbrush, his body trembling.

Reece could smell the fear coming off him in waves, mixed with the metallic tang of blood.

The omega was hurt, but not dead. Not yet.

Reece’s heart pounded with excitement as he reached the bottom of the ravine, his eyes locked on Nathan’s prone form.

The omega didn’t seem to notice him at first, too busy trying to catch his breath, his eyes wide with pain and terror.

Reece’s lips curled into a sneer. Pathetic.

He took a slow, deliberate step forward, the sound of his boot crunching on the gravel startling Nathan.

The omega’s head snapped up, his eyes widening as they locked onto Reece.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the silence between them heavy with tension.

Then Reece smiled, a slow, sinister grin that showed far too many teeth.

“You really thought you could run from me, didn’t you?” His voice was low, almost a purr, laced with dark amusement. “I’ll give you credit, Nathan. You’ve got guts. But this game is over.”

Nathan’s eyes filled with horror as Reece advanced, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator toying with its prey.

The omega tried to scramble back, but his body refused to cooperate, too battered and exhausted to do more than twitch.

Reece crouched down in front of him, his smile widening as he reached out and grabbed Nathan by the collar, hauling him up to eye level.

“You killed Trevor,” he hissed, his voice dripping with venom. “And now, you’re going to pay for that. Every. Last. Drop.”

Nathan whimpered, his body trembling uncontrollably, but Reece only tightened his grip, his smile fading into something colder, more dangerous.

He had plans for this omega, plans that involved a lot of pain and suffering. Trevor would be avenged.