Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Blood in the Water
RAMON’S POV
She picked an option I didn’t even have in mind. The words hung in the quiet garden air, simple yet cutting deep. What I thought of was castrating them in front of all my wolves, and then killing them slowly. Making an example that would echo through every pack.
She turned it up a notch. She wants me to give them a taste of their own medicine. The poison plant. Her voice had been steady when she said it, her eyes clear and unflinching in the moonlight.
I couldn’t believe I was hearing those words from her. They sounded like the description her best friend had painted. Not the Sonia I had observed for months. The gentle girl who healed with songs and soft hands. Problem was, I liked that answer. Maybe a little too much. It made my blood sizzle, and got my wolf excited. The darkness in me stirred, hungry for the justice she suggested. The thought of watching the traitors suffer the same slow death they tried to give my pack sent a dark thrill through my veins.
The last two days had been dangerous. Mostly because I was getting to know Sonia more than I should. With everything I saw, she was a complex woman. There were depths upon depths to her. You wouldn’t even scratch the surface just by looking at her. One moment she was trembling and vulnerable, the next she offered cold, calculated vengeance with the calm of someone who had seen too much.
On their own accord, my hand reached out and cupped her face. My fingers caressed her lips. They were soft, and pretty, still slightly swollen from our earlier kisses. Her doe eyes bulged, and she appeared startled at my hand’s movement.
The warmth of her skin under my palm sent a fresh wave of heat through me. I was noticing a worrying pattern. I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Everytime she was close, I needed to touch her. I needed to sniff her intoxicating scent. She was a drug, and I was on a high. I just couldn’t get enough of her.
A tempting force pushed me forward, as I grabbed a fistful of her hair, and buried my nose in it. The strands were soft and slightly messy from the day’s work, carrying the faint scent of herbs and river water. I began to sniff. She smelled like cherries.
Then an undertone that I could never figure out. It was just her natural scent, I thought. Sweet and warm, pulling me deeper with every breath. My wolf growled low in approval, urging me closer.
"You smell amazing," I whispered, unable to hold the words in.
My voice came out rough, thick with need. I could sniff her all day, if given the opportunity. If jobless, with nothing else to do. Even with plenty to do tonight, like for example, continuing the investigations, I still wanted to keep sniffing her.
She began to make noises at the back of her throat. They were a mixture of moans, and sighs of pleasure. Soft, breathy sounds that went straight to my core. She liked being sniffed. She wanted me to do more. Her body leaned into mine, trembling slightly under my touch.
Her response compelled me to move to her face, and then her neck. Sniffing down as I went. My nose traced the warm curve of her throat, inhaling the pulse beating wildly there.
My hands rested roughly on her chest. The fabric of her dress felt thin under my palms, her heartbeat thundering against them. With my knees, I parted her legs, as my face continued down. I needed to sniff in-between her legs. I needed that scent to carry me through the night.
But just as my hand found her thighs, warm and trembling under my fingers, a knock sounded on the door. The sharp sound shattered the moment like breaking glass. I understood the men of the old that went berserk in the battleground, and killed everyone.
Because I felt the same way. It wouldn’t have taken anything to postpone whatever it was for at least five more minutes. My body burned with frustration, muscles tight and aching with unspent need.
I almost groaned out in frustration, at being so inconsiderably interrupted. The knock came again, more urgent this time.
"Alpha Ramon!" I heard a voice call. It was Blane’s.
My eyes darkened, as I swiftly whipped my head behind. Hopping off the bed, I marched towards the door, and pulled it open. The hinges almost came off the door, as Blane stumbled into the room. His face was pale, eyes wide with urgency.
When I looked behind me, following his eyes, I found Sonia covered up. She had taken my covers, and dragged it over her body. The sheets pooled around her, hiding her from view. My heart swelled with pride. I may have gifted her to Blane, but going forward, and as long as she was in this pack, she belonged to me. The thought settled deep, possessive and certain.
"What do you want, Blane?" I asked, not at all shocked to see him.
I was the one who told the guards to release him yesterday. He had taken the time to pull himself together, before returning for duty. His clothes were fresh, but the exhaustion still lingered in his stance.
"We found something," he said. His voice carried a heavy weight, strained with something dark.
I detected the pain in his voice, and wondered why. "It better be important, Blane," I warned. My tone left no room for games.
"It is, alpha." He bowed quickly.
"Stay still, I’ll be right back," I said behind my shoulders to Sonia, as I walked out of the door. The words felt heavier than they should, reluctant to leave her even for a moment.
Blane followed after me, shutting the door behind me with a quiet click. He went ahead of me, leading the way to whatever discovery he had made. The corridors felt longer in the night, torches flickering and casting long shadows that danced across the stone walls.
When we arrived at the rivers, my heart sank, and goosebumps formed on my skin. The night air was cooler here, carrying the metallic scent of blood that overpowered the usual fresh river smell. Daniel was there, trying his hardest not to look at the scene before us. His face was pale, shoulders rigid with tension.
"What the hell is this?!" I growled. The words tore from my throat, raw and furious. The riverbank was stained dark, the water’s edge murky with blood that swirled slowly in the current.
Daniel looked up. He was shivering in fear, like I had never seen before. His hands trembled at his sides. "The moon goddess has returned with a curse upon the waters," he said. His voice cracked, eyes wide with terror.
"Oh shut it, Daniel!" I snapped, the anger boiling over.
"He’s not wrong, but this isn’t the work of the moon goddess. It’s also not a curse, but a threat," Blane said. His tone was steady but grim, eyes scanning the bloody scene.
"Where are the guards that were supposed to be keeping a watch? Did no one see who did this? How is it even possi—" I paused to keep myself from choking from irritation. The metallic smell of blood grew stronger as the breeze shifted, turning my stomach.
"Whose blood do you think is floating in the river?" Blane asked quietly.
I looked again. There was blood everywhere on the banks of the river, down to the river itself. Dark streaks stained the grass and stones, bodies of my wolves lying broken and still along the edge. The water ran red in patches, swirling lazily with the current.
"They killed them," I muttered, my teeth clattering. Rage burned hot through my veins, claws threatening to emerge again.
"Murdered in cold blood," Daniel added. His voice was barely a whisper, filled with horror.
"These people have access to my pack. They’re daring me. Trying to provoke a response out of me. Now I know MoonRay did the first attack, but surely, this cannot also be them. They should be too afraid to try me a second time." The words came out through gritted teeth, my fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms.
"I think the successful attack on Bloodmoon had made other packs bold. We need to remind them who you are. Give the order, and we will." Blane stepped forward, his presence solid and ready beside me.
I turned to my comrade in arms, and my right hand man. In this fight for dominance, they were my biggest allies. I was beginning to realise the battle was beyond an enmity with Silverpaw. These other packs wanted to push for dominance too. Blane was right, they needed to be reminded.
"For the full moon, I want the head of Jack. I want to parade the borders of the seven packs with his blood. His daughter needs to take his place, after all. She’s more sensible than her father could ever be." The order felt right, cold and final in the night air.
Blane and Daniel bowed at the same time. "Your wish, my command," Daniel said, snapping out of his initial fear. Everytime he heard war, his senses tingled pleasantly. His eyes sharpened, the fear replaced by the familiar battle hunger.
I was confident that by the eve of the full moon, I would have MoonRay’s alpha’s head.
