Chapter 4

Rafael’s POV

“What!” I banged my table and stood up, eyes wide and unbelieving.

I was not certain if I had heard right, “When?”

“A couple of minutes ago,” Beta Ted muttered.

I exhaled deeply, “Where is she?”

“In the guest room,” he responded stiffly.

I glared at him, I gave him one simple instruction and he had failed woefully in that aspect, “How did that happen? How!” my voice boomed across the study.

Beta Ted remained fixed to the ground where he stood, his head drooped low and his fingers were clasped in front of him, “Punish me alpha, I have failed you!” He yelled with enthusiasm.

I snarled as I looked away from him.

How could this happen under my nose? I still could not fathom that, who would have the nerves to do something like that?

I bumped into him on my way out, sending him reeling to the side. I would deal with his failure later, right now, I had many pressing concerns.

Maids were trooping in and out of the guest room when I arrived there.

I pushed open the door without knocking, my eyes immediately scanning the room.

There was a table and chair neatly tucked in one corner and then a king-sized bed smack dab in the center of the room, there she was… her blonde hair and pale white skin still stirring me.

“How is she?” I asked the man in a white lab coat kneeling at her side and examining her arm. 

“She–”

“I almost died!” she yelled, cutting him off. “What did I do to deserve such an attack?” her voice quivered as she spoke.

“Leave us,” I said to the doctor.

He nodded and packed up his things and shuffled out of the room.

“Let me see,” I came closer.

“No,” she withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back, “You will think that I am ugly now, you will not want me anymore.”

My gaze narrowed further and I closed the distance and sat by her side, “Let me see,” I reached for her hand, not giving her the choice to refuse.

She sniffled as her restraint broke and she let me take her arm.

There were four livid slashes across her left forearm, it looked like some ointment had been applied to it but it still looked crass.

“Who did this?” my voice dropped dangerously low as rage stirred within me now.

Who in the five kingdoms would have the balls to attack a woman that I just claimed as mine? Who the fuck was that?

“I don’t know who she was, but she was hell bent on killing me, I don’t know what I even did to her.”

“A she?”

“Yes,” she nodded as she fought back tears, “It happened so fast, I don’t even know where she came from!”

“What did she look like?” I queried hastily, my entire body shaking dangerously. I wanted to rip out the heart of the perpetrator and place it on a spike, this had to be avenged.

She sniffled some more as the tears streaked down her face.

I put my arm across her shoulder and pulled her close to me, “It’s okay, you are safe now, no one can hurt you anymore. Tell me what she looked like,” I used my free left hand and gently rubbed off the tears from her cheeks.

“She was putting on a flowery red dress, around my height, devilish black hair and eyes that burned with hatred…”

An image was forming in my head as I heard the description, could it be who I was thinking it was?

“I have never seen such a savage before, is this what the Crescent Scythe pack is like?” 

 A low growl escaped my throat, Lacy? Why would Lacy do a thing like this? Had she lost her mind?

“She said… she said, I didn’t deserve to be yours,” she fell into my chest and began sobbing again.

My entire body shook, Lacy dared to say that? On what planet did she think she had the right to make such a claim?

“Beta Ted!” I roared.

Rosa stiffened and clutched me even more tightly.

Ted ran in hastily, “Yes alpha.”

“Get me that Lacy bitch, drag her here if you have to!”

He nodded and dashed out.

“Excuse me a moment,” I said as I untangled myself from her.

She held on, “Please don’t go, stay with me.”

“No, this has to be done now… I cannot allow this to happen again.”

Against her soft protestations, I left her side and stormed out to the door, then I stopped and looked back, “Put on something nice… you are joining me.”

She stopped sobbing and looked at me with her big round eyes, “What?”

“It’s time to let everyone know… I have found my luna!”

****

Lacy was on her knees in the center of the square when Rosa and I got there. The pack had already gathered as instructed and so had the council of elders.

It angered me that she was still putting on the flowery red dress – a dress I had personally bought for her, the same dress she wore when she assaulted my destined mate… the nerve….

As soon as we climbed the podium, all the hushed whispers died down and the place was completely silent.

“A pack needs two things Strength and Nurturing – a pack needs an alpha and a Luna. And today, I am happy to announce to you that I have found mine!”

There was a thunderous round of applause and drumming that followed and I smiled as I basked in the praise.

When it had gone on long enough, I raised my right hand and the applause and hooting died down, “But there is one that seeks to destroy the unity and future of this pack…”

There was a collective gasp from the crowd.

“One who dared to attack what was sacred…” my voice was picking up steam as my rage built back up.

“Lacy Cage for the crime of attempting to kill your future luna… you have been banished from the Crescent Scythe pack!”