Chapter Seven

Lance POV

My blood boils, and I am filled with rage.

"Who does this Rachel think she is?!" I yell to Thom, our beta.

"I am the alpha. Me. Lance. I say no to people. They do not say no to me."

"I know," Thom agrees.

"I should have killed her just for leaving. I should have killed her the moment her response to my proposal was to profess her love for another."

"You couldn't have known--

"And now, she's run off with that rogue," I continue. "And that-- that's worthy of a fate worse than death."

I growl under my breath.

Parker.

Of course.

"How could I have been so blind?!" I yell, angerly swiping a glass off a nearby table.

"I should have seen this coming. It was Parker that helped her escape my grasp. It was Parker, that told her to run."

"Lance," he says. "It's okay. You are the alpha. You have your choice of mates. Rachel--she never deserved you anyway."

I know he's right, but I cannot help feeling angry anyway. Angry at Parker. Angry at myself for allowing it to happen.

I can't let this go.

The girl will be mine. No matter what.

I leave Thom and walk out into the woods.

Sheila finds me there. She tries to calm me down, but it only makes me angrier.

"Lance," she says. "Lance, what's wrong?"

I don't answer her, I just continue to stare at her.

She knows what's wrong.

She's the one who set this whole thing in motion.

I look at her with hatred--a with rage.

And I wonder if I am about to lose it.

I wonder if I am about to kill her.

"Get away from me" I growl.

"Lance, what's going on?" she asks.

She sees the anger in my eyes, and she is scared. I can tell.

I charge at her.

She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know how to respond.

She knows I'm in pain. She knows I'm in agony.

But she doesn't know I'm going to kill her.

She doesn't know until it's too late.

*

I stare at her body, lying there by my feet.

I howl.

I throw my body at the trees. I tear at them. I try to pull the earth right out from under me.

I try to break everything because I am angry.

I am mad at Rachel and Parker.

I am mad at Shelia for trying to calm me down and for dying like that.

But mostly, I am mad at myself for letting Rachel humiliate me like this.

Rachel had no right to leave. She had no right to choose anything.

I am the alpha.

And that means she has no choice. I am the one with the choices.

I run back to camp.

I do not hide my presence.

I do not try to sneak.

I want my pack to see me. I want my pack to see this.

I want Rachel to see me.

I want to make sure she knows--

I want to make sure she knows that she cannot escape.

But she has escaped.

She's gone.

"Listen to me," I yell.

The pack freezes. They stop what they're doing and listen.

"I'm going to find her. I'm going to bring her back here, and if any of you try to stop me, I will kill you. And if you doubt that, even for a second, go look what happened to Sheila."

They stare at me in horror, but I don't care. I want them to be afraid. Just like I want Parker to be afraid.

And he should be-- I am coming to kill him.

But I won't kill Rachel. Not right away.

I will find her and bring her back to the pack. I will let her think things are forgiven. I will let her think I still want her as my mate.

And then, as soon as she starts to feel safe, I will kill her. I will kill her in front of all of them.

I will kill her as a warning to everyone else in the pack of what will happen if you dare to betray your alpha.

*

I am getting closer to Parker. I can feel it.

I can feel his fear.

I'm close. And we both know it.

I round a corner, and there he is. Parker. Sleeping in a small tree, about fifty yards off the edge of the path.

Rachel is lying there beside him, and I feel my stomach churn at the sight of her.

"Parker," I growl as I approach him.

But then I stop. I don't want to kill him now. Not in his sleep. That would spoil the fun.

I want him to know that I'm coming to kill him.

I want him to see it coming, and I want him to know why.

Suddenly, I am calm and completely in control.

I am no longer angry.

I am the alpha, and I am going to get my revenge.

I move through the trees quietly.I do not have to be quiet. I know Parker can't hear me.

I know that he is asleep.

But I am the alpha.

And I want to show him who is in charge.

I am close to Parker now, close enough now that I can hear him breathe.

In this moment, I am aware of my muscles. I am aware of my strength.

And I am aware of the fact that I could kill Parker right now.

For a moment, I am tempted, but I know it would just be a temporary pleasure. It would not truly quench my rage.

And so, I return to my spot behind the tree and let him sleep.