Chapter 19: Anxious

Chapter 19: Anxious Damien I lean back in my chair and let out a long, tired sigh, the relentless whirlwind of my thoughts slowly driving me insane. It’s been a while since I last felt this much pressure, and now, I’m utterly drained, as if every drop of energy has been sucked out of me. Sealing that deal with Alpha Arcanis was undoubtedly a smart move. A carefully crafted ruse. I bet no one expected it to succeed, not with Steven’s infamous reputation. But I had been cultivating my relationship with him for so long, attending to every detail with meticulous precision, that this alliance was bound to happen eventually. All those sickening parties, the endless banquets, the subtle exchange of information, the hunts... and the facade of camaraderie. All of it, endured for one reason alone—to gain his trust, to make him believe that I would protect him. But the truth is far more sinister. I’ve been hiding my true intentions, sharpening a drastically different strategy all this time. And now, I wait, anticipation thick in the air as I expect news of my plan’s success to arrive any minute. I grit my teeth, feeling Aster, my wolf, pacing restlessly inside me, his patience wearing thin. My own nerves are fraying with each passing second. "He should have called you by now," Aster growls, frustration seeping through his voice. "Don’t you think I know that?" I snap back, curling my fingers into tight fists, my nails digging into my palms as tension coils within me. Storm is taking his time. Too much time. Did he betray me? No. He wouldn’t dare. Not for the hefty sum I’ve already paid him. And certainly not for the fortune that awaits him once he delivers Kaya to me. But both Aster and I are feeling strangely anxious, our instincts are telling us that something went wrong. The plan was ridiculously simple. Although Steven agreed to sign the deal, he needed some kind of a guarantee that I am indeed one hundred percent in and will not betray him. I was expecting to offer him many things: money, his share of power, the heads of royal lycans, even... But I wasn’t prepared for what he really coveted. Kaya. When he voiced his demand, I barely contained myself from snapping his neck in half. Kaya belongs to me. Of all the things I have in life, she is my most precious possession. I have been so careful keeping her away from everyone else that I failed to notice that my protectiveness had turned her into the most desirable object for everyone else. And that scumbag Arcanis was one of them. At first, I was firm in my decision to decline his demand. The mere thought of his dirty, clammy hands touching Kaya’s body was making me sick to my stomach. Aster, too, was too possessive to let anyone get near her, but then, it dawned on me––I had gone through so much trouble getting Steven on my side that I could no longer come up with an excuse that could have stopped him from salivating over my possession. Offering Kaya to him on a silver platter meant to show him that my intentions were unwavering. But that was when I came up with a plan that was even better than the previous one. After all, why settle for a measly deal when I could get myself his entire pack instead? Aster rejoiced, and I knew I was onto something amazing. And that was when I came up with this plan. The leader of the Diamond Claw pack was not really difficult to talk to. As soon as I mentioned Alpha Arcanis’s name, Storm’s eyes flickered with excitement. To me, it almost looked like he was more excited to break the alpha’s neck rather than receive quite a substantial sum of money from me. To me, it did not really matter. As long as Kaya could come back to me unharmed. But now... I can’t put my finger on it, but I know deep in my heart that I’ve made a huge mistake. Storm is late with his message, and I can’t really wait any longer. If I am to take Steven’s pack, I need to act fast. My anxious pondering is interrupted by a loud buzzing of my phone. I reluctantly look at the screen, my eyes narrowing as I read the name of the caller. "Bill?" I call the name of one of my betas, my voice lowering involuntarily. "Is there any news?" "There is," Bill replies rather dryly, and I can already feel my blood running cold at the mere tone of his voice. "Alpha Storm is dead." My eyes go wide, my hand is wrapped around my phone so tightly that I don’t even know how it doesn’t snap in half. That’s it, something went wrong. Everything went wrong. Bill keeps talking, but I no longer hear him. My wolf is clawing inside me, growling and howling, demanding to let me set him free. But I am not desperate yet. I don’t give a shit about Storm, I would have killed him myself if it was necessary, but there is still something important I need to know. "Alpha Damien?" Bill sounds as if he has been repeating my name for quite a while, and I finally find it in me to compose myself. "Kaya," I say quietly, but my voice sounds cold even to me. "What happened to her?" "Yeah, about that," he starts carefully, and my eyes go almost black as Aster steps forward. "What?" I growl. "She has been taken by Alpha Reiner." "...What?" I don’t seem to understand human language anymore. "Why the fuck would he take her?" "I have no idea," Bill replies, his voice turning even more cautious. "Jack Stone, Storm’s second-in-command, only sent one message, and that was it. We can no longer reach anyone from the Diamond Claw." I slam my phone into the wall, my chest heaving as I struggle to breathe. Magnus Reiner. Why him? What the fuck does he want with her? And more importantly... why was he near the rogue lands to begin with? My brain is a mess, my wolf is growling at me in rage, but I couldn’t care less. Alpha Reiner. Whatever it is that you’re planning, I will ruin it all. And get Kaya back.