Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 101: 101

POV Fenrir Dăneşti

"My mate was kidnapped, taken by her former pack," I said, running a hand through my hair and feeling the anguish hit me, the absence of her warmth that I always identified in my chest when she was near. There was nothing there anymore. "For months, we've faced the cruelty of our enemies. We’ve suffered painful losses, seen loved ones ripped from us, while our territory was invaded and our security violated." My voice echoed through the empty clearing, carried by the wind. "Anton, one of our brave warriors, one of my most trusted men and my right hand, was the last to fall, thanks to Marilyn's betrayal, to whom I made sure to give an dishonorable death and condemn her soul to wander the forest, never to step foot in the valley of the dead," mentioning the she-wolf's name reignited the rage inside me. My desire was to dig her up just to have the pleasure of dismembering her body until there was nothing left of her. "I won’t let them take another one of us, I won’t let Anton’s death be in vain or let my mate suffer. We’ll bring Savannah home."

"For Anton!" one of them shouted, and the others followed.

They were laments, cries for justice and revenge.

"We'll gather our forces, not just as wolves, but as a family united by blood and loyalty, as Dăneşti. And we will march against them, decimating them. For honor, for justice, for Anton, for Savannah, and for all those we've lost along the way."

The winter breeze blew across my face, tossing my hair. I gazed at the sky, admiring the owls that flew overhead, as if nature agreed with the massacre we were planning, with our vengeance.

I would bring justice with my own hands.

"For Dăneşti, until our last breath!" the voices resonated in unison, echoing through the forest, blending with the low howl of the wind.

With a simple smile, I waved at them, satisfied. They had the same sense of justice as I did, they wanted to avenge Anton's death and recover my mate.

"Will we leave survivors behind?" asked one of the wolves.

I pressed my lips together and placed my hands in my pockets.

"Only females and pups who seem innocent and show hatred for the pack, just as Savannah always hated them."

She never showed otherwise, and she was always consistent with my idea of death for all of them, not caring about their futures.

"What if they show the opposite?" asked Andrei.

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth hard, making the muscle in my jaw crack and a furrow appear on my forehead.

"Then kill them all, until there’s no one left." I took a deep breath. "I promised to decimate the pack, to bring chaos to Earth, and I will keep my promise. If there are no innocents, there is no forgiveness for anyone. Eclipse and Twilight will cease to exist."

The lights in the village center were on, and the voices of the remaining members, mixed with Anton’s favorite songs, reverberated toward us.

"When will we leave?" someone asked.

I ran my eyes over them, fixing them.

"Now. We have no time to lose."

They did not contest my orders for a moment, nor question my motives. They knew I was going to avenge my best friend, but above all, rescue my mate, and as loyal members, they would follow me blindly.

They scattered, returning to their homes to gather their things and say goodbye to their families.

It was a war, and some of them might never return home, but still, they would follow me.

I turned to the forest and faced the expanse of trees, analyzing the depth of the path we would have to travel. There was nothing at home that interested me; everything I needed was lost somewhere.

I tilted my head to the side.

"Alexandra?" I called.

She took a step toward me.

"I don’t want anyone near my room, no one near the nest that Savannah made. It must be exactly as she left it when she returns," I ordered.

I understood the desperation Savannah had felt, the deep and absolute pain she felt that left me dizzy. It wasn’t because Hunter showed up or because she was being captured, it was because she saw Anton die, because she witnessed the last breath of the wolf.

She had suffered too much and witnessed a traumatic death. When I carried her back home, I wanted things to be as they were before, as she remembered them. And she had an attachment to that nest; she wanted to keep everything exactly as she left it.

"No one will dismantle anything, don’t worry."

I nodded, shaking my head and refocused on the ancient Carpathian forest, which hid so many secrets, carried so many deaths, and had the soil marked with blood.

"If Ileana and Petronela spoke of..." The voice died, as if it couldn’t handle the name of the traitor she-wolf on the tip of her tongue.

"Kill them," I cut in, irritated. "I’ve given my orders, and I’ll kill anyone who disobeys them. Marilyn will be forgotten, just as I promised her while I killed her and buried her in the forest with no honor."

Her betrayal burned through my veins. I blamed myself for believing in her, for failing as an alpha and allowing important people to die, because of her character flaw that I couldn’t identify in time.

I was a fool, manipulable, blind, so naive that I allowed the betrayal to root itself in my pack. And I would have to live with it for the rest of my life.

I failed as a leader, as a protector of the Dăneşti. My blind trust in Marilyn opened the door to tragedy, to the loss of precious lives that could never be recovered.

People died because of her obsession, her ambition, and my naivety.

I let out a frustrated sigh.

How could I have been so weak, so foolish?

There were no excuses, no forgiveness for my failures. I was the alpha, the pack leader, and I had failed to protect those I swore to defend.

But I wouldn’t let Marilyn take any more. I swore to myself, with every fiber of my being, that I would rescue Savannah and bring her home, to my side, where she belonged.

"I’ll take great pleasure in killing them then," the she-wolf said, growling her anger.

I opened my mouth to speak to Alexandra when I felt the comforting warmth in my chest. I placed a hand over it, massaging it, and took staggered steps, being led by an invisible thread of the connection that bound me to the omega.

It was her.

I felt the taste of her fear prickling at the tip of my tongue, leaving a sour taste.

It wasn’t strong, but she was there, still connected to me, sharing the same life line as I, carrying my heart with her.

I let out a low growl, swallowing her fear. I squinted and took a deep breath, trying to reach her.

She was alive, and she didn’t seem to be hurt; the fear she felt was emotional, there was no physical pain present.

"I’m coming to you, little wolf. I’m coming for you," I whispered softly.

Alexandra’s hand touched my shoulder, feeling the rigidity of my body, the tension settled in all my muscles.

"Is everything alright?" she asked in a murmur. "Are you feeling Sava?"

The warmth disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

I adjusted myself, breathing heavily, not taking my eyes off the forest.

"She woke up, but didn’t stay like that for long," I revealed. "Savannah is scared and in pain, but she’s not hurt, at least not physically. I think she’s suffering for Anton, that’s why she emanates so much pain."

I rubbed my hair, feeling frustrated and desperate. Her suffering reflected in me, eating me from the inside. My beast, my most primal part, seemed disturbed, ready to burn the world, to kill them all, to get dirty with their blood, and carry so many deaths in my hands that it would be impossible to count.

The desperation was tangible, primal, as if something was wrong, as if something was missing. I needed Savannah by my side, I had to have her with me.

The fear of losing her was overwhelming, a dark shadow that hung over me with every passing second. I could feel the pressure in my lungs, the tightness in my chest, and every second felt like an eternity.

"Sabe onde ela está?"

I stared at Alexandra, gasping.

"Not completely, but I think we already have a direction to follow." I turned east. "And we won't stop until we reach her, even if it takes moving heaven and earth." I looked at Alexandra. "Take care of my pack while I bring our queen back home."