The Alpha's Gamble - Chapter 67: Chapter 67

NOAH
Onyx managed to catch a scent, and we followed it around town until we traced her steps to Tilly’s house. I stood outside the door, my skin crawling from having to knock on the door and see her face, but Maddie’s scent was strongest here, which meant she stayed here for a while.
“Noah, what a pleasure,” the door opened, and I met Mrs. Walker on her way out.
Bags hung from her hands, a suitcase stood packed in the hallway, and a framed family picture lay on top of the braided beach bag filled to the brim.
“Are you going somewhere?”
Her cheeks flushed for a moment, and she gazed into the house.
“We’re taking the kids on a little family vacation, you see. It’s close to finals, and they are stressed trying to figure out what to do next.”
Huh, packing valuables and family memorabilia doesn’t seem like vacation essentials.
“I hope you have a good time, but before I let you go, I need to know where Tilly is right now.”
I stepped closer, lowered my voice, and pushed the familiarity away to make room for the authority I needed her to answer to.
The flabbergasted look on Mrs. Walker’s face and the silence on her lips were pushing my patience to the limit.
“And I need you to tell me this instant.”
“Noah, you know these girls, I don’t keep—” I stepped closer, and she gulped, not understanding the extent I was willing to go to to find her daughter. I could bet my wolf on the fact that wherever Tilly was, Maddie was too.
“She’s in the woods, over by the old food cellar, but she’s coming home soon.”
I glanced at the other two suitcases around the corner of the stairs and flicked my eyes over the frightened mother.
“I’m going to need you to stay put for the time being. No traveling out of the pack, is that clear?”
Once again, her throat bobbed, and she fisted the straps of the bags.
“Yes, of course.”
Good. Now let’s get our fucking girl and hopefully not murder some little bitch on the way.
I thought about shifting but decided against it. I didn’t need the fangs and claws right now; they’d just guarantee blood and death.
The second I was over the forest line, I could smell her, but Tilly wasn’t the only one I sensed. There were more people with her, but I couldn’t make out who it was.
When I got closer I could hear their voices, somewhat muffled and frightened, but I could discern which voice belonged to who and, no, Tilly wasn’t alone. Landon was there. Onyx pushed up against me for a front-row seat and I could feel his eagerness to shift.
“Fine,” I said and relinquished control, allowing Onyx to take over.
“Finally.”
We shifted and we fucking ran toward the voices. Toward the cellar. Toward them.
It didn’t take more than a few seconds before Onyx dug his claws into the dirt and leapt off the ground, jumping down in front of the door and snarling at the three people who turned their heads and gawked in fear. Landon dropped a shovel. Tilly stepped back and clutched her chest. A phone fell from her grip, and she gasped. The third one, I should’ve known—Olivia. She froze in her spot, every muscle in her body stiffened.
Onyx snarled, and they all moved back, and now I could finally smell her. Maddie’s scent lingered around the grounds of the cellar, and when Onyx turned his head, looked at the door, and through the enforced wooden panels, I could sense her. Strongly.
“Noah,” Olivia giggled nervously and tried to take a step. He bit the air, aiming for her hand, and she pulled it back with a look of horror spreading in her eyes.
Landon was looking at me like I’d betrayed him, but he had no idea the things I would’ve done had there not been witnesses. I listened in to hear her heartbeat but what I heard fucking terrified me. Her heart was racing like she was living a nightmare, and she probably was. Like the truth I pulled from her in the gym—she’s terrified of the dark, of being locked away.
I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all.
Onyx backed up and raised his hind leg, summoning his strength as he kicked the door. After two kicks that had enough force to kill any human or wolf, the doors started to budge.
But Olivia had other plans. She shifted and lunged at me. A vicious snarl rippled from her lips, and she bared her fangs.
“Olivia!” Tilly screeched but made no motion to interfere.
Her wolf tried to bite at our side and knock us down, but the bitch was fighting her future Alpha.
“Fuck,” Landon dragged his hand over his face. His eyes were red with deep, dark circles underneath, indicating a lack of sleep and nutrition. My eyes had been on Maddie all this time, I hadn’t thought to keep tabs on the others. Landon was the rising Beta, meant to take my side when I rose to take the title. After the pushback from my father, the Beta title was put on hold as well. That might’ve been the best thing that could’ve happened.
Onyx grew tired of the fight within five minutes. There was no challenge in it for him; one bite and Olivia would’ve been killed.
Instead, his voice roared through the mind link and forced Olivia’s wolf into submission.
I could tell that she was fighting it, fighting with her wolf, and fighting with herself to oppose the order. But at the end of the day, a wolf only listens to its Alpha, and though I may not be one yet, the authority is still clear. Maybe not to Olivia, but certainly to her wolf.
Olivia fell on the ground, naked and raging, cussing me out for having forced her shift and screaming at her wolf to not disobey her. But her orders meant nothing in the face of mine.
She looked up at me, eyes burning with a wild rage and bared teeth that looked ready to snap a finger off.
“Your little bitch has been crying to be saved. She’s eighteen today, no? Where’s her wolf, Noah? Can you be with a human? The shame that will fall on you when people find out," She bit out a laugh and stood on a weak knee. "But don’t worry, I'll be here when you come to your senses.”