The Alpha’s Dark Revenge

Annalise’s POV

My eyes darted toward the gates for the hundredth time today as I tried to keep myself busy with organising the training ground. It was still quite early in the morning. It wasn’t the first time he was doing this but that didn’t change how furious I felt. I had awakened this morning to see that Nikolai was nowhere to be found, and I knew he didn’t have any business meetings because he would have told me. When I didn’t find his car as well I knew he had done it again.

He would just leave all of a sudden unannounced. Sometimes I wondered if I would keep bothering to try if we weren’t blood related. Everything had changed when his mate had died. He had gone from loving and engaging to cold and passive, and I understood why. I wanted to be there for him, we all did. But he pushed everyone away. Sometimes I couldn’t recognise the cold-hearted person he had become.

But the day Elle had died, I had sworn never to give up on Nikolai, no matter how much I wanted to, or how much he pushed me away. Because no matter how much he changed, I had faith that my cousin and best friend was still in there somewhere. And so I stayed.

As my eyes strayed to the gates again, I saw a limp figure push through them, sway on the spot for a few moments and then collapse. I sped forward when I recognized the figure as Nikolai. I gasped in shock when I saw his battered face. I quickly mindlinked Colton and the others, turning Nikolai’s limp body to the side so it would be easier for us to carry him inside. It was then that I saw the silver dagger buried in his abdomen.

***

“Shit. No, no, no,” I raked my fingers through my hair, pacing round the room. “What do you mean you can’t heal him?” I asked the Healer the for the third time in the past ten minutes.

She sighed, replacing the hot towel she had placed on Nikolai’s forehead. “His wolf is just too weak, it’s dying slowly. And if his healing abilities aren’t even a little bit active, everything else will be in vain.”

I felt tears about to swarm my eyes. We couldn’t lose our Alpha. I had no idea what to do. I tried to control my shaky hands. “So what do we do, now?” I asked, glancing up the rest of the pack members.

Colton heaved a sigh. “We could search for a different healer to come try…”

“Or maybe just wait for him to heal on his own,” Scott added.

I glared at him. “Don’t you see the silver is killing him?!” I snapped, more sharply than I had intended to.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

“I-I’m sorry, I just don’t know how…”

I raised my head sharply, a memory flashing through my mind. That girl. That prisoner girl had healed Jeremy somehow the day he had that bad fall. Maybe…

I shook my head. Nikolai would be furious. We couldn’t…

“What are you thinking of?” Scott asked, eyeing me curiously.

I sighed. “It’s an extremely terrible idea. The consequences would be dire.”

The Healer turned to me. “Let’s hear it, he’s dying slowly.”

I nodded, quickly recounting to them everything that had happened between the prisoner girl and my son. When I got to my suggestion, their eyes widened in surprise.

Colton spoke first. “He’s going to have us all executed.”

I rubbed my forehead. “I know, I know. That’s why I said it was a bad idea. If he even finds out she was anywhere near him he would flip.”

I felt like tearing at my hair. This was exactly why I needed Drew around. I couldn’t make these type of decisions on my own, it was extremely difficult. Drew would know how to handle it, what to do. I felt so helpless. Casting one more look at Nikolai’s helpless form, I made my decision.

“We’ll have to bring her up.”

The rest nodded.

Just then Elyan walked in and I briefly walked him through everything. He looked like I had just punched him in the gut when I told him about my plan. And I was so nervous that I nearly laughed at his horrified expression. When I was done, he nodded. “We need to save the Alpha at all costs. But what about the girl?”

My brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You think she’s gonna be willing to help someone who kidnapped and has been torturing her for a while now?”

I froze. I hadn’t thought of that.

“Then we don’t,” Colton said, making both Elyan and I turn to him. He nodded. “She is imprisoned, and in our territory. She wouldn’t dare to question our orders.”

My brows puckered as I thought it through. She was a prisoner, and I’m pretty sure Nikolai’s intimidating presence would have taught her to fear the members of this household by now. And if she tried to play smart, I knew very well how to handle her.

“And the dungeon is dark as a moonless night,” Elyan offered when he saw my brooding expression. “I doubt she would recognise him.”

Everyone was silent for a few moments. My face set, I turned to Elyan. “I’m going to regret this but, take me to her.”

He nodded, leading me as we hurried down the basement.