Fatal Justice

† Chapter Nineteen †

We learn lessons from the past, we apply those lessons in the future. 

He knew when the full moon nearly peaked. 

It had started with screaming. God, he didn't think he would ever get the screams out of his head. He could smell the blood, ruthlessly torn from defenseless, innocent bodies of the young. He needed to kill the Norman Alpha, so he couldn't harm anyone else. He had to stop this insanity. 

He cursed Rowan for being late. 

Their plan was supposed to start shortly after dark and although he hadn't seen daylight in many long months, he knew it was dark outside. He knew the moon was shining in all its glory and it had brought his wolf to the surface. He hadn't felt the presence of his wolf for months, the other half of his soul had gone quiet for too long, and he nearly sighed in relief when his wolf's strength flooded his system. 

Every scream only made his claws inch longer and longer. He needed to end this chaos, these sinister crimes being committed while the Council turned a blind eye. He couldn't take it anymore. He was pacing in his cell, flinching with every death. 

He stopped when running footsteps came down the hall. A frown settled on his features when a young boy appeared. It was definitely not Rowan but he could see similar features on the boy. This must be the son, he stood stock-still in the middle of his cell, watching the boy fumble with keyring. 

The boy was young, far too young to be venturing alone on a night like this, and his skin was pale white. He almost felt bad for the boy, as he was sure he looked no different in the face of danger when he was a boy. 

The lock clicked and the boy shoved the door open, it screeched something awful, and he was still frozen. 

"Come on," The boy was nearly panicking, "Momma is in labor and Dad is fighting the Alpha!" 

He moved. Like electricity had ignited his bones, he left his cell behind without a single backward glance. He hoped to never see it again. The boy ran ahead of him, pausing at every corner, and he focused his attention on the panic around them. 

When they reached the outdoor world, it was chaos. Women were crying and screaming, running with bundles of cloth in their arms, but he only saw blood. Some of the men were fighting, trying to protect their mates, but it was almost pointless as an Alpha gone insane beneath the full moon was unstoppable. 

"This way!" The boy tugged his arm and he reluctantly ran away from the main scene of the fight. They followed a dirt road for a few paces, houses with ajar doors looked haunting beneath the silver moonlight, and then he entered one of the houses. He heard a short cry of pain and he smelt more blood, only this time he knew it was birth. 

He almost lost sight of the boy as he bolted up the stairs. He followed as quickly as he could and pushed open the slightly closed door of the first room. A woman with golden chestnut hair was obviously in the middle of birthing her child, another woman at the beside had sweat dribbling from her forehead. The boy ran up to his mother. 

"Momma!" The boy cried out. 

She opened her eyes and looked at her son, "Remi," She breathed a sigh of relief, "Did you do what your father asked?" 

Remi nodded quickly and pointed to him at the door, "Yes, I brought Joel." 

Her eyes snapped to him but he was surprised when she didn't seem to mind his presence, despite how he was sure he looked like a sight to see. If anything, he noticed the females looked less distressed in his presence. As if they knew he would protect them. Maybe he would but he surely wanted the head of the Alpha who tortured them endlessly. 

Suddenly, through all the chaos outside, he heard a howl. 

He knew that voice. 

With a clenched jaw, he moved to the window and just barely moved the curtain aside. His eyes scanned the fleeting shadows, glimpses of terrified eyes, and then he saw her. 

Sutton. 

His sister leisurely walked through the frenzied crowd of women. She seemed utterly unbothered by all the chaos, as if she was on a mission for someone. His soul burned with poisonous hatred as a single image was painfully ingrained in his mind. Sutton had killed his mate. His wolf boiled to the surface and he knew what he would do. He had promised himself, the next time he saw his sister, that he would kill her. 

Nothing had changed. 

He turned to the women. She was still in labor, the baby wouldn't be delivered within the next ten minutes. That meant he had time to do what he needed to do and still hold true to his promise with Rowan. He made his decision.

"I'll be back," He said roughly and before anyone could protest, he took off out of the house. 

He opened his senses and followed Sutton's trail. He didn't even care to question why she was here, he just grew angrier the more he thought about her betrayal. Something so unforgivable, only blood would pay the price. After all these months, the wound in his chest still felt like a knife slicing his flesh with every shallow breath. 

He would probably never heal but spilling blood would sure make him feel a hell of a lot better about what had been stolen from him. He couldn't ever get her back but he could torture the one who had killed her. His eyes zeroed in the back of Sutton's head, the moon favored him tonight and he moved in a blur. Almost too fast to be possible for someone who had been starved but he prayed his strength held out. 

Sutton sensed his approach and turned to throw a fist at the last second. He ducked and with a clawed fist, he crushed the bottom half of her ribs in a single, angry blow. She stumbled backward, gasping in pain, but her eyes were wide as she stared at him. She looked like she had seen a ghost. 

He smiled, sinisterly sweet, "Hello, sister." 

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I don't feel bad for Sutton. She gets what she deserves. 

I'm all team Joel at this point. 

Oh, and third update of the day. I feel like I can't stop, the inspiration is so good right now. I hope you are enjoying!