The Alpha and The Witch.

Chapter Eight-teen (Ryder)

"Luke!" Ryder shouted as he entered the foyer. "LUKE!"

"He's not home!" Gwen shrieked hurrying into the room. "No ones home, just me and the help! What's wrong?!"

Ryder took a deep breath, "Of course he's not home."

"What's wrong?" She demanded this time, pushing her hair raven hair back frustratedly.

"What's wrong is.... Everything!" He exclaimed, he felt like he was about to break down.

"What- you were bitten," she let out a small gasp as she examined the gash on his shoulder. Bites and cuts from other werewolves healed slower.

"What does it matter," he sighed. "It will heal eventually."

"Ry, what's happened?" She asked taking a seat on the steps, he followed her lead. It all seemed like to much at that moment, Ortus, The bitten, Jake and Luke.

"Luke's been getting into some nasty stuff," he replied. "Jake Peterson is dead."

"You mean the vitiate boy?" Her grey eyes wide, "What happened? Was it that rebellious pack?"

He shook his head, "He was apart of that 'rebellious pack', Gwen!" He took a deep breath, trying to gain some composure.

"Luke's going to be devastated."

He knew that, he Luke would be broken to hear one of his best mates gone. Ryder stood up about to run upstairs for a shower when the front door swung open, Luke walked in looking unscathed.

"There you are!" Gwen exclaimed angrily and Ryder couldn't help but appreciate her at that moment.

"Yes, here I am." He said with a roll of his green eyes.

"Where were you tonight?" He pushed his younger brother against the door, his grey eyes wild with anger.

"I was out with a bird," Luke replied too calmly. He pushed him hard against the door and Gwen tried to pull him off.

"Ryder!"

"Gwendolyn, get out of here!" He shouted at her, immediately regretting it.

She looked at him shocked, "F-Fine, just beat each other up!" She marched off into the kitchen.

"Why was Jake at the witches house?" He pressed Luke against the wood harder, his green eyes were wide open.

"What? What witch? What in the world are you saying?!" He struggled to break free but Ryder didn't budge.

"Amethyst, the witch! Don't act like you didn't know Luke!" He was growing more angry as the moments passed.

His younger brother was pushing him away, struggling to get free but there was no chance of it.

"I don't know! I didn't know anything about that!" He shouted, slumping against the wooden door.

"So you're saying that you had no idea Jake had been killing innocent humans? Working with Ortus!" His finally released his brother, turning away and taking a deep breath.

"Killing people? No. What..." Luke seemed genuinely shocked and Ryder was more than glad to see that.

"Yes, they've been killing people. Jake is working with Ortus, I was worried you might be too." He took a seat on the steps, covering his face with his palms.

"No. No of course not!" Luke joined him on the steps. "Jake couldn't kill anyone, he- no. I'll call him now and ask about Amethyst-" Ryder grabbed Luke's hand that was about to dial his best mate.

"He's dead. Jake is dead," he said slowly.

Luke didn't say a word, he looked at his brother as if he were just joking. When Ryder didn't crack a smile it his him though, the realization was all over his face. "Jake's gone? H-How? Did the witches do it?"

He nodded. "I couldn't save him. I was in the middle of something," he gestured towards his shoulder.

Luke's nostrils flared, "Then we have to kill the witches! The three of them!" He slammed a fist into the marble step.

"Luke, why was Jake working with them? You have to tell me what you know!"

Luke shook his head, "I don't know anything about Ortus. I know Jake had been talking about witches killing packs outside of London."

Luke's eyes were glazed, but he knew his brother well enough to know he would not shed a tear in front of him.

"What do you mean killing packs?" He asked.

"Yes, a couple weeks ago. Two of them apparently, killed an entire pack. Good people too," he explained with anger filled eyes. "Just killing off anyone they can I assume!"

Ryder had a moment of his own realization; her coven was killing off his mind without reason. Everything she had said to him was a lie. She lied to him....

"We'll take care of this together," he told his brother. "Don't go trying to do anything on your own." Ryder stood up, striding to the door.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked confused. "Not- not to the witch?"

"Uh- no. I have something to take care of, wait home for father! Don't leave this house," he yelled behind him.

He climbed into the Impala and didn't look back, he knew exactly who he needed to talk to.

'Meet me outside, we need to talk', he texted her.

It took several minutes for a reply; 'Maybe not the best time.'

He groaned. Of course she wouldn't meet him after they murdered his own kind.

'Fine, I'll just be at your window!'

'Not a good idea either.'

'AMETHYST YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION!!!'

'Fine! Fine! I'll meet you!'

He threw his phone in the passenger seat and made his way to the old haunted manor. He realized now how much clearer it was all becoming. There was no such thing as Ortus, they were Ortus. She was framing his kind for what her coven was doing.