Under The Sea

Chapter Forty

Five more bodies.

Three girls and two boys. Even with the increased security, Mason somehow got into homes undetected, and slaughtered. Their bodies were in the same condition as Alyssa's was; bruised around the wrist, face, and neck. They had been strangled. I imagined the feeling. Rough hands wrapping around my neck with the intent to kill. I imagined what it felt like to have the air flowing into my lungs be suddenly cut off like the twisting of a cap over a bottle. My stomach churned with empathy and nausea for these few.

The entire pack was in a frenzy. After the death of Alyssa, a sheen of anxiety had blanketed the pack, but now.....It was full on panic. Aran was bombarded with questions from panicky mother's and frustrated fathers. Every parent thought their teenager was the next to go, every sibling thought their teenage sister or brother was the next to go, every friend wanted to protect their friend, every mate their mate. No one was safe, everyone knew that.

The Pack house was clustered with people. No one wanted to be alone, not when there was a killer out there looking for his next victim. So, most of the pack was staying in the pack house and they didn't care if it meant sleeping on the floor of the living room or sharing a bed with a stranger. They wanted security, and being alone was most definitely not secure.

While everyone else suffered through their panicky thoughts, so did I. The plan was to commence by the end of the week -- marking the end of the two weeks Mason had originally given me -- near the edge of pack territory where there weren't many people. My job was to wait for him to show, and taunt him with my fear. Engage him in conversation and when the Moonlight members jumped from the bushes covered in their fighting leathers and readying their bruised knuckles, I was to run like hell for safe coverage.

There was only one small problem that only I seemed to notice. The White family did not know their son, their brother. At least, not anymore. Mason was a lot more powerful than he let off, I could sense it running through his veins like lava. He wouldn't allow a few burly fighters to beat him up, he wouldn't allow himself to lose, whether it meant killing an entire country or not. He would not lose. Our plan was too flimsy. What if he didn't show? What if he was one step ahead?

My chest seized with pain and grief. It was not my own. I clutched the fabric of my shirt that covered my heart and gritted my teeth against the pain. Aran. But Aran was asleep at the moment, he had gotten back from the ceremony for the five deceased pack members only an hour ago and had stated he was too tired to do anything but nap.

The pain skyrocketed and it felt like glass was slitting the skin above my heart. I dashed up the stairs and threw open the door to our bedroom.

"Aran?" As I peered into his face I saw how distraught he was as he slept. He was frowning and mumbling incoherent words, the sheets were crumpled at his waist from twisting and turning. The pain increased. I took him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Aran!" No reply.

"Aran!" I yelled and shook him harder. His eyes popped open before he grabbed my shoulders and flipped me onto the bed with his hand at my throat. I sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes swirled with confusion and fear before he jerked away from me.

"Forest?" His voice was hoarse.

I nodded, keeping my distance. "Yes that's me. Are you alright? You were having a bad dream, I felt it."

He shook his head, "I.....I'm sorry."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked softly, moving closer to offer comfort.

He shook his head, closing himself off from me. Perhaps we all had our demons.

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