Wolves Without Hearts

☙ Chapter 23 ❧

ATTENTION! This is a double update! Be sure to read Chapter 22 before moving onto this chapter.

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☙ C A L I X A ❧

A fire ignited inside me, burning away at my sanity, dark flames lapping away at every once of control I once held. I felt lost, broken, dead. Being dead would be better than witnessing what was just ripped from me. How could fate be so cruel? She was just a little girl. So much to live for and it was taken from her before my very eyes.

The scene replayed in my mind like a track on a record that just couldn't play. One moment, there was my Artie, breathing and calling my name. The next, her throat was torn from her and thrown to the ground, as if her life meant nothing.

They were wrong. It meant EVERYTHING.

I let out a roar out of rage and agony and charged forward, killing Knox swiftly by ripping out his vocal cords. I watching him choked on blood until he satisfyingly fell to the ground in a heap of unmoving flesh and blood.

I grinned, my smile as sweet as sin, my sanity slowly fading as I approached Ulfric. He had a look of fear in his eyes. Good. He deserved to die with a look of horror and desperation on his face.

"M-my queen," he choked out, backing away from me slowly, this fueled my anger, "P-please spare m-me. I swear I never meant to hurt her!"

"Oh but you did," I remarked, my tone as sweet as the smile I wore so carelessly, "Now it's time for you to bleed out under my feet, begging to live. And I will not stop there. I will kill that mate you've been hiding away. Maybe even your son if I'm feeling generous."

Ulfric's eyes widened in horror, "H-how did you know about them? No one, not even my Beta knows."

I chuckled, letting a dark and humorless laugh echo throughout the clearing, "You thought I didn't? You take me as a fool? I've been watching you and your pack of mongrels for a long time and I know everything about you. The only reason I haven't kept up with my tabs lately is because of an unexpected interruption in my life that happens to be my other half."

"Please, anything but them!" Ulfric pleaded, getting on his knees.

He knew the severity of what I was going to do. No use in begging for his own life. His mate and child... That's another story. They may be spared, if I fulfill my blood lust that is.

"That's right, beg." I sneered, my once sickly sweet smile turning into a vile and bloodthirsty grin, "Windigo and Alric will need it if you want their lives spared. You're lucky I even consider it after what you just pulled you mutt!"

Ulfric weakly smiled at me and started to laugh, "Beg? You want ME to beg? My dear ignorant queen. I shall not beg to the likes of you. I have you exactly where I want you now. I just needed you angry enough to move forward without caution. Haven't you noticed the change in scenery?"

My wolf was going crazy, gnawing at the inside of my body, wanting a release. I wanted to rip him to shreds but I snapped out of my demented state to take in what he said. I was played for a fool? What have I done? Where's Yana?

Then I felt a prick in my shoulder and reality faded until I was cast into the dark abyss of nightmares that awaited.

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When I blinked open my eyes, I casually took in my surroundings. I was still in the forest except I was restrained around a large oak tree, whose trunk stood out proudly among the others. I glanced around and saw Yana restrained against a less impressive tree across the clearing. My blood boiled and I tried to shift but came to no avail. They must've injected me with a heavy dosage of wolf's bane in order to restrict my ability to shift. I was almost immune to the substance after being injected with it so many times when I was younger.

"Ah, so the ignorant queen as awoken. Ready to donate your blood your majesty?" Ulfric said, pulling me from my thoughts.

I growled lowly at him and flashed my fangs at him, "Never you sick sick wolf. I wonder why your mate stayed with you after what you've done to me and my siblings. Did you have the guts to tell her what you've done to me and my family or is she blissfully convinced that you are her knight and she is the princess you saved from a dragon. That dragon being me."

Ulfric glared at me, "No I have not. She doesn't need to know and she will never know. Besides, it was your father who commissioned me to torture you and your brother, it just so happened that Ryder almost died in the process. No wonder the weakest link got the Alpha title. At least he got it now. You didn't deserve it, even when your precious brother was in a coma."

"HOW DARE YOU!? MY BROTHER GAVE UP EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF YOU AND MY FATHER!" I roared, anger evident in my voice, "I may not have been first blood but Ryder was proud to have me as Alpha! I have just as much right as you or any Alpha to claim that position! I killed my father and have earned my title."

Ulfric snickered, "Of course. Whatever you want to believe. In all truth, your father wanted you dead and your brother just needed to be taught a lesson. Too bad neither of those happened."

"You have no idea how much burning hate I have for you." I spat, "Ryder may have forgave you but that was for peace keeping reasons. I on the other hand will not hesitate to kill you once I get out of these restraints."

"Really? And I thought we were friends your majesty. I guess I'll just have to kill you now. I was going to keep you as my little toy but you're defective. I need to reset you and get the factory settings back." Ulfric sneered, taking a step in my direction.

"You're a sick man. How could you even think that when you have a mate and child? You disgust me!" I yelled, angry that he could betray his other half so easily.

"She wouldn't notice," Ulfric said nonchalantly, "Her love is so blind I can do no wrong. As for my child, I'm sure you would suffice as his mother."

"I may be a monster but you are worse," I growled.

He just laughed at me before pricking me with another needle, sending me into a consuming darkness.

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A/N: So how did you like the double update? If you are confused on some details, here's some important things:

~Calixa and her brother, Ryder were tortured as children because their father wanted to teach them a lesson and 'prepare' Ryder for the Alpha position

~Instead of being prepared, Ryder slipped into a coma and Calixa was given the position. The reason being is she killed her father and she was the last heir still fit to rule. Artemis was of course too young at the time.

~Ulfric has a mate he just keeps her a secret because he thinks she is a weakness. He wants Calixa as his mate because she is a strong she wolf and would make a strong bloodline with him. His wolf protests but he doesn't care. Earlier in the book he said he didn't have a mate, but that was just him trying to convince himself so he could move onto Calixa.

I hope this clears things up if you were confused. Feel free to ask any other questions if you have them and please comment and vote if you liked this chapter!