Pretty Little Alpha

Chapter 23

*Colton's POV*

When I saw the threat against Alona, I signaled her pack. I would not lose her again. I refuse.

I raced to where I felt the bond pulling me, Michael hard on my heels and Cali not far behind. I ripped out throats and batted aside the wolves in human form.

Dimitri's wolves were formidable but Alona's were better. I was getting closer to her, the smell of her blood was in the air but it wasn't a lot.

It still whipped my wolf into a killing frenzy. I caught sight of her fighting Dimitri; I was about to jump in when I caught the scent.

It smelt like Olivia, Alona's mom. Lona's head whipped to the side and I saw her eyes widen in surprise as Dimitri stabbed her.

Cold fury courses through my veins as she fell to the ground in a limp heap. I would end him.

But someone beat me to it. Someone who looked an awful lot like Alona.

*Third Person*

They raced closer and Michael stumbled when he took in the new figure.

Olivia? He said.

That's not possible, she's dead. Colton replied with more than a little shock conveyed in his thoughts.

They stopped in their tracks and were hypnotized by what was happening. The sounds of the growling and the dead and dying ceased to exists. It's like a bubble was formed around them.

The ones outside the circle seemed unaware as to what was happening within it.

Colton looked around and saw the figure briefly kneel down by a crumpled body on the floor, touch his face and move closer to Alona and Dimitri, the later looked up at the new comer.

Everyone all looked at the slight hooded figure treading carefully to stand over Alona. Not sparing Dimitri a single glance she knelt at Lona's side and brushed her hair back from her face.

From where Colton stood, he could hear Alona struggle to breathe. Her lungs were filling with air. The figure caressed his dying mate's face and he released a savage growl.

The stranger lifted a hand in his direction and suddenly he couldn't move. He could breathe, he could think, he could see, but he couldn't do anything else. He couldn't even look to see if Cali and Michael were in the same situation as he was.

All he could do was watch as the stranger moved her hand to the gaping would in Alona's side. She passed her other hand over Alona's face and closed her eyes...then his mate stopped breathing.

The stranger swiftly stood and faced Dimitri, all the while pulling down her hood.

Dimitri didn't even look surprised.

"How did I know you'd be behind this, Kathryn?" Dimitri sneered.

Colton could feel Michael's surprise, even through his welling grief, as well as Cali's surprise through the mind link. He remembers seeing Olivia when he was younger, and this lady looked exactly like her. The golden hair was the same but it was in tight curls, whereas Olivia's had been merely wavy.

She smelt the same, she even held herself the same way. She was a formidable figure despite her small size. And her eyes, when they passed over everyone within the bubble—which Colton now assumed she created—were a chocolatey brown. Where Olivia's brown eyes had been kind but stern, this lady's eyes were cold and calculating...and strangely haunted, as if she had seen too much.

I had no idea, Olivia had a sister, Michael told them.

They were stopped from responding when Kathryn spoke.

"Well when I'd heard you'd finally gotten your claws on my niece I got here as fast as I could," she replied smoothly. She seemed unconcerned with her dead niece lying immobile on the ground.

"It was real nice of you saving me the trouble of hunting you down myself," Dimitri grinned menacingly. "Now I don't need her," he spat nudging his head towards Alona's still body.

Colton growled again, or at least he tried to. It stuck in his throat so it came out as more of a whimper. He looked mournfully at his mate and hatred filled him.

Kathryn grinned a truly terrifying smile at this. "You can try," she laughed. "You took my family away from me. You took my sister away from me. She was the only one I truly loved, and now you've taken her daughter too." Kathryn started to shake her head, her eyes filling with anguish and cold fury, her beautiful face twisting with rage, "You won't get what you want from me, I'll kill you first."

It was at that moment that the bubble separating them from the rest of the fight was broken and Colton, Michael, and Cali could suddenly move.

The three wolves lunged for Dimitri but Kathryn put her hand out, and they were pushed away. Any time they got too close, it happened. Michael turned around and started attaching Dimitri's wolves and Cali trotted to Alona's side, Colton on her heels.

He stood over her body and howled, Cali joined his song. Together, they stood over her corpse, daring any wolves to come and move her. They snapped at anyone who got too close and watched as Kathryn battled Dimitri.

She saw wicked fast and kept Dimitri on his toes. He was on the defense the entire time as she whirled and slashed with her claws. It seemed as if she would win, but one of Dimitri's blows caught her shoulder and she was knocked off balance. He was a mountain of a man and he towered over Kathryn.

Dimitri's grin was feral as he looked down at what was to be his prey. He was about to speak when Kathryn held up a hand; Dimitri flew backwards and she rolled her feet. She shifted and jumped on top of him while he was trying to get up.

Soon enough, he was a wolf as well and they both battled. Even as a wolf, Kathryn was small but vicious. They clawed each other, both trying to get the upper hand. As Kathryn became more and more focused on fighting Dimitri, one of his wolves snuck up and jumped on her back, biting the back of her neck.

Cali lunged and ripped him off. Kathryn fell to the floor, blood staining her coat. Dimitri wasted no time in lunging for her throat, forgetting he needed her alive; his anger getting the best of him yet again...

And then Alona was there, tackling him from the side, her claws ripping into Dimitri's throat. Blood bubbled from his lips as he gave one last gruesome smile before the light left his eyes.

Colton looked to the ground and saw Alona fading as if she'd never existed. He whipped his head back to his mate. She stood up and retracted her claws; she turned to Kathryn, her aunt, and knelt by her side, brushing her bloodied hands through her coat.

*Alona's POV*

It's okay, my niece. I will heal. Kathryn's voice reverberated throughout my head as she projected her thoughts. I leaned forward and winced as pain lanced through my side where I was stabbed.

I didn't know what happened; I just know I was stabbed and dying and then I wasn't. Footsteps approached and I looked up slowly. Cali's wolf nudged my cheek and I smiled weakly, wrapping my arms around her with the rest of my strength.

I heard a huff and looked to see Micheal approaching, looking at me with something like relief. Then my heart sped up and my wolf started panting. Butterflies made a mess in my stomach and I launched to my feet, ignoring the pain, knowing that only one person could make me feel this way. I saw Colton's wolf bristling as he struggled to restrain himself from hurtling towards me. So I save his the trouble and shifted. My wounds started knitting themselves together and I ran towards my mate.

I touched my nose to his and he shuddered, closing his eyes. I tucked my head underneath his and whined. He finally broke and lunged at me, licking my face as I yelped. He rubbed his head under my chin.

Don't you ever do that again, he said through the mind link. I was out of my mind with worry.

I laughed mentally and let him completely into my head, letting him see how I felt about him, letting him see that the thought of being reunited with him gave me the strength to survive.

The fact that there were others around us did nothing to make me move. I was content to stay right where I was, near Colton, for now