Part Of Me { Completed ✔ }

Chapter 31. Connor

Selene and I had shifted back to our skin as we'd broken out of the thick black fog caused by the fire, we couldn't be caught in our wolves by the human authorities that would soon surely be on their way. Selene tried her best to hold me up as I struggled to walk on my torn up leg. She'd found a mismatch array of clothes on the way, that weren't too impacted from the flames, an oversized shirt for herself and a baggy pair of cargo pants for me. At least I wasn't going to scare Kate with my starkness.

Even as we crossed onto my family's property line I couldn't find her scent, my nose hairs felt singed. The reveal of Nessa stalking towards us explained why I couldn't find Kate even if my ability to track hadn't been impacted by the smoke. "She's not here is she?"

Nessa didn't waste her time in stopping to inform me, she only brutally replied, "Adrain has her and he's going to kill her. Because of you," as she passed by.

Selene turned to me with wide, terrified eyes. "What are we going to do Alpha? We need a plan." At the use of the word Alpha I heard Nessa's footsteps come to an abrupt stop. I turned slowly, to find her dark eyes already staring at me, a disgusted sneer directed right at my soul.

"Don't fucking call him that." Nessa growled at Selene.

Despite my aching leg I limped forward, hiding Selene behind me. "Don't fucking speak to her like that." I countered.

Nessa inclined her head back and forth, observing me with her keen wolf senses. "Alright then," She paused, grinning in a way that wasn't pleasant, as she said in a teasing tone, "Alpha. What's your plan?"

I ignored Nessa's insincerity and focused my attention on the quivering Selene. "You're going to go inside the house and wait for Noah." Selene sighed at the sound of her mate's name as if she had been hiding how fearful she was at his lack of attendance. "And Nessa and I are going to go and get Kate."

"He's going to kill you Connor." Nessa interjected.

I fixed my gaze on her, doing my best to keep my voice steady as I replied. "Not if I kill him first."

Nessa's eyes were intense, I could see the way they were ringed in red, bloodshot. "Do you really think you could do it?" I was surprised by the sudden softness of her voice but I was even more surprised as I watched her dark irises become glassy with tears. It was as if our whole childhood with Adrian was playing out in her eyes and I wasn't completely sure that I could do it, that I could kill him.

"Yes."

Without questioning me on the truth of my answer Nessa continued to walk back towards the pack lands, her body language unreadable. I nodded my head towards the house, indicating for Selene to head inside. She may be fast but she wasn't strong enough to go head to head with Adrian and his secret army, nor was I going to put her in any more danger. I knew that Noah would do the same for me if it were Kate standing in front of him. Selene let out a little whimper, fear, anxiousness and sadness seeped from her scent but she obliged anyway.

*****

We'd followed the trail of Adrian's scent and Kate's blood into the thick of the pack lands, but the smell of the fire as our home turned to cinders was too overpowering. Pack members that had turned against us and secretly sided with Adrian stalked us in the distance but never came in for the kill. We avoided all potential fights and I chewed on my tongue as we passed wolves crying out for help, there was no time to assist.

"Why do I feel like they're herding us?" I puffed out, wiping the sweat from my forehead before it dripped into my already burning eyes. If I were human, I wouldn't have been able to move, my lungs would have given up long ago. Even with my faster wolf healing I still felt as if I were on the brink of death, each step heavier than the last and my injured leg thumped, the skin itching as it swelled and infection festered.