The Deadline

~Chapter 21~

Another day with no response. Caleb is still asleep, the pack is still on the verge of falling apart and I am barely managing to keep everything in its place. It is hard being responsible for 300 people. Their safety, their food, their homes. It's frustrating. If only I could just make it all right. Turn back time and stop me from hurting the love of my life.

Everything would be fine if I had just controlled myself and my anger. And to think I haven't even thought about it. The reason I was so angry. It was Darien. It was all him. Yes I was angry at Caleb for not telling me he was still alive but it all starts with Darien himself. It's him that ruined my life as a human, and the one who has now made me ruin my life as a werewolf. He's the root of all my problems.

I can feel my blood boil inside my veins as I walk back at that basement. I need to put an end to all of this. I need to eradicate all of my problems. I need to kill him. I need to let myself find peace for once! And I can start by taking him out of my way.

I walk down the stairs and rip the door open. Darien is sitting at the corner of the room and seems to be scared to death until he sees it's me. He's not afraid of me, but he was afraid of Caleb.

And then it hits me. Caleb has been keeping him alive all this time, torturing him, getting revenge for what he did to me and my family. He was defending me and returning Darien some of the pain he caused me. And all I did was hurt him for it.

I felt my head spinning once more. Darien can't stay alive anymore. He is a disease. He is in pain.

I approach him and squat down to his height. His hands are tied and his mouth gagged. I gently pull the gag out of his mouth. He is not afraid of me. I don't need him to be. Knowing that Caleb made him suffer is enough revenge for me. Now all I need is for him to die.

My claws surface through my skin and Darien's eyes widen in fear. I stroke his hair out of his face.

"It's okay. I know he tortured you. That wasn't pleasant right?" I whisper looking straight into his eyes.

"What do you want? WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" he screams terrified.

"Don't be scared. I'm not here to cause more pain. I'm here to relieve you from it"

"What do you mean? Get the fuck away from me! I should have killed you too, you psycho bitch!" he screams and my claws dig into his abdomen. He's bleeding on my hand. Warm, thick blood stains his shirt and the floor around him.

"You caused me enough pain to last me a lifetime. You made me hurt the only person that ever loved me. You made me hurt my mate. Yet I'm giving you a quiet, painless death. You suffered, I'm sure about that. Now you must die. This is my goodbye to you, Darien. Get out of my life, get out of my head" I whisper and twist my claws inside his body, finishing the job quickly and quietly.

I yank my hand out of him and release his dead body, letting him fall with an echo. He is gone. I stand up and take a deep breath. It is done. All that's left now is to correct my mistakes.

"So it was you!?" a voice whispers from behind and I turn my head to meet the one who spoke.

It's a pack member, I remember him being on the side that supported me. I guess he is no longer.

"You hurt your mate? Our Alpha? And you lied to us about punishing the one who did it?!"

"No, I didn't," I say slowly walking up to him. "I'm going to punish myself, as I promised," I say and walk past him.

He follows me quietly but I feel his questioning look pierce my back.

"What is your name?" I ask turning to face him once we're out of the cabin again, the scents of the forest around us calming me.