A week had slipped by since the horrifying incident in the Western Province. Life had returned to its usual rhythm, which led me to believe that the person responsible for the massacre had a personal vendetta against those families. However, we didn’t let our guard down. Our men patrolled the woods around the clock, keeping a vigilant eye on our surroundings. The pack house was under constant surveillance, but from what we gathered, the murderer only targeted those of importance—the civilians were left unscathed. My father, however, took extra precautions to ensure the safety of every pack member.
At the moment, he was at the Western Pack, collaborating with the remaining alphas to devise a plan to aid the pack. I was holed up in my office, with Rollin, who was currently with Laika somewhere nearby. I had assigned Jared to shadow her at all times, much to Jared’s delight and Laika’s dismay, but I wasn’t willing to take any risks.
My phone emitted a sharp ring. Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was Lyall. Why would he call at this hour? It was late. A sense of dread washed over me, so intense that I didn’t even realize when I picked up the phone and answered.
“Hello,” I said, met with a few seconds of silence. The sound of muffled voices in the background sent a chill down my spine.
“Lyall,” I prompted when he remained silent.
“It’s my sister,” he sobbed. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. This was bad, really bad.
“What happened?” I felt like I already knew, but I needed him to confirm my fears instead of jumping to conclusions.
“Olivia is gone, Alaric. A man in a hood came, h-he killed her.”
I was at a loss for words. My tongue felt heavy in my mouth.
“My sister is…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. A piercing scream echoed from the other end of the line. I closed my eyes, and the first person that came to mind was Laika.
“Have you told Laika?”
“No,” he whispered.
“Listen, Lyall, conduct the burial ceremony immediately. In fact, do it right now and leave that place as soon as you can.”
“How can you—”
I knew I was being harsh, but the reality was if the man could infiltrate their defenses and kill one of them, he was testing them. He would be back, and this time with full force.
“It’s a test, Lyall. He was testing you. If he returns, you will all die.”
There was a long stretch of silence. I could only hope he was considering my advice.
“Where will we go?”
“Come here. If we stand together, we have a better chance of defeating him.”
His response was swift. He agreed and promised to join my pack as soon as possible.
He hung up. I was left with a cold dread. Peace in the Highlands was a thing of the past. Whatever was happening was too big for one pack to handle. Our only hope was to unite.
I left my office and headed to my suite. How was I going to break the news to Laika that her sister had been murdered? Where would I even begin?
I arrived at her room and knocked on the door half-heartedly. If I could avoid this task, I would in a heartbeat. She invited me in. My feet felt like lead, my hands trembled. I didn’t know Olivia that well, but I wouldn’t wish this fate on anyone.
Laika must’ve sensed something was amiss. She left Rollin, who was sleeping on the bed, and approached me.
“Is everything all right?” she asked. Suddenly, my mouth went dry, my thoughts scattered. I knew what I had to say, but how could I soften the blow? Was there a gentle way to deliver such devastating news?
I reached out, placing my hand on her cheek. I had to tell her.
“You’re scaring me,” she said, her body shaking. Maybe it was good that she sensed the gravity of what I was about to say.
“It’s Olivia, she’s gone.”
Her eyes widened, and a second later filled with tears, but she shook her head in denial. “What?”
At this point, I knew I had to be explicit. To tell her the harsh truth, no sugarcoating.
“She’s dead. Murdered.”
“No,” Laika said, still shaking her head. It was as if she believed that by denying it, this nightmare would turn out to be a cruel joke.
“I’m sorry,” I said. That was the last straw. Laika let out a heart-wrenching scream, startling Rollin, who began to wail.
I pulled out my phone and dialed my mom’s number.
“Can you come and take Rollin?”
She agreed without asking any questions. I hung up and turned my attention back to Laika. Her sobs felt like a knife twisting in my heart. She was still crying, but it was more like she was in shock. Her eyes were open, tears streaming down her face, but she was frozen in place.
I gently pulled her into my arms. “It’s not true,” she said, refusing to accept reality.
“It’s okay.” I rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. I knew I was being clumsy, but this was uncharted territory for me.
The door opened and my mom walked in, stopping in her tracks. Rollin was still crying on the bed and Laika was quietly sobbing against my chest.
“What’s going on?” my mother asked, looking at me as if I was to blame. She moved toward the bed and picked up Rollin, who immediately quieted down in her arms.
“Olivia is dead,” I said. I continued to rub Laika’s back, but my words only intensified her sobs.
“Dear Moon Goddess, what happened?”
“Murdered,” I told her. She gasped audibly.
“Are the rest of them okay?”
Laika stiffened. I was relieved that I didn’t have to deliver more bad news.
“Yes, they will bury her tonight. I told them to leave and come here.”
“Good,” she said, glancing at Laika and sensing it was a bad time, she quietly left the room.
I carried Laika to the bed, laying her down. Just as I was about to give her some space, her hand shot out, grabbing mine.
“Don’t go,” she pleaded.
“I’m not going anywhere; I will just sit in the chair.”
“Stay close to me, please,” she begged. She shifted, making room for me on the bed. I didn’t hesitate. I laid down next to her, pulling her close so that her head rested on my chest.
Laika cried for a while. I whispered soothing words to her, the best I could come up with. Eventually, she fell asleep, but I stayed awake. I had a sinking feeling that everything was about to change, and not for the better. I dreaded what tomorrow would bring.
