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But he wasn’t stupid.
This was a trap.
And, surprisingly, he suspected it wasn’t the first time Lukka had employed such tricks against him. From the second he’d first learned that Lukas might have contacted a hunter, he hadn’t been able to put it out of his mind. The man he knew and respected would have never stooped so low.
But his son would have. For five years, he never doubted the circumstances around Emma’s death. Not once. But now?
The pieces were beginning to fall into place, and he didn’t like the picture they formed. Not one damn bit. Even the prospect that Lukka might have played a role in Emma’s death made his blood boil.
And his heart constrict with guilt. How damn ironic. He’d left the pack out of shame, convinced that a true Alpha should have been able to lead without any regrets.
But as he gained on the creature bounding ahead of him, Bill felt none of the awe he’d always harbored for that sacred role. None of the respect a leader should command. He just felt hate.
From the direction of the compound, he could sense Loren’s presence—her alarm, her fear, her aching need to help. But he didn’t want her to take these emotions away.
He needed to feel them.
He needed to fight with every ounce of rage in his body. So, as Lukka slowed, still in lycan form, Bill skidded to a halt and shifted first, rising to his feet.
It was a risk. Lukka would be inherently faster, but he didn’t care. He needed to hear the truth for himself, straight from the bastard’s mouth.
“Did you do it?” he demanded. His voice echoed, betraying just how far on the outskirts of the territory Lukka had led him—Bill knew from memory that a steep cliff wasn’t far away. Few from the compound would hear anything said from this distance.
The perfect spot for an ambush. Still, he pushed any concern from his mind, focusing only on Lukka.
“Did you call the hunters to our territory that day? I never even considered it. That was a step too far, even for you! But as I say it out loud…”
It sounded a lot more plausible than a random attack. A grunt of astonishment escaped him. How could he have been so damn naïve?
“You son of a bitch—”
Lukka growled, his eyes wild. Bill expected him to lunge then and there.
Instead, he shifted, his face contorted with rage. “You’re insane,” he hissed, rising to his feet. “And you accuse me of treachery, but what about yourself? You think I can’t tell?” Suddenly, he cut his gaze beyond Bill’s line of sight. “You’re mated. This is no fair fight, and since you’ve forsaken the rules, so can I. Kyle!”
His gaze was fixed somewhere over Bill’s shoulder, but he didn’t even care enough to switch targets.Mated.The way he’d said that word made something click. It was as if a light switch had been flicked. Suddenly, he could see clearly into everything building to this moment. Everything.
“Was that why?” he croaked. “Why you wanted Emma dead? Because I would be less of a threat to you? You were so damn worried about facing me on an even footing that you killed her?”
It sounded so damn pathetic. So deranged.
And yet…
“Kyle!” Lukka’s face reddened, the veins in his throat distended with exertion. “Help me, you son of a bitch!”
Bill scoffed, prepared for any assault that may approach from behind. Instead…nothing. If Lukka were bluffing, or if he truly expected his second-in-command to come to his aid, no one did.
The air was thin, devoid of any other scents. They were alone, far from the crowd a typical challenge should command.
Somehow, this felt more fitting.
Lukka didn’t deserve a public death. Just this. Silence and darkness.
“We end this now.” With a sigh, Bill faced his opponent and purged everything from his mind but the need to fight. To protect his mate at all costs.
In the end, he felt only a small shred of mercy before he lunged, shifting in mid-air while Lukka scrambled to do the same. Teeth parted, Bill put all doubts from his mind.
And he allowed instinct to take over completely before tearing into his prey.
