ALPHA: Heir Of The Four

Chapter Sixteen | Part I*

Chapter Notes: Caleb's POV

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- 'If this is to end in fire, then we should all burn together. . .' -

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     I was going to kill Angelie. I was absolutely and positively going to kill Angelie.

"What did you do?" I yelled at her after catching an unconscious Ava-Rain before she hit the floor. Forcing my gaze to tear away from my mate, I looked at the person whose final minutes on this Earth were rapidly dwindling. "What the hell did you do?"

"I told you!" Angelie yelled back, running a shaky hand through her hair. "I told you this could happen, Caleb!"

This didn't make any sense. This didn't make any God damned sense! Five seconds ago, Ava-Rain had been coherent. Conscious. Five seconds ago, she had been ready to explain the pure blood's memories locked inside of her head after thirty minutes of Angelie trying to coerce them out of the darkness and into the light. Five seconds ago, my mate had been completely fine.

Staring down at her now, she most definitely was not fine. Her eyes were closed and her lips slightly parted. Calling out her name proved useless because she only remained unresponsive. Placing the back of my hand on her forehead, I flinched at the unexpected contact made with her icy cold skin. In this case, any lingering state of unconsciousness was obviously a bad thing, but unconsciousness mixed in with her drop in temperature was quickly becoming a very, very bad thing.

"Kane!" I shouted, once again tearing my eyes away from my unconscious mate to glance at the study door. "Chase!" I didn't wait to see them enter but instead focused my attention back on Ava-Rain. I gathered her in my arms, carried her over to the desk and gently laid her on top.

"Ava-Rain?" I placed a hand on her cheek while the other swept some of her curls away from her face. "Ava-Rain, open your eyes for me. I need you to open your eyes. Please," I pleaded. I sensed my betas behind me but didn't turn to address them.

"What happened?" Chase asked, his voice full of concern.

"What happened?" Kane repeated the question, but it had not been directed at me like Chase's had. The anger in his tone, the slight quiver in his voice—that only a wolf could detect—that indicated he was battling his wolf for control hinted that Kane's question had been aimed in Angelie's direction.

My own wolf wanted nothing more than to join Kane's inner beast. He was begging me to be released, commanding me to look down at our mate and explain why punishing Angelie should be delayed.

And who was I to deny him? Who was I to stop him?

Yet, I pleaded with him to wait. To be patient.

As if we have any damn time to wait or to be patient, he pushed into my thoughts. As if Ava-Rain's mind isn't shutting down. As if we aren't minutes away from losing her forever.

Although he was right and completely justified in his arguments, a part of me managed to command my wolf to stand down. And that part of me—I did not know what to call it. A voice? A presence? Whatever it was, it asked me to grant it control instead. It asked me to trust it. To give in to it. To help it. To listen.

So I listened.

Not to Chase's voice asking me what to do. Not to Kane yelling at Angelie, nor to Angelie as she argued back. I did not listen as the rest of the pack shuffled into the room, nor to their inquisitive questions.

I listened to Ava-Rain's even breathing. I listened to the steady beating of her heart and to the rhythmic throbs of her pulse throughout her body. I listened to that tiny little particle inside of me, latched onto it and gave it what it asked for.