Titus

Max Williamson walked across the parking lot as slowly as he could. He didn’t want to confirm what he dreaded but the body was right there in front of him. His mate’s lifeless body was lying in a puddle of blood and there was nothing that Max could do.

He knelt down beside Arianna. Her face was expressionless. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide open but devoid of all emotion. Max took her hand in his and screamed in agony. Why was her hand so cold? Did she feel cold? Max gathered her body in his arms and held her close to him, rubbing his hands over her bare arms so that she could be warm. He had promised to take care of her forever when he married her. No, she wasn’t dead. Max wouldn’t accept that yet. She had just passed out because of all the blood loss. Arianna couldn’t possibly be dead.

“Max?” He felt his brother’s hand on his shoulder. Liam probably felt sorry for him but Max didn’t need his sympathy. Arianna was okay.

“She’s okay,” Max whispered, “We have to take her to the pack doctor. She has lost way too much blood.”

“Max, she’s…”

“Are you saying she’s dead?!”

“Max, she is dead.” Liam whispered. He felt like an ass saying that to his older brother but Max needed to accept it as soon as possible.

“No!”

“We can’t do-“

“She’s not fucking dead! Do you understand me?” Max yelled. In such a situation, how could Liam convince Max that Arianna was gone for good?

Liam grabbed both of Max’s shoulders. Max looked a little shaken but he didn’t say anything.

“You have a kid and a pack to take care of, there are people relying on you and Arianna wouldn’t want you to lose it like this. She would want you to go on for Lily’s sake.”

Max looked at down at Arianna’s face, she was lifeless. Her body was colder than ever. Max wished she would look at him again and say something, anything.

“She really is gone, isn’t she?” Max whispered. Liam nodded. And then the tears escaped his eyes. He hugged Arianna’s body against his own, hoping to feel her breathing but there was nothing. “I love you,” he whispered, knowing that she wouldn’t answer.

“Who could have done this?” Liam asked, more from himself than Max.

“Cody Silver,” Max answered, “He had threatened her when we announced that we were joining our pack with her former pack.”

“Don’t worry, Max. I’ll get him,” Liam promised. And he intended to keep that promise. Cody Silver would be dead before the day ended.