Chapter 148: Chapter 148

/Aiden's POV/

My world stopped at that moment, mouth dropping open in shock, breath knocked out of my throat. I could feel the heat of my skin, feet automatically staggering back in the process. The people in front, the trees surrounding us, everything went blurry, a rush of memories surging through me, and suddenly I remembered.

That strange encounter in the forest, his mark on my body and a promise to find me soon, those dreams with blurred faces and deep voices. It all made sense now.

"I-Its you..." My throat was burning, words jagged and breathy, tears were in my eyes. "Ronald," I uttered the name with so much venom that it made him chuckle. At the familiar sound, my hackles rose, goosebumps pricking.

All along. It was him.

Ronald and Reece were the same people. He changed his name and hid in the shadows, choosing the right moment to attack. But why the wait? What did he do all these years? How long has he known my mother and tricked her?

"Ha! Finally! The hide and seek game was getting boring anyway." He huffed, his back leaning against the nearest tree, assuming a cocky stance.

"B-But why now?"

"Let me walk you through it." Reece or Ronald, whatever defensively crossed his hands, tilting his head to meet my eyes. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a male omega to survive? How can you, an Alpha understand our struggles? We are the bottom feeders! The pack I was born into treated me like shit, my father hit me every day, and my mother hated me. As soon as I turned eighteen, I ran away from my home and became a rogue."

"It's not easy to survive in the wild. Not when you are a small wolf with no basic skills. I had to survive on my own, where I learned all about herbs and how to use them as a poison, as my weapons. A few years went by, and I was tired of defending myself in the woods every day and wanted to find a pack. No one would have picked me if I went through a straight way, so I used a few tricks and entered your father's pack."

My lips curled in disgust as I thought back to what Rose told me. He was responsible for killing an innocent guard—all for his selfish gains.

"Ah, so you know all about it." Reece clicked his tongue. "Your father was one of a kind, so it came naturally for me to fall in love with him. Fortunately, the Pack Alpha returned my feelings, and I couldn't believe my stars. I thought I had it all, but he still wanted to keep me like some dirty secret. You and your mother were his top priority which still angers me to this day."

"Somehow, I got rid of the Luna, but he still wouldn't let go of you." Reece twisted his lips, nose flaring. "I wanted to kill you using my herbs knowledge, but like a freak, you survived every single time. Nothing worked! Your father caught me, and like some thrash, he threw me out. I was angry and wanted to get even with your mother, so I paid a person to kill her."

A growl escaped my lips, fingernails digging into skin as he continued with his story, "I was back to square one, no mate, no friends or family. Back in the woods, some rogues abused me for years, almost burned me to death and left me to die. A tribe rescued me from the ditch and took me to their territory, healed with the powers where I was able to get a new face.

That’s where I found your mother. She didn't even recognise me with a new face when I realised her memory was gone.”

His lips twitched. “I realised I could play her and have my revenge."

“Why do you want her dead now? Did she suddenly recognise your identity?”

"Yes and no!" Reece rolled his eyes. "I had to get rid of your mother because she found the truth about me. When your mother came to see your father, I slipped a herb into your mother's bag that affects Alphas and makes them have a mild attack. Too much exposure can kill, too, but lucky your father survived. She put all the pieces together, running here to stop the war and tell you the truth, so I had to do something about her."

My chest clenched at his tone, eyes turning into slits. “You're dead."

"Ahh...not so soon." He lazily beckoned someone with two fingers, my eyes tracking his action. I let out an audible sound, face paling upon spotting my mate and my beta dragged by the rogues along with the dead bodies of two guards.

"Your mate is a strong one, huh? The dizzy herb did not work on this one." He bent down, gripping her chin with his filthy hands. Rose eyes were frantically looking around, hair sticking to her face. I could hear her heartbeat, galloping with rapid speed, and it did not slow down, not even when he pushed her to her knees.

"Touch her once again, and I will kill you!"

Reece laughed, turning to me. "Are you in a position to threaten me?"

"I don't care! Stay away from them!"

I saw her body finally still as she seemed to have collected herself enough, raising onto her knees and looking straight at me.

Her gaze, amidst all the flickering lights and colours, were shocking, blue, and achingly familiar.

"Don't you think it's wise to surrender now than going through the hard way?"

Cracking my knuckles, I took a step forward, matching his stare. "Why? Are you afraid of losing? Is that it?" Taunting him, I looked around, sending double the threat from his rogues. "No wonder you have so many wolves for your protection. After all, a male omega needs this many!"

"How dare you?!"

I bit back a satisfied smirk. That's the reaction I wanted. He still needed to prove himself even after all these years, and a jab to ego only provoked that need.

Closing the distance between us, Reece looked deep into my eyes. "I am going to kill you..." With that, he ripped his clothes, his head was thrown back, and a howl escaped him. I followed his lead.

“We will see about it.”

“You knotheads are all the same!”

My paws skittered as I took in the wolf staring back at me. The actual damage to his body was shocking, a deep burn gash on his stomach, line marring, hesitation clear in his shifting paws, limp tail, and his twitching nose.

Reece shot forward, his mouth opening just enough to grab hold of my thick scruff. A yowl ripped out of me, my front paws bouncing as he clamped onto me tight enough to blur my vision. The beta shook his head, the way I had often saw pups behave, but there was nothing friendly about his shaking.

It was rough and violent, my feet skipping as I tried to get him off.

My body kept thrashing against his hostile grip, my eyes wild as I skittered in a circle, eyes flashing towards Rose momentarily. She appeared scared, her right hand firmly resting on the belly while she tried to meet my eyes firmly. I blinked at her, taking it as a reminder that there was no way out of this, except winning.

Using my hind legs, I swiftly ducked away, staggering, rolling around from his grip, while he had his jaw wide open. Reece blinked at me, spitting on the ground and flaring his nostrils. Before he could move or attack, I took a few steps back, leaping on him the first chance I got.

I jumped on top of the beta, pinning him to the ground. The older wolf yelped and brought up his one good front paw, our eyes clashing. Something glinted in them as he scratched at my chest with long, unkempt claws. Blood gushed down his razor-like nails, my jaw snapping together as I tried not to let go of him.

Lifting myself for a second, I used my paws to smack at his shoulders, blocking him for any other moment. His bones cracked, and I inhaled sharply; my eyes widened while he managed to squirm in my hold, frightened by the sound.

Reece twisted his head and, with force, pushed forward, striking me on the nose, making me yelp and shake my head as I backed away. The beta hit the dirt a moment later, whining as he hit his newly cracked shoulder. His bones appeared ragged and uneven underneath, shifting unnaturally as he tried to the right himself.

I hurried forward, my gait cautious as I stood a foot away from him. He was still alive; I could hear the rasping, the soft rattling of breath from the wolf on the ground. Standing above him, I thought back on every single thing he did, to my family, my parents, my beta and my mate.

Fury bubbled in my chest, revealing in the sizzling of his skin under my hand as I sank it in as deep as possible, even using my nails to tear him down.

Reece was screaming by this point, but it was more out of anger than the pain. He felt cheated, and he cursed for falling into my mercy. While he tried to claw at me with his one arm, I made it difficult by throwing all of my weight on top of him and holding him down.

My claws neared his heart, snarling as I poured all of my hate into a single gaze.

"It didn't matter how long you trained, how much you hated my pack and me. You were never going to win," I huffed.

"This is for all my people!" With that, I pushed in deeper, hearing the squelching sound. Life drained out of his eyes, mouth falling open as I crushed his organ in between my claws, blood splattering everywhere.

The metallic smell hit my nostrils, vision blurring as I stumbled on my feet. Slowly, I shifted, the transformation sluggish as I became a man once more. Hastily putting on my clothes, I saw how Reece's body appeared smaller, curled into the ground.

Shifting my eyes towards the rogues, I glared at them, arms stained with blood. They were quick to take a few steps back and flee the sight. A grin curved into my lips, and I slowly turned to my mate.

"Rose we...."

Before I could finish my sentence, my speech slurred, my head felt heavy, and I lost my footing, collapsing on the ground.

***