Chapter 472
Chapter 472
Dane
The others race forward. It was standard. They hunt, I give them a chance to track the prey down before I join in. Neah’s blue eyes flicker to me. She is more than ready to go.
‘Let them have their fun. He will still die.’ I link her
She nods as howls and growls erupt from the forest. Birds frantically fly up into the sky, desperate to escape the camage that is about to unfold.
Silently I count to ten, as Blair comes running to Neah. “Please let me go after him!”
*You have your abilities back. Can you shift without going Rogue?” Neah asks. Blair doesn’t answer. “Then I suggest you stay here.”
‘It’s time for us to go.’ I link Neah.
As she runs next to me, she shifts. Her clothes fall to the ground in tatters as her body fills out. Each and every time, it amazed me. And the fact she could still do it while pregnant was something else.
She rips through the trees with ease. Her feet barely made a sound as she moved. She pauses a few times and regularly changes direction. I let her take the lead. She hadn’t been a part of a hunt before, but I knew how much she was ready to rip Cooper apart and I was more than happy to watch her do it.
‘He’s cut himself.” Neah murmurs as she stops at a bush with fresh blood. ‘He’s trying to lure us a certain way.’ ‘Trying to survive.’ I mutter back, pressing my nose to the ground. ‘And it’s fresh, so he is nearby.’
Nearby howl’s call for us. Winding through the trees, we find two Wolves standing over a dead female. One that had already shifted back to Human form. A sharpened branch sticking out of her chest.
‘She was one of mine.’ Neah growls
That’s not all.’ One of the wolves mutters. They both use their heads to roll her over onto her stomach. Written on her back in Cooper’s blood is the number two.
‘Two?’ Neah asks
‘He’s killed someone else. He’s trying to take control by taking each one of us out.” I tell the Wolves and Neah. He’s marking his kill count.’
‘Stick together’ I add. Splitting up was a bad idea, any individual could become Cooper’s victim and they wouldn’t necessarily see him coming.
Neah and I head in a different direction to the Wolves and it wasn’t long before I’m linked by another to say they had found a dead Wolf, this time with the number three on their back.
I knew there would likely be casualties, but three people this early in the hunt, is concerning. He was marking his kills and that pissed me off even more. And there could be more yet. We hadn’t even found the first one.
Moving deeper into the forest, his tracks become difficult to follow. They went off in different directions, trying to confuse whoever came across them, but the smell of his blood is strong here. He couldn’t be far.
Neah watches me alarmed as I shift back to Human form and step out into the small clearing. “Cooper!” I call out. As expected, there is no answer.
*I know you are near. I can smell your blood.” I speak to the forest. “You try to deceive us but it is becoming more obvious that you are nearby.”
*Killing two members of the pack is a bold move, Cooper. When it is your turn, the pack will make you pay for the lives you took. I’m thinking we start at your feet. Maybe a couple of toes and then we switch to your fingers. Taking them off one by one.”
I see movement, but it’s just the Wolves and Lycans showing me their positioning. They had all figured out the same thing.
“Are you scared, Cooper? You know you can’t outrun this.” I wondered if he realised there were people placed all along the edge of my border. He could run the length of the forest, but he will never get out.
‘You don’t need to go far.’ Damien links me and Cooper falls from the trees, landing flat on his back with a heavy groan. He’s inches from me and there are already healing bruises on his chest. It was definitely him and not a projection.
I look up to see Damien in Lycan form, squatting on a branch. He casually puts a hand up to me.
Cooper continues to lie on the ground. After a few seconds, he starts laughing. “You don’t get it, do you?” He
muses
“What is there to get?” I step on his ankle and he tries to kick me with his other leg. “You killed three members of the pack.”
“They were going to kill me. You never said I couldn’t kill anyone. You should be more clear when it comes to the rules, Alpha Dane.”
I press on his ankle with my entire weight and watch him screw up his face in pain.
“Maybe you are right. Maybe I should have been more clear.” I mock and take my foot off of him. I wave everyone forward. I see the panic settle in as he realises there is no way out.
“I was just saving them!” He shouts out as several Wolves grab hold of his limbs and start pulling.
Just pull until they pop out of the joints.’ I want to enjoy every moment of this