Ch. 331..335: The Alpha Contract Chapter 331-335

Chapter 0331

Neah

Eric hadn't said anything for a while. He had sat completely still the entire time, holding my hand as we waited for some news from Klaus.

It had felt like hours, maybe it had been. I wondered if Dane had felt this way every time I had ended up in here. Wondering if he was never going to hear my voice again. And somewhere along the line, I had become concerned about Mallory's survival.

I watch the room like a hawk, waiting for the slightest change. Klaus must be nearly done, though I still wish that Raven was here to help. She is good at what she does.

The door finally opens and Klaus steps out in a gown that is soaked in blood. I pull Eric off the floor and to his feet as we wait in silence while Klaus moves towards us. "She is alive. Just." He lets out his own sigh of relief 'Thank goodness for that.' Nyx whispers.

"Thank you Klaus."

"It wasn't easy, but she is a fighter. She didn't want to go."

Eric's hand tightens around mine. "Her heart stopped."

"And we got her back. She is very weak though and she has lost a lot of blood. I will have to see if any of the Lycans are a match to help her."

""Me." I mutter

"No, Too risky." Klaus mutters

"Can I go see her?" Eric mumbles

"Of course. Just give the nurses a couple minutes to clean up in there. She is out cold and will be for some time."

"I will tell Damien." I will do it in person rather than through a link. "I will ask him to come over and get checked."

I wait until Eric is given the all clear to go and sit with his mate. I decide to head over to the house. I had a feeling Damien had gone to question Raven about why she wasn't helping. I wanted to know why too. Something feels off as I enter the packhouse. It almost reminded me of the day the boys were killed in Dane's office. It just had an eerie feeling to everything.

I could hear Dane calling someone delusional, followed by Raven screeching. "I am not the delusional one! You are the one who can't see what is right in front of you."

Slowly, I make my way up the stairs, listening to them argue. It wasn't just Dane and Raven. Damien and Abraxas were here too. Though they could barely get a word in over the siblings arguing.

"Raven, this isn't you." Damien mutters, though he sounds a little lost. Like his usual tricks to calm his mate down wasn't working.

"Maybe this is me, right. I mean you said it yourself, didn't you Abraxas. My soul died. Or was that another lie."

"It wasn't." Abraxas replies coldly. He was probably staring at her in the same way he did when he was curious about my reactions. Or maybe his hand was already resting on a gun, ready to blow Raven's head off. I hoped not.

'Something is off about this whole thing.' Nyx groans. 'Why wouldn't she help? It's what she does.'

'I don't know. I want to say she is grieving, but that doesn't seem right. She checked over Maddie after the fire.'

"So you can tell the truth about some things." Raven's tone is full of sarcasm

"That's enough Raven!" Dane warns her

"I don't think it is." She shouts back and I hear glass breaking.

Hurrying to her room, I find Dane and Abraxas holding onto Raven, the window behind her is shattered. Her dark eyes settle on me and a grin spreads across her face. "You should never have come here. We were happy before you. We were powerful before you. We had control before you."

'Doesn't this seem a little out of place for Raven?' Nyx asks. 'It's not like her. She's gone from quiet and grieving to flat out being a bitch.'

I stare at Raven, struggling between the two men. Something was wrong and it was more than just her losing her twin. The way she talked sounded just like Jenson. Too much like him when he didn't get what he wanted.

'You don't think....' It didn't feel like it was Raven. I could smell her scent. It looked like her, but the words coming out of her mouth sounded nothing like her.

'I don't know if that's even possible.' Nyx mutters back

'There's only one way to find out.'

I move closer to Raven. "You couldn't help Mallory because you didn't know how, did you?"

 

Chapter 0332

"What are you talking about?" Dane frowns.

I don't look at him but press a finger against my head. Hoping he understood that I wanted him inside my head to listen to my thought process. If I was right.... I didn't want to be right.

Raven smiles at me. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes you do."

Dane is staring at me now, like I have lost the plot. But stranger things had happened. And it was common knowledge that Raven and Jenson shared more than just a birthday. Abraxas had said they shared a piece of each other's souls. Abraxas also talked about how the darkness seeps in. It finds a spot and grows. What if that is possible between twins who share twin wolves? They did have a piece of each other in them.

"You moved them all in when I wasn't paying attention." Raven mutters. She stops struggling against Dane and Abraxas. "You moved more Lycans in when I wasn't able to do anything to stop them."

"What's happening?" Damien asks. "Someone tell me what is happening!"

I watch Dane hold a hand up to him as I carry on questioning the person in front of me.

"Where's Raven?" I demand and Damien stares at me in utter confusion.

"I knew you were smart Neah, the very first day that I laid eyes on you. You were peering out from around the corner at Moonshine. Barely"

""Raven wasn't at Moonshine." Dane mutters.

"No, but Jenson was." I stare at Raven's face. She had made me feel at home here before Dane had. Her advice at the time was brutal, but I loved the honesty from her. Now, I didn't even recognise the person standing in front of me. How could someone's soul be taken over by anothers?

My eyes burn as I try to hold back the tears. Was Raven even in there? She must be. Damien is still connected to her.

""How long?" I demand

Her lips curve up but she doesn't answer. I grab her face. Claws inching out the tip of my fingers. She lets out a growl as they begin to pierce her cheek. "How fucking long?"

"Neah!"

I ignore Dane. I wanted answers and I wanted answers before anyone thinks of leaving this room.

Her dark eyes hover on mine. There is an emptiness to them like never before.

"It started in the hospital." Her dark eyes move to Abraxas. "You told us about our souls. How a part of us lives within the other. I heard you and I wondered if becoming my sister would work and look, it did."

Blood spills from her cheeks, but I keep my claws steady. No more could come out or I will kill her... him... them, I don't even know what to call it.

"Where is Raven?" I demand

"Almost gone."

"This is impossible." Damien mutters. "You can't take over someone else's soul! Raven, come on, this is just because you are upset about Jenson. We know you are grieving."

"You're right, I am grieving. I am grieving over how pathetic this pack has become. Full of fucking Lycans in every direction I turn. One as the Luna, one as the Beta. What's next, oh that's right, the heirs of the pack are Lycans too."

My claws grow a little more, settling deep into the skin. "You were sleeping with one."

"I wanted to see what it was like to fuck you. To see what it was like with you underneath me, moaning my name. I didn't see Blair, all I saw is you Neah Kitson."

My stomach ties itself up in knots, disgusted by Jenson. I knew he had gone to her because she looked like me. I knew he was trying to get something that wasn't his, just like he had done with others.

'I'm going to kill him!' Nyx growls.

'No. Not yet.'

I keep my claws locked in place, more blood leaks out as I bring my face in really close. That was the thing about Raven and Jenson, they looked so similar that when you are close enough, you can forget everything but the face right in front of you. I wanted to see him as I say my next line.

"But you will never have the real thing."

Letting go, I watch the blood spurt from the wounds. They healed quickly as my claws retreated

"Bitch!"

A gun goes off, almost deafening me. As Raven's body hits the floor, I turn expecting to see Abraxas pointing it at her, but it's Damien.

 

Chapter 0333

Hi everyone. I hope you are all well.

Just to let you all know, there is no update tomorrow the 14th of June and possibly the 15th, though that is yet to be confirmed.

As always, thank you to everyone who comments, leaves reviews and gems. I don't think I will ever be able to thank you enough. Taylor West

Chapter 0334

Damien

Her body falls back against the wall. Blood spurts from my mate's collarbone. I had purposely shot her there rather than her heart. Her body could heal from that. Her body couldn't heal if I killed her. I wanted to know if Raven was really gone.

T

Abraxas stares at me as he checks for the gun that he carries in his belt. He frowns when he realises the gun I am holding is not his and that his is firmly stored away in its resting place. He frowns at me but keeps his mouth shut.

I wasn't stupid. I knew how to use a gun correctly. I used them when I was human and with a Hunter in the pack, I figured it would be better to carry one again. Though sometimes, I'm a little impressed with myself that I hadn't pulled it on him yet. "You shot me!" Roars Raven or maybe it was Jenson. I didn't know anymore.

I could see my mate, but at the same time the words coming from her mouth sounded nothing like her.

It didn't seem possible that Neah could be right. That a soul could take the place of someone else, but then again, there was a time in my life when I didn't believe Wolves existed and definitely not Lycans.

And now I was prepared to kill the person who looked like my mate.

I honestly thought I would never use a gun again.

I keep the gun steady as Raven clutches her collarbone and slips down the wall, leaving a smear of blood. I wasn't sure if I could go through with killing my mate, even if it wasn't her anymore, but I could slow her down.

"Damien." Dane glares at me. "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" His hand rests on the gun, but I refuse to let go.

I stare back at him. "She's become a threat whether you like it or not."

A laugh erupts from Raven. A laugh that didn't sound like her as her body straightened up. "You will have to do better than that, Lycan!" "Give me the gun, Damien."

"No." My finger moves on the trigger and Dane let's go and steps in front of his sibling. "You can't kill her Damien. She is your mate."

Why hadn't he said she was his sister first?

"She is, but he isn't. I can kill him."

I feel a dull ache start in my heart. It beats quickly and erratically as it grows heavier and heavier by the second. Sparks of pain shoot out in all directions of my body. I was losing Raven and fast.

"Why are you doing this?" Neah demands as she stares at my mate. I notice the small trail of blood coming from her left ear. She had been right next to Raven when the gun went off. "Second chance." The voice replies

"You've had more than a second chance." Dane snaps. "It's like your a fucking cat with nine lives."

"Big brother, you know me so well." My mate smirks at him and lets go of the wound in their shoulder. It had almost healed. The bullet had gone straight through.

Dane pulls Abraxas aside and asks if there is any way to get Raven back. I see the tiny head shake while Raven watches me.

"Maybe if we had a Witch, but by then, it would be too late." Abraxas whispers back

"I can put her in the dungeon." Dane tells him

"You will still be too late."

I stare at my mate as Dane continues to come up with possible ideas. Why had Raven let this happen? Why had she given up? Why hadn't she fought for her place in this life?

'Please come back to me Raven.' I try linking her, hoping to hear her voice. Her face stares at me and a slow smile creeps across her lips.

"She can't hear you anymore. She's resting now!" I wanted to slam my hand into his face. But I wouldn't be hitting him, I would be hitting her body.

I look over at Abraxas as it feels like my heart stops. "She isn't in there anymore, is she?"

He turns to face Raven's body and looks her up and down. "No."

 

Chapter 0335

"Can she come back?"

"When a soul has completely left, no."

I raise the gun, my finger on the trigger. I couldn't see anything but her. The voices around me were echoes.

Images of how we met replay in my head. How I saw her from the gates. How I followed her into the forest and watched her talk to herself, though that turned out to be her Wolf. The first time I kissed her. How her skin was so soft under my fingers. The way she would snore yet insist she didn't. She had opened herself to me and now, I could feel her slipping.

My lungs grow tight until I can barely breathe. She is supposed to be my mate for life, but she had lost herself in her grief. She had been forced out. She had given up on us.

I drop the gun and back out of the room. She was dead. She was gone. It wasn't her.

Neah shouts something about not letting Raven out of their sight. She appears in the hallway seconds later. "You shot her."

"It's not her." I look up into my Alpha's blue eyes. Somehow, through it all, she had kept a level of calmness. She had seen something that we hadn't. "What do you think we should do?"

"Abraxas said she was gone. Do you feel it?"

I nod. I had never had a need to curl up in a ball and hide from the word. I always faced it head on. But losing a mate was like nothing I had ever felt. It is painful. It is full of sorrow. And everything no longer feels straight forward. "She gave up." I slam my fist against the wall. "She fucking gave up after everything!"

Neah doesn't say anything. She lets me hit the wall over and over without so much as a flinch.

When I stop, my busted up knuckles are already healing which just irritates me more. I turn to face Neah. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"I'm not feeling what you are feeling."

"Why would he do this to his own sister?" I ask, trying to understand even a little of what has happened.

"You won't like my answer and you already know what I'm going to say."

"Jenson is a self centred bastard?"

"Among many other things. It's like Dane said, he couldn't ever cope with not getting what he wanted. He always had some kind of hissy fit. I thought that he might change, but that was a long time ago. And if anything, he is worse." "How are you so calm?"

"Give me your hand."

She takes my hand and presses it on her chest. Dane would have a fucking field day if he saw what was happening.

"The exterior doesn't always match the interior." It was a phrase I had used. A way to tell her that not everything is exactly what you see. And now she was using the same phrase on me for Raven.

I feel her heart beating below my hand, but it's doing more than just beating, Neah's heart is practically humming, yet to look at her, you would think there was nothing going on beneath the surface.

"I feel Dane's pain even though he will never admit it." She sighs, "I feel the loss of a friend. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, when the decision that needs to be made will affect everyone. You are not capable of making this decision about Raven or... Jenson." She frowns "Neither is Dane. It should be me."

She turns from me and faces the closed door where Raven's voice could be heard, demanding to be let out of the room. "I am Dane's Luna. I am the Lycan Alpha. It has to be me that puts an end to the suffering."

"Do you think this was always his plan?"

"How could it be? He didn't know until he heard Abraxas talking about souls. If he had been anyone else, he would be long dead. Raven kept him hanging on long enough so that he could force his way in. And we all fell for it except Dorothy."