Chapter 74 - The Breaking Point
It had been a full week since Charlie had disappeared without a trace, and Liam was losing his grip on patience and sanity. Every lead had turned up empty. Every search party had returned with nothing but frustration and regret. The weight of being the only Alpha in the pack during this crisis was crushing, but even worse was the unbearable absence of his mate.
Luther had left five days ago to scour the surrounding packs for any information, leaving Liam behind to hold everything together. At first, they had kept in constant contact, checking in every few hours through the mind-link, but now… silence. It had been twenty-four hours since Liam had last heard from his brother. His wolf, Al, had been restless all day, pacing in his mind and snarling at Liam to go find Luther himself.
‘He should have never left alone. You should have gone with him. You should have gone after her yourself!’ Al growled, his frustration a mirror of Liam’s own.
Liam slammed his fist onto his desk, causing the thick wood to groan under the force. "Where the hell are you, Luther?" he muttered under his breath. The room around him felt suffocating, the walls pressing in as the weight of responsibility piled higher and higher on his shoulders.
The disease that had been creeping through their pack had slowed in the past week, with only a handful of wolves falling ill in Charlie’s absence. While that should have been a relief, it only filled Liam with more unease. What if the sickness had only retreated in order to come back stronger? What if this was the calm before the storm? And worse yet—what if Charlie’s blood was the key to the cure, and now she was gone?
A sharp knock at the door made him snap his head up, but before he could respond, the door burst open.
Dorian stood there, panting heavily, his normally composed face twisted in something close to terror. Sweat beaded along his forehead, dripping down his pale face. His usual pristine white lab coat was wrinkled and stained with what looked like ink and sweat. His breathing was ragged, his chest heaving as if he had sprinted all the way from the clinic.
Liam was on his feet in an instant, his instincts screaming that something was wrong.
“Liam,” Dorian gasped, bracing himself against the doorframe. “It’s Luther.”
The world seemed to still around him.
“What about Luther?” Liam demanded, his voice like steel, even as his pulse pounded in his ears.
Dorian wiped a trembling hand across his forehead, his fingers shaking. “He just returned… but he’s sick. Liam, I think he’s been infected.”
For a moment, the air was sucked from Liam’s lungs. His legs carried him forward before he even made the conscious decision to move, brushing past Dorian roughly as he stormed down the hallway.
Dorian hurried after him. “Liam, wait! We don’t know how far along it is! He was showing symptoms this morning—”
Liam snarled, cutting him off. “You should have mind-linked me the second he crossed the damn border!”
“He refused,” Dorian snapped back. “He ordered me to check him first before making a scene. He didn’t want you to see him like this.”
Liam’s heart clenched painfully in his chest.
*You stupid, stubborn bastard.*
He pushed his legs faster, his wolf roaring in fury and desperation. He could feel Luther now, his scent strong as he neared the medical wing. It was mixed with something rotten—something wrong.
He didn’t even have to ask where his brother was. The scent of sickness led him right to the room where Lily had spent her last days.
Liam threw open the door, his breath hitching at the sight before him.
Luther lay sprawled on the narrow hospital bed, his body burning up with fever. His normally tanned skin was pale and damp with sweat, his face twisted in discomfort. Angry red sores had begun forming along his arms and neck, a sight that made Liam’s stomach churn violently.
But the worst part was his eyes.
Luther’s once-bright golden gaze was dull, his pupils blown wide as if he was barely aware of his surroundings. He lifted his head slightly at Liam’s entrance, his lips parting, but no words came out.
Liam swallowed the lump in his throat, stepping closer. “You fucking idiot,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “What the hell were you thinking?”
Luther chuckled weakly, the sound dry and painful. “Nice… to see you too.”
Liam clenched his fists. “I should beat the shit out of you right now.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Luther smirked, but it was half-hearted. His body trembled as he attempted to sit up, but the movement cost him. A violent coughing fit wracked his body, his shoulders shaking with the force of it.
Dorian rushed forward, pressing a gloved hand to Luther’s forehead. “You need to stay still. Your fever is getting worse.”
Luther ignored him, looking at Liam instead. “Found nothing. No sign of her.” His voice cracked, filled with frustration and regret. “They didn’t take her to any of the packs nearby.”
Liam’s jaw clenched, his entire body stiff with barely controlled rage. If she wasn’t with any of the neighboring packs, then where the hell had they taken her?
“I’m going to find her,” Liam said darkly. “And when I do, I’m going to kill every single one of those bastards.”
Luther gave him a pained smile. “That’s the spirit.”
Liam couldn’t take it anymore.
His vision blurred with fury as he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. The moment the door shut behind him, the anger inside him exploded like a wildfire.
With a roar of pure rage, he slammed his fist into the wall, the impact sending a violent *crack* through the hallway. He didn’t stop. His fist met the wall again, and again, until the plaster crumbled beneath his assault. His knuckles split open, blood dripping down his fingers, but he didn’t care.
A table down the hallway met his wrath next. He flipped it over with a snarl, sending glass vials and paperwork scattering across the floor. A warrior peeked out from around the corner, but the moment they caught sight of Liam’s fury, they disappeared without a word.
His breathing was ragged, his vision red with fury. His chest heaved as he tried to force himself to calm down, but nothing worked.
Nothing would ever be okay again until Charlie was back in his arms.
And now, on top of it all, his brother was dying.
Liam pressed his forehead against the shattered wall, his body trembling.
He needed to find her.
Before it was too late.
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