CHAPTER FIFTY

**GABRIEL**
I swore under my breath as I ripped a wolf apart. I stared at the dead wolf and swore again. What was happening? Where were they coming from? Who sent them?
The wolves had a distinct feature -pitch-black eyes- as though they were possessed by some sort of demon. I looked around and nodded approvingly as I saw that my warriors were standing their ground against what was left of the invaders.
I drew my claws as I saw a wolf launch at me from the corner of my eye, i sidestepped to the left and deftly grabbed hold of its neck, pushing us both to the ground. I sunk my claws into its neck, inches away from its jugular, and watched as it thrashed underneath me.
“Shift,” I growled at the wolf.
I needed answers. A dead wolf won’t give me those. I tightened my hold on its neck and repeated my command.
“Shift!!”
Slowly, skin replaced fur and nose replaced snout, and my eyes opened in shock as Liam, Alpha John’s beta lay writhing underneath me.
“What the fuck is going on?!”
His eyes had lost their distinct black color and his brown eyes replaced fear and confusion. He almost didn’t seem like himself. So, the packs had decided to form a coalition and attack my pack? For Oliver? Had they been threatened again? By who?
My mind immediately went to Oliver and I realized that I had left him to himself for too long. My heart rate picked up and panic filled my chest as I wondered about his safety. I sunk my claws into his neck, bringing his life to a swift end, and immediately dashed into the forest.
As I ran through the forest, ignoring the gashes on my skin from the tree branches, and the blood pouring from my toes from the strikes against stones and stumps, my mind filled with thoughts of Oliver. I called out Oliver’s name, fear creeping up my spine each time he didn’t answer.
As I approached the river, I could see a cloud of black smoke, my brows furrowed in confusion, and my wolf pushed me to run faster. In the distance and through the smoke, I could see a man…a tall man, and next to him, Sasha. She stood tall and proud next to him. I didn’t need a prophet to tell me what was happening there, and at that moment, I wished I had thrown her out of my pack, but I had assumed that Oliver would want to connect with another sibling. I had seen it as some sort of sign… a divine apology if you will, for the loss of his brother.
I had been wrong.
I called out to Oliver again, worried that I couldn’t see him, and could barely feel him, as though there was an ominous presence blocking him from me. Just as I approached the river, everyone disappeared, leaving a residue of black smoke. I blinked rapidly, hoping that my sight was faulty. It wasn’t. They were gone. Oliver, the strange man, Sasha…all gone, and laying on the floor and coming around were a large percentage of my pack members.
“What the fuck just happened?” I asked as I looked frantically around.
I watched as they held their heads in their hands and looked around confused, gathering their bearings. I walked into the river and strode out, taking in hard breaths in an attempt to pacify my deprived lungs.
“Did anyone see anything?” I asked. “Did you guys see anyone?!”
They shook their heads groggily and continued helping each other to their feet.
“Fuck!!!”
I turned towards the shrine, and seated on the floor, next to the porch steps was Shanice. Her blind gaze looked ahead, sadness in their depths. She sat deathly still, quiet, lost in thought. I found my way to her and squatted in front of her.
“Shanice,” I called out. She turned her head to me slowly, her eyes staring directly into mine. “Are you okay?”
Shanice sighed, her lips quivered. “That man…that man…”
My interest piqued, and I sunk myself into the floor next to her. “You saw him, didn’t you?” I asked. “Do you know where he took Oliver?”
She shuddered and wrapped her hand around herself, her head snapping left and right as though trying to rid her mind of a memory. I wondered how lot. She would have been there if that man had known that she was there.
“No…”
“Did you hear anything?” I asked.
“They took him…Oliver.”
“I know.”
“Do you think he’ll be alright?” Shanice asked.
I shook my head and sighed when I remembered she couldn’t see me. “I don’t know. I hope so.”
“That girl…the one who claims to be his sister…”
“Sasha?”
“Yes. She was with them.”
“I know. She must have been the one to let them in. But what do they want with Oliver?” I asked.
Shanice opened her mouth to speak and then shut it.
“That girl always wanted to take his place,” Shanice continued, completely disregarding my question. “For some reason, she always felt like she deserved everything that Oliver had…and she wanted to take it. All of it.”
I sighed and rubbed my temple. “I…well…”
“She wanted to know what Oliver knew, do what Oliver did, and was very specific with those requests. Initially, I had thought nothing of it because I had felt she wanted to bond with her new family. And Oliver’s mother was so happy to have her children together…I…”
Her voice broke as she spoke, and my heart broke with it.
“She knew that man…he’s her father…”
“What?! Did they know you were here the whole time?” I asked.
She shook her head. “For some reason, he didn’t check the shrine. And the goddess…” she shuddered. “There’s a dark power about them…about him, that seems to make her go silent.”
“I’m glad you’re safe, Shanice. I couldn’t imagine this place without you.”
And truly, I couldn’t. Shanice on her own was a force to be reckoned with, a mother for all the time I haven’t had one and was desperately in need of one.
Shanice took my hand in hers, a weird form of comfort in strange times such as this, and rested her head on my shoulder. I leaned my head against hers and sat still, ignoring the chaos around me and focusing on my mind…on Oliver, on how I would be getting my wolf back.
I wondered how he was feeling. My Oliver. If he was behind tortured. As soon as the thought entered my head, I banished it. It was too hard a possible truth to consider…a pill too bitter to swallow. I swore loudly and took a deep breath as rage began to simmer in my veins. This was their fault, the alphas, if they had just told me who was responsible, and who was sending them the threats, all of these would have been averted.
I would have protected Oliver better.
And now he was gone. And it was partly their fault.
In the back of my mind, my wolf howled greatly in pain and growled in anger. He wanted his mate. Somehow, he had managed to protect everybody except the one person who was in dire need of protection.
He had failed, and he hated it.
Oliver was now in danger, and he wanted the blood of the bastard responsible.