Deadly anger

BLOOD MOON PACK

Alpha Darius clenched his fists, his sharp nails digging into his palms as rage simmered beneath his skin. His patience was running thin, and his office felt too small to contain his growing fury. How could a mere slave—his slave—vanish without a trace?

His mind raced through the possibilities. There were only two packs in Ravenridge: his Blood Moon Pack and Nightshade Pack. If Luna had somehow escaped his lands, there was no other place for her to go. But that didn't make sense. Kieran Blackthorn, Alpha of Nightshade Pack, was known for his ruthlessness. He never allowed outsiders to step foot in his territory, especially not weak, unwanted humans.

Darius exhaled sharply, his fingers twitching over the silver blade on his desk.

A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts, and a guard stepped inside, his head bowed low.

"My Alpha," the guard said cautiously, "we have searched the entire pack grounds. Luna is nowhere to be found."

Darius' vision darkened, and before the guard could react, he lunged forward, slashing his throat with the silver blade. Blood spurted across the desk, staining the wooden surface as the guard choked on his final breath. His body collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Clean this up," Darius ordered coldly, summoning another guard.

The second guard barely glanced at the corpse as he signaled for others to remove it. Servants rushed in, their heads down, swiftly dragging the body away.

Darius turned on his heel and stormed toward the council room, his boots echoing menacingly down the stone hallway.

Inside the council chamber, the elders sat in tense conversation. The air was thick with concern.

"The land is weakening," one elder muttered, stroking his white beard. "The crops are drying, the rivers are losing their clarity. The balance is shifting, and it began when—"

"When Nightshade Pack killed the rogues that invaded their lands," another elder finished grimly.

Murmurs of agreement filled the chamber.

Darius slammed the doors open, his presence instantly silencing the room. The elders snapped to their feet, bowing their heads low in submission.

Darius' golden eyes flashed with fury. "Are you saying Nightshade Pack is better than Blood Moon Pack?" he snarled, his claws elongating.

The elders exchanged nervous glances before shaking their heads in unison. "No, Alpha, never!"

"Good," he spat. Then, without warning, he grabbed a nearby guard and drove his claws through his chest. The man let out a strangled gasp before crumpling to the ground, lifeless.

The tension in the room thickened, but none of the elders dared to react. They had long since learned that questioning Darius meant certain death.

The door creaked open once more, and a group of servants hurried inside, swiftly carrying the dead body away while others wiped the blood from Darius' hands and the marble floor.

Darius sat down, his breathing steadying. The elders followed suit, their postures rigid with unease.

One of them cleared his throat. "My Alpha, there are rumors…"

Darius lifted his gaze, his expression unreadable.

The elder hesitated but continued, "Rumors that Kieran has found his mate and will soon present her to the old Alpha and Luna."

Silence stretched across the room. Darius' grip on the armrests of his chair tightened, his knuckles turning white.

His mate?

Kieran was going to claim his Luna?

No. Darius refused to let that happen. He would not allow Kieran to surpass him in anything.

His hands trembled as rage coursed through his veins. He shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the stone floor.

"I will find my mate before Kieran does," he declared, his voice thick with venom.

The elders remained silent, awaiting his command.

"Inform the pack witch," he ordered. "She will organize a mating match ceremony for me." His lips curled into a sneer. "By the next full moon, I will have a Luna, and she will be more powerful than any mate Kieran could ever find."

His voice dropped to a bitter whisper. "I have to be better than him."

The room remained eerily still, the weight of his words hanging in the air. The elders exchanged wary glances but nodded in obedience.

Darius' jaw clenched. He would not be outdone. Not by Kieran. Not by anyone.

" Get out" he said in a deadly whisper.

Darius sat in the now-empty council room. He exhaled slowly, trying to calm the rage boiling inside him. He had to think. He had to be better than Kieran. He had to—

A sharp sound tore through the silence as the heavy doors swung open.

His mother, Luna Tanin Locke, stepped in.

She didn't hesitate. The moment she reached him, she raised her hand and struck his face with such force that his head snapped to the side.

The sharp sting spread through his cheek, but he didn't react.

She slapped him again, harder this time.

Darius' golden eyes darkened with anger as he slowly turned his gaze toward her. His wolf, an untamed beast lurking beneath his skin, growled in his head, demanding respect. No one—no one—laid hands on him and lived to tell the tale.

But this was Tanin.

She wasn't just anyone.

"How dare you?" she hissed, her voice trembling with fury. "Two guards. Two! In one morning!"

She pointed at the spot where the bodies had lain just minutes ago.

"You are not insane, Darius. You are not mentally ill. So tell me, why do you kill for fun?"

Her voice was filled with disgust, disappointment dripping from every word.

Darius opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand, silencing him instantly.

"You think you're invincible?" she spat. "You think you're untouchable? Let me remind you of something, boy. You are nothing more than a child I picked up."

Silence fell between them, heavier than before.

Tanin's lips curled in a sneer as she looked him over. "Do you really think you would be Alpha if my son was alive?"

Darius clenched his fists beneath the table, his nails digging into his palms so deeply they threatened to draw blood. But he remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Tanin let out a cold laugh. "That's right. You are not my true son. You were a child brought in when my real son fell sick." Her voice was sharp, like a blade slicing through his pride. "The only reason you have this title is because we could not let power slip from our bloodline."

Her words should have meant nothing. He had always known the truth. He had known since the moment he was old enough to understand the coldness in her eyes when she looked at him.

But knowing it didn't mean it didn't cut.

"You are a replacement, Darius. Do not forget that."

Darius inhaled deeply, his face an emotionless mask.

She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "And hear me now, boy," she warned, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "If I hear of another senseless murder, you will be punished for your mistakes."

She turned on her heel and strode out of the room without another word.

Darius remained in his chair, his knuckles white from clenching his fists.

The council room was empty again. But now, the silence was different.

Colder.

Darker.

And filled with something deadly. Rage....