Levi's POV

We were running. Fast. Faster that we've ever run before.

But not fast enough.

I knew what they were planning to do. The small glimpse into Danielle's mind was enough. I knew where she was.

I also knew how much danger she was in, and how little time we had.

Trees were shredded apart as I tore through the forest, flanked by 200 members of my pack. There was a general sense of desperation in the air; we all knew it could happen at any time.

It happened just as we passed through the third state line. One minute I was a blur of fur and determination, and the next I was human again, gasping in agony on the forest floor.

White hot pain seared through me. I couldn't do anything but scream.

We were too late.

I felt a part of me die, everything in me that was light and good burned away in that moment, leaving only darkness.

The physical pain trickled away, and I was empty. There was nothing tying me to the world, to anyone, to anything. In the places that Danielle once filled there was only darkness. Rage.

Estelle was crouched in front of me, tears falling down her cheeks. "No," she shook her head, despair all over her face.

I was shaking. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move.

The realisation ripped through the pack, and I felt their pain swell. I felt everything they felt, and they felt everything I felt.

"We have to keep moving, we have to go to them," Thomas grabbed my shoulder. I stared at him, barely processing what he said.

"Levi, you have to keep it together," he urged. I didn't want to. I couldn't. I wanted to die.

"We have to go there," Dylan insisted. "We have to. For Danni."

Her name lit the fuse inside me. I stood up, in a somewhat catatonic state. All I could see, feel and think was rage. The need for revenge was my sole purpose in life now. I would avenge her.

Then I was running. Faster than before, fueled with this desperate pain.

They had patrols at their border, but they were no match to my grieving pack. We flew straight through them, and in moments were surrounding a dilapidated building.

I could feel her now. I knew she was here, even in death she was still so alive to me.

"Kill who you have to," my voice came from somewhere within me that I didn't control. "But not the leader. I kill him."

And then we were in.

I burst through a huge set of double doors into a round room, the walls etched with alcoves.

I barely noticed the hundreds of people in the alcoves, the men standing in the middle of the room, the blood on the floor.

All I could see was Danielle, her lifeless body on a table, discarded now that they'd gotten what they wanted.

A growl erupted from deep within me, silencing the room and knocking everyone to the floor.

My pack took advantage of this, and poured into the room, lining the centre stage. I knew what they were doing. They were giving me time to say goodbye, before I ripped Julian's head off.

Snarls and howls roared through the room as the fighting began.

In a haze of despair, I ran to the table. Danielle was dirty and pale, but her beauty still made my physically hurt.

Tears dripped onto her face as I kissed every inch of it.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, again and again.

I reached down and gently picked up her wrist. The mark, our mark, was bruised and misshapen, surrounded by open punctures that were still dripping blood.

Fury fueled up inside me, and mingled with the despair. For someone else to mark another alpha's luna - especially before he had, and if she was human - is a crime of the utmost degree.

It had not only severed the sacred connection between us, but it had fucking killed her.

I couldn't leave her like this, with the mark of the man who killed her. So almost without thinking, I brought her wrist to my lips, kissed it gently and bit, marking her the way I should have while she was alive.

I didn't feel anything - she was dead - but it made me feel slightly less sick knowing that the mark of Julian was no longer on her body.

Taking one last look at her, I closed my eyes and turned around.

Now it was time for them all to die.

I tore through the crowd, to where Julian was standing on a raised platform, watching the battle with a sort of amused disinterest.

He locked eyes with me as I paced closer and closer, and he grinned. His men stepped closer to him, but he waved them off.

"I've got this one," he smirked, crossing his arms.

"I'm going to destroy you," I seethed, feeling myself slowly losing control of my body.

He laughed merrily, as if he hadn't just murdered my mate and our packs were in a battle below us. "Oh, are you? That's funny, because I think you'll find you're no longer a match for me."

"I could kill you in my sleep."

"But that was before I killed your girlfriend and took her power, remember?" He goaded, laughing.

I snapped, lunging at him. But he sidestepped, and I went crashing to the floor.

"Come on, at least give me a run for my money," he clucked disappointedly.

I got back up, panting in anger. This time when I lunged, I caught him around the waist, taking him to the floor with me. I pummeled my fist into his face, hearing the satisfying crack of bone.

But then in one movement, I was pinned down by him.

"Now now Levi, I thought you were better than that."

I groaned as he dug his claws into my chest, dragging them down. He may have had more power, but I wasn't going to die without putting up a fight. If not for myself, then for Danielle.

I brought my hand back and slashed him across the face, claw marks leaking bright red blood. He hissed and I pushed him off me, standing up and kicking him to the ground. I brought my foot up, sending it smashing down on his leg, breaking the bone.

He roared, but to my shock stood up, pushing the bone that had broken through the skin back into place.

"Embarrassing. Even Danielle put up more of a fight. Right before I bit her... right before I killed her."

I threw myself at him, fighting blind with anger. He kicked me to the ground, and smashed his foot onto my stomach, leaving me gasping for breath. Sighing impatiently, he stepped around me and positioned his hands on my head. "At least you can be with her now."

I reached up and grabbed his wrists, pushing back. He was going to snap my neck if I even gave him an inch. I could hear my pack trying to get to me, but his guards held them off. He was stronger than me, and I was losing the battle. I groaned as we struggled, a battle of strength and will.

Why was I even fighting? I had nothing left to live for anyway.

I should just let go.

It would be fast, painless.

I took a breath and closed my eyes, letting go of his wrists.

I waited, but death never came.

Instead, his hands dropped and I heard him fall.

My eyes flew open, and I was sure I was dead.

I had to be. It wasn't possible.

The room was silent.

How...