Ezra POV

The wind sways the trees softly as we stand there rather silently. There's also the dim background sound of the pack members sparing, they are far enough away that they can't hear what we're saying, but they feel the uneasiness that comes with a lycan's anger. They know to stay far away.

Reid's eyes narrow as he glares at me across the short distance that separates us. His eyes flicker down to stare at the knife in my hand before returning to my face.

"Don't make me ask again." I seeth, pushing my lycan back as it rears inside of me. That side of me doesn't seem to care that Reid is my so called "friend", all it thinks about is my mate.

He said he knows where she is, and I'm determined to find out.

"Like you even care." He scoffs, "You act like she's important to you, yet you treat her like she's somehow beneath you. Some mate you are."

I clench my jaw. I know he's right.

"That's none of your business."

He laughs without a single trace humor, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back on his heels.

"It is my business, believe it or not. You're our leader, yet you commit one of the most heinous crimes against the Goddess Herself."

It takes one glance in Ace's direction to see that he's putting the pieces together. It's not hard to realize what his brother is referring to.

Everyone knows the worst thing you can do is reject your mate.

"She's under the pack house, locked up. The Alpha is punishing her for stealing. If you care so much, how come you don't know about that yet? Huh?" He continues to goad me, and I don't hold back my roar.

Klepto was in a prison cell and he rubs it in my face? Is this really the time to have this conversation... again? If he knew, why didn't he do something about it? He just waited around for me to find out for myself so he can push my buttons?

I turn away from him before I give in to my desires and attack him. The urge to pummel Reid is growing like a weed inside of me, but I resist the temptation.

As I stalk away, holding onto the knife for dear life, I hear Reid take a few steps forward.

"If you're so adamant about rejecting her, why don't you just leave her down there to rot? Wouldn't that just make this whole charade easier for you?" He raises his voice now, harshness coloring every emotional syllable.

I drop the knife onto the grass with a soft thump.

Something snaps inside me as the temperature of my anger rises to alarming heights. I can't hold it back now. It's too far gone, it's too late.

Once I let the fury inside me take control, it gladly take the reigns and surges me around to grab onto my friend with excited hands.

The fingers of my left hand entangled in the material of his shirt, holding Reid by his collar while my other hand does the rest of the work. I immediately begin punching his face over and over, not stopping until he pushes me away and proceeds to lay a punch right in my chest.

I reel back for only a split second, then I'm back on him, laying into his face without mercy. We're both on the ground now, and I feel his futile attempts to escape from underneath me.

It's useless, I'm much stronger than him. He knew that, and yet he still brought this on himself.

My skin starts to tingle, the boiling heat in my flesh a sign of transformation. Claws retracted from my fingers, fur inches along the surface of my skin. The course red hairs sprouting from my pours like fresh sprung grass.

The sound of gasps and hushed whispers doesn't draw my attention, all I can focus on is my attack. The fight. The violence.

My vision is crimson tinged and hazy. My lycan is only half formed, my appearance displaying a half man/half beast in a mid shifted state. I can hear my canines as they protrude from my gums, lethal weapons of their own.

I'm suddenly torn away from my target, and let out an enraged sound I've never heard before. It's an utterly animalistic snarl, a noise that could send any bear or tiger running for cover.

Arching my back, I whirl around to face the person who dared disrupt my vengeance.

Ace stood above me, chest heaving with absolute outrage. Pupils that are typically bright and cheery have darkened to the point of turning pitch black. The trembling of his body signals that he too is on the verge of shifting.

His protective stance in front of his brother is obvious. I seem to have made him defensive of his older sibling.

My low, warning growl fills the air, as I haven't moved from my low crouch. I'm poised to attack again, and Ace does not like that. He's not afraid of a fight.

I show him my teeth, wordlessly telling him to back the hell off. My strength heavily outweighs his, he has to recognize that. But he doesn't move. He's blinded by devotion.

When he doesn't back down, I pounce, attaching my jaw on his shoulder. A collective sound of horror washes over the crowd of on looking wolves who have stopped to watch. They can't help but stare at the ensuing battle.

As soon as I bite down, Ace howls in all consuming rage. He pulls me off with one hand, dislodging me one second and hitting me next. His fist shoots out to strike my face, I'm not expecting the blow.

It disorients me, and I shake my head to get my senses back. I charge at him again, ready to take him on.

Before I can get to Ace, and arm wraps around my neck pulling me back.

One sniff and I recognize Hyrum's scent behind me, his choke hold on me and his gruff sound of displeasure are enough to bring me back down to earth.

I start to calm down, I begin to think clearly as the fog of emotion dissipates. Rage slowly loses its tight hold on my mind, and I take deep, steadying breaths.

Ace is no longer paying any attention to me, instead he is entirely focused on helping Reid to sit up. I sober at the sight at what I've done to Reid's face. Blood is running down his neck in rivers, but his wounds are already closing up.

Quick healing is one of the many benefits of being a lycan.

"Come on." Hyrum demands in my ear, releasing me, then grabbing me by the arm and practically dragging me along behind him.

I don't even try to get him to let go as I stare back at the group of werewolves who look on in frozen horror. My eyes follow the trail of their gazes right to my hands.

My hands are back to their human form, but they are still a gruesome sight.

The knuckles are drenched in bright red blood.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask numbly, still trying to come back to reality. Hyrum shakes his head, his jaw set firmly in a scowl.

"We're going to find your mate."

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"Where. Is. She?" I rumble out, holding tight to my sanity like a life preserver.

Hyrum stands on the sidelines as my chaperone of sorts, making sure I don't cross the line again.

The spineless Alpha of the Green Pack stands rigid by the fireplace, another cigar dangling between his fingertips. His Beta, Terrance Thorn, sits in an armchair a few feet away looking a bit nervous.

"I fail to see how it is any of your business how we discipline our own, Mr.Blackmore." Says the Beta, and I'm not surprised.

Alpha Green has yet to acknowledge our presence, he hasn't uttered a single word. His Beta does all the talking.

I clench my jaw and narrow my eyes at the weaklings that are in charge here.

"We have been sent by the Guard to oversee your pack. As far as the Council is concerned, I am in charge of every little minute thing that goes on here in regards to safety." I cock my head to the side and regard them with a dismissive look, "That includes any treatment to pack members that I deem cruel or harmful."

My gaze is drawn to Alpha Green as his expression reveals his sheer fury. His face scrunches up, and his fingers curl tightly on his cigar. There's also a lot of terror behind his eyes. He can't do anything and he knows it.

Though he still refuses to speak at all, his face reveals every thought crossing his hollow mind.

Beta Thorn clears his throat, and once I glance at him I can see his anger waging war his self preservation. Everything in him begs to submit to the higher power threatening him. He fights it hopelessly.

"We aren't treating her unjustly. She stole something from her Alpha and it must be dealt with." He pushes, determination coloring every syllable.

I growl at him, feeling satisfied by his reaction of trying to shrink in on himself, make his figure smaller and less threatening without even realizing he's doing it.

"What did she steal?"

"A pen." Answers the the Beta. I raise my eyebrows as my nostrils flare.

"A pen?"

"A very expensive pen!" He insists, eyes flickering between Hyrum and I. How ridiculous. Imprisoned for taking a pen of all things. I sigh before moving on.

"How long, pray tell, do you plan on keeping her imprisoned?" I question, stepping closer to the now cowering Beta.

There is a long, pregnant silence that seeps into the warm air. I don't once break eye contact with Thorn. I let my intimidation work for me.

"Your silence is an answer enough, Alpha." I spit his title at him, not even bothering to even glance at him. I knew he's still glaring at me.

The wolf may be scared of me and my kind, but he isn't afraid to show how much he despises me.

"Who knows, she could die down there for all I care." Alpha Green sneers, and I watch him take a long draw from his cigar, a white cloud of smoke floating in the air.

Heat floods my limbs again, I swallow the lump in my throat and fist both of my hands at my sides. No, not again. I'm losing my control for another second.

My mate is counting on me.

"There are other ways to correct bad behavior, Alpha Green." I say slowly, drawing out each word with venom. Fear flickers in his eyes as more smoke floods from his nostrils. The heady smell of cigar lingers on every surface in the room.

"Oh really? Do share your ideas."

"Gladly."

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