Vince leaves the door open to his study as he sits behind his desk. He rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and his chin on his knuckle.

He spent the last few days on the hunt and the last few nights on a killing spree. With his literal bare hands, he felt the last heartbeats of eleven Rogue members. The third spilled the beans about Axel's plan but none knew where Anderson was. The traitor was a spy, working with the Rogues all along. He was just beginning with his murderous rage but, Nya. No matter what he was doing or what mood he was in, he thought about her. He worried and wondered and to come back and find her being hurt was gut-wrenching.

Shay is now the snap of a thread away from being dead and if Bent hadn't stopped him she would be. He regretted going away but his duty was to his pack and in protecting everyone he is protecting her. He should have never marked her. Many pack members have seen the mark now. He didn't know what they were gonna think or what would be spread amongst the others.

He hears footsteps approaching and looks up to see Anderson walk into the room. He couldn't believe it. The fucker has a death wish. He rises.

"Everything okay?"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" He approaches Anderson like he was stalking prey, which really he was.

"What are you talking about?"

He takes Anderson's throat in his vice grip and slams him against the wall. "You have the audacity to walk in here like nothing happened?" He clamps down, stopping his airflow. "You're gonna die..." He grits his teeth. "You touched her and I warned you. You betrayed our pack. You set me up."

"Holy shit! Alpha Vince!" Nya enters looking refreshed with damp hair and comfortable clothes, shorts, and a big t-shirt, and immediately she grabs onto his bicep. "Alpha Vince stop!" Her voice was better but was still hoarse.

He confusingly shifts his glare to her. "You're trying to save him?"

"Let him go! You're gonna kill him!" Her little hands pull with all her might. Of course, his arms didn't move but she kept pulling. Why does she want to save this snake?

"He is a traitor, Nya."

"No, he's not! Let him go!" She becomes more urgent.

He shifts his attention back to his victim and it was the shock of his life when under his death grip was not Anderson but his little brother. "Shit!" He immediately releases. "Bent!"

Bent grabs his neck and takes in a deep breath of air.

"I'm sorry, brother."

"What's gotten into you?" Nya stands between them as if she could do something if the two decided to fight. "You could have killed him."

"I thought he was Anderson." Vince backs away.

She furrows her brows "What?"

"It's the bane." Bent clears his throat. "It's making him hallucinate."

He could visually see the air leave her lungs. "Bane?"

"What are you doing here?" Vince goes back to his chair.

"I just-" she begins.

"Not you... you." He looks to his brother.

"I know it's not what you want here but I came to check on you."

"Have you set up the mines?"

"Yes sir, they have all been activated."

"Prep yourself, little brother... we'll be telling the pack soon... they have a new alpha."

Bent's eyes drop to the ground.

"Eyes up." Vince orders. "No sadness. You'll move on, you will continue everything like I never left."

"Yes sir."

"Now both of you get out I don't need the looks of sympathy."

Bent backs away but Nya kept looking at him with her pity eyes.

"I said leave."

"But-"

"But nothing. I want to be alone."

"Do you need anything?"

"To be alone."

She didn't want to leave, he could see in her eyes but she eventually turned around.

"Close the door."

"Yes sir."

~~~

Hours went by of Nya waiting around downstairs for Vince to come out of his study. It played over and over the moment he was hit with the dart. She wished there was something she did or could have done to prevent this. Just then she was alerted to the sound of the study door opening. She gets off the sofa and almost bumps into him in the hall. Her lips part and just as she was about to say something his hand comes up and cups her jaw.

"Your eyes" He searched her features as he glided his thumb on her cheek. "You need to rest."

"Alp-"

"Shh..." he takes her hand and pulls her up the stairs, inserts her into her bedroom, and shuts the door. She blows out a breath and drops herself onto the bed. "Ouch." She forgot about her bruised head as she runs fingers through her hair frustratingly.

How could she sleep? How could he expect her to sleep? No way could she sleep. She gets up and goes out into the hallway. His room was just some feet away so she reached in front of the cracked door in no time. "Alpha Vince." She pushes it open.

"You're playing a dangerous game here, Nya." He was sitting on a leather recliner near the window, the artwork on his arms and chest on full display.

She takes three confident steps in and stops. "If you kill me, you kill me."

"Not even close..." he shifts his eyes on her and does a full-body scan. "What'd you want?"

"I..."

"You?"

"You're..."

"I'm?" There was a squint in his gaze before he stood and started walking towards her.

It was then she noticed the black spider veins crawling over his shoulder. There it was, proof he was getting worse.

He got close and she went into automatic, reaching out and running her fingers over protruded veins. Didn't even think twice.

His chest rises and falls heavily. "What do you want, huh? To see me weak? He knocks her hand down, grabs her by her upper arms, and presses her to the nearest wall right by the closet. "I warned you."

She closes her eyes. Whatever punishment was coming, she braced for it. Instead of anything harsh she felt the stubble on his jaw grazing her cheek. Then his palms turn from grasping to caressing her arms moving up towards her neck.

"The restraint I've had to have with you...." he whispers near her ear.

"Don't hesitate. I should die... You should kill me."

He rubs his thumb over the bruise on her throat before lightly kissing the spot.

"Alpha-"

"Vince..." He rises from the L of her neck and looks her in the eyes. "Just Vince... say it."

She blinks. "But why?..."

"Drop the ignorance. No one is this stupid. You know..."

"What do I know?"

"That I want you."

Her mouth opens and she searches his face for a change in his serious expression. "What do you mean?" He can't mean what she thinks he means.

"This." He grabs the sides of her face and crushes his mouth onto hers. She enters a daze instantly. She lets her hands rise to his shoulders and allows him to take the lead meshing and mixing their lips.

He pulls her closer, snaking his hand around her waist gliding them on the curve of her bottom, and deepens the kiss, pressing harsher, sucking harsher, and squeezing her harsher. "I've missed you." He mumbles in between her lips.

Then something dawned on her. She turns her head. "Wait..."

He breathes heavily on her neck.

"It's me, Nya..."

"Who else would you be?"

He lifts her suddenly, taking her to the bed, and drops her on it. He fixated on her image, scraping every inch with intent as he crawled over her and covered her palms with his.

This was the alpha before her, this was breaking the rules and this was a betrayal to her sister. "Alpha Vince, it's me, Nya." She says again in a more hurried tone.

He leans down as he whispers. "Nya Iris Till," he stuck his head in the crook of her neck and caressed her with his open mouth. "Rank 4 of the Slays. 13% wolf. I know who you are." He drags his lips from her shoulder to her collar bone, then the column of her neck, taking his time, slow and sweet, peppering her with kisses gently.

She trembled internally and her brain was starting to feel like. "Then..."

"Then?" He kisses her cheek almost to her mouth again, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't waiting for it. Unexpectedly though, he straightens his elbows pushing himself up leaving space between them.

"Bents here." He announces.

Her brows join. "What?"

"And he's calling you."

"Me?"

He rolls over on his back. "Go."

Then she hears for herself her name from below. She goes downstairs and finds Beta Bent waiting with his arms crossed behind his back by the front door.

"Yes sir?"

"We've got the test back."

Her stomach plummeted. She knew immediately what test he was referring to. How long?"

He lets out a breath. "Days."

"What?"

"He was targeted. It was potent enough to kill weaker in hours."

A tear leaks down her cheek and she wipes it away. "So why are you telling me and not him?"

"He doesn't need me to tell him. He could feel it and he's only allowing you to be close right now. I have some things I need to handle. So just do me a favor and take good care of him. Make him as comfortable as possible... please."

She nods. "I'll do my best."

Vince clears his throat and they both look up to see him watching them from over the railing.

~~~~~~~

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