~Caleb's POV~

There was a soft snore that came from Eve as she slept away on our bed. It didn't surprise me that she was still fast asleep though she was in shock earlier on in the night, now she was sleeping off her drinks.

Guilt washed over me at the fact that she was touched against her wishes. I couldn't get to her soon enough and that bounty hunter tried to overpower her. It took all my will power in the club not to shift and rip his throat out.

Why do measly wolves think they have a chance over an alpha? It's comical to say the least and even more amusing that they dare to touch the mate of an alpha. I thought it'd be common sense that'd be a death sentence, but not all people are born with brain cells.

"Are you just gonna stare at her like a creep or are you going to go down to the holding cells to interrogate the bounty hunters?" Taylor's curt voice cut through the bliss moment I had admiring my mate that I couldn't help but shoot her a glare.

She leaned against the door frame of the room her long blonde hair still tied high on her head and her arms crossed. She was trying to exert her confidence that I knew I could squish in an instance, the only thing stopping me was Eve's constant admiration for her. I'll never understand but I still allow them to be together since it seems like the only thing that makes Eve genuinely happy here, and Alex, but I'd rather her be with Taylor than another male wolf.

"First off, I'm your alpha watch how you speak to me. Secondly, I didn't ask for your commentary just your assistance in watching over Eve while I'm gone." I reprimanded walking past her making sure to bump her shoulder on the way out.

She stumbled back a little at the force but said nothing as she grabbed the door handle to close it.

"First off, you are not my alpha, you've made that very clear. And secondly, alpha Caleb I make my own decisions and if they so happen to get me hurt or killed that's my own damn choice. Maybe don't be so fucking sensitive." Her deep scowl and glowing ember eyes left no doubt she was looking for some sort of confrontation. I wasn't sure what storm was brewing between Loz and her but I wasn't about to be thrown into the mix.

I reached out grabbing her neck before she had time to pull way. In one swift motion I had her pinned against the wall, high enough she couldn't place her feet on the ground. Taylor let out a chocking sound and I looked to Eve just feet away to make sure the noise didn't wake her up. I would have been livid if it had.

When Eve didn't stir I looked back to Taylor; eyes glowing blue or maybe black with the intense urge to show her how weak she was compared to me.

"Eve may be your friend and I may have to tolerate you around her but she's asleep and I won't hesitate to keep you far from her if it means I get a sense of peace." I tightened my hold on her neck sending a clear message I wasn't budging. "You will learn to hold your tongue around me or I can save us both a headache by removing it."

She chocked again digging her claws into my forearms in desperation. I wasn't done yet though as my wolf came to my forefront showing itself in my eyes not letting her go free without knowing we meant what we threatened.

"I don't want to get rid of you because that means upsetting Eve but I will if you keep this attitude problem you have. Learn to adjust an adapt or I'll make the decision for you to no longer be apart of this pack." Letting her go she slid down the wall, her shoes hitting the floor with a deafening echo.

I turned to Eve thinking the noise would wake her up but she was still fast asleep. Turning back to Taylor with a menacing glare I released a frustrating growl. I need her to step in place, she needed to learn the hierarchy.

"Am I understood?"

She grabbed at her throat searching for oxygen to breathe in. Gasping she finally filled her lungs with the much deprived air she needed.

"Y-yes sir." She replied her voice hoarse and quite.

Rotating on my heels I left her rubbing her throat to assess the bounty hunters we were able to take with us. My temper was still boiling from Taylor and it only climbed further when I thought about the bounty hunter's hands on Eve. My teeth elongated just thinking of all the things I'd do to him just to torture what little life he had.

I may seem to Eve like I'm a cool and collected man, and even though I strain to display that kind of image, I am a loose cannon more often than not. When it comes to her though I can't see a speck of hurt, fear, or anything that makes her repulsed by me. I can't stand the fear she has towards me when I growl, raise my voice, or show my wolf in my eyes. She cowers and that breaks my heart every time. She thinks I'm unpredictable.

I needed to get this traitor killed, they were causing nothing but mayhem. They were getting bolder and bolder to get a hold of Eve and my wolf was growing more and more restless with every incident. If I didn't get this under control...

My stomach knotted at the possibilities, all the hoard possibilities, but they could all come true.

Each minute that passed is another minute they have to plan the next attempt to ruin me. My heart ached at the fact that this rat wasn't doing all this to simply attack Eve, no they wanted to hurt me and badly so. Too bad I wasn't about to give them the chance.

Stepping down the stairs of the pack house I made my way down the maze of corridors that led to the underground cells.

The smell of urine, rotting food and body odors overwhelmed my senses and I crinkled my noise at the stench. I'd have to remind one of the guards to make the prisoner clean there cells this week, this smell was over powering. I'm surprised none of the prisoner acquired infections from all this lack of sanitation.

"In here Alpha." My eye instantly connected with Alex's hazel eyes.

Coming closer to him I see splotches of red on his plain grey shirt, catching the scent I recognized the stains as the remnants of blood from the bounty hunter. My wolf howled in my head at the joy of smelling his blood.

"Have you learned anything?" I asked though I knew it would be unlikely.

Alex shook his head in reply.

Humming I moved around Alex peeking through the glass window of the door to see the man. He hung by silver chains, his wrists tied tightly and above his head leaving him immobilized. He was shirtless and only had his black boxers on leaving the rest of his body exposed.

Loz and Alex must have gotten to work as blood trickled down his skin in streams. He was breathing heavy with exhaustion; if he thought he was exhausted already he had another thing coming for him.

Stepping inside the room I dismissed Alex closing the door behind me. The man's head twitched and that was the only thing that told me he was still alive and awake. He, however, did not raise his head to look at me as I rolled up my sleeves.

"So... I know I shouldn't have to ask this because I know the answer already, but I'm a gentleman and it's a courtesy I like to extend to everyone. So... would you like to do this the easy or hard way?" I offered picking up a scalpel from a metal tray weaving it through my fingers as I leaned against the counter looking at the bloodied man.

He raised his head to look at me finally scoffing as he did so. "Pretty boy is giving me an ultimatum? I must have hit my fucking head."

I chuckled to myself at his sarcastic response, it would cost him though.

A grunt came from him as he looked at his chest where the scalpel now protruded from his chest. He winced trying to catch his breath that escaped from the sudden blow. He glared at me with rage not at all amused by my antics.

Whoops.

"It slipped." I mocked rolling my eyes and turning around to look at the tray again for my next object of torture. It was going to be a long night. "Now, let's start with your name. What is it?"

He laughed coldly as if what I asked was amusing. His laughter was cut short when his grunt interrupted, this time though he chocked out a sound.

Blood was no oozing out of his abdomen where a pairing knife was lodged. He groaned out in pain as he looked helpless with his wrists bond at the knife that punctured from his skin. The man's temper flared as he tried to pull against the silver chains, his skin sizzled and burned against the metal leaving his wolf that much more livid.

Raising his head up to look at me he flashed his elongated teeth and growled. Back handing him for daring to look and challenged me I circled him as I chuckled. I played with the dull side of the butcher knife I held.

"Now that you have some manners let's try this again. What is your name?"

He trained his neck up with much effort, his eyes glowed green with disgust. That made two of us buddy.

"Does it matter?" He asked gritting through clenched teeth.

Pursing my lips together I thought over his question he wasn't lying, finding out his name would do nothing in leading me to the fantom. As if reading my mind the man started speaking again.

"You want to know who put the hit on your girl, right?" I said nothing, not giving him the satisfaction of being correct. Groaning at my lack of reply he continued. "If it makes you feel any better we don't even know what the fantom's name is. They only go by fantom, we've never met her and we have only ever spoken to her over the phone."

"Her?" I couldn't help but suddenly give this man my undivided attention.

I wasn't sure what I expected to see or hear about the fantom but I definitely wasn't expecting the fantom to be a female. I always assumed it was another male that wanted my title.

There was a humorous chuckle coming again from the man and my wolf was getting antsier by the second and the chuckle he was making was driving us both closer to snapping. I needed to get a grip, losing my patience and collected thoughts would do nothing in finding the rat.

"You look stunned Alpha Caleb." He mocked my title like it was something to drag in the mud. Without thinking I pulled both the pairing knife and the scalpel from his body without warning. He hunched over onto himself heaving for oxygen and groaning at the pain. He's d heal and we'd do this all over again, and again, and again, and again, until I'd finally come to the conclusion that he'd gotten what he deserved or better yet until he collapsed dead from exhaustion. I was hoping the latter would be the result.

As I allowed him to gather his bearings I grazed my fingertip over the sharp end of the butcher knife. I had to compose myself though, I had to keep the urge to slice his head off under control, or else I would lose any chance of learning anything knew.

Suddenly though the metal door to the cell opened and blonde hair peeked around the edge of the door as they gave me a look that made my stomach drop.

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~Evelyn POV~

I could faintly hear the lapping of water hitting a shore though I could hear and smell the water I couldn't see it. My eyes wouldn't open and through the darkness that was the inside of my eyelids I strained to open them. My confusion grew worse when I craned my neck up from the grassy ground I laid upon.

"You had choices Eve." A soft whisper echoed into the dark distance.

Sitting up I turned my head side to side in hopes of picking up another hint, or clue, anything to help me establish where the hell I was. There was nothing and then as suddenly as there was nothing I was blinded as if someone had shined a light in my face and my eyes opened.

The blinding yellow light disoriented me as I winced form the intense brightness. Just as I was about to get up and shield my eyes the light dissipated revealing a yard with people I did not recognize. The figures were blurry and lacked much definition but I could make out a couple tall men standing a few feet away and a woman that was hunched over on her knees.

When I concentrated harder I could vaguely make out redness on the green t-shirt the woman wore. Before I could decipher what the red liquid was exactly or if it was a design on the shirt her head was pulled back roughly and I heard her cry out in pain. I was quick to jump to my feet when I watched another figure behind her pulling tightly on her hair.

They were talking but I couldn't make any distinct words; all that I knew was that the person on their knees was in pain and the person yanking their hair was evil. There was an aura of evil that emanated from them and I frown trying to understand what caused them to attack this poor woman.

As I watched the scene play out I furrowed my brows tighter together as I saw another girl tossed to the ground a few meters away. She gasped but that was all that came from her and as I looked at her closer her blurred figure still looked so familiar, but I couldn't put a name to the fuzzy person.

What I could make out was enough to know that she was frantic to get to her feet as she tried to get to the other woman. However, as I watched the scene unfold my stomach dropped and bile rose in my throat. Red splashed across the green grass at the knees of the bloodied woman.

A scream was heard but it wasn't an ordinary scream, no it was filled with pain and agony. It was the type of scream that left no one with any doubt that there was a sudden loss.

Looking to the woman that was once desperate to reach the other I noticed that she had disappeared. In fact, everyone had suddenly faded away and it was only me again, but the screaming still persisted.

It wasn't until I was starting to feel lightheaded that I realized that I was the one that was screaming this whole time. I stopped myself as I collapsed on the ground.

Opening my eyes once again I stared at the dark black ceiling that I had become familiar with. I reached for my throat feeling a dull ache that reminded me of my childhood when I would try to hold back my cries and tears. Wincing, I sat up pushing myself to the headboard for much needed support.

Blinking my eyes a couple of times to clear my vision I scanned the room for anyone. There wasn't anyone though and as I looked at what I was wearing I came to realize that I had fallen asleep after coming back from the club. The skin tight red dress had ridden up my legs and was now bunched around my hips.

Continuing to rob my throat I stood up and made my way to the walk in closet that Caleb and I shared. I unzipped the side of the dress and slipped it off me throwing it in one of the hampers as I turned to pull a draw out to find a change of cloths. As I sifted through I heard a loud slam come from the bedroom door.

In a frantic move to cover myself with a robe I soon panicked when the loop of the robe got stuck on the hook. Cursing under my breathe I tugged again in a desperate attempt to get it down. My heart raced faster as thunderous footsteps came closer to the closet.

"God damn it!" I swore as the door of the closet was swung open, I jumped onto the robe and using the gravity of my jump and the weight of my body to yank the robe off the hook. With a loud thud I fell in a heap of limbs and fabric.

The robe had fallen over my head, which evidently left nearly nothing to the imagination. My whole lower half of my body was exposed and I screamed under the robe as I internally cried that someone just witnessed this whole ordeal.

There was awkward silence as I tried to pull the robe off my head and over my entire body. Cringing because this meant that I would have to reveal myself and look at the person that was still standing there.

I peeked over the edge of the robe and my heart both sank and fluttered. Caleb, had been the one to watch this chaotic show. I wasn't quite sure if I want to bury myself alive or laugh at myself, but they both felt like valid options.

Drowning in embarrassment I said, "Well, um... this is embarrassing." I didn't know what else to say, I felt like hiding in the corner until he got bored and walked away.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from Caleb but helping me up and tying my robe closed all while slamming his lips to mine was not something I thought would happen. Stunned, I pulled away staring up at him in utter confusion. His pupils where pure obsidian leaving me little to figure out about what had driven him to such a weird response. His wolf.

He dropped his head into the crock of my neck and kissed his mark. I pressed closer to his body inviting the heat that radiated off of him sending a heat wave to my core. A gasp of pleasure left my lips when the electrifying spark set flame to every nerve ending in my body. I felt like I was putty in his hands how he was making me feel.

Suddenly though Caleb moved his head back his nose crinkled from something he smelled. I had suddenly back self conscious. Caleb noticed shaking his head and putting a finger under my chin. "You smell like him."

The bounty hunter.

My skin crawled at the thought of his hands on my skin. As disgust enveloped me Caleb pressed a kiss to my cheek before picking me up and leaving the closet. When we didn't immediately head to bed I grew confused that was until I realized that he was taking me to the bathroom. He put me down with grace as he reached into the shower to turn on the shower.

Caleb turned back to me, his eyes still black, and proceeded to untie my robe. My hands instinctually grabbed his halting his movement but as I gazed up at him, moments before telling him I could shower myself, I was overcome with arousal. It was like a tsunami and my mind grew haze at the overpowering emotion.

We're these my own feelings or his. It all felt like a mixture.

In a daze of arousal I didn't notice that I was completely exposed until I felt the robe hit the back of my ankles. Caleb's bare hands rested perfectly on the small of my back. He let his other hand skim a line from the base of my back to the bottom of my neck. I arched at the sensation as a shiver traveled up my spine.

He slowly backed me up until my curls were being weighted down by an endless spray of warm water. My eyes were still closed by our kiss and I left them closed as Caleb placed me directly under that shower head.

I had thought that he was going to simply wash me but when I felt the smooth skin of his chest against mine I knew that this was not going to be a simple shower.

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