RAMON’S POV

"What did you do to her, you bastard?"

Moon was struggling hard against my fierce hold on his throat. The bastard had the guts to try to fight back, his fingers clawing desperately at my arm. His face turned red as he gasped for air, eyes bulging with terror.

I didn’t want to hear his voice. Although I had asked for an explanation, nothing he said was going to change the facts. Sonia was gone. She was—My hold on him slipped, and he dropped to the ground like a sack of stones.

Turning around, I walked to the lifeless body of Sonia. I took her from Blane’s hands and sat on the cold ground, still holding on to her tightly. Her skin was already cooling against mine, a cruel reminder that the warmth I had only just begun to crave was gone forever.

"You can’t hold her dead body that way, Alpha. We have to bury her quickly," I heard Lorena say, but her voice only fueled the rage burning inside me.

"Leave," I said, my tone flat and dangerous.

"What?" She questioned back, clearly shocked.

"I said leave!" I growled loudly, and she finally understood how serious I was.

She turned around and fled the scene without another word.

"What are we going to do now, Alpha?" Blane asked, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

Everyone had said something. Everyone except Ivy.

My eyes went to her, and I felt a deep shift in my body, a painful mix of regret, anger, worry, and overwhelming sadness. She was in pain. She just sat on the ground and stared into the sky with tears rolling silently down her cheeks.

"What did you do to her?" I muttered, my voice filled with raw regret.

"Nothing. I didn’t do anything to her," I heard Moon clearly say, and I turned to him with pure hatred.

"You liar!"

Blane walked up to him and continued where I left off. But instead of choking him, he pushed him to the ground and began to lay punch after punch on his body. The sound of fists meeting flesh filled the air.

Despite Moon’s cries of pain, it still wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to see him bleed to death. I was holding the lifeless body of my mate, and it made me dead inside. Dead to empathy, emotional connections, and every other thing that pandered to the human side of my nature.

"Sonia, please," I called softly, my voice cracking.

"Please what?" Ivy finally spoke, her tone icy.

"Iv—"

"Don’t call my name. You finally got what you wanted. You should be happy. Now there can really be war between you and Ferins. You can get your justice," she said in a cold voice and rose to her feet.

"Ivy, you know—"

"I told you not to call my name. You got what you’ve always wanted. Why are you not excited? Don’t lie that a part of you cared about Sonia. Up until her last breath, you saw her as only a means to an end. Congratulations, Ramon. You got your fucking heart’s desire."

I couldn’t bring myself to go after her as I held on to Sonia’s body. I wanted to explain that I had been fighting my emotions for so long because I had no idea what they truly meant.

How could I explain that there was this sudden explosion in my heart, and what was left of it was now a dark, empty hole? Who would listen to my explanation?

I looked up and saw Blane running after her. He was a good friend. He would be able to calm Ivy down.

Moon was groaning on the ground. He would live for the night, but his death was inevitable.

My eyes returned to Sonia. Even breathless, she looked stunning, her face peaceful in a way that tore me apart.

"Please," I muttered, but I wasn’t even sure what I was begging for anymore.

The air began to grow even hotter, and the howls from the wolves in the distance increased. It was happening. The moment we were supposed to turn, but I had to stifle my own urge.

I had to fight it because I couldn’t possibly leave Sonia’s body alone. Not beside the man that had killed her. In my mind, I kept seeing her looking so happy talking to him. Laughing at his jokes. Holding on to his arm for support as he cracked her up.

All of that just for him to end up killing her. The more I thought of it, the more the urge to kill consumed me completely.

It was Ferins. Or maybe Jack. Ferins wouldn’t order the death of his own daughter, would he? Maybe he did it so he’d claim I killed her, and a war would break. He would have other packs supporting him, hence an easy victory for him.

Or it could also be Jack. That bastard could have heard I wanted his head and moved to petition one of my wolves to turn against me. But why Sonia? If they were trying to get me demoralised, why Sonia? Didn’t they hear I was cold towards her? Or did they know something I didn’t?

That despite all of my pretence, she had shot deep into me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her? They had to have known. Someone told them, or they sensed it.

I was confused. My thoughts were shooting in different directions. Nothing mattered at the end of the day. Sonia was still gone. No other assumption could possibly bring her back to me.

Moon groaned again, and I knew it was his wolf gearing to come out. Any moment now, he’d probably be completely healed when he turned.

I could just kill him before he could. Save all of us the stress of a trial.

Yeah, Ferins had it right when he said an eye for an eye. Nothing short of the satisfaction I would get from killing him could satiate me. And even when I killed him, it wouldn’t bring back Sonia, but it sure as hell would feel damn good.

I rolled Sonia gently out of my arms and rose to my full height.

"Forgive me," I whispered to her before walking towards Moon.

He was in a kneeling position now, gearing to shift. The moment he saw me approaching, fear gripped him. It made his eyes widen in terror.

Good. I wanted him to taste the fear. I wanted that fear to be the last thing he felt when I took away his life.

I lifted my hand, ready to strike him, when the sky suddenly darkened.

He shifted into his wolf in the dark and broke into a desperate run.

In a swift second, the darkness cleared, and when I looked up, there it was. The full moon, bright and powerful.

I heard someone cough weakly, and my head turned around sharply.

A blink, and another. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t possibly—Her eyes shot open, and she met my gaze directly.

"Ramon?" She called softly, her voice hoarse, and I staggered back as overwhelming relief washed through me like a tidal wave.