DANTE POINT OF VIEW

I paced my room, fighting the urge to storm into Zuko’s chambers and torture him until he told me where Kayla was. But I knew doing that would be like a death sentence.

I’ve never questioned Zuko before, we’ve never had a fight. But one girl, a stranger I met barely two days ago was making me think of tearing the bond we had to pieces. And the worst part? I didn’t even care.

I punched the wall right beside me, desperately trying anything to calm my racing heart.

“We have to find her Dante, I can sense that she’s in danger.” My wolf, Creigh kept repeating the same words for the past hours now.

“Then reach her, any way you can,” I replied, getting frustrated each passing moment.

“I can’t, it’s like something’s blocking me. Just let me take control, damn it,” Creigh growled, frustrated.

But I knew that’s a very bad idea. “I can’t let you, anytime you take control, people end up injured and bloody. Because I can’t risk her being one of your victims,” I answered gritting my teeth, even though deep down I was contemplating.

Creigh snarled loudly in my head. “Then anything that happens to her is on you.”

“How about we question Zuko?” I asked carefully not to aggravate him more.

“Do your thing,” he grunted, before keeping quiet.

I didn’t waste another second. I headed out of my room, without thinking of consequences or my bond with Zuko. All I cared about at the moment was finding Kayla.

By the time I reached the Alpha’s office, I was filled with rage. The guards outside stiffened when they saw me, but I didn’t give them a chance to speak.

“Move,” I snapped.

They hesitated, but they knew better than to block the beta, or the Alpha’s brother from entering his office. They stepped aside hesitantly, sensing the anger and urgency in my movements. Immediately they were out of the way, I pushed open the Alpha’s heavy iron door, letting out my anger on it not caring if it fell off.

I walked inside immediately. Zuko was at his desk, head bent over some papers, but immediately I entered, he lifted his head and shifted his gaze from whatever he was doing. Those cold, sharp eyes locked on me for some moment, before shooting me an unreadable look. He leaned back in his chair slowly, like he had been expecting me.

“Dante,” he called: his voice calm, too calm, that it stirred something within me. “I wondered how long it would take before you came barging in here.”

I slammed the door shut behind me, the sound echoing through the room. “Where is she?”

His lips curled slightly. “Safe.”

The word made my wolf snarl inside me. “Safe?” I growled. “Cut the crap Zuk. You and I know she’s far from safe. So tell me where the fuck she is.” I yelled, holding myself back from slamming his head on the desk right in front of him.

Zuko glared at me, as if contemplating whether to talk or not. “I got to know that she’s lying, she’s hiding something from us. And lies mean danger. Until I know the truth, she stays in that cell. And since she refuses to confess, I locked her up.”

“You locked her in a cell, Zuko?” I asked, balling my fist in anger. “Kayla is not a rogue, and she isn’t a spy. You know it, and I know it. Even though you are just meeting her, you have the ability to perceive a spy, why did you ignore that?”

Zuko’s jaw tightened. His eyes darkened as he spoke. “You weren’t there when Carter told me what she really is. Maybe he’s lying. Maybe he’s not. But if there’s even a chance she’s what he says… then I would rather chain her up than bury this entire pack because of her.”

I glared at him, he took me back a bit. “I don’t care whatever the fuck Dad told you. You know how mischievous Dad is, ever since you became Alpha. Don’t tell me you still fall for his bait after all these years?”

“And what were you expecting me to do, huh?” he questioned. “Don’t you think I asked myself the same thing? I don’t want to believe what he said, but something about her doesn’t add up.”

“Then give her the chance to prove herself. Locking her up won’t give you answers, Zuko. It will only break her. If she’s dangerous, you’ll see soon enough. But if she’s what I think, you’ll regret caging her like a criminal,” I said firmly, hoping my words make him rethink his actions.

Zuko snapped back, his chest rising and falling. “And if you’re wrong, Dante? What if Carter is right? You wouldn’t want me to gamble the entire pack on a girl we barely know, do you?”

I stepped closer to him, thinking of the best words to say that would calm him down. “No. I want you to gamble on me. On the fact that I would never risk this pack. You trust me with your life every damn day, trust me on this too. She is not our enemy I believe,” I said softly.

Zuko remained silent, he looked away briefly. Clenching and unclenching his jaw like he was fighting something.

Suddenly he stood up abruptly without warning walking straight towards me, across the room before I could process what was happening, his fists slammed into my jaw, once, twice, three, four, five. I staggered back, shielding myself before he could land another blow.

“What the hell was that?” I asked, trying to massage my aching jaw. Immediately my hand came in contact with it, I winced in pain.

“That was for kissing my mate, and disobeying my order. Every time you say her name, Dante, my wolf wants to tear your throat out,” he grunted out, his eyes glinting, his voice got deeper. This wasn’t Zuko, this is the Alpha in him speaking.

“Mate you say?” I spat out blood, laughing through my bloody teeth. Hearing the word split me into two, my heart clenched, my wolf snarled in anger, and for a second I forgot how to breathe. “You can’t be serious. You lock her up in a cell, and you think that’s how you treat a mate? Jokes on you. She belongs to me and you damn well know it.”

“Besides you have a mate already? You have Nadia as your mate, your soon-to-be Luna. You can’t have two mates, it isn’t possible. Don’t be greedy, Zuk,” I groaned, wincing in pain.

For a moment the whole atmosphere became silent and cold. I could feel the anger radiating from him. And I knew his next word was going to be cold and lethal.

Zuko snarled back, “Greedy? No, Dante. Fate doesn’t care what you or I want. She’s mine. And I’ll kill anyone who stands between us, even you.”

I froze, stunned by his words. For the first time, I saw Zuko not as my Alpha or brother, but as my enemy.