Thorne
The scent of rot and sweat hit the mont we stepped past the jagged rocks marking the rogue borderlands. The sky above was overcast—gray, heavy, oppressive—as if it could sense the violence simring in my veins.
Williams had led us here, to this rotting shithole of broken wolves and discarded loyalties, and for once, I was glad to have a reason to tear sothing apart.
Kiel stepped forward imdiately, nodding toward a group of rogues crouched around a makeshift fire. They stiffened at the sight of us—three Alphas flanked by Betas, their eyes flickering between fear and aggression. I could already see the tension forming, already taste the violence in the air.
Then Kiel spoke. Not in English. Not in any language I knew.
It was deep. Guttural. Rolling off his tongue like a series of growls and snarls—sothing ancient. Rogue-speak. A secret tongue they hadn’t lost even when they’d lost everything else.
Thick silence followed his words.
One of the rogues, a tall brute with a jagged scar down his chest, stood. He spat to the side and growled sothing back. Kiel nodded. Said sothing else. This went on for a while, until finally, he turned to us, his expression grim.
"They say Alpha Jake’s cousin was the one who sent n to intercept us."
Varen’s brows pulled tight. "How sure are they?"
"They’ve seen the insignia. And there’s been whispers for weeks—rumors. Movent in the shadows. Apparently, this cousin’s been gathering n under the table, playing dirty."
My fists clenched. My teeth ground together.
I stepped forward, glaring at the rogue who had spoken. "And you bastards just watched it happen? You knew this shit was brewing and didn’t think to say anything?"
The brute bared his teeth slightly, but before he could answer, I was on him.
I don’t rember moving.
My fist cracked against his jaw with enough force to send him sprawling into the dirt. Blood splattered. His nose crunched under the second blow.
He tried to fight back—stupid fuck—but I was already seeing red.
I slamd my boot into his ribs. Once. Twice. Again. Each blow was pure rage. I needed sothing to feel the agony that had been ripping apart since Josie was taken.
"WHERE IS SHE?!" I roared, grabbing the rogue by his filthy shirt and hurling him into the side of a rusted-out vehicle. He hit it with a clang, blood dripping from his mouth. "You think you can stand there and feed us crumbs? While she’s out there, suffering?!"
He tried to mutter sothing, but I didn’t let him. I punched him again, a hard, savage crack that made my knuckles split.
"Thorne!" Varen snapped, trying to step between us.
"Stay out of it!" I growled, shoving him off.
Kiel was beside in an instant, grabbing my arms. "Get the fuck off him, Thorne! You’re going to start a war in a fucking trash pile!"
I fought them both, snarling, fists swinging, heart thundering in my chest like a war drum. I didn’t care if they held back. I didn’t care if I tore the whole damn rogue camp to pieces.
I just wanted her back.
I wanted Josie.
Varen slamd against a tree, pinning my shoulder with a strength only a brother could wield. "Enough!"
My chest heaved.
The rogue lay on the ground, coughing blood, groaning.
The others were circling now—hostile, bristling, ready to pounce. We were one wrong word from chaos.
Varen raised his voice, speaking directly to them.
"Stand down! All of you!"
Silence.
His voice dropped, low and steady. "He’s not doing this to threaten you. He’s in pain. You saw what they did. His mate—our mate—is missing. And if that were you... if it were soone you loved... wouldn’t you be losing your damn mind too?"
The rogues muttered among themselves, uncertain.
Kiel added, "We didn’t co here to pick a fight. We ca for information. And if any of you still have decency in your bones, you’ll help us find her before it’s too late."
They hesitated, then the one I beat finally looked up through swollen eyes. "We’ll help. We’ve lost people too. We know what it’s like."
I shook off Varen and turned away. "I don’t need your help," I spat, still seething.
"Shut the fuck up, Thorne," Varen snapped. "We do. You’re thinking with your fists, not your head."
I growled low in my throat but didn’t argue. Couldn’t.
Kiel nodded toward the rogue. "We’ll pay. You help us gather information, track movent, spy if needed."
The rogue nodded, wincing as he stood.
And then, like clockwork, the trap was set.
We returned to the pack, but my mood didn’t lift. Not even close. I was going to finish this. With blood.
Varen sketched out what Alpha Jack looked like, and we rode straight to his estate. We ca with steel in our eyes and a cobra nailed to a stick, the head still dripping. It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t clean.
It was a warning.
And when the front door creaked open and Alpha Jack stepped out onto the porch, his eyes landed on the cobra—and he froze.
He tried to retreat.
He didn’t make it three steps.
I lunged, grabbed him by the throat, and slamd him against the stone wall so hard the fra cracked.
"Please—please, Thorne, wait—" he cried, his hands clawing at my wrist.
"You sent them?!" I growled.
"No! I—I didn’t know what—my cousin—he—!"
The excuses made sick.
My fist flew into his face, again and again. His nose shattered under the first punch. His lips split open under the second. I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
"You thought she was free for all?!" I roared. "You thought because she was an oga, no one would co for her?!"
He whimpered, blood pouring from his mouth. "I—I never touched her—!"
"That doesn’t make you innocent!" I slamd his head into the wall again. "You let this happen! You let that bastard cousin of yours make her a target!"
"I didn’t know! I swear!" he sobbed.
Varen and Kiel finally stepped in, grabbing my arms, dragging back.
"Enough!" Varen barked.
Kiel looked like he wanted to rip Jack’s throat out himself. His eyes were black. Feral.
Jack sagged to the ground, crying, coughing, barely breathing.
"You said she was an oga," Kiel said, voice dangerously calm. "What was it you said? That no one would care who fucked her holes?"
That sentence made sothing inside snap.
I broke free from my brothers and kicked Jack hard in the ribs. He scread, a horrible, ragged sound. I dragged him up by his collar and threw him to the ground again. Blood sprayed against the pavent.
"YOU DON’T SPEAK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!"
By the ti I was done, Jack could barely move. He whimpered, pleading through broken teeth as I dragged him back toward the pack house. His kicks and screams didn’t faze . His terror ant nothing.
He was tossed into the dungeon like the filth he was.
I slamd the door shut and turned toward my office.
Everything in was raw.
Burning.
Furious.
But it wasn’t over.
Not yet.
Inside the office, I faced Kiel.
He didn’t flinch under my glare.
I didn’t hold back.
"You need to make a fucking choice," I told him, my voice like gravel. "It’s either Michelle... or Josie."
His eyes darkened. "Don’t start with , Thorne."
"I’m serious. If you want to play house with Michelle, fine. Stay the hell out of our fight. But if you want to bring Josie ho—if you want to be the Alpha she needs—then cut that girl off and focus."
He stared at like he might lunge. His chest rose and fell rapidly. I knew I was pushing too far—but I had to.
She wasn’t so side option.
She was ours. She was his. And if he didn’t fight like it, he didn’t deserve her.
"I don’t care how you look at right now," I said coldly. "You know I’m right."
For a mont, nothing.
Then Kiel exhaled, his fists trembling at his sides.
"I’m bringing her back," he said finally, his voice low but firm. "I’m bringing her back to the pack... where she belongs."
I nodded once.
Good.
Because this wasn’t just about blood or honor anymore.
This was war.
And for Josie—we were going to burn the fucking world down.
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