Alpha Loren novel Chapter 75

November 27th

Initially, I only saw Luca hugging Allison as she wept into his shoulder. Then my eyes cast down to Amber lying lifelessly on the floor. I brought my hand to my mouth in shock as Leo held my other tighter.

"Her heart isn't beating, is it?" I asked Leo, my eyes welling up with tears.

"Where's Blair?" Leo questioned seriously after kneeling down beside Amber's body and putting his ear to her heart. His jaw clenched tightly.

"On his way," Luca replied.

Less than 10 seconds later, we heard footsteps coming from the direction of the parking lot. Blair soon appeared, worry stricken across his face. When he noticed the body on the floor, he suddenly paused and his expression froze.

I screwed my face up and leant into Leo's chest as I watched him slowly process what he was seeing. To watch him realise his loss was one of the worst things I'd ever seen. I was certain the way his face slowly turned from disbelief to utter grief with the sinking in of the reality of his sister's dead body would haunt me forever.

"Amber," he whispered dropping to his knees beside her. "Amber," he repeated resting her head on his knee and gently shaking her shoulders.

"Blair," Leo said quietly. "She's gone."

"Who did this?" he said in a deep tone as his eyes snapped up to Leo. "Who has fucking killed my sister!?"

"A rogue," Leo replied. 

How did he even know that?

"Where is he now?"

"Stay here," Leo ordered before marching further into the forest.

Now it was just me, Allison's sobs, Luca's comforting whispers, Blair's pacing and Amber's body.

Less than 5 minutes later a stone-faced Leo returned dragging a scruffy looking man behind him.

"You did this?" he growled in a demonic tone after throwing the man to his knees.

"Yes," he replied coldly.

"Why?" 

"She failed me," he stated before casting his wicked eyes at me. "But you already knew that didn't you Alpha?"

"Kill him," Leo ordered to Blair before striding over to me and grabbing my shoulder so that I was facing away from the violence. He pulled me into his chest and put his hand on my head to hold me there, stopping me from looking.

I closed my eyes tightly all the same as I heard his final cry and then the slicing of his throat.

"Luca, take Allison and Ella back to my car and stay with them," Leo ordered. "Don't you dare disobey me."

Luca nodded and without letting go of Allison, he took my hand and we walked back to the car.

"It's good to see you again, Ells," he said. "I'm sorry about the circumstances."

I smiled meekly, "It's hardly your fault. Oh, Allison, this is awful."

She nodded, "We just came out of the mall and he was there. He started shouting at her like they knew each other and then he dragged her off into the forest and killed her. There was nothing I could do. He had a knife to her throat."

"What was he saying?" I asked.

"Something about you," she said turning to me with watery blue eyes.

"About Ella?" Luca asked.

"Something about how you were meant to be with us," she said looking just as confused as I was. "And the fact that you weren't angered him."

"And that's why he killed her?" I asked, my stomach sinking.

She nodded.

Leo knew a rogue killed Amber the second we got to the scene and he was able to track down the right man instantly. The rogue said that already Leo knew Amber had 'failed' and he didn't bother keeping him alive to ask any questions or get any answers.

...Leo knew. Leo knew this was going to happen. That's why I wasn't allowed to come.

A few minutes later, Leo returned. On the other side of the parking lot, Blair was carrying Amber's body to his car and they both wore the same serious expressions.

"Thank you, Luca," he said. "Take Allison home now."

He nodded before Leo ushered me into the front seat of his car before going around to the driver's side and starting the engine.

"You knew," I said once we were back onto the forest track.

"That Amber was going to get murdered? No," he replied.

"But you knew that the rogue was after me. That's the real reason you wouldn't let me go with them isn't it?"

"I told you there was more to it." 

"So you knew Amber was in danger and you let this happen?" I asked.

"The real reason I forbade you from hanging around with Amber isn't that I slept with her. It's because of who her mate is-"

"I didn't know she had a mate," I interjected.

"Nobody does. She didn't tell her parents, friends, Blair and as far as she knew not even her Alpha. They only found each other a few weeks ago and she has kept it well hidden. Blair only found out ten minutes ago when I explained to him."

"Why?"

"Because he is the dangerous rogue that just killed her."

"Her own mate killed her?" I asked finding it hard to believe.

"Correct. She was meant to bring you to him and when she didn't he killed her."

"She wanted me dead?" I asked. 

"He was threatening her Ella."

"In what way?"

"I don't know exactly but I thought probably with someone else's...now I realise it was her life."

"And you knew this the whole time?" I asked.

"I'm the Alpha of this pack. I know everything there is to know about it."

"So you let just...let it happen?" I said quietly.

"I didn't think anyone would be insane enough to kill their own mate," he replied deeply. "I only knew your life was in danger. Do you think I would have let two of my other pack members go if I thought otherwise, huh?"

"You knew that a dangerous man was threatening her and you let it happen."

"They were mates. It's better to leave them to sort out their problems."

"Just like you're leaving Lia and Haden to sort out their problems alone then?" I said bravely but instantly regretting it.

Leo's jaw clenched and I could tell by his darkening eyes he was getting mad.

"Watch your tongue," he growled.

"Don't tell me to fucking 'watch my tongue' when my friend just died an avoidable death because of you!" I argued a small pool of tears forming.

"She was not your friend. Someone who is a piece in a plot to kill you is not your friend Ella for fuck's sake," Leo replied. "And you've met her once."

"She was being manipulated! They were using her to get to us, Leo!" I exclaimed tears streaming down my cheek. "Why would you not do something? You were her Alpha, you're supposed to protect her!"

"Do I need to stop this fucking car?!" He said in his Alpha tone.

"No," I whispered in response still with far more to say. 

He took a deep breath.

"I assessed the situation wrongly. I failed to see that that man would be willing to kill his own mate and therefore I failed to protect her. I planned to give them two weeks to iron out their issues before I was going to intervene or tell Blair and let him sort it. I'm sorry that this ended with her death but please know that I didn't just 'let her die', okay? She's my Beta's sister and I've known her since she was born. Since I was three. If I had known everything, I would have helped her."

Ten minutes later we were still driving in silence.

"Leo, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought Lia and Haden," I apologised. "But you don't have to keep all these things to your self. Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because some of the shit that goes on in this pack is dark and I don't want to burden you with it," he replied. "I'm Alpha. It's my duty to deal with it not yours."

"You may be Alpha but I'm your mate. What's your problem is mine too," I said, resting my hand on his leg.

He kept his eyes on the road and swallowed.

"And I can't be happy in ignorance if I know you are not. Please just stop separating your life with me and your life as Alpha."

He clenched his jaw and said nothing.

So I took my hand off his leg and turned the other way to lean on the window and stare out at the passing forest instead.