Chapter 208: We have to warn the others

MINUTES BEFORE THE SOLSTICE BEGAN.

Samantha had been keeping a close eye on Elvira’s every move. Hours ago at the mansion, she had secretly met with Alyssa.

According to Alyssa’s plan, she wanted to expose all of Elvira’s schemes after the Solstice. But she needed more proof that Elvira was working with Conri, so she wanted to gather enough evidence before telling Dorian everything.

Hence, they made a plan: keep a close eye on Elvira all through the night, and secretly follow her if she slipped off somewhere hidden.

Everything was going completely well. Elvira noticed she was being watched, but Samantha didn’t care. She didn’t bother hiding it.

While she wasn’t looking, someone bumped into her from behind. She whirled around, a snarky response already burning on her tongue. But when she saw Alec’s handsome face appear before her, the words died.

"You again," she groaned. "What do you want, stalker?"

Alec grinned and stepped beside her, his hands thrust deep in his pockets. "Just here to protect you."

"I don’t need anyone to protect me," Samantha retorted. She scanned the crowd, searching for Elvira’s cloaked figure, but the other woman had disappeared.

Annoyed, she turned and glared at Alec. "Ugh, now you made me lose sight of Elvira. I was keeping an eye on her."

Alec arched a brow, confusion taking over his face. "And why, pray tell, were you keeping an eye on her? Did she do something to you?"

Samantha gave him a bored look and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you actually trust her, after all she’s done."

"I don’t trust her," Alec replied easily. "Her sudden return raised a lot of suspicion, but she’s smart enough to know Dorian would end her if she makes any move. Besides..." He paused and looked her over, his brown eyes darkening intensely. "You changed. From a spoiled, entitled brat..."

"Fuck you, Alec!"

He grinned and continued, "...to a sweet, compassionate soul who is now friends with the Luna."

"I’m not sweet, and I’m definitely not compassionate," Samantha replied. "Also, Alyssa and I are not friends. We’re just... not enemies."

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." Alec’s grin widened. "What I’m trying to say is, you changed. You’re not the same woman you were months ago. So maybe Elvira changed, too. It’s only a matter of time before we find out if she did or got worse."

Samantha knew there was a little truth in what he was saying. Yes, she had changed. It had taken a lot of grieving to realize that her father had been the one poisoning her mind, and because she had been so eager to please him, she had allowed that poison to eat into her soul.

She regretted a lot of things, but she would rather stick pins in her eyes than admit it out loud, especially to Alec.

"Well, believe it or not," she continued, changing the subject back to Elvira. "There’s no way Elvira changed. If anything, she’s worse than she was. I have to find her."

She started to walk away, but Alec reached out and grabbed her arm. He yanked her back toward him, his other hand settling firmly around her waist.

Samantha glared at him, a hot blush flaming her cheeks. "What the fuck are you doing? Take your hands off me!"

?"Have I ever told you how seductive you look when pissed?" Alec replied, totally unbothered by the fire in her eyes. "Makes me want to infuriate you even more."

"Oh, I hate you," Samantha shot back, though she didn’t try pushing him away. "People are staring at us, Alec."

"I don’t care," Alec muttered. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt this way around her. Maybe it was the intoxicating effect of the Solstice; but whatever it was, he didn’t want it to end.

"You should care," Samantha replied, finally pushing out of his grip. "Especially when your brother is one of them. He’s across the clearing with Henna, and he’s staring right at us."

Alec turned his head in that direction, his gaze locking onto Jake over the bonfire.

Jake stood with Henna in his arms, nodding to something she was saying, while his eyes remained fixed on Alec and Samantha. The look in his eyes was one of pure disapproval.

[Alec, I’m warning you,] he said through the mind-link. [Stay away from Samantha. She’s the last person you should mess around with. She’s not to be trusted.]

Alec instantly shut the mind-link, ignoring his twin’s warning. But Samantha had seen the guarded look in his eyes, and she had an idea of what they had just discussed.

?"Let me guess," she said, tilting her head to the side. "He wants you to stay away from me."

?"What, are you a mind reader now?" Alec chuckled, bypassing her question.

Samantha just smiled and shook her head. "He’s right, you know? You should stay away from me. I’m not to be trusted. I’m still considered an enemy..."

She was still speaking when midnight struck, and the full moon broke free from the clouds. The atmosphere shifted instantly, and Samantha turned her face to the sky, breathing in the crisp air.

Alec watched her silently, feeling his own Lycan begin to stir beneath his skin. He held a hand out to her, a challenging smile playing on his lips.

"Run with me, Samantha," he murmured. "Let’s just enjoy the Solstice and forget about everything else for one night."

Samantha wanted to decline. She was actually pulling her hand back, but her blood was already humming, her inner wolf itching for the release of a run.

?"Oh, fuck it," she muttered, placing her hand in his. A laugh of pure thrill escaped her as Alec pulled her away from the crowd and into the treeline where the rest of the Lycans were shifting.

Only when they had left the gathering far behind did Alec release her hand. "I’ll give you a twenty-second head start," he said, slowly crouching and preparing to shift. "If I catch up to you, you have to admit we’re friends."

"Then I guess I better not let you catch up," she replied with a smug smile. For once in a very long time, she was genuinely enjoying herself.

But as she prepared to shift, a shadowy movement caught her eye from the far left. She stiffened, her eyes narrowing as she slowly turned around.

The shadow shifted again, like a dense mass of dark entities moving together. A thick plume of black smoke followed, and through the gloom, she suddenly spotted a pair of glowing eyes.

She let out a sharp gasp, taking an involuntary step back. Alec was at her side in the next instant, his hand locking around her wrist.

?"What’s wrong?" he demanded, scanning the dark treeline. "Did you see something?"

"Yes," she hissed, her eyes wide with mounting horror. "The rogues! They’re here."

Alec frowned, turning to glance at her. "Are you sure? The territory is fully guarded..."

His words were cut short as a rogue suddenly leaped out of the brush with a feral snarl.

Samantha screamed shrilly. Alec swiftly shoved her aside to protect her, taking the full impact of the rogue as it slammed into him.

They crashed to the frozen ground, rolling over each other in a blur of growls, claws and snapping teeth. Samantha stood frozen with terror, unable to help.

Luckily, Alec shifted into his Lycan form, clamped his jaws around the rogue’s neck, and with a sickening snap, ripped its throat out. Black blood sprayed across the snow as the creature went limp.

Alec shifted back instantly into human form, his shirt stained with dark gore. "Samantha!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her firmly. "Samantha, snap out of it!"

Samantha jerked back, sucking in a ragged breath and blinking rapidly. "Alec..."

"We have to warn the others," Alec continued frantically. "I need you to shift now. Can you do that?"

She nodded, shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth as her body morphed into her wolf form. She shook out her fur, looking up at Alec, who had already shifted back into his Lycan.

[Let’s go!] he urged, and both of them took off sprinting.

As they raced back toward the clearing, Alec tried to mind-link Jake, but his link was completely blocked off. He could only pray that Jake, Dorian, and the rest of the Lycans realized the territory had been breached.

By the time they broke through the treeline surrounding the clearing, the scene before them was a complete massacre.

Rogues poured in like a black, flowing river shrouded in smoke. The snow was caked in black and red blood, littered with the severed limbs of dead Lycans and rogues alike.

Suddenly, two rogues lunged out of the darkness toward them. Alec intercepted the first, driving his claws straight into its chest and tearing out its heart.

Samantha wasn’t as fast. Before she could defend herself, the second rogue slammed into her side, knocking her violently to the ground.

Her vision swam, and the last thing she saw was the beast raising its claws to deliver the death blow.