And Then There Were Four by Lilith Carrie
Chapter 40

Damian POV

“How can she be gone?!” I yelled, listening to my brothers explain to me that no matter where they looked, they couldn’t replace her.

Dread filled me, realizing how badly I had f u c e d up. I shouldn’t have treated her the way I did, and now that I had, the bond was fading. James explained he could barely feel her now, and it made sense since he was the first to have mated with her.

“You know this would never have happened had you not been such a d i c k.” Talon snapped, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the door frame.

“Shut the f u c k up, Talon. Don’t you think I know that!”

Tensions were high in the mansion, and thankfully, Allison and Zane took a trip for a few days. Otherwise, I would have had to listen to Ivy’s father run his mouth as well.

A swirling pit of despair built within my stomach as I played over what could have happened to her. She wasn’t the kind of girl to just leave… or well, I mean she was, but not like this.

F u c k, what am I going to do?

“Uh… someone’s coming up the driveway, and in a hurry.” James replied as he stared out the front window.

Moving from the living room, I headed to the front door just in time to see a blonde girl step out of a blue car and come marching straight for me. “Where is she?”

“Excuse me? Where is who?”

“Ivy. Don’t play f u c k i n g s t u p i d with me. Where is she?” She asked again with her hands on her hips starting in frustration.

A growl of disapproval left my lips at her tone, “who the f u c k do you think you’re talking to?”

“The bit h who is looking out for her pack member.” She growled in response, her eyes glowing an amber color as she bared her fangs.

Taken aback in the moment, I found myself speechless at her admission. Pack member? How was Ivy part of her pack?

“The hell are you talking about?”

“Ivy Thorne is part of my pack, and my name is Kate. Now where the f u c k are the rest of you? We have a lot to catch up on.” She replied, pushing past me and making her way into the house.

Every part of me wanted to put her on her a s s for the way she was speaking to me. Yet, I couldn’t. I was too curious about what she was talking about to stop her.

Closing the front door, I pushed forward towards the living room where Kate was standing with my brothers talking over the situation. “You are all idiots,” she mumbled.

“Why don’t you start telling me why the f u c k you’re here in my house acting the way you are? You are far from your own territory.” I snapped, tired of listening to her b

i t c h y attitude.

Turning around, she narrowed her eyes at me, crossing her arms over her chest, “excuse me?”

I didn’t have time to deal with this woman. I needed to replace Ivy.

“You heard me. Now, explain.”

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. “When Ivy’s father got with her mother, it wasn’t just because she was pretty. He knew her family’s connection with my pack and my father. He thought by being able to seduce her, he would wiggle his way into our pack to take over.”

“So you’re saying Zane is a liar?” That was something I already knew.

“He is an egotistical pig that is after money and power. Everything you guys thought you knew about him is a lie. He wants to control this pack. My father knew how much mates meant to wolves, and so he didn’t want to stop Ivy coming to you, but he didn’t trust Zane.”

“What does this have to do with replaceing her now!” I yelled in frustration.

Yes, this information was important to an extent, but it didn’t help me with my current problem.

“As I was saying,” she replied, narrowing her eyes, “he wants the bond to complete so he can get rid of you. Once the bonds complete, if Ivy dies, you all do as well, and he can take over this pack. What he didn’t account for was your past issues with Caleb.”

“Caleb?” James asked, as he glanced at me, raising a brow.

“Yes, Caleb.” I retorted, “he may have issues with me, but he isn’t that stup i d.”

Laughter filled the air as Kate shook her head, “that’s where you’re wrong. He has her, Damian. I have no doubt about that.”

A shadow of darkness rose within me, hearing what Kate said. There was no way Caleb would be s t u pi d enough to take Ivy. Regardless of the issues he and I had, I saw the way he looked at her when I confronted him.

He cared for her in some odd way.

“Why would he want her?” Hale replied, staring at me.

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to let what they were saying process. The only reason he would take her if he had was because he wanted to get back at me for what his mate did. It wasn’t my fault that she fell in love with me. I had always explained that wasn’t what I wanted.

I only would accept my mate.

“Because he blames me for what happened with his mate.”

“We have to stop him!” Talon roared, his eyes a swirling black mist of anger. “When the moon rises, he can take her for himself.”

Talon was right. As much as I didn’t want to believe it, he was right about that.

“I know where he lives. We can go there…”

“She isn’t there.” Hale piped up, “we looked, and the neighbor said that Caleb left with a girl.”

“So she willingly went with him?!”

“No, I don’t think so.” Hale replied, shaking his head. “She wouldn’t…”

His eyes drifted off in a distant look. His mouth partially opened, “Hale, what’s wrong?”

“She took off the necklace. I can feel her, but it’s faint.” He whispered, before rising to his feet. “She is in trouble.”

I envied my brothers for having that bond with her. I couldn’t reach out to her the way they could, and it killed me I missed the opportunity to claim her.

I wouldn’t allow that to happen again, though.

“She is in a cabin.” Talon spoke softly, his eyes searching the ground as if looking for something. “Does Caleb have a cabin?”

“No. As far as I know, he doesn’t, but then who knows what he has done over the years.”

“Caleb wouldn’t be s t u p id enough to take her to one of his properties.” Kate replied, speaking up. “If he had her, he would take her somewhere you wouldn’t look.”

I was getting sick and tired of this girl. From the moment she had walked into the house, she did nothing but cause more questions, and threw her weight around like she was in charge.

“Well,” I snapped, “by all means, where the f u c k do you think he has her then?”

“You know, you’re an a s s h o l e.” Kate shrugged her shoulders, “no wonder she wanted to go home.”

“She wouldn’t leave us.” James exclaimed, “she loves us.”

Kate smirked, shaking her head, “anyway, I know someone who has a cabin. A girl named Mandy. I had suspected for a while that she was up to something shady, and overheard her on the phone the other day talking to someone about a cabin. I’m guessing it was Caleb.”

I wasn’t sure why the name Mandy sounded familiar, but if Caleb had someone working with him, it only meant that things were going to be a lot trickier. “Do you know where this place is?”

“No, but I figured Hale could figure it out.” She replied, turning to Hale with a smile.

Letting a sigh escape him, he stood and walked towards the computer on my desk. “On it.”

The situation with Ivy had gotten more complicated. First, the issue with Caleb. Then hearing that her father Zane had his own agenda as well. It was a lot to take in.

Ivy had done nothing wrong since she got here, and all I could think about was how horribly I had treated her. My brothers had tried to explain to me that what I was doing was wrong, but I didn’t listen.

“Oh, sh i t… Damian, we have a problem.” Hale replied with his eyes widened in shock.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mandy is Caleb’s dead mate’s sister.” He replied.

He was right. That was a problem.