Mated To The Beastly Alpha
Chapter 65

Everything was going according to plan. She couldn't believe it. Nicole had fallen straight into her trap, and soon it would be over for her. She would win in the end. And everything she deserved would come to her.

Only for all that to be destroyed in a second as Nicole slashed her throat with a silver blade. She had been so close. She had been very close to achieving her one goal. And Nicole, like always, thwarted it. She had been deceived, her carefully woven plan unraveled by Nicole's silver blade. It was always Nicole. As Lilian's lifeblood drained from her throat, her eyelids fluttered open and closed as her life flashed before her eyes. She gasped and struggled for breath as memories flooded back with agonizing clarity.

She recalled the moment she discovered her own Alpha wolf, the exhilaration coursing through her veins as she believed she had finally found her rightful place within the pack. But her parents, the very ones she sought validation from, had dismissed her claims as nothing more than a joke.

"It wasn't possible," they said jokingly, "Liam was the firstborn son, and his wolf was a formidable beast."

But she was Alpha too. She wanted to prove it to them all her life. She tried researching how to show them the truth. She finally discovered that when there were two Alpha wolves in a family, the one that found its mate first took over the pack. So she began her journey to replace a mate.

Lilian hungered for power in a way no one had ever done. It led her to the deepest and darkest parts of the forest. It led her to tombs, caves, and places age shouldn't go. But then she was determined.

She learned things ordinary werewolves wouldn't know. She learned about magic and how it worked. With a bit of cunningness, she found what she was looking for. She found a mate. Of course, to do this, she made sacrifices. Some people died in the pack, but she believed that it was for the greater good.

She recalled the first day she set eyes on the mate she was to claim as hers. It was a thrilling experience. But the pain of rejection seared through Lilian's heart as she recollected the events that followed.

She had been thrilled, convinced that this would solidify her position as Alpha. Yet, her hopes were shattered when her mate denounced their connection, denying her the validation she so desperately craved.

To make matters worse, he said politely, "I think there must be a mistake," and went along to become friends with her brother. At that same time, her parents discovered her tricks and burnt all her spell books.

At that moment, a deep-seated hatred for her brother Liam had taken root within Lilian's soul. She blamed him for the favouritism shown by their parents, the preferential treatment that seemed to follow him wherever he went. She believed that he had orchestrated her mate's rejection, fueled by a belief that her parents valued him above all else.

Now, as death's grip tightened around her, Lilian's vision blurred, her thoughts consumed by the venomous hatred that had consumed her for far too long. She had meticulously crafted a plan to end her brother's life, to tear down the pedestal on which he stood and expose his weaknesses for all to see. It was why she had to kill a witch to gain powers.

But then the innocent and traumatized came along. Lilian hadn't known that he had already marked her when he met her, but she knew that she was his mate. And she did everything to destroy their bond the way they did to hers, yet nothing worked. Frustrated, she approached Asha once again. She manipulated and deceived, using Asha as a pawn in her twisted game of power and control. The lies she had woven, pretending to be Garrett and driving a wedge between Nicole and Liam, now crumbled into dust. As the darkness closed in, Lilian's final breaths carried the weight of regret. She didn't win. Everything she had done was in vain.

Then she heard footsteps, her brother's scent followed and she knew what she must do. As far as she was concerned, no one would win. She still had the chance to rid the world of her brother.

Liam stumbled upon the lifeless form of his sister, Lilian, and let out a growl. Shock coursed through his veins, numbing his senses as he dropped to his knees beside her, his hands trembling with desperation and disbelief.

"Find him! Find Garrett! Find that bastard! And Nicole!" He screamed. He could sense that Nicole had been there, too. "James, replace them!"

His heart thrashed with betrayal. He didn't believe that Garrett could betray him. The sight of Lilian with a slit throat sent shockwaves through his entire being.

Without a moment of hesitation, he reached for her neck desperately, attempting to staunch the flow of blood and save her life; he tried to stem the flow of blood, his hands covered in crimson.

"Lilian! Stay with me! I can help you," Liam pleaded, his voice trembling with a mixture of anguish and disbelief.

"Someone, get me a medic!" He growled.

Lillian's eyes immediately snapped open, and instead of terror or a plea for help, Lilian's eyes burned with a sinister glimmer.

With a strength fueled by her dying breaths, Lilian lashed out at Liam, her hands clawing at his throat. Liam recoiled in shock, his mind struggling to comprehend what was happening. How could his own sister, on the brink of death, turn on him so violently? "Lilian, stop! It's me, your brother! I'm here to help you," Liam choked out, desperately trying to fend off her frenzied assault. But Lilian's eyes held no trace of recognition or mercy.

"You... took... everything... from me," Lilian hissed through gritted teeth, her voice laced with bitterness and resentment. "You were always their precious Alpha, their golden child. And now... now you have a mate, too."

Liam's mind reeled with confusion and sorrow. How could Lilian believe such twisted lies? He had never asked for the favoritism their parents had supposedly shown him.

He had never sought the position of Alpha or the bond of a mate. It had all been thrust upon him, the weight of responsibility he had carried with a heavy heart.

"Lilian, what are you doing? Stop!" he pleaded, his voice choked with emotion. He couldn't comprehend why she would attack him in her dying moments, a betrayal that cut deeper than any physical wound.

Through labored breaths, Lilian managed to form words, her voice raspy and filled with malice. "You... you don't deserve... to live," she spat, her voice punctuated with a bitter laugh.

"I... I wanted it all... the power... the mate... everything!" Her words were punctuated by gasps as her life force slowly ebbed away.

Confused didn't begin to describe what Liam felt. Lilian swiped at him again using her last ounce of dark magic.

Liam's eyes widened, and he staggered back. "Lillian.... You.... You're the witch?"

I've found Garrett," James shouted, coming to the scene with a weak Garrett.

"He was tied up to a tree. It seems she used him as an anchor," James announced.

Garrett's memory fragmented, and his body was used as an anchor for Lilian's dark magic. He could only recall the tragic loss of his previous mate, Lola.

"What... what happened?" Garrett stammered, his voice tinged with confusion and pain. "I... I don't remember..."

Liam's eyes met James', his eyes wide. He couldn't believe what was happening.

Lilian's gasping breaths became more labored as she struggled to form her words. Her voice, filled with malice and madness, echoed through the air. "I killed her, Garrett. I killed Lola. You were meant to be mine. I destroyed everything for you, for us." Garrett's face twisted in horror and disbelief. "No! Lillian, you were never my mate. Lola was my mate, my true love. You've been consumed by darkness."

Lilian let out a hollow, manic laugh, her body convulsing with the effort. "No... No, you're wrong. You were mine... and now, I've destroyed you. Forever."

"Lilian!" Liam's voice quivered with anger and desperation. He knelt beside her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of remorse or truth. "Where is Nicole? What have you done with her?" he demanded, his voice laced with urgency.

A malicious grin crept across Lilian's pale lips as she struggled to speak, her voice weak but filled with venom. "Nicole... is gone," she sneered, relishing in the torment she caused. "I took her away... to ensure your suffering."

The weight of Lilian's words bore down on Liam, his mind racing with a mix of fear and anger. He couldn't fathom losing Nicole, the woman he loved, to his own deranged sister. The thought of never seeing her again threatened to break him.

In a surge of rage, Liam reached for his sister's throat, his grip tightening around her fragile neck.

Lilian's lips curled into a wicked smile, her eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. "Nicole... oh, sweet Nicole," she taunted, her voice laced with a venomous tone. "She's gone, Liam. Gone forever." Lilian reveled in the torment she was causing, relishing the pain she knew her words inflicted.

"She'll never return... not in this world or the next," she gasped, a haunting certainty in her tone. "You're left with the wreckage of my deeds... and the knowledge that I've taken everything from you."

Fury ignited within Liam, his hands clenched into tight fists. The primal urge to avenge the woman he loved welled up inside him, threatening to consume him completely.

He leaned over Lilian, his voice low and dangerous. "You will pay for what you've done," he growled, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.

But Lilian's weak laughter filled the air, a haunting sound that pierced Liam's heart. "Oh, Liam, dear brother," she mocked, her voice faltering with each breath. "You can't kill me. I'm already dead." Her words hung in the air, a chilling revelation that sent a shiver down Liam's spine.

Lilian continued, her voice strained and filled with vindication and bitterness. "I used them all, Liam. Asha, Garrett... even you," she confessed, her eyes locked onto his, challenging him to deny her claims. "I manipulated their weaknesses, their desires, to bring about your downfall. And it worked!"

The shock and betrayal etched on Liam's face were palpable. How could his sister have orchestrated such a diabolical plan? The truth was like a dagger to his heart, cutting deep and leaving behind wounds that might never fully heal.

Liam's hands trembled, his grip loosening as he gazed into Lilian's fading eyes. He knew she spoke the truth. Her lifeforce was gradually slipping away, leaving behind a chilling void. With a mixture of relief and sorrow, he released his grip, allowing his sister's dying body to crumple to the ground.

As the realization of Nicole's absence sunk in, a torrent of anguish and despair washed over Liam. The world around him seemed to blur, his vision tainted by a haze of grief. The loss of his mate and the uncertainty of her fate shattered his already fragile emotional state.

In the grip of overwhelming pain, Liam's mind snapped. His instincts took over, primal and raw, as he descended into a feral state. His wolf surged to the surface, consuming his thoughts and driving him to seek out the one who had taken Nicole from him. James, ever vigilant and perceptive, recognized the dangerous transformation in Liam. He had seen this before, the devastating loss pushing an Alpha to the brink of madness. With a sense of urgency, James lunged forward, his powerful arms wrapping around Liam's thrashing form.

"Liam, calm down! You need to control yourself!" James bellowed, his voice resonating with authority. But Liam's mind was clouded, his senses overwhelmed by the primal rage that coursed through his veins.

Ignoring James' words, Liam fought against his friend's hold, his muscles straining against the restraint. His fangs bared, his eyes burning with a feral fire, he yearned for release, for vengeance against those who had taken Nicole away.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, James knew that stronger measures were necessary. With a heavy heart, he summoned his strength and skillfully subdued Liam, using all of his might to hold him down.

Together, they toppled to the ground, their struggle creating a chaotic whirlwind of dust and desperation.

As Liam's frenzied attempts to break free continued, James knew he had to act swiftly. He mind linked the warriors and, with their help, cornered him into the sturdy cage made of silver-a potent deterrent for even the most powerful of wolves.

The silver bars sapped his strength and served as a necessary means of containment. His wolf raged, emitting its power that made each of them tremble.

In his insanity, Liam was commanding them to set him free. But no one dared to do it because they knew that in his feral state, Liam could cause more than havoc.

The pain that consumed Liam from within was a tempest of emotions, an inferno that threatened to consume his very essence.

It gnawed at his heart and tore through his soul, leaving him vulnerable and shattered. It was a pain that went beyond the physical realm, a deep ache that penetrated every fibre of his being.

At the core of his anguish was the profound loss of his mate, Nicole. She was his everything, his guiding light in the darkness, the anchor that kept him grounded.

The mere thought of her absence, of the uncertainty that surrounded her fate, sent waves of torment crashing over him.

Grief like a merciless beast clawed at his chest, squeezing his heart with a relentless grip. Each beat resonated with a haunting echo of her name, a reminder of the emptiness that now echoed in his life. It was a pain that twisted his insides, aching with a longing to hold her, to feel her warmth against his skin.

But alongside the grief, seething anger burned within him. It was a fiery rage fueled by the injustice of their separation. Lilian and the betrayal of Asha had torn his mate away from him. The fury swelled within him, manifesting as an uncontrollable rage that threatened to consume his very sanity.

The guilt that gnawed at his conscience only added to his torment. He blamed himself for not being there to protect Nicole for not sensing the danger that lurked in the shadows. The weight of responsibility bore down on him, suffocating his spirit as he questioned his worthiness as an Alpha and as a mate.

The torment of not knowing Nicole's fate plagued his mind, tormenting him with relentless images of her suffering. Each passing moment without her felt like an eternity, each breath a reminder of the void that had taken hold of his soul.

His mind became a battlefield, haunted by vivid memories of their time together, intertwined with the fear of never experiencing those moments again.

The pain radiated through his veins, his entire being trembling with the intensity of his emotions. It was a pain that defied explanation, transcending words, and logic. It was a pain that ripped through him, tearing apart the fragments of his shattered heart. After a few days, James came to check on him. Inside the confinements of the cage, Liam's wild gaze locked onto James, a mixture of anguish, confusion, and a lingering glimmer of recognition flickering in his eyes.

"Why... Why are you doing this to me, James?" Liam's voice trembled, a hint of vulnerability seeping through the feral facade. "I need to replace her. I need to save Nicole. Let me go!"

James, his expression laced with compassion and determination, approached the cage, his voice calm yet firm.

"Liam, I'm doing this for your own good. Right now, you're not in control. You're a danger to yourself and others. We need to replace a way to bring you back from this darkness. We need you, Alpha."

Liam's wolf roared in protest, his body quivering with unrestrained energy. "No! I won't be locked away while Nicole is out there, possibly in danger! I have to replace her!"

James placed a hand on the cold bars of the cage, his eyes locking with Liam's. "I understand your pain, Liam. I truly do. But right now, you're not in a state to help her. We'll search for Nicole, but we need you to regain control first. Trust me, my friend. Trust that we will do everything in our power to replace her."

For a fleeting moment, the desperation in Liam's eyes softened, replaced by a glimmer of trust. "Find her... Bring her back to me," he pleaded, his voice filled with a raw vulnerability that resonated with James.

"I promise, Liam. We won't stop until she's by your side again," James assured him, his voice filled with determination. "But you need to trust in our plan, trust in me, and replace your way back to us."

Liam's wolfish gaze held James for a moment longer before he finally nodded, a flicker of resignation passing through his eyes. The fight within him subsided, the feral storm coming to a still.