Niki rolled over in the sheets, reaching out to see if Elle stilly next to him. When his strong fingers grazed her soft ones, he pulled her closer, snuggling into her and smelling her hair. Although they had only been together for about three years, Niki could still feel the love he had for her raging in his blood.


    Some members of the pack had grunted in disapproval when they had gotten married as he hadn’t even imprinted his mark on her. At first, Niki had believed it would happen as soon as he was sure she was his soul mate. But when months passed and nothing had happened, the reality that she was not his mate began to seep in.


    Elle had been heartbroken and thought it best to break off their rtionship but Niki would hear no such thing. Yes she wasn’t his mate, but he really didn’t care. He loved her with all he had in him and that was all that mattered.


    Unable to stop himself he leaned in and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, rousing her from sleep. After a while of blinking herself awake, Elle opened her eyes. “Hey,” she stage whispered. “Thank you for waking me. I haven’t slept all night, it was refreshing,” She smiled, sarcasm dripping from every word.


    Niki smirked, giving a small shrug. “It was the least I could do.”


    Elle nudged him in the ribs,ughing.


    “Why couldn’t you sleep though?” He asked, concern quickly taking over his countenance.


    Elle rolled over, downing some water from the bottle she always kept on her besides table. “Remember I told you I’d been feeling sick for a while.”


    Niki’s frown deepened. He remembered that Elle had beenining of not feeling well for a while now. “We’ll have to see the doctor today,” he decided, grabbing her and unleashing kisses to every part of her face with the intent of making herugh.


    It worked the magic as Elle squealed,ughing and trying to break free from his grip. “I booked an appointment already, baby.” She reminded him.


    “Good. Now all we have to do is take a shower and prepare for the day,” Niki said, a look of innocence ying in his eyes.


    Elle narrowed her eyes, looking her husband over suspiciously. “Since when do you let me get out of bed this early?”


    Niki shrugged.


    “We’re just taking a shower,” Elle deadpanned. “Just a shower.”


    Niki smirked, deliberately fondling her full hips as he ced her on hisp and whispered into her ears. “If you say so, Mrs de.”


    Elle onlyughed, snuggling into him as they began to discuss their ns for the day.


    ***


    Elle watched in amusement as Niki tugged on her shirt for the millionth time today. “I’m really going to be a father?” His voice was high pitched than usual and seeing just how excited he was warmed Elle’s heart. Niki usually had on a tough exterior which he put on disy for everyone except her, so seeing him openly show this much emotion even in front of the doctor was surreal.


    Elle nodded in reply, nudging his arm. “Watch the road,” She joked. Nikiughed, excitement making his face flush.


    “I’m going to be a dad. With twins?!” He asked once again, a huge grin creeping into his face. All of a sudden a look of rm was visible on his face. “Baby, shit. This is real. What am I gonna do? We’ll need to get diapers and stuff and a cot.” He paused thoughtfully. “I can make a very nice cot with my own hands but I’d need to make two, which means I’d have to start as early as possible and I don’t really-”


    “Niki de!” Elle nearly choked withughter. “Calm down for one fuc-fudging second.”


    They exchanged looks and Niki bellowed withughter. “I’m not allowed to swear in front of the kids now,” She defended, running a hand over her stomach.


    The car filled withughter for a while as Niki squeezed his wife’s small hand. He knew it wasn’t easy for her. But he would be by her side the entire time.


    As Niki drove through a bend in the road, he suddenly hit the brakes, lurching the car to a stop. As he looked over at Elle who still held a hand to her chest in fright, fury raged through him. Kicking the car door open, he gazed toward the cause of disturbance; an older man whom he recognized as Jonas Verbeck. Jonas was the alpha of the Monhowl pack; the most brutal pack of wolves he’d evere across and a rival pack of his own pack, Selene. Jonas had always sought instances to get into a fight with Niki as he had sworn to take over the title of the most powerful alpha.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    “What the hell,” Niki growled, getting to where Jonas stood in a few seconds, and grappling him by the neck. Jonas onlyughed, raising two fingers in some kind of signal. Infuriated, Nikinded a blow to his cheek. He was confused as to why Jonas was chuckling hysterically. Until he saw why.


    From behind the surrounding bushes, Niki saw about eight other werewolves emerge. His heart stopped when he saw three others emerge from behind his car and toward the passenger seat where Elle sat.


    All of this was nned out, he realized with a sinking heart. How hadn’t he been aware of their movements being watched? He’d been so excited for the news that he hadn’t been paying attention to anything else.


    Before he had time to react, five of them had begun tond heavy kicks to his gut, bringing him to his knees. Jonas gripped Niki’s neck and squeezed,nding blows repeatedly until half his face was coated in blood. When he had battered Niki to his satisfaction, six of his men held him down and made him watch as Jonas gingerly made his way to the spot where his men had tied Elle to a tree.


    Niki growled in helplessness as he watched Elle try to defend herself against them. Jonasnded two swift blows to her abdomen and smirked when she cried out in pain. Signalling his men to tighten their hold on Niki, Jonas spat in Elle’s face, taking ahold of her dress and ripping it in one swift motion.


    “NO!” Niki screamed, realizing what was about to happen. “Please don’t touch her!”


    Jonas gave a loudugh, the panicked tone in Niki’s voice pushing him on. “Toote,” Heughed as he ripped Elle’s underwear and prated her amidst her cries and struggles.


    “No!” Niki tried to roar but it only came out as a groan of pain, tears filling his eyes as he struggled to break free from the hands that held him fast. But it was no use. Laughing, they gripped his neck, forcing him to watch as the men took turns on her, hooting wildly as they did the gruesome activity.


    After some minutes of yelling and struggling, Elle copsed into the grass, all the energy sapped from her. She appeared broken, her once glowing body bruised and bloodied, her white gown in tatters besides her still form. When Jonas was satisfied, he gave anotherugh at the crying form of Niki slumped on the floor and with a smirk, he bent over Elle, gripped her head in his hands and snapped her neck.


    Niki let out a broken cry, sweat and tears running down his face. “Please, no. D-don’t-”


    A hard object connected to the back of his head, letting out a sudden gush of blood. Niki lost count of how many blowsnded to the back of his head. Thest thing he saw was Jonas Verbeck bending over him.


    “Not so powerful now are we?” Heughed,nding onest powerful blow to Niki’s head.


    Niki’sst thoughts were of Elle as Jonas and his pack walked away, leaving him in a pool of his own blood.


    ***


    “He’s awake, Beta,” the healer, an old woman, told Drew. She stood in front of the sick room, her hand pointed to where a pale Nikiid on the bed.


    Drew nodded. “Thank you.” As he went closer to the bed, the healer bent her head as a sign of respect and ushered herself out.


    “Alpha.” Drew sat on the chair by the bed, his sorrowful brown eyes locked on Niki. Though unmoving, Niki’s eyes were open, the glittering silver of his eyes bloodshot.


    “Alpha,” Drew repeated, agonized to see his Alpha like this. The man was in pain, broken beyond repair and it hurt to face him like this. He sighed, wishing that he had been there to protect his Alpha and Luna.


    The room was silent, apart from the ticking of the clock, until Niki started talking, his voice sad and empty, “I’ve lost everything that I’ve ever loved, Drew. My Elle, my sweet, gentle Elle and the twins are gone.”


    He continued, still looking up, nary an emotion depicted on his bloodless face. “I was there, watching as that bastard held her down, beat her, raped her then fucking killed her. I was there, Drew, I was. I didn’t do anything, I let her die. I let her die, Drew! Elle and the twins!” Niki’s voice came out as a roar as he sat up fast in his bed, the sheets falling to reveal his naked torso. All his wounds from the ambush the week before were fading, except for the deep cut on his chest.


    Why wasn’t that wound healing? Drew thought even as he was stunned at the news that Elle had been expecting. As the son of powerful alphas, Niki’s bloodline was very strong, therefore he healed fast so why wasn’t that cut fading away? He got his answer soon.


    Niki stared at his hands, lost in his own miserable world. Drew sighed, his Alpha was going into beast mode. In as much as Elle wasn’t his mate, his wolf had be used to her and the thought that she was no more was more than they could take. Niki’s ws were growing, his fangs disyed as he bellowed at no one in particr, “You know, I’m pathetic! I call myself an alpha, her lover and her husband and yet, and fucking yet, I couldn’t save her. I just stayed and let her die when it should have been me. I should have fucking died in her ce!.”


    “All my wounds are healed, almost gone but this,” Heughed mirthlessly, pointing razor sharp ws at his heaving chest. “I won’t let this one go. I requested that the healer add a reasonable amount of silver powder into it. That way, it won’t heal properly and would serve as a remembrance of how weak I was.”


    He threw the remaining sheets off his body and stood, revealing his nude form. Drew averted his eyes in respect, his heart pained by how heartbroken his alpha was. Niki wasn’t the only one feeling guilty, he was too. He and the pack members hadn’t been there to fight those bastards Monhowl. He fisted his knuckles, anger so violent rushing through his veins.


    “I am so sorry, Alpha. The guys and I should have been there to protect you and Luna. I am so very sorry,” Drew spoke in remorse.


    “No need to be sorry. I am the reason why. After all, I brought down my guard,” Niki uttered, the absence of any emotion is his deep voice chilling. Drew cast a saddened gaze at the broken man. Niki was now d in a pair of shorts, staring outside the window which looked over the property of their pack.


    The man turned to his Beta, fire raging in his eyes, fingers clutched in a fist, muscled arms bulging in fury as he bit out, “Ready the wolves, both young and old, there should be no one left out. Bring them to the square, it’s ready to train. And when I mean training, I mean training so hard that if you fail, you’re out and dead.”


    Drew shook his head in regret. “Alright, but don’t you think we should retaliate? Give the Monhowls what they’re looking for?”


    A pause, then, “No, we wait. Bide our time and hit them when they least expect it.”


    Niki’s lips curled in a frightening snarl, “Revenge is a dish best served cold, Drew. Mark my words.” His tone was so empty, cold and as Drew stared at his retreating back, he knew one sure thing, the person in front of him was no longer human or animal, he was a monster.