In Reach?

Liam’s POV

The next morning I was happy to find her still sleeping on me, but she’s straddling me now. I can feel my morning-wood pushing up against her cute ass. I’m really tempted to just slip her on it, but after the night we had I know she needs more gentle loving than rough loving.

I roll over, laying her gently down on her back as I get up, to freshen up.

I barely make it downstairs, when I see Noah and Aiden rushing through the front.

“Liam. We have a problem.” Noah says.

“What is it?”

“The rogue, he’s dead. He was killed.”

“What? How?”

“He bled out.” Aiden adds. “That cut was long, but not deep enough. I think it was done with a hexed knife.”

“How is that possible?” I know that the hexed weapons we have gathered so far, are all locked up.

“Someone here must have one.”

Which means that someone here is a true ally to Dahlia.

They growl at hearing my thoughts. We know there is a traitor, we just never figured out who it is yet.

“Was there a scent left behind?”

“In that foul place, no.” Noah scrunches his nose.

“But with the rate he was bleeding out, it must have happened, yesterday afternoon. He must have died around midnight. Whoever did it, wanted him to suffer.” Aiden informs me.

“What about the guards stationed at the cells?”

Noah just shakes his head. “They didn’t see anything. I found him like that this morning just after the guards were changing posts.”

“How is this asshole slipping past us like this? You realize we have to be more careful now. Someone has a hexed weapon which can kill any of us.”

“You should stay indoors while we figure this out. We can’t let them harm our Alpha.”

“You shouldn’t worry about me Noah. If this person works for Dahlia, chances are that they’re after Mira. We need to protect her.”

“Of course. We'll protect our Luna. I’m sure Theo will have no problem being her own human shield while we figure this out.”

“Right. As of now, we need to triple check everyone in this house. We know that the traitor is here in the main pack house.” I say to Noah.

“The hunters?”

I’m annoyed just thinking of that asshole Marcus.

“Yes, even the hunters. Check and keep track of their whereabouts, especially on the last two days. Aiden, I need you to re-check the report the counsel sent your mother on these weapons. We need to find some way to protect ourselves from it.”

“Yes Alpha.” They say in unison.

As I make my way back up, to get to my office, I see Marcus in the hallway. His frame is blocking my view of Mira, but I can smell her scent.

“What do you think you’re doing here.” I make my way to them and stand between them. I definitely notice the worried look on her face.

“I just wanted to talk to her.”

“About what?”

“Alone.” He looks at me annoyed.

“I’m not letting you near her, nor will I leave her alone with you. I’m sure the slap she gave you last night was answer enough.”

He furrows his brows and looks at her over my shoulder. “You told him?”

“Listen hunter.” I move to block his view of her again. “You better get lost and stay away from her before I shove you through a wall.” I growl out and I know he must have seen my wolf in my eyes, as he backs away.

“I just, I just wanted to apologize about last night.”

“And what makes you think she must accept it?” I feel Mira resting her head on my back.

“Because I don’t want her to hate me.” He breathes out. “Yes, I know I can be an asshole sometimes, but what idiot would I be to not notice a woman like her? I stepped a bit out of line with my words last night, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

He huffs out as he walks away.

Only when he turns a corner and is out of my site, do I turn around and look at Mira. I pull her with me as I go to my office.

“Stay here. Theo will come get you so you can get breakfast.”

But she looks at me confused. “Am I under surveillance again?”

“No.” I walk to her and cup her face. “You’re under protection. A lot is going on right now, and I need to make sure you’re safe. I trust Theo to protect you while I’m busy.”

“Okay.” She holds my hand on her cheek. Just as I lean down and kiss her I hear the knock on the door. I know it’s Theo.

“I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

She nods and walks out, meeting Theo outside.

What the hell is Dahlia up to? I can barely breathe before another thing happens. And who the fuck has the nerve to help her out?

I work almost the whole day until about seven in the afternoon when I hear someone shout through the mind link.

Ugh! What is it? What’s going on?

“Liam, come quick. It’s Aiden.” I jump up hearing the urgency in Noah’s voice.

I run down, seeing them drag his bloody body into the house.

“What the fuck happened?”

They lay him down on the living room table. “A few of us went for a run in the woods. But he got slashed. We heard him scream, but by the time we got to him there was no else one around. Liam,….”

I look up at his hanging phrase while he’s trying to help stop the bleeding, holding his hands over Aiden’s bleeding chest. “The bleeding won’t stop.”

Fuck! The wretched look on his face confirms my suspicions. Aiden is dying and the teary, weak look in his eyes tells me he knows it too. I bend down and grab a hold of his cold hand as the room fills with more people.

I hear Char’s scream in the background as she uses her dress to try and help clean up the blood and look at the wound. She cries louder recognizing the black blood on the edges of the cut.

I look up and see Mira turning and running away, down the hall. Why?

I look back down at Aiden and see his eyes slowly closing, even though Char keeps telling him to not go to sleep. I’m losing my friend, my brother. His grip on my hand is weakening. I can hear sniffles in the background. I don’t want to look who it is. It will just break me to see people break down. So I just look straight ahead of me at Noah. But even though he also tries to be strong, the silent tears still flow down his face, as he stares at his blood filled hands in his lap.