Livingstone leaned his head down, growling as his remaining eye flashed a deeper red.
I felt it then. In my head.
Gavin was mine.
Gavin was his.
A conduit.
It was faint, but there all the same.
It whispered SonWolfPack, mine you’re mine i am wolf i am alpha give yourself to me i can i can i can smell him on you i can smell the bennett the interloper the prince who will take you from me kill him kill him kill him you must kill him alpha i am your alpha kill him if you don’t i will i will i will.
I could hear him, hear Livingstone, because I could hear Gavin.
Gavin saying, screaming, no please no please no please no stop stop stop stop STOP STOPSTOPSTOP DAD PLEASE DAD IT HURTS IT HURTS IT—
And I said, “Let him go.”
The beast jerked his head toward me.
His eye blazed.
He roared, the sound flat and muffled as it bounced off the walls of the cave.
Gavin turned his head. When he saw me, he howled and began to kick at his father. Livingstone snarled as Gavin’s claws sliced his skin. He pulled his arm back, and Gavin rolled away quickly, pulling himself upright. Livingstone hit his head on the ceiling as he tried to come for me, but before he could reach me, Gavin stood between us, his shift melting away.
He held up his hands to his father as if to ward him off. “No. Stop. Don’t.”
Livingstone did, though he continued to rumble angrily.
Gavin looked over his shoulder, a look of sheer agony mixed with fury on his face. “Get out.”
I took a step toward him. “I—”
“Get. Out!”
“Fuck you. I’m not leaving you here!”
Livingstone knocked Gavin to the side as he charged toward me. I ducked as thick claws swiped over me, sparks falling like stars as they connected with the rock wall. I ran toward him, meaning to go under him, but he was too quick. My breath was knocked from my lungs when he picked me up, pinning my arms to my sides and slamming me against the wall. Bright lights flashed across my vision, and
I felt hot breath against my face. I shook my head, clearing the lights away, only to see Livingstone’s mouth wide open.
“Youuuu,” he said, and it rattled my bones. “Always youuuu. Bennett. Another Bennett. Taking from me. You can’t have him. He’s mine.”
I thought my ribs would splinter if he applied a little more pressure. My vision was tunneling, and I thought about Kelly and Joe. They were going to be so mad at me for dying so far from home.
“I’ll do it,” Gavin said. “I’ll kill myself. Right here. Right now.”
Livingstone reared back, looking down at Gavin.
Gavin stood with his hand at his own throat, claws digging in. Blood ran in rivulets down his neck and bare chest, striping his skin. His eyes were clear, and his hand flexed briefly, the blood trails thicker.
“No,” Livingstone snarled. “No. You can’t. Alpha. I am your Alpha. You cannot die. I won’t let you.”
“Then let him go.”
Livingstone’s red eye grew brighter. “Bennett. Always. Kill them. Kill them all.”