GIFTED RILEY by Lacy Mierr

CChapter 67: Revisiting the Past

*Nicolas*

The villa Mya mentioned came into view. I skidded to a halt to survey the area. I could smell the hunters but none of them smelled familiar. Underneath their smell, one scent caught on my nose and lingers. It was faint, but undeniable, it was Riley. She was close she had to be.

I returned to my human form and slipped on the clothes I had brought with me. It was probably foolish to come alone, but from what Mya told me, he wanted me. As the alpha king, I wouldn’t allow my people to be hurt for a personal vendetta.

I reached the door and tried the handle, it turned easily. Looking around again, expecting an ambush, I paused before entering. When I heard no movement, I entered.

Stepping inside, the smell of old was overwhelming. This place had been without a cleaning touch in a while and it smelled like it. There was a lamp across the room and I headed for it. Just as I clicked in on, the door behind me slammed shut. I heard the deadbolt lock. There was no point in trying to break it down either, I knew that door was solid.

“Finally,” said a voice across from me.

He appeared out of a hidden door and floated into the center of the

room. As he passed the scent of Riley became stronger. My wolf growled as he stared the human down.

“Where is she?” I hissed. He waved his finger at me.

“It’s it custom for royalty to greet each other formally? Oh wait, we’ve already met before.” he hissed back.

I looked him up and down but couldn’t recall ever meeting him. He was stiff with rage, his eyes nearly bloodshot with it. His lips disappeared as they lined to frown at me. This was the look of pure hate and it was directed at me. I feared what his hatred for me made him do to Riley.

I tried to link with her. but there was still a block.

“We’ve never met before.” I said.

His chuckle was humorless.

“I have waited for this day for years while you have lived blissfully unaware of the pain and suffering you’ve caused. How lucky it is to be you,” he snarled. “I, Malik, have not been so lucky. I am reminded every time I see my son,”

“Your son? Malik, I don’t know this name,” I tried again, hoping to say he had the wrong person, though it didn’t matter, he had taken my Luna so his fate was sealed. I’d rather he’d tell me so I didn’t have to hurt anyone who got in my way.

Chapter 67 Revisiting the Past

He yelled and ripped open his shirt.

“You may not remember my name, but I bear scars made from your kind! My son clings for life even now! You say you don’t remember? Let me remind you!”

The room suddenly filled with more hunters. Two came up behind me. and pointed spears at me. I didn’t need the glint of the light to know they were silver spears.

Malik wasn’t smiling even though he had me surrounded. He held my gaze and he paced in front of me.

“I was once a simple man, with a wife and three children. I lived on a farm my family had owned for generations. I was to work that farm until it took my last breath and then my children would take over. See, simple and I did it with pride.

Until one day I woke and our cows had been sliced in half, the whole fleet of them. I followed the tracks into the woods, how was I to know. that while I was hunting them they were doubling back to get my family? Their screams reached me deep in the woods, it chilled me more than the morning duc. My feet couldn’t carry me back fast enough. but even if they could, I would have still been too late.

One wolf had my daughter between his jaws when I arrived. When he saw me he tossed her around as if she were trash and came at me. I managed to get a shot off, but not before he did this to me. I blacked out, but before I did I heard a roar. It moved the ground and then I saw

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the owner of that roar,” he paused to gather his rage. “It was you,”

“A traveler found me and my son, the only survivors. He thought it was a bear attack, but when I search party went out, no bears were found. I knew what had s l a u g t e e d my family, and so my life’s simple plan changed. I learned all I could about you wolves, I learned your weaknesses, and then I found you. The alpha king himself, but you had no attachments, I could kill as many wolves and you would never feel what I feel. So I waited and waited until someone came along that would shatter you. You don’t remember me, but Nicolas, this time, I will make sure you never forget.”

He was emboldened by his claims and crossed the distance to stand in front of me. He was only a few inches shorter than me, but his rage made him bigger. I tried to use his scent to jog my memory but all I could smell was Riley and it both enraged me and calmed me. He had just come from being with her, meaning she was close.

“You know this face, but more importantly, you will know how it feels to be helpless while your loved one dies just inches away from you,” he said.

I studied his face but still nothing was coming to mind.

I didn’t have time for his stories or this mystery attack but I knew I had never lost control of my wolf, nor would anyone under my care be so careless and deadly. Pointless attacks would only lead to more animosity between humans and wolves, I would never allow it.

Then a thought accrued and then I remembered. I actually knew what

he was talking about. He was right about one thing, his family was

s l a u g h e r d, just not by me.