Chapter 0172

Alexander

"Athena?"

She goes quiet. Her mouth hangs slightly open as she stares back at me. "Can we please find Sophia and Julian? I know she's gone. I just... I need to say goodbye."

"You're avoiding this." I murmur.

"I have to handle one thing at a time." She frowns, her voice barely audible. "Please?" The word seems to catch in her throat as tears well in her blue eyes.

I reach out to my brother through our link. He doesn't respond right away. But I can feel his agony radiating through our connection.

Julian, where are you?' I try again.

Leave me alone!'

Julian!' I snap through the mental bond.

Go to hell!'

Don't you dare speak to me like that! Where are you?'

You let them come here. You invited them into our home.' His fury through the link intensifies to levels I've never experienced before.

Julian, where are you?'

Far away from you.' He snaps back. 'You put her in danger and I'll never forgive you for that!" He takes a sharp breath. "I, Julian Black, former Gamma of Obsidian Howl pack, sever all ties with Obsidian Howl effective immediately."

BASTARD! Titan roars within me.

I feel our connection shatter just as Isabella screams out in pain. She would feel it too - he was rejecting her as his twin as well.

Athena's eyes widen as she watches me, waiting for an explanation.

"He's rejected the pack. He's gone. And he took Sophia's body with him." I say, frustration evident in my voice.

She fights back tears. "What does that mean? Why would he abandon the pack?"

"He blames me for Sophia's death."

"Where would he go?"

"I don't know." My expression hardens. "But he made his choice. He'll have to live with it."

"You're giving up on him just like that?" She asks, shocked.

"He doesn't want my help, Athena. He doesn't want his sister's help either."

Athena glances toward the kitchen door where we can both hear Isabella sobbing. Tears she hasn't shed in years are probably streaming down her face.

"Go to her." Athena whispers gently. "She's your sister."

I extend my hand to her. "Are you coming with me?"

She looks up at me, a small smile touching her lips. "Maybe today doesn't have to be completely terrible." She takes my hand and places it on her slight bump. I can feel movement beneath my palm. Subtle, like gentle flutters, but definitely movement. It's enough to keep me focused as I prepare to comfort Isabella.

Isabella, as expected, is crying uncontrollably. She's on the floor, clinging to Zachary as if her life depends on it. He's speaking to her, but even I can tell his words aren't getting through.

"Will someone please tell me what's happening?!" Theodore demands.

"Julian has rejected the pack. He's severed all ties with us." I explain.

"Are you serious?"

"He blames me." I mutter.

"He should blame himself." Theodore retorts. "He was the one who insisted you bring in other Alphas. If Ethan had never come here, Sophia wouldn't have been kidnapped. You wouldn't have had to go after her. You wouldn't have..." He gestures toward Zachary and an unconscious Brianna.

It's unusual for Theodore to sound so irritated.

"I'm just saying, we're all in this together. It's not his battle alone."

"Did he say something to you?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

He looks away.

"Theodore?!"

"He's been making his displeasure known since the Rogue first appeared."

"To whom?"

"Mostly me." He crosses his arms over his chest. "I tried, Alexander. I tried to make him see that he started this. That if he really looked for someone to blame, he could find fault anywhere."

"Why didn't you come to me?"

"I honestly thought I had it under control. He stopped bringing it up. I thought maybe he was finally understanding that some things are beyond our control. Then Sophia... I'm sorry. I messed up."

I raise a hand to stop him, focusing on my distraught sister. "Has she said anything?"

Zachary shakes his head.

"Isabella, I know you're hurting. Julian made his choice. You couldn't have changed his mind. No one could have." I glance back at Theodore, who sighs.

She remains silent. Her eyes are glazed over as she stares at a spot on Zachary's shirt, unmoving, unblinking, while large tears roll down her cheeks. Maybe Midnight was trying to offer comfort, but then again, Midnight had lost her twin too.

"I'll take her upstairs." Zachary murmurs, rising to his feet with Isabella cradled in his arms.

"I think I'll rest too." Athena murmurs, her eyes shifting to Brianna though she says nothing more.

I stop her before she leaves. "Tell Nyx to drop the block."

She nods, and her eyes briefly darken. I can feel all her emotions flooding back in. I never thought the day would come when I wouldn't feel normal because I couldn't feel my mate's emotions. Somehow, after all these years of searching, she was the only one who made me feel complete.

In that moment, I understood Julian's reaction. He had gone from woman to woman until he found a mate who made him rethink everything because she was too young for him to act on it. Grief had hit him like a physical blow.

"Is she okay?" I ask Theodore about Brianna as Athena leaves.

"It was close according to Isabella. He sliced her stomach up pretty badly but somehow, she didn't lose much tissue. Isabella was able to repair the damage. It might just take a while for her to wake up." He pauses. "I'm sorry, Alexander."

"If I had known it would come to this, I would have told you." He adds.

"I know. It's in the past. What we have now is a Rogue on the loose. And I have no idea who its next target will be. Did Ethan say anything about the Rogues' plans?"

He shakes his head. "I would say Lycans, but it went after Isabella first." He shrugs. "Maybe it's targeting anyone who's vulnerable because it doesn't seem like it's here just to anger Zachary anymore."

"No, but what else do the first two victims have in common?"

"Athena, but that doesn't explain Brianna." He gestures to the unconscious woman on the kitchen table.

"Death." Brianna mutters hoarsely, her eyes still closed. "He wants to bring death to everyone."