Chapter Twenty-Four

Xavier

Dusk had fallen by the time they arrived at their destination, and Xavier had nearly lost his mind. He was anxious and antsy, and he was starting to lose control. Because of this, he was out of the car before it even came to a complete stop and was shaking with restraint and pacing while he waited for the others to climb out to meet him.

He wanted to leave now. No one knew how much air Madelyn had, and time was of the essence. His only thought was to get to his mate, but he had made the mistake of facing Colby, and the others alone before and he nearly lost his life because of it. He couldn’t afford to make that mistake again, not when it was Madelyn’s life on the line.

The service road they had pulled onto was lined with cars, most likely those that Colby and the others had been using to get around. They used their own cars to block them in. As soon as Melanie reached him, the two of them instantly bolted into the trees, unable to wait any longer. Behind him, however, he briefly heard Isabelle order a couple of guys to remain behind and disable the other vehicles. No one should be getting past them, but he could understand the need to take precautions. He wished he had done so earlier when it came to Colby. Then, maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.

Xavier shifted as soon as they stepped beneath the cover of trees, not caring one bit about shredding his clothing as there was a spare set in the backpack on Melanie’s back. The good detective had also made sure that they had a first aid kit and some water as they had no idea what state Madelyn would be in when they finally got to her. The bag was also acting as a sheath of sorts for the two shovels they brought as well.

Usually, this would be the time when they hung back out of view to gather information and find the best way to eliminate their target, but they were forgoing all of that today. Not only were they working on a time constraint, but there wouldn’t be any witnesses anyway. This was going to be nothing short of a slaughter, quick and easy, and as much as he wanted Colby to suffer, the urgency and need to get to Madelyn was far greater. It was also his sole focus as nothing mattered to him more than that.

Xavier’s dark and twisted mind kept imagining the worst as he, Melanie, and the others darted quickly through the trees. His heart was racing, a pounding beat against his chest that matched the quickened pace of his paws against the forest floor. His mouth was dry, and his stomach churned dangerously. If he had been in human form, he would have been covered in a cold sweat. It took him a few moments to register that this was what panic felt like. He was afraid that they were too late and that Madelyn would be dead by the time they got to her. However, even if that were the case, he wasn’t going to stop until Colby and everyone stupid enough to side with him were dead. In his mind, they deserved nothing less.

The old ranger’s station sat in the middle of a clearing. Xavier quickly surveyed the area while everyone got into position, surrounding the area so that none could escape, and what he saw threw him into a blind rage.

There were several small groups, all gathered around the various campfires they had started. They were drinking and laughing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. No one would ever expect that they had buried a woman alive a short time earlier just by looking at them because they were actually enjoying themselves. However, not even fifteen feet away from them sat a freshly covered hole with a wooden cross shoved haphazardly into the ground above it. They had marked it as Madelyn’s grave.

Xavier no longer cared if everyone was in position. They still had the element of surprise on their side, and he couldn’t contain his rage any longer. He threw open the cage that usually bound his beast and gave in immediately as the monster took hold. His eyes blazed as he let out a roar that shook the trees and sent birds scattering into the sky above them. It was a warning to Colby and the others that death was coming for them.

Xavier’s vision went red as he bound toward the group closest to him while Melanie hid behind a tree until they had taken down enough of the guys for her to safely get to Madelyn. Their fearful reactions made it clear that they didn’t expect to be found so quickly.

He didn’t even realize he had been airborne until his claws sunk into a guy’s chest and they hit the ground hard. He made sure to curl his paws so that dislodging his claws caused an excruciating amount of pain as he rolled off the guy. He regained his footing quickly and was on his hind legs a moment later, his jaw clamping down around the man’s neck. Cartilage and bone snapped beneath his powerful jaws as Xavier tore his throat out before he even had the chance to scream.

Gunfire broke out all over the clearing a moment later, both from his group and Colby’s, and bodies were dropping left and right as they corralled the traitors into the middle, around the station. Xavier was lost to the beast inside of him, the one who had been locked up for way too long, and the taste of blood coating his tongue only fueled his need for revenge and to inflict pain. These guys had gone after the only thing in his life worth living for, and they deserved everything they got.

It was a bloodbath, unlike anything the small town of Cedarwood had ever seen. The ground was littered with the dead, and the grass was tinged red. A strong scent of copper and gunpowder filled the air, assaulting his senses. However, that was quickly replaced with the stench of burning hair and flesh as he used his massive paw to shove one of the guys into one of the campfires.

The screams that emanated from the man were inhuman and echoed through the area as he somehow got back to his feet despite the flames that completely engulfed him. He looked like a human fireball as he darted around the area in search of someone or something to help. Help never came for him though, and he continued to run, bits of his flesh melting off of him and falling onto the ground until the flames eventually killed him.

Small fires began burning the grass in his wake, and they spread quickly, making their job a little easier. After Isabelle and the others had seen how easily he had taken the guy out using the fire, they began to do the same thing, and soon, the whole area was filled with the pained wails of those being burned alive. A cloud of thick, dense smoke filled the clearing and burned his eyes, but it didn’t stop his search.

Movement up by the station caught his attention, and he finally spotted Colby as he ran out the back door in an attempt to flee those who were now clearing the house. A wicked grin spread across Xavier’s furry face as he changed direction and made his way toward the man who had started all of this.

Even with all of the conflicting scents in the air, Xavier could smell Colby’s fear, and it made him giddy with excitement. He continued to stalk Colby until the man finally caught sight of Xavier’s large wolf form and stopped dead in his tracks. Colby’s eyes widened in fear and trepidation as Xavier shifted back to his human form.

“You fucked up, Colby,” he sneered, slowly closing the distance between them. “You never should have gone after Madelyn. You crossed the line.”

“You’re… you’re wasting your time with me, you know,” Colby stammered, his eyes taking in the carnage around him. “I don’t know how much oxygen that refrigerator has, you know. If you waste too much time, you’re going to be too late. Then, no one will be able to help her.”

“I’m aware. And I have someone taking care of that,” he said simply, nodding over to the small mound of dirt where Melanie was digging. He had to give her credit too—she was making quick work of it.

Colby backed up a few feet and then suddenly pulled out a gun. Xavier rolled his eyes when Colby’s hand shook violently as he pointed the weapon. With a supernatural burst of speed, Xavier closed the distance between them and snatched the gun out of Colby’s hand. As he pressed the barrel underneath Colby’s jaw, his other hand snapped Colby’s wrist as if it were a toothpick.

“Haven’t you learned by now that that shit doesn’t work on me?” he asked over the sound of Colby’s wails. “You took a bat to my skull, and I’m still alive and kicking. A gun isn’t going to do shit.”

“I had to try,” Colby yelled, his cheeks streaked with tears and snot. “I’m so sick of you getting everything handed to you on a silver platter!”

Xavier laughed. “You think I had it easy? You don’t know a damn thing about me or what I’ve been through, Colby.”

“Xavier!” Melanie screamed, drawing his attention.

Somehow, the detective had managed to get Madelyn out of the refrigerator and laid her on the ground all on her own. However, Madelyn wasn’t moving, which sent a dagger of fear into his heart.

Xavier growled low and looked back at Colby. “See you in hell, prick,” he spat angrily. Colby’s eyes widened a split second before Xavier pulled the trigger.

Before Colby’s body even hit the ground, Xavier was sliding on his knees next to Melanie and the top of the refrigerator. Small rocks dug into his flesh, tearing his skin until he bled, but it didn’t even phase him. It was the look on Melanie’s face when she looked up at him that did.

“She’s not breathing, and I can’t find a pulse,” she said urgently.

Tears filled his eyes as he looked upon the devastatingly beautiful face of his mate while Melanie began CPR. He could see the determination in her face, but he knew it was no use. Now that he had the chance to focus on it, he could tell that the shredded remains of their bond were already fading, which could only mean one thing: Madelyn was dead, and he would be soon too.