Lexa was foaming with rage, choking with pain. She wanted to track down whoever did this and kill him, but there was no scent trail. Her vibrations pounded against her skin from the outside, and from the inside, her wolf clawed at her insides, howling to death. She was going to explode, go crazy, wild, and her father was going to have to kill her. She was hyperventilating, trying to swallow air, trying to stop screaming. Suddenly, hands landed on her shoulders, helping her to pierce the red veil that had fallen on her mind. Carter.
- Come on, Lexa, we have to go find the others, get help. We can't stay here
And there she collapsed, crying. Tears streamed profusely down her cheeks.
- I'll kill them, I'll kill them, I'llkill them... I swear on the Moon Goddess that Imma kill him or them, those who did this. I swear it.
Carter picked her up and started walking back towards the lair hugging her. She began to moan:
- Where's Jakey? Where is he ?
The young man's heart sank, but he continued to move forward, tightening his grip around her. Arriving at the edge, he saw the pack, having probably been alarmed via their bond, at the edge of the forest. They had felt nothing, fear, pain and death having been covered by pleasure. He felt a pang of guilt as he quickened his pace and came face to face with the Alpha, lowering Lexa to the ground, but keeping a hand on her lower back to support her, fearing that she wouldn't be able to stand. She woke up from her waking dream, and began to scream:
- Someone killed Keith and Nathan! The party is over, secure the children and the submissives! Immediately !
Without waiting, the pack set off, collectively deciding that they would mourn their losses later: the most important thing for the moment was to repatriate the bodies and bring the children and the submissives to safety. Lexa left with the hunters, and Carter left with the group in charge of bringing back the bodies. This time, it was even worse: the others had brought lamps and we could therefore see the extent of the damage. Calla, the doctor - not the healer - knelt before the body and the verdict fell: Keith was not dead from his slit throat, oh no, his heart had literally been ripped out of his chest, just like Connor's, his lover. The doc concludes with:
- Whoever did this did it out of anger and took it out on them.
Carter, he knew that the instant Lexa found out, her anger would turn into an unstoppable tornado, a real killing machine.
Lexa ran alongside the most seasoned hunters in the pack. She did not hide her anormal speed, the idea had not even crossed her mind. No, all she wanted was to find the culprit and kill him. Keith…Keith had been one of her best friends since they were children, and she would not let his murder go unpunished. Whoever did this was going to pay for it, and at the cost of blood.
They returned two hours later, empty-handed after having circumnavigated the entire territory six times. Jake was still missing, and the young girl, who would need him, said to herself that it didn't matter. She went to the safe cabin, where the whole pack was supposed to sleep that night, and found Niella, her eyes red with tears. They fell into each other's arms, sobbing. Lexa felt pitiful: she never cried, made a point of looking strong. But there, she felt the need to mourn their friends, all together. Smelling Carter's pine and dead leaves, she turned and ran into his arms, tears streaming down her face. She crashed into him and he closed his arms around her, enclosing her in his scent. Immediately, she felt better, soothed by him. Caleb and Franklin had joined Nia in the meantime, and they went to find a corner, stuck the mattresses together, and laying down the five of them, they slept glued to each other, drawing strength from each other's presence. The next morning, which came much too soon, Lexa, dazzled by the sun, felt like the whole night had been one long, horrible nightmare. She knew it wasn't, but when she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to Carter, it didn't stop her from praying to the Moon Goddess, the Sun God and everyone else that it was. indeed a nightmare. It was atrocious, and the worst: they had been in the process of reclaiming when they had been killed. Keith had found his soul mate, and Lexa would never be able to annoy him with that. He would never have a union ceremony. Everything had been stopped. Rubbing her face, she reluctantly wriggled out of Carter's comforting embrace and crawled into the kitchen. He was there . Jake was there. Without thinking twice, she threw herself on him and although he remained frozen at first, he ended up hugging her back.
- Where were you ?! Keith is...
The girl's voice cracked and he hugged her tighter.
- I know, I felt. Your father sent me to accompany one of the packs, but I returned as soon as I heard. I only got home an hour ago.
- I'm glad you're here.
She let herself fall against him, and they remained in this position for a long moment without noticing Carter who was watching them, a pained expression on his face.