Chapter 390

Olivia

My eyes met those deep, red orbs from the crack between the crates, and it was at that moment that I knew.

It was Alvin.

But what was he doing here? And what were his motives?

The last time I had seen Alvin, he was working with Ryan and the Redclaws. He had developed the ability to create fire in his palm with the snap of a finger, and he was out for vengeance. I didn’t know if vengeance was what led him here just now, or if it was something else.

But either way, no matter how badly I wanted to find out, I was trapped. Jenifer’s knee was pushing into my spine, crushing me. Not only was I terrified to move because of the cold silver knife pressed to the soft skin of my neck, but I was also afraid that if I made one wrong move, she’d harm my unborn baby.

The situation was already precarious enough as it was, being pinned to the floor with a hard knee pressing into my back. There was no telling what exactly she would do if I tried to struggle or speak.

There was a long, tense silence as I stared into those red eyes. And then, suddenly, the hulking black form before me began to shift. Long fur turned into flesh, human arms and legs sprouted, and now I knew for sure that Alvin, my childhood friend turned rogue, had returned.

And then his voice emanated through the basement, gravelly and deep.

“Come out, Jenifer. I know you’re hiding back there.”

My eyes darted toward Alvin, my silent plea for help etched in my gaze, but I was powerless to convey it. Jenifer’s grip on me remained unyielding, the metallic glint of the knife a constant threat against my throat.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jenifer finally released the pressure on my back. I finally felt as though I could breathe, but then my world was tilting, turning into a blur of blacks and blues as she roughly hauled me to my feet with an unprecedented strength for such a frail-looking girl.

“Move,” she hissed, the knife still pressed relentlessly against my throat.

Jenifer, a shadowy presence in the darkness, forced me forward, her breath hot and tainted with anger against my ear. Alvin’s presence seemed to affect her, stirring something inside of her. I couldn’t fully tell if they were working together or not, but judging from her stiff movements, something told me that she was just as surprised at his presence as I was.

I stumbled forward and into the small shaft of light cast from the open basement door. It wasn’t much, but it was just enough for me to see Alvin’s outline.

As Alvin’s eyes met mine, I detected a glimmer of remorse in his gaze. Relief flooded through my heart, and I silently pleaded with my eyes for him to help me.

Then, his remorse was followed by a blaze of anger as he took in the grim sight of the knife against my throat. His voice trembled with a mixture of concern and fury as he spoke. “Let her go, Jenifer.”

But Jenifer’s response was nothing short of ruthless. She pressed the blade even harder against my throat, her grip unrelenting. I winced as the cold steel threatened to draw blood. She had no intention of releasing me, her desperation driving her to cling to her captive.

“Leave,” Jenifer spat, her voice laced with venom. “This is none of your business. Go now, and I won’t kill you.”

Alvin just stood there, his hands curled up into fists at his sides. “Why are you doing this?” he asked. “What did she do to you? I thought we had a deal.”

I furrowed my brow. A deal?

Jenifer scoffed. “I promised you when we employed Ryan that I’d save her for you, didn’t I?” she hissed. “Well, I’ve changed my mind. And you won’t get in my way.”

My head was reeling. So Alvin and Jenifer had both worked with Ryan? It all made sense now; just another layer of Jenifer’s plan to take down both Nathan and our pack.

Alvin growled under his breath and took a step forward. But as he did, the knife pressed itself harder against my neck, and I let out a tiny, involuntary whimper.

“Just go,” I pleaded, my eyes meeting his. “Go, Alvin.”

But he refused, his eyes locked onto mine with a fierce determination. “No,” he said. “I won’t leave you here with this lunatic.”

Jenifer, emboldened by her control over me, sneered. “You heard her,” she hissed. “Leave, Alvin. Before I destroy everything you’ve ever loved right in front of your eyes.”

“You little snake,” Alvin snarled. “You made a promise. What purpose is her death to you?”

Jenifer chuckled. “It’s the principle of it,” she said. “And besides, I can’t have her coming back to cause more trouble. She’s too stubborn. Just like you, I suppose.”

“You don’t want to do this. I’ll take her and her children far away from here. You won’t hear from us ever again.”

By now, Alvin’s voice was bordering on desperate. Everything was becoming clear to me now as I listened to the exchange: Alvin had agreed to help Jenifer in her plot, with the one promise that I would be safe. I couldn’t decide if it sickened me or if it endeared me in some sort of twisted way.

But Jenifer remained obstinate despite Alvin’s pleading, her grip on the knife unwavering. She regarded Alvin with a menacing gleam in her eyes.

“As if she would go with you,” she said with a malicious laugh, madness lacing every cadence of her voice. “She hates you, Alvin. Can’t you see?”

As Jenifer spoke, Alvin’s eyes met mine. There was pain in his gaze, the pain that only years of lovesickness and trauma could bring.

“She’s lying,” I croaked, my voice hoarse. “I don’t hate you, Alvin. I never did.”

In that moment, I saw the emotions flicker through Alvin’s eyes. Resentment, denial, belief, anger, sadness. I saw more than a decade of agony in his gaze during that brief moment, more than a decade of just wanting to feel loved and accepted in a way that he never thought possible.

And then, his gaze flickered back to Jenifer.

“Last chance, Jenifer,” he snarled, snapping his fingers to create a flame in the palm of his hand, burning brightly and casting flickering shadows across the stone walls and dirt floor. “Let her go, or I’ll kill you.”

For what felt like an eternity, no one moved. The knife remained steadfast on my neck, but I could tell that Jenifer’s resolve was wavering. She was powerful, but so was Alvin.

And she feared him. I was sure of it.

Then, suddenly, Alvin let out a growl that I didn’t even think possible. The flame in his hand shot forward, licking up Jenifer’s arm. She yelped and dropped the knife, cursing under her breath. I took that moment to dart away just as Alvin rushed forward and shifted mid-air, his body colliding with Jenifer’s in a flurry of anger and hatred.

And then, before I could collect my bearings…

All hell broke loose.