Page 76

Aurelia gasps, and I whirl around to see her struggling to sit up.

“Hold on, Aurelia,” I murmur, “We’re going to get you help.”

“What happened?” Malakai asks, his green eyes flashing with worry.

Aurelia's breath comes in ragged gasps as she struggles to speak. "Attacked...took her..."

Rage and fear rip through me.

Cleo. Someone has taken my Cleo.

I bare my teeth, a snarl building in my throat. I will tear apart whoever did this. They will wish they were never born.

I shift to my wolf and sit, tilting my head back to howl my anger and rage, pouring out my pain into my howl.

When I’ve stopped, Malakai places a hand on my back. I growl, and he looks at me sternly.

“We will get her back. Austin will get her back,” he says firmly. “But Aurelia will die if we don’t get her back to the healers.”

I know he speaks the truth. But the idea of leaving where my daughter was last seen feels physically impossible.

My daughter is out there, taken by people who would harm her. My heart screams to keep searching and find her.

“Yelena. We must go. If they return to find you…” Malakai’s voice trails off. He doesn’t need to say it.

If the rival pack stole my daughterandme, they would be in the position to get Austin to give up whatever they wanted.

I huff and take off back toward home. I need to find Austin. Austin will get her back.

Be strong, Cleo, I think as I tear through the bushes and trees.We’re going to find you.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Austin

“I tracked them throughout the woods, Alpha. There were many separate scents. I suspect they have been planning this for a while. Multiple intruders. I was unable to get eyes on your child, but her scent was all over the trail. As was the blood of her trainer.”

I curse and rake my hand through my hair. My chest is pounding with anger and worry.My daughter.They not only came onto our land unprovoked, but they stole one of our children.

My child.How am I going to tell Yelena that our daughter was taken?

“If they harm a single hair on her head, I will take them all down,” I vow, looking out over the small creek that separates our lands.

Vincent grunts in agreement.

There can be no coming back from this. It is a crime thatmustbe answered. I plant my feet into the soft earth and will myself to remain calm. Cleo is over there.My Cleo.

Be brave, sweet girl. Daddy is coming to get you.

I stand on the edge of the Highland border, my blood boiling under my skin. This has gone beyond rivalry. To come onto our land, terrorize our pack like this?

How dare they come here! Launch a war like this?It’s unbelievably risky. We are surrounded by humans. We don’t have the luxury of fighting it out like the old ways. If we were to be discovered…

Vincent stands next to me, his chest still heaving from his run.

A long, agonized howl echoes through the woods and Vincent and I exchange a glance.

The pain in that howl can only mean one thing: Yelena knows.