Page 22 of Bond To The Alpha (Fated Bond #1)

KANE

It begins with the pungent aroma of herbs and concoctions invading my nostrils until I’m dragged out from the depths of unconsciousness. My eyelids feel heavy, refusing to open just yet. But there’s a rhythmic sound around me…like stone grating against stone.

I force my eyes open, almost immediately, blinking slowly to adjust to the light.

There’s someone seated beside my bed, grinding herbs in a mortar. She's so focused on her task she hasn't noticed I'm awake. I try to piece together what happened. The mountain... Liana... then nothing.

How long was I out? Hours? Days?

The fog in my mind is slowly lifting, and I start to take in my surroundings. The bedposts, the familiar scent of pine and leather… this is my room.

How did I get back home?

If I'm here, where's Liana?

My heart starts racing, and I bolt upright in bed.

The last thing I remember hearing was her voice while I was lying in a bed of blood and snow, fighting to not lose consciousness. Then there’s the blurry image of her standing between me and those... those things that used to be her parents...

My sudden movement catches the healer's attention, and she looks up.

"You're up," she says with more concern than surprise as she looks up at me.

I throw the sheets aside, ignoring the protest of my aching muscles. My feet hit the cold floor, and I push myself up, swaying slightly as a wave of dizziness hits me. The healer is saying something in an urgent tone, but I can't focus on her words.

I stumble towards the door. The room spins around me, but I still reach for the doorknob with a trembling hand.

I come face to face with Dan as soon as I open the door.

His eyes widen a bit when he sees me, but then, looking at me again, he must have been able to tell what I was about to do.

“You can't go back now,” he firmly puts a hand on my chest.

I try to push past him, but my strength fails me. Dan's grip on my shoulder tightens to steady me.

“She's fine,” he adds. “Liana is safe and sound.”

The tension drains from my body at his words, and I sag against the doorframe.

“Where is she? What happened after I passed out? How long have I been unconscious?”

Dan guides me back into the room, to the bed, and I sit down heavily. And then he pulls up a nearby chair, his face more serious.

“You've been out for three days. I must say, we were scared you…wouldn’t make it.”

Three days. I run a hand through my hair as I try to process everything.

“And Liana? You said she's safe?”

Dan nods, but there's a hesitation in his eyes that sets me on edge. “She's still in Moonlight Pack territory. After the attack, when you were unconscious, things got even more complicated.”

“Complicated how? Tell me everything.”

He takes a deep breath.

“When we arrived to bring you back for treatment, the situation in Moonlight Pack was tense. Jimmy, the Alpha's son, accused Liana of being a traitor. He claimed she was working with the rogue wolves because he’d heard Liana call two of the rogues her parents.”

I now recall having heard her say something regarding this before everything faded to black.

“That's ridiculous. Liana would never—“

“I know,” Dan quickly answers. “And so does their Alpha, Sam. He intervened and allowed Liana to stay in the pack under surveillance until the truth is uncovered.”

I clench my fists, fighting the urge to leap out of bed and rush to her side.

“I need to go back.”

“You're in no condition to travel.”

He then adds, “I've already started gathering information though. I heard Jimmy appeared at the recent attack site almost at the same time the wolves were retreating, which is suspicious.”

I nod proudly, even though a large part of my mind is still fixed on going to Liana. She’s innocent, and I'll bet my life that these rogue wolves are the key to proving it.

Jimmy. Little wonder I’ve always had a bad feeling about him.

“Start with Jimmy, find out where he’s been, and who he’s been in contact with.”

Dan nods determinedly.

“Consider it done. Anything else?”

I sit forward.

“I just want regular reports on everything you've gathered so far. Every detail, no matter how small.”

Even I soon get to work, hunched over my desk with a sea of papers spread out in front of me, which include data and charts; sightings of rogue werewolves dating back months; reports on missing pack members; strange symbols found at attack sites.

I rub my temples, trying to ward off the intensifying headache. The clock on the wall shows it’s well past midnight, but sleep is the furthest thing from my mind.

I pick up another report, this one detailing the autopsy of a rogue werewolf. The medical jargon is dense, but one phrase jumps out at me: “accelerated cellular degradation.”

I scrunch my brows as I consider the implications. As a theory begins to form in my mind, I take out a blank sheet of paper to scribble down my thoughts.

After long hours, I stand up, stretch my stiff muscles, and walk over to the large corkboard on the wall. It's already covered with photos, maps, and scraps of paper that are all connected by a web of red string. I pin my latest notes to an empty space and step back to take in the whole picture.

Regular rogues are just ones who ignore the leadership and rules of their own werewolf pack to act alone or form their own group. But the kind of rogues we’re dealing with seem to have had wolf instincts amplified by dark rituals, hence losing their human nature. The mindless aggression, the coordinated attacks, and the strange symbols, all point to some kind of dark magic at work, and only a ritual performer can control them.

I grab a marker and write this theory in large letters across the top of the board. It's the cornerstone of our investigation now.

Then as I step back to examine the board again, a knock at the door breaks my concentration.

Dan enters, his face grim but his eyes alert despite the late hour.

“You look like hell,” he says with one look at my disheveled appearance.

I make a wry smile. “Thanks. You're not exactly fresh as a daisy yourself.”

Dan chuckles, but it's a tired sound

“I've got an update for you," he says, his tone turning serious. "We've been tracking Jimmy's recent movements, like you asked."

My attention sharpens. “And?”

Dan pulls out a small notebook and opens it..

“It's interesting, to say the least. Jimmy's been making a lot of late-night trips into the forest, always to the same general area. And get this, it's near where you documented to have had the most rogue ‘sightings.”

“That can't be a coincidence. What else?” I ask.

“He's been making calls to an unknown number, always from payphones in town. And he's been withdrawing large sums of money from his accounts, all in cash.”

I turn back to the board thoughtfully. “He's hiding something, that's for sure. But is he involved with the rogues, or is he trying to fight them on his own?”

Dan shrugs. “Hard to say. But there's more. Remember those strange symbols you also said you found at some of the attack sites?”

I nod, pointing to a sketch pinned to the board.

“Well, one of our scouts spotted Jimmy drawing something similar in the dirt during one of his forest trips. He wiped it away quickly, but our guy is sure it was the same symbol.”

This new piece of information sends my thoughts spinning.

Jimmy, drawing ritual symbols?

Something doesn't add up.

Jimmy's always been more brawn than brains, more follower than leader. The idea of him orchestrating these complex rituals and controlling the rogues seems far-fetched.

No, there has to be someone else pulling the strings. Someone smarter and more cunning. Jimmy's likely just a pawn in a larger game.

My gaze shifts to the photos of Liana's parents pinned to the corner of the board. They've been at the back of my mind ever since Dan mentioned their transformation into rogues.

Days later I progress to poring over financial records, old witness statements, and scraps of information we've gathered so far.

Buried in a stack of bank statements is a series of large withdrawals made just before they disappeared. I'd seen these before, but now, with fresh eyes and new context, they take on a different meaning. I trace the money and follow its trail through a maze of shell companies and offshore accounts. It's clever and designed to be untraceable. But they didn't count on my determination or resources.

The money, all of it, ends up in a single account. An account associated with an organization I've never heard of before: The Crimson Moon Society—the missing piece we've been looking for.

The Crimson Moon Society isn't just some run-of-the-mill cult. It's an ancient organization, operating in the shadows of werewolf society for centuries, and its goal is to amass power by any means necessary.

They prey on the vulnerable, the desperate, the outcasts of werewolf society. People like Liana's parents, who were always rebels. The cult offers them power, belonging, and a chance to be something more. And then they twist that desire and warp it into something monstrous through dark rituals and brainwashing techniques. These rogue werewolves become their weapons and their tools to destabilize and take over other packs. It's a brilliant strategy. Who would suspect that the mindless beasts attacking them were once ordinary werewolves, let alone part of an organized cult?

I’m still worrying about this, and then I hear the terrible news that Sam is dead.

“…he was attacked last night. They're saying it was rogues.”

I know for one, that the security around Sam, especially after the attack we had in the woods, has been tight. If not a confirmation of our suspicions about there being a traitor, I can’t explain how else the rogues got past all that. I sit in the car, head leaning against the rest as I stare at the road ahead.

Then I shut my eyes.

Sam was a good alpha, fair and strong. He didn't deserve this. And now, with him gone, Moonlight Pack is even more vulnerable. Ripe for the taking.

His death is just the beginning.

My thumb floats still over the button of my phone as I stare at Liana's number. The memory of her confession about Lina hits me again, but I don’t even have time anymore to be upset.

I hit dial, my heart pounding as the line rings.

Each unanswered ring ratchets up my anxiety.

Until I hear a click.

“Hello?” Liana's voice comes through the speaker.

Just hearing her voice calms the storm raging inside me.

“Kane?” she asks when she doesn’t hear me say a word.

Then I clear my throat. "Yeah, it's me. How are you doing?”

There's a sharp intake of breath on the other end.

“Oh my god, you’re okay. I've been so worried. I…I'm…I’m so sorry about everything. I should have—“

“Liana,” I interrupt gently, "I'm fine. I'm glad you're okay too. We have a lot to talk about, but that can wait, we have bigger problems.”

She falls silent for a moment, then says, “You're right. Kane, things are...they're bad here.”

“I know. I heard about Sam. Liana, listen to me carefully. I have reason to believe Jimmy might be involved in all of this.”

“Jimmy? I've had my suspicions too. Ever since that night on the mountain when he showed up and the rogues suddenly retreated.”

Even though I’m aware of the matter already, I still let her recount the events following my rescue, and all that even went down after Sam’s demise. If anything they just make my suspicions solidify into certainty.

“Liana,” I say when she finishes. "I've discovered something. There's a cult behind all of this, called the Crimson Moon Society. They're the ones creating and controlling the rogues.”

"A cult?!”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I have proof. Your parents…I think they might have been involved with this cult before they disappeared.”

There's a long pause on the other end of the line.

“I think the cult might have turned them into rogues,” I add,. “Jimmy might be working for the cult, knowingly or unknowingly. They're trying to take over Moonlight Pack. We need evidence, anything that can link Jimmy to the cult or the rogue attacks."

She replies, "I've already been gathering information after Sam's death. I’ll help with what I can as well…”

“Liana,” I cut in.

If I can have it my way, the first thing I’d do is to take Liana out of that unsafe place. I know she’s strong, determined, and unstoppable when she wants to be. And even though I don’t want her risking her life and Lina’s in any way, her help is still needed.

“Please be careful, Liana. I’ll be back for you and Lina soon. Very soon.”