Page 24 of Bond To The Alpha (Fated Bond #1)

KANE

‘The number you have dialed is not reachable. Please try—‘

I jab the end call button as a tremor runs through my hand. For several agonizing days I’ve not been able to reach Liana and the insidious ache of it is beginning to burrow deep.

I desperately punch in her number again. The phone doesn't even ring this time, just dead air.

My wolf shifts restlessly under my skin. I’ve been on edge for days, because of hackles raised against some unseen threat. Now, with Liana's continued silence, my wolf’s unease bleeds into outright panic.

This isn't like her. I’ve spoken to her after we talked about the incident with Jimmy, and she’d never go dark like this without reason.

The plastic of the phone creaks under the pressure of my fist clenching hard around it. There’s a strong urge in me to drop everything and race to Moonlight Pack territory to find out exactly what’s happening.

A gust of wind snaps me back to reality as the door flies open. Dan comes in, his tie whipping wildly after him. One look at his face tells me he's got news, and from the tightness around his eyes, it's nothing good.

“We've got a situation.”

My stomach twists in wait.

“Liana?”

Dan nods grimly.

“Our contacts just confirmed she’s not in Moonlight territory.”

Not in Moonlight? Then where the hell is she?

“What do you mean?” I growl unsteadily.

“Where is she?”

“After Sam's death, Jimmy took over as alpha. According to our intel, he's had Liana imprisoned. But we don't know where yet.”

Imprisoned. The image of my Liana getting attacked and locked away is such a nightmare, that I can’t even keep still.

“What about Lina?” I ask.

“I hear she’s safe, but I’ll start making arrangements to get her out of there.”

I exhale heavily, pressing a fist to the desk, a red haze descending on my vision.

“I need to go—“ I’m sure I say this without thinking.

“Every second we waste is—“

“Is a second we can use to plan," Dan cuts in. “Running in there half-cocked is exactly what they want. We'll be playing right into their hands.”

Logic continues to fight instinct as I force myself to take a deep breath. He's right. My wolf howls again and I grip the edge of my desk to will myself to focus.

"What else do we know?" I grit out.

“Jimmy's let a whole bunch of strangers into pack territory. No one knows who they are or where they came from. They're keeping to themselves, but there's been increased activity around the pack borders.”

The cult. It has to be.

They've made their move, using Jimmy as their pawn to infiltrate Moonlight Pack.

“They're preparing for something.”

Dan agrees with a nod, then holds out a grainy photograph to me, which seems to have been taken from a distance. But there’s no mistaking the figure being hoisted on someone’s shoulder as they headed towards a nondescript building.

Liana.

I grit my jaw again.

A sound builds in my chest, part growl, part keening whine. I have to physically restrain myself from shifting right there in the office.

“When was this taken?” I demand.

“About four days ago. Our contact risked a lot to get this to us.”

Four days! She's been in their custody for four days!

For the next couple of days, sleep becomes a distant memory as I throw myself into rallying support from the surrounding werewolf packs. Even though it’s more heavyweight than I’ve ever carried before, I have to push through. For Liana, for Lina, for all of Moonlight Pack and even Blood Moon Pack.

I've called in every favor and tapped every connection I've made over the years. Some alphas are receptive, their own packs having felt the tremors of the cult's growing influence. Others are hesitant and wary of involving themselves in what they see as another pack's internal strife.

They don't understand.

This isn't just about one pack anymore. The cult's ambitions stretch far beyond a single territory.

I stand in front of the imposing gates of Silver Crest Pack, already preparing myself for the conversation ahead.

Alpha Marcus has been one of the holdouts, and I need to make him see reason. Guards eye me warily as I'm escorted to Marcus's office. I keep my posture relaxed, and my expression neutral because I'm here as an equal, not a supplicant.

Marcus rises as I enter.

“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” I reply after we perform the formal alpha greeting, adding, “I wouldn't have come if it wasn't urgent.”

He gestures for me to sit.

“I assume this is about Moonlight Pack? We've heard the rumors.”

“It's worse than the rumors, Marcus. Much worse.”

“They call themselves the Crimson Moon Society, the cult that's taken over Moonlight. Their origins have been traced back to decades; to a splinter group that rejected the traditional pack structure. They believe in a twisted version of werewolf supremacy, seeing humans—and even other supernatural beings as lesser creatures to be subjugated or eliminated.”

Marcus's eyes narrow. “And you're certain they're behind what's happening in Moonlight?”

“We have concrete evidence. They've been planning this for several months and manipulating events from the shadows. The rogue attacks were staged. Sam's death was orchestrated as well. They've been sowing chaos to weaken the pack from within."

“I hear there’s a new alpha.”

“Yes,” I say. “It’s Sam’s son, Jimmy.”

Marcus asks, “Where does he fit into all this?”

“A puppet,” I say with disgust.

“Whether he knows it or not. They've played on his ambition and his desire for power. He thinks he's in control, but he's just opened the door for them.”

Marcus leans back, his expression thoughtful.

“It's a compelling story, Kane. But why come to me? Silver Crest has always maintained a policy of non-interference in other packs' affairs.”

I lean forward. “Because this isn't just about Moonlight anymore, Marcus. The cult won't stop there. They see this as just the first step. If we don't unite against them now, while we still can, we'll all fall. One by one. Blood Moon Pack is ready to fight this fight, but we can’t do it without your help… and that of others.”

A flicker of unease crosses Marcus's face, but he dismisses it quickly.

“You're asking for a lot. To potentially go to war based on what? Rumors and speculation?”

I feel a flash of frustration, but I keep it in check. Getting angry won't help my case.

“It's more than speculation, Marcus. We have evidence. Intercepted communications, and eyewitness accounts. The cult has been building its network for years and infiltrating packs across the region. Moonlight is just another vulnerable target.”

I pull out a folder and hand it over to him.

“Take a look. Those are records we’ve gathered from the numerous killings to the financial records showing mysterious influxes of cash and resources in and out of the border.”

Marcus continues to flip through the documents, frowning in concentration. I see him staring particularly at the photo of Liana getting taken away.

“That’s my…I mean a member of my pack also being imprisoned because she was actively involved in the case,” I recount painfully.

“This is...concerning,” he admits. “But it's not concrete proof of a wider threat.”

“No,” I agree. “But it's a pattern. One that's repeating across other packs. Have you noticed an uptick in unexplained disappearances? Sudden shifts in pack dynamics? New members with murky backgrounds?”

He seems to recognize what I’m talking about from the look on his face.

“The cult operates in the shadows and they’re not ones to announce their presence. By the time you have ‘concrete proof,’ it's already too late. Moonlight is the canary in the coal mine. We need to act now, while we still can.”

Marcus stands and begins pacing behind his desk.

“Even if what you're saying is true, what exactly are you proposing? An all-out assault on them?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m proposing.”

Marcus stops pacing. “You're asking for a lot of trust, Kane…and a lot of resources…and risks”

“I know. But the alternative is worse. If we do nothing. The next pack they target might not get a warning.”

I force myself to stay still afterward, to project calm confidence even as my wolf paces restlessly under my skin.

Finally, Marcus speaks. “I can't commit to anything without consulting my council. But I'll reach out to some of the other alphas discreetly and see what they think.”

It's not a full victory, but it's a start. I nod, allowing some of my relief to show.

“Thank you, Alpha Marcus. Thank you so much.”

Marcus' cautious support is a good start, but it's not enough. We need more allies, more resources, and above all, more information.

I pull over to the side of the road, unable to quell the restless energy thrumming through my veins.

There’s a forest nearby.

I go out of the car, undoing the buttons of my shirt as I walk further into the bushes, just to let the shift take over me. As my wolf fully comes out, scents and sounds flood my senses, and for a bit, the feeling drowns out the chaos of my concerns.

I run, pushing my body to its limits and feeling the earth under my paws and the wind in my fur. But even in this form, I can't escape the weight of responsibility that’s on me.

I skid to a stop at the edge of a cliff, panting heavily and staring at the valley stretching far and wide in front of me. From a bird’s-eye view I can see the patchwork of territories that have coexisted in relative peace for years and generations.

How much of that peace is an illusion?

What other packs down there are also suffering from the influence of that evil cult?

With Marcus's support and Dan's tireless efforts, we slowly begin to turn the tide of opinion among the other alphas.

Every pack has its own concerns and its own history of rivalries and alliances. Some, like the Redwood Pack to the north, were quick to see the bigger picture, while others required more convincing. I also crisscrossed the region and attended clandestine meetings in neutral territories. We gather in abandoned warehouses, secluded forest clearings, and even once in the dimly lit back room of a human bar. Marcus also proved to be a valuable ally. His reputation for level-headedness lent weight to our warnings.

Dan also worked behind the scenes, coordinating intelligence. He's the one who uncovered the financial trail linking Jimmy to known cult fronts, providing concrete evidence some alphas need to be swayed.

Slowly, painstakingly, we build a coalition.

Twelve packs, stretching across three states, unite against the growing threat of the Crimson Moon Society.

I stand in front of the gathered alphas, and I feel a new ray of hope for the first time since this nightmare began.

We have a better chance now.

A real chance to take down the cult and save ourselves once and for good, and a chance to bring Liana back home.

I head back as fast as I can to Moonlight Pack to begin my search for her, as well as make arrangements to take Lina somewhere safer.

My hurried steps are soon halted as I stand in front of Sam’s sister’s residence, where Lina was reported to be at... and I didn’t expect what I see.