Page 33

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 that must be 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.

I dread facing my mate and telling her that I have failed her and our daughter.

As Alpha, my job is to keep my pack safe.

And today, I failed. Under my leadership, Highland Pack members were able to sneak in and steal my own daughter from the woods.

They were able to come onto our land and take her .

Shame, anger, and a myriad of other emotions swirl inside me until I feel like I might vomit. I want to lash out, but I have to stay focused.

Moon Goddess, watch over her until I can get to her, I pray fiercely.

The fact that the Highland Pack was so bold as to take Cleo from our lands is disturbing. I can’t imagine what Alpha Paxton can be thinking to risk his men and his pack like this unless….

My mind drifts back to the interactions we’ve had with Sylvie over the last few days.

Our pack knows better than to speak a word of Cleo’s gifts outside our borders, but could Sylvie have heard it somehow?

Did they kidnap her to use her gifts, or is this still all about revenge against me? Either way, we have to get her back.

“We need a plan,” I snarl, turning to Vincent. “Post guards along the border. If a bird so much as farts out here, I want to know about it. Then meet me back at the house. We’re getting her back.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Vincent says immediately. He turns to follow my orders but stops, looking back at me with kind eyes. “We’re going to get her back, Austin. The whole pack will fight to get her back, if that’s what it takes. She’s ours, too.”

Emotion clouds my eyes for a moment, and I clear my throat, clapping him on the back.

“Thank you, my friend,” I whisper hoarsely.

My mind races with possibilities as we head back toward the pack houses. We need a plan. Not getting Cleo back is not an option, but we likely only have one shot at this. If we botch it, Cleo could become collateral damage, and I refuse to let that happen.

My feet are heavy when I approach our house. People are bustling in and out, including the healers.

“Aurelia barely survived. Can you believe what would have happened if the Luna hadn’t found her? She’s so lucky!”

My hackles rise as I overhear the two healers in conversation. Rushing forward, I interrupt them, suddenly terrified that something has happened to Yelena as well.

“Where is my mate?” I growl, grabbing a young healer by the shirt.

“A-alpha,” he stutters, looking wide-eyed. “The Luna has locked herself inside her bedroom.” He looks at me nervously.

“What is it,” I bark.

“It’s just…she kind of lost it, ” He whispers, looking from side to side, “One minute, she was composed and giving us orders, telling us we needed to do everything we could for Aurelia, but then she just kind of got a far-off look in her eye and started….”

“What? She started what?” I growl, stepping forward.

“She started talking to herself, Alpha. And then she ran off to her quarters and locked herself in.”

Shit.

Pushing past him, I run through the house, ignoring all others until I get to our bedroom door. I can hear movement inside and I rest my forehead against the wood, letting myself calm down.

“Yelena?” I call out, hoping she can hear me through the door. The movement shifts, and I hear rapid footsteps approaching. I have barely enough time to step back before she wrenches open the door.

Her eyes are wild, and her hair is disheveled.

"Austin," she cries. "They took her, they took our little girl!"

She collapses against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her shaking frame. "I know, love. I know." I stroke her hair, even as my own heart threatens to shatter.

We stand like that for a long moment, taking comfort in each other's embrace. When Yelena's sobs finally subside, she steps back, wiping her tear-stained cheeks.

“I swear, I heard her,” she whispers softly.

“I could hear her in my mind, telling me she’s okay, but that she wants to come home.

I wasn’t sure at first, I came running in here where it was quieter so I could hear her.

But Austin, I swear I did. I heard her. Clearly. That can’t be possible, right?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. There have been stories about Seer abilities that are hard to believe. What did you hear?”

Yelena gulps in air, turning away from me as she fidgets with her hands. I can feel her panic rising.

“She said she was in a dark place, and it smelled like earth and rotting food. She can’t see a way out, but she’s trying.”

I swallow hard and try to make sense of it. Yelena’s anxiety is throbbing through our bond. “Well, she’s brave,” I tell her, reaching out to comfort my mate. “She’s a smart kid. She knows to give us the information we need to find her.”

I try to smile, but it feels forced. This is outside my comfort zone.

“So, that was her? I heard her? She can communicate through our minds? What if they find out who she is, Austin? What if they find out what she is! Oh, my Goddess, they could keep her forever. We might never see her again.”

The panic is written across her face, and she’s trembling. I do the only thing I can think to do. I pull her into my embrace and kiss her.

She’s stiff at first, her lips pursed under mine, but as I hold her close, she softens, and leans into my embrace.

Her lips move over mine tentatively at first, before a whimper escapes her, and she throws her arms around my neck, kissing me back with gusto.

I deepen the kiss, taking this stolen moment of comfort and giving in, if only for a moment, to the heat between us.

We cling to each other, craving the comfort of our intimacy. By the time we pull away, Yelena has stopped trembling. Her lips are slightly swollen, and her cheeks are flushed, but her eyes are clear.

She’s calm. Ready.

"What's the plan?" Her voice is hoarse but steady.

"I've sent Vincent to organize border patrols. Once we get more information, a small squad will be dispatched to meet with the Alpha of the Highland Pack. We'll get her back, Yelena. I promise."

She nods sharply. "I'll gather the others. We'll be ready."

I exhale slowly and grip her shoulders. “I need you to stay here.”

Yelena looks up at me, her expression fierce despite the tears. " We will bring her home. I'm going with you. I won’t argue with you about this. It’s happening."

I hesitate.

She's a fighter, my mate. And there's no way she'll sit idly by while our child is missing. But a part of me wants to insist it's too dangerous. To tell her to stay home.

But, as I gaze into Yelena's determined eyes, I know there’s no point in continuing to argue. As much as I want to protect her, I understand her need to be there when we rescue our daughter.

"All right," I relent with a sigh. "But you stay by my side at all times. And if I tell you to run, you run. No questions asked."

She gives a curt nod, her eyes flashing yellow with the promise of vengeance. "We'll make them pay for this."

With Yelena by my side, it takes us a little over an hour to gather the right team and our supplies. Vincent has assembled a dozen of our best fighters, all ready and willing to lay down their lives for us, and for Cleo.

I stand before them on our meeting rock, humbled by their loyalty.

“Today, the Highland Pack has broken our Sacred Code and put us all in danger. They brought an unprovoked attack to our lands, they spilled blood in our woods, and they kidnapped one of our pups.”

My throat tightens as the words really sink in.

“My daughter, Cleo, is being held prisoner. She is only a child, not yet old enough to go to school. And she is the next Seer. Her gifts from the Moon Goddess have been confirmed. Taking her was not only an attack against me and my mate, but against our pack as a whole. We will not tolerate it.”

The assembled warriors stomp their feet and howl in agreement.

“They will not get away with it!” Vincent roars, stepping up to lead his squadron. “Will they, men?”

“We will get her back, Alpha! We’ll bring her home, Luna!” the men shout, eager to get going.

With a howl, I jump off the rock and shift.

Yelena follows me, keeping close. The plan is simple.

Under the cover of darkness, we will traverse our woods to the boundary line.

Alpha Paxton will be expecting us to try to sneak in, but we have a surprise for him.

My men will blanket the woods, lying in wait, while Vincent, Yelena, my father, and I will walk right up to his front gate and demand Cleo’s return.

As Yelena and I run through the woods, I can feel her anxiety and anger simmering beneath the surface.

We're nearly at the border when a piercing howl splits the night air.

I stop, my heart pounding in my chest. It’s the alarm.

They know we’re here.

Quickly, I shift back and grab my clothing from the small bag my father has carried. We all dress and hurry toward the winding road that leads to the Highland Pack village.

Three guards meet us at the gate.

“You’re in the wrong place, Nightwing,” one snarls, his eyes flashing yellow.

“I’m here for Alpha Paxton. Get him. Now,” I respond, standing tall. The Alpha authority in my voice makes the smaller man flinch.

“I’m here, Fletcher. Stand down.”

I peer around the guard and see Alpha Paxton strolling up to the gate with Sylvie on his arm.

“Alpha Austin, what brings you to our gate this time of night?” he asks with a sneer.

Sylvie is staring at us with a malicious grin, and it makes my hackles rise.

“Your men attacked us and stole one of our young. We want her back.”

Sylvie scoffs, and Fletcher laughs as he turns to his compatriot and elbows him in the ribs.

“There’s no proof of that,” Alpha Paxton says smoothly.

“Perhaps your daughter ran away because she was so embarrassed to have been sired by such a weak Alpha,” Sylvie says snidely.

Yelena steps forward, her rage evident in her eyes. “We never said it was our daughter who was taken.”

Everyone freezes.

Alpha Paxton removes Sylvie’s hand from his arm and shoves her away from him.

“You stupid bitch,” he snarls. “You don’t talk unless I give you permission.”

He raises his hand to her, but she ducks out of the way and runs off into the darkness.

“I know you have her. I will get her back, Paxton. One way or another,” I tell him, my voice low and threatening.

Fletcher and the other two guards growl a warning, but Paxton just smiles and steps forward.

“You’re too much of a rule follower to break the Code.

So, no, I’m not that worried,” he says, silkily.

“If you want her back, presuming I do have her, you could start by offering me the territory you promised me when you accepted the marriage contract. If you don’t, we’ll just keep the little Seer as payment.

With her that young, she’s the perfect age to train into a useful tool for our pack. ”

Yelena snarls, and Vincent steps forward, ready to jump into action, but I wave them off and instead beckon Paxton to come closer.

He saunters to the gate.

“Shouldn’t you be taking off by now?” he asks.

I hold myself back until he’s within reach. As soon as that smug face is close enough, I cock my fist back and let fly with a right hook, straight into his face.

“Nothing will stop me from getting my daughter back, you bastard!” I shout. “Not you, not your men, and certainly not the Code.”

As Paxton’s men rush toward us, I can feel the adrenaline coursing through my body. Vincent and I quickly take down the first few attackers, our years of training coming into use.

But then, more men start pouring out of the woods and I realize we are outnumbered.

Vincent gives a sharp whistle, and our own men start appearing from the shadows, ready for battle. I search for Yelena, worried that she will get caught in the crossfire. It distracts me, forcing me to dodge a punch from one of the Highland Pack men.

As I duck, I catch a glimpse of Yelena just as she takes down one of Paxton’s guards with a swift kick to the stomach and realize I needn’t have worried.

My mate is strong. She has fire in her eyes, and it only makes me love her more.

With the knowledge that my Luna can hold her own, I give in to my instincts fully and direct my focus to the fight ahead.

Soon she disappears into the darkness again. I have to remind myself that she is strong enough to manage her own fight as I dodge a knife-wielding Highland wolf, forcing him to his knees. Still, every time I get a chance, I scan the road for her.

She’s nowhere to be seen. I test the bond between us, sighing in relief when I find it thrumming and strong.

She’s not hurt or dying, at least I know that much.

I crash my fist into the face of the attacking wolf, returning each hit I’ve taken with twice the force.

It’s only when I remember what my father had promised me that I am able to return my focus to the fray.

Right before I addressed the men, he had pulled me aside. “I will not leave her. She will be protected. You are Alpha now, and you must stand strong,” he said.

Knowing my father has her under his protection is a relief. He’s the only one I can truly say I trust with my mate’s life. I know he can protect her.

He has to.