Page 93 of The Reaper's Vow

I release him abruptly, and he collapses to his knees, gasping for air.

“If I find out you knew anything about this,” I snarl, looming over him, “I will end your entire bloodline. Starting with you.”

Elias wipes blood from his mouth. “Listen to me, Dom. I had no fucking idea Saloma would be involved. This wasn't the deal.”

“What deal?” I grab him by his shirt collar, hauling him back to his feet. “What exactly did your father and mine arrange behind my back?”

Elias looks away, jaw clenched tight. “I can't tell you. My father...he bound me to silence.”

“Your father bound you?” My laugh cuts sharp and ugly through the tension. “Your Luna helped orchestrate a kidnapping, and you’re worried about a fucking command?”

Elias flinches but holds his ground. “It isn’t just a command. It’s a blood oath. If I break it, I lose everything—my rank, my wolf… maybe even my life.”

I shove him back, disgust twisting in my gut. “So, he strikes a bargain with my father that involve Karina, and you can’t warn me because you swore an oath like some obedient dog?”

“He was never supposed to touch her!” Elias’s voice cracks as his hands tremble, dragging over his shirt to steady himself. “IfSaloma’s got her fingers in this, that’s on her. My father wouldn’t risk what he’s built with Hudson. It’s too valuable.”

“What’s so valuable?” I snarl, every word vibrating with the promise of violence.

His gaze flicks to Gabriel’s bloody form on the floor, then back to me, haunted. “You’ll find out soon enough, probably before you kill me. But if you want her alive, focus now. We’ve only got hours before moonrise, and they’ll try to chain her into something she can’t escape.”

A growl rips out of me, low and feral. “They can’t touch her.”

“Damien, you don’t get it?—”

I fist his shirtfront and yank him close. “No, you don’t. The tie is already sealed. True. Absolute. The Moon Goddess herself marked it.”

Elias freezes, shock etched across his features. “But that’s not possible. The full moon isn’t until tonight.”

“Tell that to the Moon Goddess,” I snap, shoving him back. “It’s done. Nothing can undo it now.”

“Fuck.” His complexion drains. “If Lockhart tries to force a bond, it won’t matter that she can’t consent. The attempt alone could kill her. If another male pushes for a bond while yours is already in place, the competing pull could rip Karina apart from the inside. Her body would reject it violently. Fatally.”

“How long do we have?” I ask, already moving toward the door.

“Until moonrise. Maybe three hours.” Elias follows me, his footsteps unsteady. “But Dom, if my stepmother helped plan this, she'll have thought of everything. Security, escape routes, backup plans.”

I pause at the doorway, my hand gripping the splintered frame hard enough to draw blood from my palm. “Then it's a good thing I don't plan on giving her or Lockhart time to use them.”

“You can't just storm their territory alone. It's suicide.”

“Watch me.” I step over Gabriel's prone form, my wolf pushing closer to the surface with each passing second. The beast wants blood. Wants to hunt. Wants to tear apart everyone who dared touch what's mine.

“Damien, wait!” Elias grabs my arm, his grip desperate. “You need backup. You need a plan.”

I turn on him, letting him see the predator that lurks beneath my skin. “The plan is simple. I find my mate. I kill everyone who took her. I bring her home.”

“And if you get yourself killed in the process? What happens to her then?”

I don't have an answer that will satisfy him. Truth is, I don't care about the consequences to myself. All that matters is getting to Karina before moonrise.

“They'll take her to neutral ground,” I say, my mind racing through possibilities. “Lockhart's not stupid enough to bring her directly to his territory. He knows I'll come after her.”

“She could be anywhere by now. And without her consciousness, tracking her will be impossible.”

I let out a harsh laugh, reaching into my pocket. “Not as impossible as you might think.”

I pull out my phone, swiping past the lock screen and opening an app. The interface loads, revealing a pulsing red dot moving steadily northeast.