It had been several days since our failed attempt to find Anna and Owen. I felt like I was slowly going mad. I hadn’t slept properly in days, and when I did, my dreams were haunted by the image of Anna’s terrified face and Owen’s tiny, helpless form. I kept imagining what Gerald might be doing to them. The rage and helplessness were unbearable. Every lead we’d followed, every trace we’d picked up, led us to dead ends. Gerald had covered his tracks well. Too well.“Alpha,” Bryce called softly from the doorway. I looked up, my face grim.“No news yet from the scouting team we sent to the west border. It’s like they’ve disappeared completely.”“Damn it!” I slammed my fist down on the table, the sound echoing through the room. Everyone around me flinched.“How is it possible that we can’t find him? We have people searching day and night. We’ve checked every inch of this territory and beyond. How is it that Gerald is just… gone?”Bryce hesitated, his eyes reflecting the worry that mirrore
I returned to the packhouse late in the evening. It seemed as though everyone was holding their breath in anticipation of the next move, such was the obvious tension in the air.With their eyes full of questions they dared not ask, the warriors stationed outside the doors gave me a short nod. I understood the silent questions. They were clearly wondering whether I had been any more productive in the search, specifically, whether I had managed to locate Gerald, or had a plan to rescue Anna and Owen.But I had no responses for them. Not just yet.The moment I made my way inside, I spotted a figure sitting at the corner of the brightly, yet dimly torched sitting room. Hannah resembled a mere shadow of the woman whom I had always known.The proud and confident woman’s head was bowed and her ever shining eyes filled with unshakable trust were now tired and bloodshot. But somehow, I managed to not feel sorry for her, the same way one would for a sad situation.“Landen!” she called out, sta
I stood outside the packhouse, the night air thick with tension. The search at the old packhouse had been a dead end. Hannah’s tip had led us there, but Gerald and his men were long gone by the time we arrived.The place had been cleared out, no sign of Anna or Owen anywhere. We found nothing except traces of their presence — old food wrappers, a few scattered clothes, and the faint scent of Anna’s lingering fear.I could not get rid of the constant sensation as someone played me. Like a puppet on wires attached to its master. I felt my fingers curl into fists as the anger threatened to overtake me.Hannah asserted that she did not know the location Gerald had relocated to, but what was there to trust about her? After all that, how could I trust her?The fighters I had brought along remained on the margins, their expressions tired and haggard. They were aware that this was an important juncture. They could see it in my eyes, and hear it in my voice. Each ticking clock inched us nearer
I marched towards the room where Hannah had been kept seething inside me with rage. She turned to look at me from her position inked in the corner with tears having made her rosy orbs go puffy and red.The calm demeanor she once had was in pieces as her face bore a mixture of fear and desperation. I did not care about him who would cry or beg on her knees for forgiveness. The situation called for a different sort of engagement, addressing her menace, straight away.“Landen, please, you have to believe me,” she started, her voice trembling.“Enough,” I said sharply. “This is your last chance to come clean, Hannah. You have deceived me time and again. I’m done playing games.”She shook her head frantically as if she could make me see her sincerity through sheer force of will. “I’m not lying this time, Landen. I swear. I’ll tell you everything I know about Gerald’s plan, everything I’ve kept hidden.”I folded my arms, trying to keep my temper under control. “And why should I believe you
The stillness that had fallen over the car as we searched for Gerald was broken by the sudden ringing of the phone. My gut wrenched as I looked at the screen and saw the name flashing. Gerald. once more. I knew what was about to happen, but I took a big breath and answered the phone."Gerald, tell me why you're calling." I could not contain my rage as I snarled. "Have you not done enough work?"From the other end came a terrifying laugh. "You really have no idea what you're talking about, Landen?"He spoke with a tone of mockery. "I am barely starting yet."I ground my teeth in anger, fighting the urge to react. “Listen if you do anything to Anna or Owen-”“Now, now, save your threats for someone else,” he cut me off, sounding rather tired. “You do not stand in the place to make any demands. Actually, you are running out of time. Because I’m…well, let’s just say, I am cooking something special. An offering, so to speak. That changes the game.”My heart skipped a moment. “What do you
As we approached the warehouse, it appeared as a dilapidated prison instead, its decayed skeleton cutting sharp tongues of shade on the ground that was bathed in the light of the moon.My team and I went a little faster, heading toward Gerald's hideout. We had managed to follow him to this godforsaken location with only one intent in mind: to shoot and bring both Anna and Owen home.That feeling lingered in the atmosphere, the second skin feeling when your body was alert and screaming for you to run. Each and every step we made resounded faintly in the silence.My heart was a drumbeat of fury and fear. When we reached the doors, I signaled my men to halt. The scent of wolves—more than I had expected—hung heavy in the air. Gerald hadn’t just hidden away; he’d prepared for war.I glanced at my warriors. Each one looked back at me with grim determination, their muscles taut, ready for action. I nodded, and they braced themselves. Pushing open the creaky metal doors, we stepped inside, we
The moment my bones cracked and shifted, fur bursting through my skin, I knew there was no turning back. My wolf form, dark and massive, towered over Gerald as he shifted in response.The air hummed with energy and anticipation, our growls vibrating through the large warehouse like thunder.Everything around us blurred—my warriors, Gerald’s men, Navian desperately trying to untie Anna from those cursed red bindings—but none of it mattered.It was just Gerald and me. Alpha against Beta. We lunged at each other simultaneously, teeth bared, claws ready to rip through flesh.Our bodies collided with a sickening thud, and we rolled across the concrete floor in a tangle of fur and fury. Gerald’s fangs snapped at my throat, but I twisted, using my larger frame to pin him down. He snarled, kicking me off with a powerful shove that sent me skidding back.I regained my footing quickly, leaping at him again. This time, my teeth found purchase, sinking into his shoulder.He groaned in pain and hi
Gerald shrieked in agony as my claws tore into his side. I saw him stumble back, breathing in short breaths as blood spattered on the concrete floor. His fur was matted and saturated in blood—some of it mine, most of it his. We circled each other, breathing fiercely, but I felt like I was winning this time. The look in Gerald’s eyes wasn’t one of a confident victor anymore. It was the gaze of a desperate man who realized he was losing everything.“Come on, Gerald,” I growled, lowering my stance. “Is this the best you can do? After all the planning, the scheming—you thought you’d just waltz in and take my family?”He growled, baring his teeth, but there was hesitation in his movements now. His attacks came slower, less precise. I could feel his strength fading as we clashed again and again. With each bite and claw stroke, I pushed him farther away and neared victory.His voice quivering with a mix of tiredness and wrath, he growled, "Shut up!" He came at me, but I effortlessly sideste