(Tyler's POV)The aroma of grilled meat and roasted vegetables filled the air as we sat around Alpha Jack's rustic dining table. My stomach growled, reminding me just how long it had been since we'd eaten a proper meal.The exhaustion from hours awake and the stress of trying to track down Kate weighed me down, but the smell of food seemed to give me a spike of energy.Takoda grabbed extra plates and cutlery from the kitchen, setting them in front of Ryder and I before heading back to the kitchen and returning with a large roasting dish between two oven mitts.Alpha Jack gave him a nod and I wondered where the Luna might be, but it felt wrong to ask."Go ahead," Jack smiled, gesturing to the food on the table as Takoda took his place."Thank you," Ryder and I said gratefully. helping ourselves to the delicious-looking roast with vegetables.As we ate, Takoda leaned forward, his dark eyes curious. "So, what's your plan?" he asked, looking between Ryder and me. "How are you going to get
(Jenna's POV)I stood frozen in my living room, Ryder’s voice still echoing through my mind even after I had hung up the phone.Harlan had kidnapped Kate...My heart pounded in my chest, and a cold sweat clung to my skin as I considered the gravity of the situation. This was Harlan we were talking about. The new Alpha of my pack. The same guy who had nearly gotten Kate exiled because his fragile ego couldn't handle rejection.Harlan had always been a self-serving and manipulative bastard, and if he had her, there was no way it could be good.I sank onto the couch, my mind spinning. I couldn't believe this was happening. Kate had seemed so happy. Her mates were great and she told me that she was starting to feel like she finally belonged, then that piece of shit had gone and ripped it all away. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself. I would need to come up with some kind of plan. I would need some way of confronting Harlan to g
(Ryder's POV)I'm pretty sure Tyler had been on the verge of throwing a punch in my direction, but when he heard that I was speaking to Jenna, he seemed to deflate, the tension suddenly leaving his body in a slow exhale.“What did she say?” he asked after I had ended the call, his voice filled with a mixture of hope and exhaustion.I sighed deeply before replying. “She said she’d try, but she’s not exactly close with Harlan. So I guess the chances of him opening up and sharing all the details of how he kidnapped her best friend probably aren't all that high,” I replied, feeling a gnawing disappointment settle over my chest.Tyler gave a small nod, his shoulders slumping slightly. “It was a good idea,” he admitted, his voice soft. “Let’s hope she can help.”He clapped me on the back, a gesture of solidarity that I hadn't realized I needed right now. Then he turned, leading the way back to Alpha Jack’s house. I followed, my mind still racing with all kinds of plans and plots to get her
(Ryder's POV)The pain in my chest was relentless, a constant ache that I couldn’t seem to shake. Every breath felt like a struggle, every heartbeat a reminder that Kate was out there, somewhere, in the clutches of that monster.My mind raced with thoughts of Kate and her capture, each one darker than the last. This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Harlan couldn’t win. It wasn’t fair.“I’m not giving up,” Tyler’s voice broke through the haze of my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.His tone was firm and resolute, but there was an underlying desperation in it that I could relate to.I nodded in agreement, the power of speech momentarily eluding me as my chest cramped again.I wasn’t giving up either, but it was hard to ignore the incessant voice in the back of my head that said we were running out of time, that the odds weren't on our side.Tyler likely had the same nagging voice in his head, because he continued, his voice firm, as if he were trying to
(Katelyn's POV)I settled back into the bed beside Harlan, my heart pounding so hard I was sure he'd hear it. To my immense relief, he seemed to be fast asleep. No wandering hands, no intense stares, just the steady rise and fall of his chest. I let out a breath of relief and stared up at the ceiling, trying to focus.Okay, Kate, I thought to myself. You've got a handle on the visions. That's something. But now we need to figure out how this dream thing works.So far, it had been completely random. But I really needed it to work now. I needed to figure this out so that I could somehow slip into Harlan's dream. Maybe I could convince him to show me where he'd hidden the key for the door. Or better yet, maybe I could just convince him to let me go.I looked over at Harlan's sleeping form. If he were awake, I might've been able to peek into his memories to see where he'd put the key. But there was no way in hell I was going to try and pry his eyes open now to get a glimpse. I wanted to g
(Katelyn's POV)I could feel myself slipping as darkness crept into the edges of my vision and his grip tightened around my throat. My body was fighting, instinctively trying to live, but I couldn’t get him off of me no matter how hard I fought.His strength was suffocating, and I knew that if I didn’t do something soon, I was going to black out completely... or worse.My vision blurred, and panic coursed through me while my thoughts raced to find some kind of escape from this. But I couldn't see a way out of this one. The 'dream manipulation' was failing me. If I could manipulate dreams then why was I still in this shitty position?! Couldn't I just materialise somewhere else?! Couldn't I just somehow be stronger than him and able to fight my way out?!This was my dream, wasn't it!? I was supposed to be the one with the power here! But I wasn't... I was just as weak here as I was in real life...A thought broke through the chaos in my mind. A last-ditch attempt to free myself from thi
I bolted upright in bed, my chest heaving with every breath as I gasped for air, the final remnants of the dream clinging to me, continuing to suffocate me.My hands instinctively reached for my throat, fingers grazing the tender skin that still burned from where Harlan had wrapped his hand around it. From where I had desperately clawed at it trying to pry his fingers away so that I could breathe. There was no sign of the altercation now though, and I sighed in relief.My head was still spinning from the vision. Had it been real? Was it the past? Was it the future? Was it just a dream? Or was I really some kind of conduit for the Moon Goddess?Harlan lay beside me, still in a deep sleep. His face was relaxed and he looked so innocent, almost boyish in his sleep, which made my stomach churn.It felt like the vision had to have been real, but it was all so vague. The power I’d felt... that wasn’t me. That was something else. Something beyond me. The thought of being a channel for the Moo
(Jenna's POV)The angry buzzing of my alarm pierced through the silence of my room, ripping me from a perfectly good dream. I groaned and rolled over, searching for the snooze button with only one sleepy eye open. The temptation to stay there was almost overwhelming."Get the fuck up, bitch," I muttered to myself, remembering why I had set the alarm in the first place. This wasn’t just some casual early morning run that I could flake out on. I had a mission today.With absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever, I peeled myself out of bed, berating myself for not being able to come up with a better idea the night before.As I shuffled toward the bathroom, grumbling to myself about the fact that the sun wasn't even up yet, I heard the faint chirps of birds, indicating that dawn was coming. Can't say I found it particularly encouraging though... After brushing my teeth and pulling my hair up into a ponytail, I got dressed and stared at my reflection. Meh... At least the leggings made my butt l