Page 53 of Moon Fated

North secure, Tori reported, her message only flowing through me. She wasn’t linked to the rest of my pack, and if I was ever released as her regional second, I’d no longer have access to her communication. I was grateful for it now.

South is clear, I responded, my voice a low growl even in the mindscape. My eyes flickered to Evelyn, her gaze meeting mine. My own determination was mirrored there, along with a fierce courage that made pride swell within my chest.

We strike as one, I reminded them all, my alpha command reverberating through the pack bond.

The forest held its breath, the air thick with the scent of mulch and pine as we approached the edge of the trees.

"Rowan," Evelyn whispered beside me, her voice barely audible above the rustle of leaves. Her hand brushed against mine, a fleeting touch that sent a jolt of electricity up my arm. I nodded, tightening my grip on the mental reins of my wolf. It strained beneath the surface, eager to leap forth and claim its territory. But not yet. Control was crucial, and I’d been getting a hell of a lot of practice.

We edged forward, our steps careful and quiet despite the urgency pumping through our veins. Then we saw him—Nathan Black, his rugged form outlined by the ghostly light, his black hair and dark eyes almost blending into the dark tapestry of the night.

He smells like shit, Jasper sent through the bond. I almost snorted.

Body at his feet, Tori’s thought flashed through the link, sharp and quick.

My gaze dropped, and there it was—a body slumped on the ground, ominously still. Rage and disgust flared within me, hot and demanding. This was not the way of the pack. We were guardians, protectors. What had led Nathan to this?

Evelyn’s hand flew to her mouth.

Steady, I commanded through the link, my alpha authority wrapping around each pack member. Wait for my signal.

Every muscle coiled, ready to strike, but we needed answers first. Nathan was an arrogant asshole, but an outright executioner? I didn’t cast it out of the realm of possibility, but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe any shifter, especially an alpha, could turn on his own.

Is he alive? Evelyn's question was a whisper in my mind.

I moved closer, shifting to get a better view.

Then Nathan turned. The dagger in his right hand, though it looked different now. Dark on the blade.

And that’s when I saw her. Long, dark curls splayed out around the figure on the ground. A slash of red blooming at her throat.

The flashes from Evelyn that had filtered through our bond replayed in my mind. Nathan standing over her. Nathan’s hand bruising her arm. Nathan pushing her up against the wall and?—

The last threads of my control snapped, and though I’d given the order to wait just moments before, all I saw was red.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Evelyn

Rowan charged forward, abandoning all pretense of following the plan. Without thinking, I raced after him, my heart in my throat. Nathan pivoted to face us, not a hint of surprise on his cruel features. As if he'd been expecting us all along.

I stumbled as a wave of alpha energy crashed over me like a tsunami. I’d felt alphas before. Nathan had used his power to command, and while Rowan had never forced me into compliance, I sensed his energy the moment I passed him at that Tim Hortons. It was like standing out in the cool night air and then moving under a heat lamp.

This was nothing like that. My knees buckled at the weight of it. Nathan’s dominance was overwhelming, oppressive, threatening to crush me under its weight.

"What the hell?" I gasped.

Rowan staggered slightly before regaining his footing. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he sidestepped to stand between me and Nathan. He shook his head, jaw clenched. My gaze fell on the body sprawled before Nathan's feet. No, I silently pleaded. Please don't let it be her.

I squinted, trying to make out any identifying features in the dim moonlight filtering through the trees. Desperate to prove it wasn't Callie lying there broken and lifeless.

My wolf knew before I did. The smell was off. Hair color, too. Then I spotted her—Callista. Bound to a tree several yards away, her head lolling to the side. Relief flooded me, followed swiftly by fresh panic.

"Callie!" I lunged forward, but Rowan's arm shot out, holding me back.

Nathan's cruel chuckle sliced through the tense silence. "Well, well. The prodigal daughter returns." His hazel eyes glinted with malice as they fixed on me. "Did you miss me, Evelyn?"

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