“No,” I cut in sharply, frustrated more with myself than anything. “I’m sure. We continue with the plan. Secure the alliances, prepare the wolves. We’ll need everyone on deck when we make our move.”
The rest of the room nodded, but I barely registered it. Something was wrong. I could feel it. I needed to get back to the condo.
“I need to step out for a moment,” I said abruptly, pushing away from the table. “Gavin, finish up the details with the others.”
Gavin shot me a questioning look but nodded, taking over the conversation.
As I made my way to the door, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
I answered immediately.
“Jake, what is it?”
“Alpha, it’s Luna. She’s gone. We got knocked out.” Jake’s voice came through, urgent and breathless.
My blood ran cold. The strange feeling—the warning that had been gnawing at me this whole time—it had been right.
“She’s what?” I growled, my voice barely under control.
“She’s gone, sir. She’s been taken.”
Time seemed to slow. My vision tunneled as rage and fear exploded inside me.
“I’m on my way.” I hung up, shoving the phone back into my pocket, my hands trembling with fury. The room of wolves watched me, sensing the shift in my mood.
Without looking back, I barked a single command. “Prepare the pack. We move now.”
There were no questions, no hesitation this time. They saw the fire in my eyes, the lethal edge in my voice, and sprang into action. As we rushed out of the warehouse, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, a storm of emotions swirling inside me—fear, anger, desperation.
I couldn’t lose her.
The moment I stepped into the apartment, my heart sank. It was a wreck. The furniture was upturned, shards of glass littered the floor, and the smell of blood hung thickly in the air. My wolves followed me inside, their eyes scanning the destruction.
“What the hell,” Gavin swore under his breath.
Dylan looked around in shock. But I didn’t care about any of that, I only cared about finding Luna.
I saw Jake first. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, his face pale, and sweat beading on his forehead. Hisusually composed face was twisted in frustration and pain. He looked up at me, shame written all over his features.
“I’m sorry, Alpha. It happened so fast. They ... they injected me with something,” he said, voice hoarse, his eyes filled with regret. “I couldn’t ... I couldn’t stop them.”
I stared at him, my blood boiling. My fists clenched at my sides, the fury rising inside me like wildfire.
Before I could stop myself, I slammed my fist into the wall next to me. The drywall caved under the force, crumbling around my knuckles, as a dent formed. Pain flared up my arm for a brief second before my wolf healed the wound almost instantly.
“She’s gone,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “They took her.”
Jake lowered his head. “Yes, Alpha. I—”
“Enough,” I barked, cutting him off. There was no time for apologies. No time for guilt. Only action. “We need to find her. Now.”
Gavin stepped forward, his eyes scanning the damage around us. “Where would Marcosias take her? He wouldn’t bring her to his main camp—not yet. Too risky.”
Dylan joined in, his brow furrowed. “Maybe one of his hideouts? He’s got those warehouses on the east side of town. The ones we haven’t been able to track down yet.”
I paced, my mind racing, fury burning in every nerve of my body. “He’ll want to keep her close but hidden. He knows we’ll come for her. Marcosias is arrogant, but he’s not stupid. He’s planning something bigger—he knows what she is, and he’ll use her to tip the balance of power.”
“We need to move quickly. He won’t wait long to use her.” Gavin crossed his arms.