Page 29 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

Moving into a partial shift, I tore through the hunting grounds, making sure to steer clear of other wolves as I hunted.

I was the apex predator. With my speed, agility, strength, and unparalleled senses, it was almost too easy.

The hunt, the blood, the struggle—all of it only seemed to whet the appetite of the monster.

He wanted more—more blood, more resistance, and most of all, better prey.

I felt his thoughts shifting to the wolf who’d been senseless enough to challenge him to a duel. The monster bared its teeth. Yes, that wolf would make fine prey.

I tried to regain control, but the monster was pushing to the forefront of my consciousness.

I could already imagine it—how the prey would scream when we rent the skin from his bones and pulverized?—

A sharp pain pierced through the bloodlust, tearing me back to my senses.

I clutched at my head, wondering where the attack had come from, but I wasn’t hurt.

The pain had come from somewhere else.Someoneelse.

Realization dawned on me.

Eleanor.

I was moving before I was fully aware of what I was doing. It took me minutes to reach the entrance of the hunting grounds where I’d left Eleanor.

The other female wolves were there conversing and waiting for their mates, but Eleanor was nowhere to be seen.

Beta Aria was at my side in seconds.

“Alp—Alexander, what’s going on?”

“Where’s Eleanor?” I demanded, my senses going wild, the monster chomping at my control, demanding to go after his mate.

“Your mate?” Beta Aria glanced around, her bewilderment only growing. “She was here a moment ago.”

My first suspicion was that Micah was responsible. She’d stayed behind with Eleanor and the rest of the female wolves, but when I saw her glancing at us curiously, there was no guilt in her eyes.

But if it wasn’t her…

I took a deep breath, focusing on the bond between Eleanor and I, letting it draw me in.

If we’d consummated our mating as we should have, I would’ve been able to read her mind and pinpoint her exact location.

But we hadn’t, so for now, this was the best I could do.

The bond tugged me back toward the woods I’d just exited.

“End the hunt and call everyone back now,” I instructed. The less collateral damage when I went after the kidnapper, the better.

Beta Aria’s eyes were wide as saucers.

“But the hunt is?—”

Her words cut off abruptly when she saw the look in my eyes.

Using the pack link, I reached out to the enforcers at the pack borders, commanding them to lock down the pack and not let anyone in or out.

The hunting grounds were directly linked to the Nightshade borders, so it was entirely possible that there was an intruder who’d attempted to hurt Eleanor.

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