Page 59 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

I grit my teeth, my wolf growling in irritation. But deep down, I know there’s no point in arguing with her. She’s as stubborn as I am. “Fine,” I relent. “But stay behind me.” I grit out as we both walk in with the guards outside.

The cabin smells of damp wood, mold, and something faintly metallic—blood. My muscles tense as I push the door open, its hinges creaking loudly. The inside is dark, the only light coming from the faint moonlight streaming through the broken window.

“Elias?” Aria calls softly, her voice trembling.

I hold up a hand, signaling her to be quiet. My eyes scan the room, taking in the overturned furniture and scattered debris. There’s no sign of Elias, but something else catches my attention. On the far wall, a piece of paper is nailed to the wood with a jagged dagger.

“What the hell…” I mutter, striding over to it. Aria follows, her breath hitching as she sees the note.

The words are scrawled in bold, angry letters:

"Your son is just the beginning."

A growl tears from my throat, and I yank the dagger from the wall, crumpling the note in my fist. My wolf is howling now, desperate for blood. “That bastard,” I snarl, pacing the room. “He’s playing with us. This is a warning, a sick little game.”

Aria’s face pales, but her jaw tightens. “We need to find him, Bane. Right now.”

I shake my head, my frustration boiling over. “There’s no trail here, no scent. Vittorio’s men must have covered their tracks after they left. He’s probably miles away by now.”

“So what?” she snaps, stepping in front of me. “You’re just going to give up?”

“Of course not!” I roar, my voice echoing in the small space. “But running around blindly won’t help. We need a plan.”

Her eyes blaze with anger, and for a moment, I think she’s going to slap me. “We don’t have time for plans, Bane! He has our son!”

I grab her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “Do you think I don’t know that? Every second he’s out there, my wolf is tearingme apart. But if we rush in without thinking, we’ll be walking straight into Vittorio’s trap. And then Elias loses both of us.”

Her eyes fill with tears, but she doesn’t let them fall. Instead, she takes a deep breath and nods. “Then what do we do?”

I release her, stepping back. “We regroup. Vittorio’s men may be good, but they’re not invincible. We’ll find someone who knows where he’s hiding. Someone who can lead us to Elias.”

Aria shakes her head. “That could take days—weeks. He doesn’t have that long, Bane.”

“I know,” I say softly, my voice raw. “But this isn’t just about Elias anymore. Vittorio’s made it clear he’s coming for all of us. If we don’t get allies, we won’t survive the next attack.”

She stares at me for a long moment, her anger giving way to a mix of fear and determination. Finally, she nods. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. But if you waste even a second, I swear—”

“I won’t,” I promise, cutting her off. “We’ll get him back, Aria. I swear to you.”

We step outside, the cold night air hits me like a slap. The woods are eerily quiet, the only sound is the crunch of leaves under our boots. Aria walks beside me, her shoulders tense, her hands clenched into fists.

“Let's go.” I say, breaking the silence.

She doesn’t respond, her gaze fixed on the ground. I know she’s holding back tears, and it kills me that I can’t do more to ease her pain.

Suddenly, a low growl echoes through the trees, stopping us both in our tracks. I sniff the air, my senses on high alert. “We’re not alone,” I mutter, positioning myself in front of Aria.

“What is it?” she whispers, her voice trembling.

Before I can answer, a shadow moves in the darkness, and the faint sound of footsteps reaches my ears. My wolf surges to the surface, ready to strike, but the figure steps into the light—and it’s Rook.

“Found something?” he asks, his voice calm but urgent.

I shake my head. “Just a note. A threat from Vittorio. He’s gone.”

Rook frowns. “Damn it. What now?”

“We regroup,” I say, my voice firm. “And we prepare for war.”

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