Page 14 of Never Submit

The scouts come up empty-handed.

The Moonstone was supposed to help, to keep the females of my pack safe from Andras. He took everything from me.

And I have to make sure he pays in blood.

Those wolves on the mountain were like ghosts. Thereand gone in a blink. They kicked our asses and disappeared like it was nothing.

My fingers flex, curling into fists. A growl burns the back of my throat, and when I glance down at the slight bite of pain, my fingertips are tipped with claws.

How the fuck am I supposed to get Ren back if I don’t know where to start?

A soft knock at the door interrupts the brooding and not a moment too soon. “Alpha?”

I glance up sharply at one of my deltas. “What?”

I catch myself immediately, my tone too rough and unwarranted. Rather, I force a smile to hopefully lessen the impact of the snap, but my man still winces.

“There, ah…” He trails off, his gaze dropping to the floor.

My stomach drops. I know. Without him having to say anything, I know. I pinch the bridge of my nose, but it does nothing against the sharp sting of agony in my gut.

Swallowing hard over the rock at the back of my throat, I ask, “How many?”

“Two, Alpha. Two more women were taken last night while we slept. Maria and Kenzie. I’m not sure how the Blood Moon managed to get past our defenses.”

The grief changes into anger in a blink, and I slam my fist into the desk. Black spots dance in front of my eyes. My breathing is too shallow, my heart racing too fast.

This isn’t the way.

There is no future built on acts of violence like this.

“I thought we said we were increasing the number of guards around the perimeter of the pack territory?” I ask, sounding strangled.

“We did, Alpha. They somehow…got in anyway.” My delta won’t look me in the eyes, his head bowed low. “Our fighters must be spread too thin.”

“There has to be something we can do,” I reply. My voice is strained.

Every female in the Grey Valley pack is precious. To have them ripped so casually from their beds, stolen away in the night like they’re animals?—

It’s an insult and a travesty.

Andras is more than an enemy. He’s a sadist.

And he made a statement, first with their sacking of the temple, and now with Ren’s kidnapping. My pack is going to be next to fall under his iron fist, and we no longer have the Moonstone to help us.

They’vegot it.

My inability to decisively act in this situation, the slow way I can’t seem to catch up, will be our downfall. And we have no idea what happens to the women who are taken.

No idea if they’re still alive, or worse.

There are much worse fates than quick death.

The delta waits for my answer, and I pause, my nose and throat raw. “We’ll figure it out. We always do. Has anyone heard from Dax?”

My delta shakes his head. “No, Alpha. He’s off the map.”

I grind my teeth, the small hairs at the back of my neck rising to attention. I’ve let Dax have his freedom. But at times like this…

---