Page 54 of Bound to Four Alphas

He knew one thing, however, with a molten intensity that threatened to consume him.

He would burn the whole world down to get her back.

Ronan shifted, his nose much keener as a wolf, and began scenting every item in view. He growled, clawing one of the rugsin front of the fire until it flipped, revealing a dark red stain on the other side.

Kaelen’s heart nearly stopped.

But he smelled it quickly, sharp and sweet. Pomegranate. It was just pomegranate juice.

“It’s laced with something,” Ronan growled, rearing back from the stain. “I can’t tell what.”

Elian crouched down by it, some shadows creeping from his palms and weaving through the fabric.

He dropped it like he had been burned.

“Sleeping draught,” he said, his voice dark with malice. “It will have made her unconscious almost instantly.”

“The baby?” Malek was shuddering, visibly fighting to keep the beast within under control. “Will it have affected her pregnancy?”

Elian shook his head. “No, not to my knowledge.”

Kaelen felt as if he could breathe some air in. At least the child wasn’t harmed.

Not yet, anyway.

He shook his head, visions of his father’s dead body slumped in his chambers flashing before his eyes.

No. He growled, fists clenching, nails biting into the skin of his palms. Not again. It couldn’t happen again. He couldn’t lose someone he loved because he wasn’t there to protect them again.

He wouldn’t survive it.

He was torn from his thoughts by an almighty growl from Ronan, who leaped forward to pin Elian under one great paw, snarling maw right in his face.

“You. Your people did this. Explain.”

Elian was perfectly capable of escaping, but he didn’t move save for his hands grasping two of Ronan’s paws to try and alleviate some of the crushing weight. Kaelen snarled, overcome with worry and hit with the waves of pure fury from the alphas before him.

Malek transformed, hackles rising at Ronan. “He didn’t know, he had no part in this!”

“He must know something,” Ronan’s voice was thick with emotion, his yellow eyes desperate behind the rage.

“Ronan,” Kaelen snarled, “this is not the time to be fighting each other. Do you really think Elian would do anything to put Selena in harm’s way?”

Ronan’s ear flicked, and he stepped back, letting Elian stand and brush down his jacket.

“It was my father,” Elian said simply, voice carefully neutral. “He was goading us, in the throne room. Distracting us. This was his plan from the start.”

“What?” Kaelen stalked forward, half tempted to shove the Fae against the wall, his alpha roaring at him to do something, take action, fightanyone—

“Kaelen,” Elian growled, his face twisted in anger, “we don’t have time to ask questions. We need to start tracking her now. We’ll figure out the rest along the way.”

Kaelen nodded, his stomach churning, turning itself inside out with his pure desperation to find her.

“Can you follow her scent?” Kaelen turned to Ronan. The massive wolf circled, nose to the ground, eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Yes,” he replied, “but it won’t be easy.”

“I can help,” said Elian, “I spent all day working with her magical signature. My shadows should be able to help track her. Just,” he turned to Kaelen with narrowed eyes, “don’t stab me again this time to get my powers working better.”

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