Page 39 of The Pack

Her words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

“The government said wolves can’t control it, that it’s impossible. That all shifters lose their humanity after they’re bitten,” she continued, her voice gaining strength. “But Logan proved they were lying. Heprovedit.”

“What happened?” Callum asked gently.

Zara’s lips pressed into a thin line. “They found us. Someone turned us in. The police stormed my apartment, arrested me, and dragged Logan out. They didn’t care that he wasn’t feral. They didn’t care that he was still human in every way that mattered.”

Her voice broke, but she pushed on. “They took him, and they used me to send a message. I remembered that too. I was paraded around and sent here as an example of what happens when you break the rules. When you protect a wolf shifter.”

“And Logan?” Magnus asked.

Zara’s expression hardened. “They dumped him somewhere in Ireland, somewhere far away from me.”

The fire crackled, but its fiery blaze did nothing to warm the icy rage I felt building in my chest.

“And now?” I asked quietly.

Zara’s gaze met mine again, fierce and unyielding. “Now I need to find him. Before it’s too late.”

She exhaled sharply, her hands trembling once more. “I remembered something else,” she said, her voice softer now. “When they were loading him onto the truck, I saw where they sent him on the bumper. Dublin.”

My pulse quickened. “You think he was taken there?”

“It’s all I have,” Zara said. “It’s not much, but it’s a place to start.”

“Dublin’s a long way. It’ll take more than a month to get there,” Tobias said, his deep voice breaking the silence. “And it’s crawling with ferals.”

Magnus nodded, his eyes narrowing. “If we go, we’ll need a plan.”

Zara blinked. “We?”

“We,” Magnus said firmly. “You are part of this pack now, whether you like it or not. And if your brother is in Dublin, we’ll find him.”

I saw the flicker of relief in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said softly, her gaze lingering on Magnus before shifting to me.

I nodded, my resolve hardening. I understood Zara’s need to find him and fight for him. I’d do the same if it meant I could go back and save Alaric.

I couldn’t change the past, but maybe I could help Zara make sure she didn’t lose her brother the way I’d lost my son.

“We’ll help you,” Magnus continued. “But we do this on our terms. No rushing in without a plan. It’s a death sentence if we don’t handle it carefully. It’s hard journey and it’s a dangerous one.”

For a moment, I thought Zara might argue, but instead, she nodded. “Fine. As long as we don’t waste time.”

“Good,” Magnus said, his tone softening slightly. “We’ll leave at first light. Tobias, Callum, and Killian, you’ll scout ahead. Thorne and I will secure supplies.”

Killian stretched, his grin returning. “Dublin, huh? Sounds like fun.”

Tobias snorted. “Your idea of fun is getting us all killed.”

Callum laughed, the sound light and easy. “Come on, Tobias. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Buried under common sense,” Tobias muttered, crossing his arms.

I just shook my head, a grin edging at the corners of my lips.

Well then.

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