Page 49 of Alpha's Hated Mate

The gravity of Nadia’s plan comes into focus. Her super wolf form is behind the mind-control.

“You’re crazy if you think Aydan will go along with this!”

“Don’t talk about him like you know him better than I do!” Nadia snaps. “He will once he realizes this is our father’s legacy.” She places the photo back on the desk and says, “Enough talk for now. They’ll be looking for you soon. But don’t worry. We’ll be ready when they come.”

With that, she leaves us.

“She’s insane,” Robby says. “We have to do something.”

“How are we supposed to fight her when she can control our minds?” Jack asks.

Nadia has to be stopped.

“We need to get out of here,” I say. “Now.”

“How? We’re already tried.” Cyd says. “That door is the only way in and out.”

“We’re Scarlets, aren’t we?” I say. “It’s time we use that to our advantage.”

Chapter Twenty-One—Aydan

Getting out of the infirmary was the easy part. Just as Chad and Yarra had said, there were hardly any staff around the back exits. I slipped out without so much as an alarm, and once I was outside, I changed to my wolf and ran toward the woods. I imagine someone might have seen a white wolf running across campus but probably wouldn’t give it a second thought. However, if anyone saw me running around naked in my human form, I’m sure the dean would definitely be notified.

Besides, it’s faster to run on all fours. I reach the canopy of the woods within minutes. And now that I’m here, I’m in tracking mode. Picking up Saffron’s scent is challenging. There’s only the faintest of hints of it between the smell of pine needles and bark.

But at least the scent is there, and I’m not picking up the smell of death or her blood. She may be hiding in the brush, or she may have been captured. Either way, she’s alive.

Curiously, I’m not picking up Nadia’s scent at all. I wonder if she managed to escape. If she did, she might be heading tocampus now. We could have missed each other. If that’s the case, I hope at least she’s safe.

As I move along, I realize that I’m nearing where we saw the giant Scarlet Wolf. A grove of bent and broken trees from the place it first emerged is right before me. I pause to observe paw prints in the ground that are almost as big as my entire body. It’s amazing that a beast like that hasn’t been seen before now. As large as it was, I wonder how long it’s been out here or where it came from.

A breeze picks up and swirls around my head, and suddenly, I catch the sweet scent of jasmine. It’s Nadia.

Well, hello, dear brother.

I look up to see her wolf standing a few feet away. White fur like mine, but she’s smaller, and her eyes are crystal blue. She’s sitting there as if she had been observing me this whole time.

Nadia! Thank the Goddess!You’re all right, I mind-link back to her.Have you seen Saffron?

Yes,she says.I have.

There’s something wrong with her tone, even in the mind-link. Her inner voice sounds deeper and more resonating. It’s almost foreign to me.Where is she?

She’s safe for now.

What happened? Are you all right?

Oh, Aydan. I’ve never been better. And now that you’re here, you get to see what I’ve been working on. I’ll explain everything. Come on.

She bounds away, heading into the brush just behind her. I follow her, chasing her white tail as she rushes through the trees. We’re only running for a few seconds before she reaches the large boulder that Saffron pointed out to me. She circles it for a moment, then changes back to human form.

“I’ve been waiting so long to show you this.” Her tan skin is radiant as she beams with pride against the darkness.

She places her hand on the boulder. A second later, a trap door opens at her feet. She looks toward me and smiles, then starts walking downward through the door.

I change into my own human form and follow her. Beyond the door is a ladder leading into darkness, then the warm amber light of a room with white tile floors. I turn just in time to see her tossing me a simple t-shirt and sweatpants.

“First,” she says as she reaches into a trunk behind her and grabs clothing for herself, “forgive me for hiding this for so long. Father told me that it had to be a secret, however. With you being the Alpha presumptive, he didn’t want to risk any scandal reaching you.”

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