Page 40 of Moon's Call

He should have protected her. Should have assigned guards despite her wishes. Should have?—

Scorpio burst through the door. “What happened?”

“Gideon has her!” he shouted. “That bastard took my mate.”

Scorpio’s eyes widened. “How?—“

“Because I let her go!” Draken slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a crater in the centuries-old stone. “I knew the dangers. Knew what could happen. But I let her walk away.”

“You respected her choice,” Scorpio said quietly. “That’s what a good mate does.”

“A good mate keeps her safe.” Draken’s wolf was nearly feral, desperate to shift and hunt. To tear apart anyone who dared touch what was his. “I failed her.”

His advisor’s face hardened. “We’ll find her.”

Draken stilled. The bond might be unmarked, but it was there, just as it had been since the day she awakened. He closed his eyes, focusing on that invisible thread connecting him to Lorelei. It pulled west, strong and sure.

“Get Chuck.” His eyes snapped open, determination replacing self-recrimination. “We’re going hunting.”

Draken burst through the castle’s massive oak doors, his muscles coiled with tension. The cool night air hit his face as he sprinted down the stone steps, taking them three at a time. His wolf tore at his insides desperate to break free.

“Through the gardens,” he called back to Chuck and Scorpio. “We’ll pick up her trail faster that way.”

The moment his feet touched grass, he let his wolf take over. He started shifting - his bones cracking, muscles reforming, and gray fur sprouting across his skin. In seconds, a massive wolf stood where the man had been. He threw back his head and let out a commanding howl that echoed across the grounds.

Scorpio shifted beside him. Chuck’s sturdy brown form appeared on his other flank.

He lifted his muzzle to scent the air, searching for any trace of Lorelei’s unique fragrance - earth and rain with an underlying current of raw power. Nothing yet. She was too far, but the pull was there. Northwest.

Draken’s powerful legs bunched beneath him as he prepared to sprint in that direction. But before he could move, howls erupted from all around the castle grounds. His pack members appeared from various buildings and paths, shifting into their wolf forms as they ran.

We’re with you, Alpha, came dozens of voices through the pack link.The Luna needs us.

Pride and gratitude swelled in his chest. Despite their initial reservations about a human Luna, they were rallying to help find her. His wolf preened at this show of loyalty.

Thank you,he projected to them all.But remember - Gideon is mine to deal with.

Agreeing growls echoed through the link as the pack fell into formation behind him. Draken took off at a ground-eating lope, his massive paws barely touching the earth as he ran. The bond pulled him forward like an invisible rope, leading him toward his mate.

Hold on, Lorelei,he thought, though she couldn’t hear him.I’m coming for you.

As one, the pack moved like shadows through the moonlit forest, a deadly force of nature following their alpha’s lead. Draken’s heart swelled as he ran with his wolves, all of them united in purpose. Lorelei might not know it yet, but she already had a family here - one that would fight to protect her.

Now they just had to find her.

Draken’s paws pounded against the forest floor as he followed the invisible thread pulling him toward Lorelei. Her scent grew stronger with each stride, mixed with the musty wood of an old cabin that materialized through the dense trees.

The earth beneath his paws trembled, making his wolf’s hackles rise. Through the cabin’s grimy window, he spotted Lorelei bound to a chair, her face set in fierce concentration. The tremors intensified, controlled and purposeful - nothing like the chaotic quakes from when they first met.

She’s using the cabin’s foundation,Scorpio’s voice echoed through the pack link.Smart girl.

Pride flooded Draken’s chest. His mate wasn’t some helpless human. She was learning to harness her power even under extreme duress.

A crack splintered through the cabin’s wooden floor. Gideon stumbled, cursing as he tried to keep his balance. “Stop that!” he snarled at Lorelei.

“Make me,” she shot back, her chin lifted in defiance.

Through the pack link, Chuck’s amused voice rang out.I like her style.

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