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“I’m not surprised Syn found you.” Joel’s comment confirms my suspicion. “We were worried about him for a while. He was becoming more and more unhinged, saying the strangest things and was constantly talking about finding you. Then one day, he disappeared and didn’t return.”
My brows draw together in a frown. What they thought was him losing his sanity might have just been his bond’s reaction to being separated, and he somehow managed to work past the magic shielding me from him. There’s always been something different about Syn, and I know now that he has some sort of magic. Could this explain how he found me?
“When he found me, he was almost feral. Being with me has improved his mental state, but he’s been locked away in the cells to protect everyone, and keeping us separated isn’t helping. The witches have no idea how he found me either.”
Their expressions are grim—we all know how dangerous feral wolves can be—but this changes at the mention of witches. Joel growls low in his throat, and even Scott scowls. Joel is clearly struggling with his anger and takes a step back, which is enough in itself to tell me how difficult he’s finding this. I’ve never seen him lose control before, he’s one of the strongest alphas I’ve ever met. Chest tight with emotion, I watch as he begins to pace the length of the room.
“How did we even get in this situation?” he asks, his anger barely concealed, his movements stiff and measured. “They’ve managed to capture four wolves, two of them alphas, and bring them back to their secret hideout. How?” he demands. “This shouldn’t have been possible.”
Humming in agreement, I nod my head, not having anything to add. There’s definitely more going on here, and magic is sure to be involved, I just have no idea how or why. None of this really makes sense, even way back to the werewolf trials. My eyes suddenly widen as I’m struck by a thought.
“What happened with the council after I was taken?” I demand, and I feel so stupid for only just asking. How could I have possibly forgotten about all of the strange goings-on with the council, or the fact that I was taken during the middle of a trial? After seeing how brutal they could be, the fear that they could have lashed out at my family or pack in retribution was something that could become a reality. “Are the packs okay?”
Star reacts to my sudden distress and presses against my barriers so forcefully that she materialises in front of me before I have the chance to react. Gasping at the pain of the forceful emersion, I reach out and grip Scott’s arm tightly to keep myself upright. Joel is at my side in a heartbeat, frowning down at me in concern. Star whines, and I watch as their eyes slide down to her, her starry body shining in their gazes. While they have both seen her on many occasions, they have not lost the amazement they feel when she first appears.
Joel sinks to his knees and glances up at me for permission to touch Star, something I love about this man. He’s an alpha, yet here he is, kneeling at my feet and asking for my permission before petting my wolf, giving me the chance to say no. Star would never hurt Joel, there’s no mistaking that this male would never lay a finger on me. However, he’s giving me control, and after being kidnapped and forced to compete for survival, having control is something that I’ve been severely lacking recently.
At my silent nod, his gaze returns to my wolf, her shimmering body reflecting in his eyes. Reaching out a hand, he calmly waits for her to approach him, his anger now tightly locked away and under control. While many might try and encourage Star to approach, he stays silent, his open hand steady.
It doesn’t take long for Star to react to his presence. After all, she’s been desperate to be with him since the moment I stepped into the room. With a tiny, needy whine, she quickly closes the distance between them, pressing her muzzle into his large hand. A genuine smile pulls at his lips, and for a moment he seems to fight it, attempting to remain in control of his emotions, but as soon as his fingers start to run through her glittering fur, that breaks and his whole face softens as he coos softly, communicating with my wolf. Lowering his face, he presses his forehead against the top of hers, and the image of the two of them temporarily takes my breath away.
Scott moves closer beside me, his arm brushing mine, but I don’t take my eyes from my alpha and wolf. It’s such a sweet moment that it brings a lump to the back of my throat. It might feel like my mates have always been a part of my life, but in reality, I’ve not known them long, and most of that time we’ve been fighting for our lives. Having Joel and Scott here and being able to have this time with them heals something inside me that I hadn’t realised had been broken. The situation is dire, but for the first time, I feel like we might all make it out of this alive.
“Everything fell to pieces when you were taken.”
Scott’s voice snaps me out of my moment, bringing me crashing back down to reality. He speaks softly, like he’s trying not to startle me, or as though he’s trying to break bad news. My heart twists as his words sink in. In the chaos of Star breaking through my barriers and appearing, I’d actually forgotten what originally caused my emotional wobble that allowed her to suddenly break through in the first place. Feeling his gaze on my face, I glance over, immediately being hit with that connection I still don’t understand.
“Once the witches took you and disappeared, the trials were instantly called off and the council fled, taking some of their loudest supporters with them,” he continues, his face giving nothing away. “Without them there, many of the packs who remained started to question how the witches managed to get into the city. We were supposed to be safe from them there, that was part of the agreement that the council guaranteed us. By agreeing to support their reign, they would protect us.” Despite his expression not changing, I can hear the anger and betrayal in his voice. “That’s when the packs split into those who still supported the council and those who didn’t. After that, the attacks started.”
Joel looks up sharply and makes a noise in the back of his throat. It’s not quite a growl, but the wolf instincts in me stand to attention, recognising a warning from an alpha when I hear one. Star doesn’t seem bothered by it, still shamelessly rubbing herself against him like a puppy looking for attention. Scott hears it for what it is, though, and stiffens, finally taking his gaze off me and frowning down at the alpha.
“I’m not going to hide it from her. She deserves to know what happened.”
They stare at each other, a silent battle of wills happening before my eyes.I’m going to have to step in, I think to myself as the tension in the room rises. Even Star reacts to it, her tail dropping between her legs and ears flattening. Finally, after what feels like a lifetime, Scott lets out a deep breath and shakes his head, breaking eye contact. Scott is a tough lone wolf and would probably be strong enough to run his own pack if he wanted, but Joel is unmistakably alpha and would never step back from a challenge.
Scott doesn’t back away though, and as he turns to me, I see that his mind hasn’t been changed. I’m glad. Their little stand-off has worried me, making me think the worst, and I want to know the truth of the mess I left behind.
“Tell me,” I whisper, my voice a croak. “I need to know if they are okay.”
Joel makes a noise of reluctant acceptance, but it’s Scott who I’m watching with bated breath. They are making me more nervous with each moment I have to wait, and I’m about two seconds from screaming at them to tell me.
“There were attacks on both sides, and it started slowly,” Scott begins, his voice steady but his eyes soft as he senses my growing fear. “However, they only got worse, and some were aimed at your pack, specifically because of their connection to you.”
This is what I was dreading, that my family and pack were going to be targeted because of me, and I’m not even there to keep them safe. My chest feels tight, and breathing becomes difficult as I begin to feel overwhelmed once more. Magic pushes in my chest and the darkness in me twists, reacting to my raised emotions. My other mates are reaching out through the bond, attempting to work out what’s happening, but I’m so devastated that my reactions are clouded.
“Laelia, look at me.”
Joel’s voice breaks through the fog, and although he doesn’t use his alpha power in his tone, I still latch onto the words like a lifeline and follow his instruction. I hadn’t realised that I closed my eyes, and when they shoot open, they immediately seek him out. He stands and walks over with measured steps like he’s trying not to spook me.
He stops just in front of me, and he doesn’t touch me although I can tell he wants to. Instead, he just looks over me and lets me get my bearings. I want to be surrounded by my mates, but I know that’s not possible right now. Hiccupping, I reach out to link my fingers with his, releasing a sob as he sighs and pulls me against his chest, slowly rubbing his hand up and down my back. Taking a deep breath of his comforting scent, I listen to the sound of his steadily beating heart to help ground me.
“My pack, yours, and a couple of the other outlying packs banded together.” His voice rumbles through his chest as he tries to reassure me. “Before I was taken, your family was safe and strongly guarded. Some alphas I trust lent us some of their wolves so we could take perimeter runs in shifts.”
This should comfort me, but now I know that not only are the witches able to somehow track us, but the werewolf community has also turned on itself, all because of me. If they really wanted to get to my father, someone would find a way. I overlooked the fact that the witches had taken Nicolai since I was so happy to see him alive. However, they have now managed to capture both JoelandScott, two incredibly strong wolves. This shouldn’t be possible. So much of this doesn’t make sense.
“I’m sorry, Laelia,” Scott murmurs, his voice laced with frustration. “They shouldn’t have been able to get the jump on me. I should be back there now, protecting them.”
I detangle myself from Joel’s hold so I can look at my friend. He’s frowning and running a hand through his hair, seeming genuinely distressed. I’ve seen such a change in Scott. He’s a lone wolf, someone who chose to be without a pack, only returning to the council’s city when ordered, yet he seemed to fit into pack life easily, helping to protect them when they needed it most. Scott is a good male, and that connection between us just seems to keep pulling us together.
