Chapter 372
Three hundred and seventy four
Isabella POV
I had never known helplessness could feel this physical. It sat in my chest and pressed against my ribs until breathing became work.
Every minute without Maverick stretched the fear into panic. We still had no useful lead or demand for money All we had were unanswered questions and the knowledge that someone had deliberately taken my child.
And now the situation had become worse than a father taking his child.
Maverick’s father was connected to Meridian, the same organization that had poisoned Luna Lisa and left Wesley fighting a condition that had shaped his entire life. The bond between Wesley and me was supposed to help repair/ what Meridian had damaged in him, yet here I was, sitting in a security facility with my son missing because his father belonged to the very group that had caused so much suffering to the people I had come to love.
The thought made me want to vomit.
Was Maverick just leverage against me, or did Meridian have another reason for taking him?
Iris sprang up and rushed toward me. “Where are you going p>
“To Blood Moon Pack,” I said flatly.
“Isabella, no p>
“I can beg him p>
Iris blocked the door. I began pacing, and the commotion alerted the security officer stationed outside the room. He appeared at the doorway and spoke quietly to Iris about the latest search efforts. I caught fragments of the conversation, but none of them mattered.
Alpha Cameron had offered to take me to the Alpha house, but I refused, insisting on staying with the security guards who were tracing Barbara’s movements from the weekend. A lead from her train ticket linked her to Blood Moon Pack. 1
The alpha’s involvement made me feel trapped.
“Alpha Desmond is Maverick’s father and would claim the right to take his own son p>
“He doesn’t have the right to remove him without telling you, even though it seems he doesn’t care about rights. Please, Isabella, let Alpha Cameron and the others handle this p>
“What if that’s exactly what Desmond is expecting p>
She fell silent.
“If he knows Alpha Cameron is coming for him, he’ll move Maverick somewhere else and use him against them.” My voice shook. “And since Desmond is connected to Meridian, this could be about more than custody p>
I had heard that Wesley wasn’t doing well either. His fever was getting worse, and being apart from me was making it worse. Every part of me wanted to be beside him, but I couldn’t. Wesley had medicine, his family, and the Daughters who understood what he was going through.
Maverick had no one.
The night dragged on without sleep. Iris remained with me, refusing to leave even when I told her she needed rest.
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The room grew so quiet I could hear the faint hum of the lights overhead. I sat with my phone in my hand, staring at the screen and picturing all the ways my son could be frightened.
My eyes were dropping when my phone rang.
An unknown number.
My heart lurched.
Iris was already reaching for her own phone. “Put it on speaker. And record it p>
My fingers shook as I accepted the call and followed her instructions.
“Hello p>
Nothing.
I looked at Iris, who raised a finger to her lips.
A sound came through the phone.
A whimper.
My heart stopped.
“Maverick p>
The whimper came again, followed by a muffled sob that I knew better than my own voice.
“M-Mommy p>
My body went cold.
“Maverick p>
I pressed the phone closer to my ear.
“Mommy p>
My eyes filled with tears. “Honey, I’m here. Mommy is here. Please don’t cry p>
A man’s voice came through. Maverick made a broken sound before the phone shifted, and I could hear him more clearly.
“Mommy, where are you p>
“I’ll come and get you.” My voice broke as I tried to keep it steady. “Do you hear me? Mommy is coming for you. Don’t be scared p>
Someone pulled the phone away from him.
“That’s enough p>
“Please.” I swallowed hard. “Please don’t hurt him. I’ll do anything. Whatever you want, I’ll do it p>
“If you want to see your son alive, you will come alone p>
My eyes went to Iris.
“No guards. No Alpha. No tricks p>
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“Where p>
You’ll receive the location p>
“I’ll come p>
“You’d better p>
The call ended.
I stared at the phone, the silence afterward louder than the call had been.
Iris moved toward the door. “I’m telling the security team p>
“No p>
She turned.
“Didn’t you hear him p>
“Isabella p>
“He said I have to come alone p>
“Those could be empty threats p>
“What if they’re not p>
“Then that’s exactly why you don’t go by yourself. Besides, why would Desmond kill his own son p>
“What if it’s Barbara? What if she’s doing this herself p>
Iris looked toward the security officer outside.
“We follow proper procedure,” she said. “We don’t let whoever this is decide how we respond p>
My phone pinged.
An address.
I opened it with trembling fingers. The location wasn’t in Blood Moon territory.
Another message appeared beneath it.
Come alone. If I see anyone with you, you will never see your son alive.
I barely registered Iris moving beside me. My eyes remained fixed on the message, on the address glowing against the screen, while my mind raced through every possibility. Whoever had Maverick knew exactly what they were doing. They had waited until the search stretched into the night, called from an unknown number, let me hear my son’s voice, then given me a location that placed the choice in my hands. Go alone and risk walking into a trap, or bring help and risk never seeing Maverick alive again.
Iris must have realized I was no longer listening, because she stepped away and called Alpha Cameron. I didn’t hear the conversation until his voice came through my phone.
“Isabella, put her on p>
Iris held the phone toward me. “It’s Alpha Cameron p>
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I took it, pressing it against my ear.
şabella, listen to me. I need you to stay calm p>
“How can I stay calm when they have my son p>
“I know. But Desmond knows we’re searching for him. He knows exactly where we’re vulnerable, and he’s using. you and Maverick to force us into making a mistake p>
My gaze returned to the address.
“He’ll kill him p>
“That’s what he wants you to believe p>
His voice remained controlled, but I could hear the strain underneath it.
“Isabella, this is bait. Desmond wants you to walk into whatever he’s prepared. If he wanted to kill Maverick, he wouldn’t have called you and given you a chance to come for him. Your son is alive, and we’re going to bring him home p>
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“I know Desmond,” he said. “More importantly, I know how men like him operate when they think they’ve gained leverage. He wants you frightened and separated from us. He wants you to believe your only choice is to obey him p>
“The location is Blackridge Mountains p>
Alpha Cameron let out a groan.
“Rogues p>
My stomach dropped.
Rogues were deadly. If Desmond had handed Maverick over to them, finding him would be harder than storming Blood Moon Pack.
“I have to leave now,” I said. “If they think we’re taking too long, they might move him p>
“And if you rush there alone, they might take you too p>
The firmness in his voice stopped me.
“You are not going anywhere without an escort p>
“They said no guards. They’ll kill him if they see anyone with me p>
“They won’t see anyone with you. Follow my plan instead of theirs. We make it look as though you’re going alone.
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My pulse raced.
“How p>
“That’s my problem. Your problem is getting to Maverick and keeping him with you when you find him p>
I looked at Iris, who had moved closer and was listening.
Alpha Cameron continued, “We won’t approach the location as one group. That would make us too easy to detect.
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We’ll be close enough to intervene if something happens but far enough away that they won’t see us coming. If Pesmond has hired rogues, they won’t be operating without an exit plan. We need to find the people controlling the location before we move. You will not run into Blackridge without knowing what you’re walking into. That’s how people die p>
I closed my eyes and drew in a shaky breath.
“I understand p>
The call ended. I lowered the phone, but my hands were still shaking.
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Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.