Chapter 374
Three hundred and seventy six
Isabella POV
The road looked as though the sun had baked every inch of it dry. Dust clung to the edges of the asphalt, and mountains rose on either side in uneven stretches, their slopes cutting across the horizon and making the road feel narrower than it was.
There were no buildings, only the directions they’d given me and the knowledge that somewhere beyond those mountains, Maverick was waiting for me.
The pickup truck sat behind me at a distance, ordinary enough to disappear among the scattered vehicles on the road. Alpha Cameron sat inside with Franklin and the guards, all disguised in caps and sunglasses, hiding anything that might mark them as members of the Alpha’s security detail. The vehicle carried crates of fruit, making it look like a delivery truck rather than a transport for an armed search team.
Desmond knew Alpha Cameron would come looking and would expect a convoy of guards and pack warriors, so we needed to give him something else. The men would stay close enough to intervene but far enough away that nobody watching the road would connect them to me.
Before I left the truck, Beta Franklin pressed a sheathed knife into my hand. I looked down at the weapon. The blade was short enough to conceal beneath my clothes, and a faint coating covered the edge.
“Wolfsbane p>
He nodded. “Don’t reach for it unless you need it p>
I slipped it into the pocket of my jacket.
Alpha Cameron leaned toward me from the driver’s side. “If anything feels wrong, tell us p>
Beta Franklin had hidden an earpiece beneath my hair so they could hear me and follow without revealing themselves if it came to that.
Alpha Cameron had told me Barbara was under arrest, that she and her parents were being held at the security headquarters for questioning, and that the regional alpha council was building a case against Desmond.
I hoped against hope that I would get my son back.
The truck drove away, leaving me with the road and the instructions I had memorized. A weathered sign pointed toward a narrow stretch that disappeared between the mountains. I followed it until the road carried me to an abandoned gas station with faded pumps and a building whose windows had long since been boarded up.
This was where I had been told to wait.
The air between the mountains carried a chill that settled against my skin. I sat on the pavement and waited. The minutes blurred together as the sun crossed the sky. Every vehicle that appeared on the distant road made my heart jump, only for it to pass without slowing.
By midday, hunger gnawed at me, and the bottle of water I’d brought was nearly empty. I told myself none of it
mattered.
Beta Franklin’s voice finally came through the earpiece.
“Isabella. We can bring you food and water p>
I looked toward the road. “No. They might be waiting to see who comes for me p>
1/4
+15 Bonus
The sun began its descent, turning the sky pale above the ridges, and still nobody came.
fingers closed around the edge of the jacket.
By the time the last light disappeared behind the mountains, I had started to wonder if I’d made a terrible mistake. The abandoned station looked different in the dark, its empty pumps casting long shadows across the cracked concrete while the road beyond it disappeared into blackness.
I touched the earpiece beneath my hair and considered shifting. My wolf could cover more ground than my human form, and maybe I could follow a scent. But shifting would cut me off from Alpha Cameron and the others. I’d been told to keep the earpiece on me, and losing that connection in unfamiliar territory could cost me the one advantage I had.
Movement near the edge of the road caught my attention.
Two men approached from the darkness. The first carried himself like someone used to being obeyed. His hair was dyed in streaks of pink and purple, metal piercings catching what little light remained, tattoos covering his forearms beneath his jacket sleeves. Beside him walked a tall, lean man whose smile made my skin prickle.
My hand slipped into my pocket and closed around the knife Franklin had given me. Then I pressed the concealed switch beneath my headband.
The man with the colored hair stopped several feet away and looked me over.
“There she is,” he said. “Scared little kitten p>
I swallowed. “Please take me to my son p>
His companion laughed under his breath. “Straight to business p>
“Please. He’s four. Whatever problem you have with me, leave him out of it p>
He smiled without answering. “Come with us p>
Every instinct told me not to move, but I followed them.
We walked away from the road until the ground turned uneven beneath my shoes. Buildings appeared through the darkness, abandoned warehouses scattered across the land as though an old industrial settlement had been left to rot. Their walls stood dark and weathered, windows broken or boarded, and the silence pressed in wrong.
The two men said little as they led me deeper in. Eventually, a motorcycle appeared between two buildings. The taller man climbed on and motioned for me to get behind him while the other mounted another bike.
I hesitated, then climbed on.
There was no point pretending I wasn’t afraid. My heart hammered against my ribs as we moved through the settlement, past warehouses and narrow paths where the darkness swallowed everything beyond the headlights. I fixed my attention on the route, trying to memorize landmarks, but the buildings blurred together.
When we stopped, the men led me toward a wooden structure at the edge of the settlement.
A log house.
The door opened, revealing a dim interior.
“Inside p>
I stepped through.
2/4
+15 89
+15 Bonus
The door closed behind me, and they left me there.
stood with my arms wrapped around myself, listening to sounds outside. Voices drifted through the walls, but I couldn’t make out the words.
My fingers found the earpiece.
“Isabella p>
Alpha Cameron’s voice came through softly.
“I’m here,” I whispered.
“We have you. Have you seen your son p>
“No p>
“Stay calm. Don’t provoke anyone. We’re working our way toward you p>
I closed my eyes and breathed through the fear.
The door opened. The man with the colored hair entered first. A woman followed, carrying a bundled figure in her
arms.
My heart stopped.
“Maverick p>
I rushed toward them.
The woman dropped him into my arms without care, and I caught him against my chest. His body felt heavy with exhaustion. His clothes were rumpled, his face pale beneath the dirt on his cheeks, and when he opened his eyes, it took him a moment to recognize me.
“Mommy p>
The sound shattered whatever control I had left.
“Oh, baby p>
I pressed my lips against his forehead and held him against me, feeling his arms weakly curl around my neck. Tears ran down my face as I kissed his cheeks, his hair, anywhere I could reach.
“I’m here. I’m here now. I’m so sorry p>
He whimpered against my shoulder.
Relief flooded through me so fiercely my knees nearly buckled. But it didn’t last.
The colored-haired man stayed near the door, watching us.
“Follow me p>
The command left no room for argument.
I picked Maverick up and held him against my chest. The settlement seemed larger at night. More buildings appeared beyond the ones I’d seen earlier, connected by narrow paths and swallowed in darkness. Danger hung over the place like a threat.
3/4
+15 Bonus
The man led me into another building and opened a door. The room was larger than the others, with a table near the center and chairs pushed against the walls.
The sight of Alpha Desmond standing at the far end of the room turned my blood cold.
That face had haunted memories I’d tried to bury, those same eyes that had once made me feel trapped inside my own skin.
His gaze dropped to Maverick in my arms before returning to me.
A smile twisted slowly across his face.
“Hello, sweet girl p>
Comments
U
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.