Chapter 151
Chapter 151
Kai POV
I stood in front of the French window of my office, my breathing ragged, blood was still seeping from the wounds Lucas had inflicted. Vanessa had sent me pack to my pack earlier after reluctantly agreeing to help search for her sister after seeing the evidence of Lucas’s betrayal, but we had no solid leads on where he might have taken Lily.
And I had to return.
A searing pain suddenly ripped through my chest, different from my battle wounds—deeper, more primal. I doubled over, a strangled cry escaping my lips.
Pain. Fear. Desperation.
The emotions weren’t mine, yet they coursed through me as if they were. My wolf, Hud, stirred violently within me, clawing to the surface with an urgency I’d never felt before.
Lily. Lily is hurting. Our mate is in danger.
“Kai? What’s wrong?” Liam asked, rushing to my side as I clutched at my chest.
“It’s Lily,” I gasped, the connection between our wolves flaring to life. “Hud can sense her. She’s being hurt p>
The bond between mated wolves was something even pain couldn’t fully sever. I had totally forgotten about that sort of bond.
Hud’s voice echoed in my mind, strained with urgency, She’s hurt. I can feel her. She’s in pain, Kai. We need to get to her—now. You must follow my lead. Find her and protect her.
Images flashed through my mind—unfamiliar yet strangely clear. A room. Faded curtains. The glow of a neon sign through a window.
“I know where she is,” I said, straightening despite the pain. “Or at least, Hud does p>
“Where?” Liam demanded, already reaching for his phone.
“She’s in a room. Located outside of any werewolf pack territory. I think it’s in the Human world.” I closed my eyes, letting Hud’s instincts guide me. “South. Near the highway that runs along the border between our territories and Golden Moon p>
Recognition dawned on Liam’s face. “The Moonlight Inn. It’s the only motel in that area. You just said it’s a room p>
“I don’t know. That’s what Hud showed me p>
Liam stared at me for a few seconds, waiting for the healer to finish dressing my wounds. When he was done. Liam reached for his phone.
“I’ll try to reach out to a contact and ask them if there are any other buildings around the inn. Give me a few minutes, let me make the inquires and I’ll be right back. Please don’t do anything stupid p>
“You have my word.” I nodded, sinking into the couch in my office.
Liam rushed out of the room. A few minutes later, he returned. There was excitement in his voice. “My contact said the inn was sold two months ago. That someone bought it off and transformed it into a house p>
“That’s it.” The certainty in my voice surprised even me. “Lucas is keeping her there. And he’s hurting her.” The last words came out as a growl.
“I’ll gather the warriors,” Liam said, already typing on his phone.
“No time,” I countered, already moving toward the door. “I’m going now p>
“Kai, you’re injured,” Liam protested, gesturing to my bloodied form. “At least let me come with you p>
I shook my head. “I need you here, coordinating with Vanessa. Make sure Golden Moon doesn’t interfere. Also, it’s only going to be a matter of an hour or less for Hud to heal me completely. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine”
Before Liam could argue further, I was out the door, my body protesting with every movement, but my determination drove me forward. I shifted into my wolf form the moment I cleared the pack house, ignoring the pain as my wounds stretched and tore with the transformation.
As a wolf, I could cover ground faster, following the invisible thread that connected me to Lily. Hud was fully in control now, driven by instinct and the bond between both wolves that sang between us, guiding us toward our wounded mate.
I was halfway to the Moonlight Inn when I caught the scent—unfamiliar wolves in my territory. My hackles rose as I skidded to a stop, ears pricked forward, senses alert. They were downwind, trying to mask their approach, but Hud’s heightened awareness caught their movement through the trees.
Three of them, moving in a coordinated pattern that spoke of training. Not random rogues—these were professionals. Assassins.
I didn’t wait for them to strike first. With a snarl, I changed direction, circling behind to flank them. The first assassin barely had time to turn before my jaws closed around his throat. He shifted mid-fall, his fingers clawing desperately at my muzzle as we tumbled to the forest floor.
The other two converged quickly, one shifting into wolf form while the other remained human, a silver blade glinting in his hand.
I released the first assassin, already unconscious from blood loss, and spun to face the remaining threats. The wolf lunged, teeth bared for my injured shoulder, but I was faster despite my wounds. I ducked beneath his attack, coming up under his exposed belly with fangs and claws. He yelped as I tore into him, the sound cut short as I snapped his spine with a powerful twist.
Pain exploded across my flank as the third assassin’s silver blade found its mark. I howled, twisting away from the burning agony of the silver, then charged at my attacker with the full force of my rage. He tried to sidestep, but my jaws clamped around his wrist, crushing his bone. The knife fell to the forest floor as I drove him backward, pinning him against a tree with my weight.
Who sent you? I growled, though in wolf form the words were unintelligible.
The assassin’s eyes widened with fear as I shifted partially, just enough to speak while maintaining my grip on him.
“Who sent you?” I demanded, my voice a guttural snarl.
“I don’t know,” he gasped, blood bubbling from his lips. “We got the contract anonymously. Half payment upfront, half on completion p>
“Lie to me again and I’ll tear your throat out,” I growled, tightening my grip.
“I swear!” he choked out. “We never saw his face. Just got instructions… coordinates… timeframe. Said you’d be weakened after the fight with Golden Moon’s Alpha p>
Someone who knew I’d confronted Lucas. Someone who knew I’d be vulnerable now.