Alexander’s POV
“We just found another camp,” Luke said proudly, entering my office. He looked very pleased by his find.
Luke was following up on every lead his mate, Lula, gave us. He took it upon himself to prove to me that Lula was pure of heart.
Yesterday evening, he and a couple of warriors found the first camp-50 miles from us-where our missing pack members were kept hostage.
Luke left two warriors behind with strict instructions to just observe and report back to us.
This morning, Luke invited his friend to go along with him.
I wasn’t sure if Luke asked her to go with him in hopes of finding more camps or if he was using the time to learn to know his new-found mate.
At least she seems more comfortable around Luke now. She didn’t look so wary of him anymore and occasionally gave him a shy smile.
At first, I didn’t trust Lula at all. I found her behavior to be a bit suspicious.
Who in their right mind would just pack up, leave the safety of their pack, and join a group of rogues?
For all I know, she could be a diversion, sending us down the wrong path to finding Emily.
So, while Luke and his mate were out on a scavenger hunt this morning, I did some research on her.
It didn’t take me long to figure out who she was.
“Lula Lockheart.” I read her name out loud, picking up the file. “The lost daughter of Beta Herbert Lockheart and his mate Lidia Lockheart, from the Morning Star pack.”
“Her background is quite interesting,” Ghost chirped. “She is a purebred Lycan as per family line.”
“It seems she was well-trained as well,” I agreed, flipping through the file.
“And left her pack two years ago, just after her graduation,” Ghost commented, reading the report with me.
Yet something was bothering me about the setup.
For starters, why was she so wary of Luke?
How come she looked as fit as a fiddle and not as skinny as the other rogues?
I scanned through the rest of the file, finding nothing out of order, and placed the file back on the desk.
In the meantime, my father searched for other information in the old archives. Don’t ask me why, but I had a feeling that something important was hidden in the old manuscripts. Something we were overlooking. Something that was hidden in plain sight.
Something that would scream the reason for all this sh*t.
“Do you know if Emily is being held captive there?” I asked Luke, turning my attention back to him.
“I can’t say for sure,” Luke replied. “I didn’t see her.”
Even though the original task was to just find the camps, observe their activities, and report back to me, I wasn’t ready to attack and free the missing pack members. The pack members seemed well looked after. They were not in immediate danger, which, in my opinion, was strange. It was as if they were held captive for something.
The question was: what?
The other reason why I was holding back on an attack was to ensure that we did our homework, and I was scared that the attack might trigger a reaction and the rogues might alert the surrounding camps and relocate the missing pack members.
With the knowledge we acquired, I was able to correctly evaluate the circumstances and prepare my warriors, understanding the rogues’ strengths and weaknesses would secure our win.
“I don’t think she would be kept too close to the pack,” I said. “She would have found a way to inform me.”
“Except if she wasn’t capable of doing so,” Luke said.
“What are you saying?” I asked. “That my Luna is hurt?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” he answered. “But the chances of them giving her wolfsbane and silver to torture her are high.”
The thought made me shiver. I knew very well what silver and wolfbane could do to a wolf. I was hoping it didn’t come to that. We would certainly lose the pup if they went that route.
I shook the dreadful thought to the side and focused on the task at hand.
If only we could manage to locate Axel. He had disappeared.
“Has Angelica returned?” Luke suddenly asked. “The Luna Ceremony is this weekend.”
“No,” I said. “She gave me a call earlier. At some point on Thursday during the day, she will be back. She mentioned that she needed to take care of some business matters.”
“What sort of business matter?” Luke asked suspiciously.
“I am not sure,” I said, waving it off. “I didn’t pay much attention when she called.”
Luke nodded and took a seat, his expression serious.
“I still believe she is involved with Luna’s disappearance.” He said. “Would you mind if I sent some of our men to look into it?”
“Not at all,” I agreed. “Just make sure the warriors understand that they are not allowed to pursue, but to inform us immediately if they find something.”
Luke left my office soon after, and I was left with my thoughts.
I sighed frustratedly as my gaze wandered toward the forest. I haven’t taken Ghost out for a run; maybe some fresh air would help me get everything in perspective.
“I wouldn’t mind,” Ghost said, even though his excitement about being let out sounded sad and depressing. He was really missing Emily.
“I’m going out,” I linked my father. “I shouldn’t be too long. Let me know if you find something.”
“Where are you off to?” He replied worryingly.
“Taking Ghost out for a run,” I replied, opening the door and heading down the hallway. “I feel like I am in a box. I am getting depressed looking at these walls.”
I closed the link before he could reply, opening the glass door and going outside. I sprinted down to the forest, stripped myself of my clothes, and shifted.
Ghost threw his head back and released a howl, letting the pack know how much his heart hurt.
In the far distance, a call came, and Ghost turned his head toward the sound.
“Who was that?” I asked, feeling a shiver run down my back. “It doesn’t sound like someone from our pack.”
Ghost didn’t comment and darted in the direction of the howl.
We ran about ten miles southeast when another mournful howl filled the air, sending a chill down my spine.
Ghost picked up his pace as the howl seemed closer this time.
“We are almost at the border,” Ghost said, and he slowed down as he heard nearby rumbling water. “Are we going to cross the river?”
“Not just yet,” I replied. “Let’s just find out who the call belongs to.”
But I never, ever imagined that the howl would reveal ancient mysteries that were long forgotten.
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