Brian’s POV
The scent was fading, but the bond between us grew stronger, pulling me forward like a guiding force. Every muscle in my body screamed with tension, driven by Asher’s relentless demand to find her. I could feel her fear through the mate bond, her pulse quickening, her breathing uneven, and it only fueled my rage. I tore through the forest, dodging trees, my mind singularly focused on the Omega.
Asher, my wolf, was relentless. He kept growling and snarling. “They’ll regret taking her,” Asher growled, and I knew he was right. Whoever had taken the Omega had no idea what they’d unleashed. They would soon witness the wrath of the king, the devil from hell himself.
“Red Knife Pack.” I repeated the name with malice. They were a shadow of my past, one of my many enemies. All the evidence Garreth had uncovered pointed toward them being involved in this kidnapping. They had launched a probing attack, and then when my forces were focused on them, they had kidnapped the Omega.
“Ryder, if a single hair on the Omega is missing, I will destroy your pack and make you regret the day you were born,” I growled under my breath, the promise of violence burning deep in my soul.
Suddenly, the trees gave way to a clearing, and I stopped short. The air shifted, colder, darker, something wasn’t right. The unnatural quietness around the clearing sent my senses into overdrive. My eyes locked onto an old, rundown cabin in the distance. My instincts screamed danger, and to my horror, the link between me and her… I could no longer feel it.
I stood there for a moment, my chest heaving with barely-contained fury. Asher’s growls echoed in my mind, urging me to destroy everything. But I needed to be smart. My hunter’s instincts kicked in, and I inhaled deeply, extending my senses toward the cabin.
Three werewolves. Their life signatures flickered like dying embers. I crouched low, silently making my way closer to the cabin, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.
“Fuck this, I’m not a fucking cleaner,” I heard one of them grumble.
“Shut up! Let’s just finish this and get out of here,” another voice snapped impatiently. “We’re supposed to meet with the Red Knife pack Alpha at dawn.”
“Why is she so important anyway? She’s just a weak and fragile Omega, fit for nothing but serving as a slave,” the first one muttered.
“Quit complaining. The pay is good for an easy job. Either the Red Knife Alpha is sick in the head, or he desperately needs a new plaything.” He chuckled darkly.
The mention of her sent my blood boiling, but hearing that they were planning to hand her over to Ryder made me see red.
“They’ll pay.”
I moved swiftly, my footsteps as silent as death itself. The cabin door stood no chance as I slammed it open, bursting inside. The three werewolves that had been left behind to clean up froze in terror.
“Who are you, bastard?” the first one bellowed. “Do you know who you’re messing with?”
I scanned the whole room, but the was no sign of the Omega, signed of struggles couldn’t escape my alpha senses.
“You don’t want to talk, huh? We’ll teach you a lesson. Next time, don’t wander where you’re not wanted,” he jeered, stepping forward with a mop in hand like a fool.
Before he could blink, I was on him. My hand shot out, gripping his throat with a crushing force. His eyes widened with fear, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Where Is She?” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. His response was a pathetic whimper before I twisted his neck with a sickening crack.
The others stumbled back, terror etched on their faces. I could smell their fear, it was thick and intoxicating, feeling the whole room.
“Wait, wait!” I watched the two remaining lackeys with dark calmness, their eyes widening in recognition. “You… you’re him,” one of them stammered, stumbling backward.
“Yes,” I replied, my voice cold and measured. “I am him. I am the king. No one takes from the king.” My eyes darkened. “Now, how do you two plan to atone for your sins?”
“Wait! Please, don’t kill us! We didn’t-” one of them stammered, but with a flash, I was already upon him. My claws extended, tearing through his flesh as his blood splattered across the wooden floor. His screams filled the air, then abruptly ceased as he crumpled, lifeless.
“Wrong answer,” I muttered, savoring the fear of the last man standing.
The remaining one fell to his knees, trembling. “Don’t kill me! I’ll tell you anything!” he screamed, his voice cracking.
I crouched down, my face inches from his. “How do you atone for stealing from the king? You have two seconds to tell me where they took her.”
“They… they went to meet a mystery Alpha in the mountains at the border close to The Red Knife pack. Please, I’m just following orders!” he blurted, his words rushing out in fear.
“Who hired you?” I asked, my voice a deadly calm.
“I don’t know! We’re just bandits! We don’t know our clients, only the work we’re supposed to do. Please, spare me!”
I saw the desperation in his eyes, the pathetic hope that I might let him live. But there was no mercy in me, not today. I grabbed his head and twisted, his body falling limp to the floor.
Wiping the blood from my hands, I stepped over the carnage. Inhaling deeply, I caught a faint whiff of her scent. She was close. The trail led outside, and I followed it without hesitation.
My suspicions were confirmed, Ryder was behind this. As I walked out of the cabin, I set it ablaze, the flames roaring behind me, devouring everything inside. My mind was sharp, focused. They had her, and now I knew where they where heading to.
I opened the mind-link to Garreth, issuing new orders. Issuing him bunch of new orders. My message was short and to the point before I cut the link.
The Red Knife pack would soon learn what it meant to cross me.