ROWAN
SLAM!
The door to my study bursts open, crashing against the wall with a force that sends a shudder through the room, making me whirl around, heart racing only to see Alden dragging a trembling wolf behind him.
A familiar wolf.
Martin.
One of the deserters.
Oh, I knew it!
I knew I shouldn’t have accepted these scums into the Coalition
Martin’s face is ashen, his eyes wide with panic, darting around the room like a trapped animal.
I stand abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor.
“Alden, what is this?” My voice is steady, but there is a hint of rage that I can’t hide.
Alden says nothing at first, simply steps aside to let two others enter.
A young woman and a young man, both wolves from the obsidian pack, step forward.
Their faces are tense, their eyes locked on me.
Lisa, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, rises to her feet, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the scene. Viktor, standing by the window, moves closer, his presence commanding the room while Rina comes to my side, her hand resting lightly on my arm in silent support.
Or restraint.
Who knows at this point?
I take a deep breath, trying to remain calm.
“Someone explain. Now.”
The young woman, the tension in her posture visible, speaks first.
“We had noticed him behaving strangely for a while now, Lo- Guia,” she says, her voice trembling slightly. “He is always sneaking around, always looking over his shoulder, always on edge. Even more so than usual. We thought he was just tense because of… well, the new area but then we’ll, we believe after what happens this night that he had something to do with it. And we have proof.’
“Proof?” I echo, my gaze shifting to Martin, who is visibly shaking now. “What proof?”
The young man steps forward, his expression also tense.
“We caught him trying to leave the settlement. He was sneaking out, trying to escape.”
“Escape?” Viktor’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife, sharp and dangerous. He steps forward, his eyes locking onto Martin with a predatory intensity. “And why would you be trying to escape, Martin?”
Martin stammers, shaking his head desperately. “I… I wasn’t trying to escape. I was just… I needed some air, I needed to-”
Air?
In a fucking settlement?
That wretched bastard.
“Liar!” The young woman hisses, her eyes flashing with anger. “You were running, and you know it. You were caught, Martin. Just admit it! You are putting all of us in danger!”
Alden steps closer to Martin, his voice low and threatening. “We caught you, Martin. You were sneaking out, and now you are going to tell us why.”
Martin’s gaze flickers to me, desperate and pleading. “Guia, I swear, I didn’t do anything! I was just-”
“Enough!” Viktor’s voice booms, silencing his protests. He steps forward, grabbing Martin by the collar and slamming him against the wall. The impact makes a sickening thud, and he gasps, his eyes wide with terror.
“You are going to tell us everything, right now,” Viktor snarls, his face inches from Martin’s. “Or I will make you wish you had never set foot in this settlement. Hell, I will make you wish you were never born.”
“Please… please…” His voice is barely a whisper, tears welling up in his eyes. “I did not have a choice. I did not want to, but they made me… Dominic made me…”
“Dominic?” The name slips from my lips, and my blood runs cold. The room feels like it is closing in on me, the air thick and suffocating. “What did Dominic make you do, Martin? What did you do?”
How did he get to him?
His whole body shakes violently as the room falls into a tense silence, all eyes on him.
He struggles to find his voice, to form the words that will seal his fate. “I… I helped him… I helped him take Jhenelle…”
The admission sends a wave of shock and rage through the room. Lisa gasps, her hand flying to her mouth, while Rina’s grip on my arm tightens.
My vision blurs with red-hot fury as the reality of his words sinks in.
“You… you took my daughter?” My voice trembles with barely controlled rage. “You helped Dominic take my child?”
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” Martin sobs, his voice cracking. “I didn’t know what he was going to do! I thought… I thought it was just a scare tactic, but then… but then he-”
“Where is she?!” I snarl, cutting him off, my voice icy with anger. “Where is Jhenelle?”
He flinches at the venom in my voice, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “They took her back to the Obsidian Park… I swear, that is all I know… I am sorry… I am so sorry…”
Viktor releases him with a disgusted snarl, letting him crumble to the floor, sobbing.
“We have to go after them,” I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “We have to get her back. Now.”
“No,” Viktor’s voice is firm as he steps in front of me, his eyes locking onto mine. “We cannot just storm in there, Rowan. That is what Dominic wants. He is expecting you to act out of anger.”
I shake my head, my fists clenching at my sides.
“But she is my daughter, Viktor! He has my daughter! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”
“And we are not going to do nothing,” Viktor says, his tone softening as he places a hand on my shoulder. “But we need to be smart about this. Dominic will be ready for an attack, especially now that we know the truth. We need to have a plan.”
Rina steps forward, her voice calm and soothing. “Viktor is right, Rowan. We know you are angry, worried and you have every right to be. But rushing in without a plan could put Jhenelle in even more danger.”
Lisa nods in agreement. “We need to think this through. He will not hesitate to use her against you if you go in there recklessly.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
They are right, as much as I hate to admit it.
Charging in blindly could get her killed and so, I close my eyes, forcing myself to think rationally.
“What do we do, then?” I ask, my voice quieter now, but no less terrified. “We cannot just let him get away with this.”
Viktor’s eyes darken, a dangerous glint in them.
“We will not. Now, we have a legitimate reason to attack Dominic. But this time, we do it on our terms. We will make him pay for what he has done. We will wipe him out. Once and for all.”