Contrarily to most kidnapped people for despite what it might have looked like, this could only be an abduction Karen didn’t feel as agitated as she should have. She was scared, sure, but she was also curious. She was absurdly curious as to why this stranger had taken a fancy to her, stalked her for weeks, before finally kidnapping her by casting some spell on her that rendered her mute and obedient.
He only had to say some words in some foreign language to have her come sub-willingly with him. He could only be a warlock, or at least that was what she reasoned.
But what did a warlock have to do with a human such as herself?
Even if he called her Luna and pretended to know her, that didn’t explain much of anything.
So, yes, she was scared of what might happen, of what the near future held for her. But she was also eager for some light, some explanation regarding the situation she was in. She stared at him, trying to etch his features into memory, so that if she were to escape by some miracle, she could recognize her abductor.
He was a tall lanky raven-haired guy who could be no older than eighteen, or so it seemed at least. She was starting to trust nothing and no one.
She opened her mouth to ask him what he wanted from her but no sound could be heard. She frowned at him.
He smirked in response to her grimace. His smirk was wicked… and not in a good way.
He waved his hand in the air, and then said in a condescending tone, “Speak.”
She glared at him and tried anew, “What do you want from me?”
“You?” He echoed in mock shock. “Nothing sweetheart. You are nothing to me… nothing but a bargaining chip, because you mean everything to the future alpha ultra.”
“What do you mean?” She mumbled in a distressed tone, not liking the bargaining chip part as it meant this wasn’t just about her. This meant someone could get hurt because of her.
Oh god!
“Oh come on! Do I have to spell his name? The friend you are growing attached to. The boy you’re trying to avoid at all costs. The same who showed you his true colors and then made me erase your memories.”
“Aiden,” she breathed out the name in realization.
“Let me refresh your memory,” her abductor said as he approached her.
She tried to scoot back, away from him and out of reach, but she was unable to do so because of the chains that restricted her movements. And that was how she regained the memories she had begged to keep.
** ** ** ** ** **
Aiden could barely keep still, and did his best to have a clear mind in order to have a good read of the situation… no easy feat when he had a blood-thirsty wolf whose only goal was to get to his mate. Whatever the cost for her return safe and sound to him might be, he was willing to pay.
But since Karma was a little bit of bi-tch, he could already guess that this was not a normal abduction, that there might be supernaturals involved. Nevertheless, he didn’t call his parents or Blake the Troublemaker. Both parties had enough on their plates already a war being on the high list.
He went to Shane’s dad and requested of him to gather a couple of trackers and some warriors. He was in the middle of discussing the next course of action when his phone started buzzing a foreign number.
He was about to decline, not in the mood for games, when he realized that he should be cautious with the calls he might receive.
He therefore picked up and let out a wary, “Hello?”
“Why, hello,” came a deep taunting masculine voice.
“Who’s this?” He demanded to know, already feeling the urge to end the damned call. He truly was in no mood for games.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, dearest Aiden?” Came the person’s snarky retort.
He frowned at once, and realized that this might be related to his beloved Karen’s abduction.
He kept quiet, waiting, anticipating…
“I have your mate,” the guy then said without preamble, and a growl escaped Aiden. “Ooh, easy, wolf boy. Meet me at the address I’m going to give you, and no harm will come to her unless you come accompanied that is.”
“I won’t.” Aiden was grinding his teeth so hard, he thought that they might shatter at any given moment.
“Ain’t you a good boy?” Karen’s abductor then taunted.
And another growl threatened to escape Aiden but he reined it in at the last moment.
He gave him the address and then hung up without further ado.
“It’s a trap,” the alpha, Shane’s father, announced grimly.
“You bet,” Aiden scoffed, shrugging with a nonchalance he didn’t quite feel. “But I have to go alone nonetheless.”
His mind was already set, and there shall be no deterring him from going there, alone.
The alpha looked at him intently for a total of three seconds before saying, “My men and I can follow you from afar.”
“Too risky,” Aiden shook his head negatively. “I’m going alone. And that is final.”
The alpha must have sensed Aiden’s resolution for he didn’t utter a word more.
“If you don’t hear back from me within an hour, do whatever it takes to rescue Karen.”
And with that, he turned to leave the alpha’s property, with a mind of steel and an uneasy heart.