Mia’s POV
I was halfway to the dungeon when my steps faltered. The heavy scent of blood still lingered in the air, the thick stench wrapping around me like a warning. Something felt off.
Then I saw him.
Lucas.
He was being dragged into the shadows, his body limp, his usually sharp eyes dulled with exhaustion. His lips moved, barely, but I caught it.
Don’t.
A silent command. A plea.
My entire body tensed. Every instinct screamed at me to run after him, to tear through whoever had him in their grasp. But I didn’t.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. The frustration burned like acid in my veins, but Lucas had signaled me for a reason. Rushing in blindly would only get me captured, too.
I needed a plan.
Spinning on my heel, I turned and sprinted toward the main hall, heart pounding wildly. My mind raced through every possible scenario. Who the hell had the guts to take Lucas? Keith’s men? Another enemy?
No. I couldn’t let my thoughts spiral. Focus. I still had the tracker.
Lucas had given it to me earlier, pressing it into my palm with a warning. In case something happens. Don’t hesitate to use it.
I yanked the small device from my pocket, barely pausing as I activated it. A faint red dot pulsed on the screen, moving farther away.
He was being taken fast.
Shit.
I picked up my pace, storming straight into the training grounds where the brothers were.
They immediately snapped to attention.
Xavier stepped forward first, his sharp eyes scanning my face. “What happened?” His voice was tense, his entire body coiled like a predator sensing danger.
I was breathing hard, gripping the tracker so tightly I thought it might shatter. “Lucas. He’s been taken. I saw it.”
Nathan cursed under his breath. Rolex’s face darkened. Sean pushed off the wall, cracking his knuckles.
“Where?” Rolex demanded.
I didn’t waste time explaining. Instead, I shoved the tracker into Xavier’s hands. “Here. This is where they’re taking him.”
They gathered around, eyes narrowing at the moving dot on the screen. Sean exhaled sharply. “That’s the outer perimeter. They’re taking him out of the pack’s borders.”
I gritted my teeth, my hands shaking. I hated this. The helplessness. The waiting. Lucas had always been so composed, so in control-but now, he was the one in danger.
“I should’ve stopped them,” I muttered, anger curling in my chest.
Xavier grabbed my wrist, firm but not rough. “No, you did the right thing. If you’d gone after him, you’d be gone too.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, pushing back the guilt.
“We don’t have time to waste,” Nathan spoke, already heading toward the weapons room. “We get him back. Now.”
Sean was right behind him. “And if Keith is involved,” he said coldly, “I’m ripping his throat out myself.”
I need to save my brother before its too late.
The moment we entered the woods, something felt wrong. The air was too still, the night too quiet. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, a low warning humming through my chest.
Then it happened.
A sharp snap beneath my feet.
Before I could react, something yanked me off the ground. The world flipped upside down, a rush of wind cutting through my ears as my body was violently pulled into darkness.
I landed hard. My back hit the cold floor, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. A metallic taste filled my mouth, and my vision swam.
I forced myself to my feet, but everything was black.
“Xavier? Nathan? Rolex? Sean?” My voice echoed, but there was no response. Just the eerie silence pressing down on me like a suffocating weight.
I tried moving forward, my hands stretched in front of me, searching. Then, suddenly-light.
Not from above. From the side.
I turned my head and my stomach dropped.
The brothers.
They were all trapped inside separate iron cages, their arms restrained behind their backs. Sean was struggling against his binds, his face twisted in fury. Nathan’s jaw was clenched so tightly, his fangs had pierced his lower lip. Xavier looked coldly murderous, his entire body taut like a coiled spring ready to strike. Rolex had a wicked smirk, but his eyes were burning with rage.
And then I noticed-I was on the other side.
Separated from them.
A slow, taunting clap echoed through the space.
I turned sharply, my breath hitching as he stepped out from the shadows.
Keith.
His lips curled into a smug grin, his eyes gleaming with twisted amusement. “Well, well, well,” he drawled, stopping just a few feet in front of me. “Look who walked straight into my web.”
My hands fisted at my sides. The sight of him made my blood boil, my wolf pacing inside me, snarling to be let out.
“You think this is funny?” My voice was like ice.
Keith tilted his head, feigning innocence. “Oh, Mia, you wound me.” He placed a hand over his heart mockingly. “I merely invited you and your little lovers here. You were all so eager to find Lucas, after all.”
I glanced around, panic creeping in. “Where is he?”
Keith’s smirk widened. “Oh, don’t worry. He’s alive. For now.”
The way he said it made my stomach twist.
Behind me, Xavier growled lowly. “If you touched him-”
Keith let out a bored sigh. “Spare me the threats, Alpha boy. You’re all in cages, and I’m the one holding the keys.” He dangled a set of rusted iron keys in front of them before slipping them into his pocket.
Nathan spat at the ground. “You’re a coward.”
Keith chuckled. “And you’re all idiots for falling for something so simple.” He motioned to the cages. “I mean, really? The great Alphas, reduced to this?”
I took a slow step forward. “You won’t win this.”
Keith arched a brow, his amusement never wavering. “Oh, sweetheart,” his voice dropped to a mockingly gentle tone, “but I already have.”
My wolf clawed at me, begging to rip him apart.