Asher
“What the fuck are you telling me? Ally has been taken?”
I roar through the mind link; my voice blazing off with fury. My hands tremble as I clutch the desk in my office, my claws threatening to pierce through the wood.
“I gave you a fucking instruction to guard her with your life, and you’re telling me she’s gone?”
My chest rises and falls rapidly, rage and panic mixing in a lethal storm in me. I can’t wrap my head around it. Just when I was about to make things right with her-boom. My mate is taken.
I rake a hand through my hair, my breath coming in sharp bursts. Oh, Goddess. Can the universe be any more cruel?
Across the room, Declan shifts slightly in his sleep, curled up on the couch like he doesn’t have a single worry in the world. I force myself to calm down, taking a deep breath so I don’t wake him. But the relief is short-lived.
“Where are you now? How the hell did this happen?” I demand through the mind link.
Liam’s voice comes through, strained and filled with regret. He explains how they left as soon as he got my command and how someone blocked their path just as they stepped out of the ice cream parlor. Then their car-it just stopped. No warning, no sign of malfunction.
Fuck.
My fist slams onto the desk, rattling everything on it. This wasn’t a random attack. She was being followed.
Someone planned this. Someone waited for the perfect moment to strike.
And I swear on the fucking Moon Goddess, they’re going to pay.
“What the hell was she doing at Gaita’s place?” I snarl through the mindlink, my voice thick with rage.
Liam stays quiet.
That’s all the confirmation I need. He’s hiding something.
“Find your fucking ass back to the pack. Now,” I growl, my anger barely restrained. Whatever he found out at Gaita’s place must not be good. And knowing Ally, she probably made him swear not to tell me a damn thing.
Fine. He can try to keep his mouth shut, but once he’s standing in front of me, I’ll look him in the eye and know if he’s lying.
I need to act fast. Every second wasted is another second Ally is out there, with Goddess knows who. My mind races, trying to piece together the next move. And then it hits me-I need to find Selena.
I shove the scattered journal back into a neat pile and glance at my son, still curled up peacefully on the couch. I sent a quick mindlink to Kayla.
“Come to my office and watch Declan. I need to leave.”
Her response is immediate. “On my way.”
I turn to leave, but the second I open the door, Selena is already there.
Her hand is raised, about to knock, but when she sees me, she stiffens. Her expression is tight, filled with a dread that coils in my gut.
“Alpha,” she says with a quick bow, but there’s an urgency in her voice. A flash of something raw in her eyes.
I narrow my gaze. “Don’t tell me you know too.”
She trembles slightly, then swallows hard. “I felt it, Alpha. Just when I got the vision, I had to rush down here. My baby has been taken.”
Her voice breaks, and before I can even react, she’s crying.
“They finally did it, Alpha. They finally have my baby. Oh my-”
Her words dissolve into sobs as she crumples before me.
I stand there, momentarily frozen. Selena has always been composed and always in control. Seeing her like this, raw and shattered, twists something deep in my chest.
Who the hell is she talking about?
I hesitate only for a second before I reach out, pulling her into a firm embrace. She clings to me, crying into my chest as I slowly rub a hand over her back.
I let her cry.
But my mind is already racing.
If Ally was taken… and now Selena is saying they have her baby…
Then this is bigger than I thought.
Just then, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye. Kayla.
She walks in at a fast pace, her expression shifting the moment she takes in the scene. Selena, tear-streaked and trembling. Me, standing tense beside her.
Selena senses her presence, quickly raising her head. “I’m so sorry, Alpha. I-I’ve stained your shirt with my tears.”
I wave her off. “Don’t bother about that. That should be the least of our concerns right now.”
Kayla steps closer, the confusion clear on her face. Her brows knit together as she glances between us. “Alpha, I came as soon as I got your mindlink.”
I nod. “Thank you, Kay. My son is in my office. Gently carry him to his room and let him rest. I don’t want him out of your sight, do you understand?”
“Yes, Alpha. On it.” Without hesitation, she turns on her heel and hurries toward my office.
Once she’s gone, I turn back to Selena. Her hands tremble slightly, her eyes still wet with unshed tears. I don’t waste another second.
“Come here,” I said firmly, taking her hand.
She doesn’t resist as I guide her toward a more secluded place, away from prying eyes and ears. She’s still crying, though more quietly now. I stand there, watching her, waiting.
After a long moment and several deep breaths, she finally begins to calm down.
Selena sniffles, wiping her face with the back of her hand as she struggles to regain her composure. I watch her carefully, knowing that whatever she saw in her vision must have been devastating.
“Tell me,” I urge, my voice steady but firm. “What did you see?”
She takes a shaky breath before meeting my gaze. “Ally… she’s in danger. They took her, Alpha. I saw it.”
I clench my fists. I already know this, but hearing it from Selena makes it feel even more real.
“Who took her?” I demand, my voice dangerously low.
Selena shakes her head, frustration evident on her face. “I couldn’t see their faces, but I saw the place they took her to. It was dark, underground-like a dungeon or a secret hideout.”
My jaw tightens. “Did you hear anything? A name? A voice?”
She closes her eyes as if searching for the memory. “Yes,” she whispers. “I heard a man’s voice. He said… ‘The ritual must be completed before the blue moon.’ And then, another voice said, ‘She will be the key to unlocking it.'”
My blood runs cold. “Unlocking what?”
She looks at me, fear flashes in her eyes. “I don’t know… but whatever it is, they need Ally for it. And if they complete it before the blue moon…” She trails off, but I don’t need her to finish.
If they complete it, I might lose my mate forever.
Rage courses through my veins, and I step back, running a hand through my hair. “We don’t have time to waste. I need to find her-now.”
Selena grips my wrist, stopping me. “Alpha, wait. There’s more.”
I pause, my chest rising and falling heavily. “What else did you see?”
She hesitates before saying, “I saw a mark, Asher. A strange symbol on the wall where Ally was held. It looked… ancient, like something from the old legends.”
My mind races. Old legends? Rituals? This isn’t just about a simple kidnapping anymore. This is something bigger.
Something darker.
I meet Selena’s gaze, determination burning in my eyes. “Then we find out what it means. And we bring Ally back-before it’s too late.”
But one thing I am not sure about is whether Selena has been keeping Ally hidden for a reason. If she has, then it means she is not telling me everything. What is she hiding? And more importantly, why?