I repeatedly reread the passage in the journal until the words were ingrained in my mind. The Dark Luna’s wolves can cheat death. They can survive any mortal wound as long as their bodies stay intact. Even a stab through the heart won’t kill them.
“You have got to be shitting me,” I growl, clenching my teeth so hard they hurt. Soren wasn’t dead that day he broke his neck after the fall. “So, basically, I should’ve ripped the fucker’s head off.” There’s no way I could’ve known, but when I see him, I’ll know what to do.
Bailey agrees with a nod. “Exactly. I bet that Soren’s alive and came back for what he wants. With having Rae, he can make a new breed of shifters, one made of light and dark. Their power combined will make them stronger than any of us.
The thought of Soren mating with Raelynn overcomes me with rage. “The full moon is only a week away,” I counter, feeling the need to shift. “How the hell do we find Rae?”
I can already tell by the sheepish look on her face that I’m not going to like her suggestion. “There is a way.”
“And that would be?”
She hesitates, but then says, “We have to wait for the sunrise.”
That’s several hours from now. Has everyone lost their fucking minds? “Hell no,” I shout. “That’s too long. We have to get searching now.”
Ryker rubs a weary hand over his face. “We can’t track the black wolves, Micah. They have the power to conceal their presence just like we do.”
Bailey flips through the journal pages and shows me a picture of a plant that has green, pointy leaves with red-tinted stems and shimmering white flowers. “We have a way of finding them. This plant,” she says, pointing at the picture, “is moon thyme, an herb that was originally found around Cascade Lake in Idaho. The Payette pack lives around there, and their witch happened to be one of Seraphina’s friends. It’s how we found the black wolves who took you and Faith.”
“How does it work?” I ask.
Bailey shuts the journal. “It appears at sunrise and only for a few minutes. Once ingested, it enhances our abilities.”
“Which means,” Ryker cuts in, “that we can track the sons of bitches.”
The feeling of helplessness closes in all around me. All the anger inside of me makes me feel like I’m going to lose my goddamned mind. “Every moment I’m here, Raelynn’s stuck with him and doing fuck knows what to her.”
Zayne places a hand on my shoulder. “Raelynn’s a strong woman. She’ll be fine.”
“Have either of you called Stark to let him know?” Ryker asks.
Shaking my head, I pull out my phone. “If royal females are what these black wolves want, there’s another one out there for the taking.” Dany.
Bailey nods. “See if they can get back here as soon as possible.”
I walk out onto the front porch and press send. Stark will be pissed as hell when he finds out Raelynn’s been taken. The line rings and rings, and then …
“You’re too late, Lyall. I have them all.”
My heart stops, and the blood freezes in my veins. Nothing could’ve prepared me to hear that bastard’s voice. I want to jump through the phone and rip his throat out. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” I growl low.
“Ah, so you’re not surprised to hear from me. Guess that means you know what I am.”
“I don’t give a shit what you are. If you so much as harm Raelynn—”
“Harm her?” he interjects. “She’s my mate. The Dark Luna picked her for me. I just have to make sure Rae sees that choosing me is the right choice.”
My hands begin to shift into claws. “I’m going to hunt you down. I can promise you that.” My wolf feels like a caged animal, desperate to break free. Charging down the stairs, I pace the front yard, hoping to rein in the beast within.
Soren trills out a laugh. “Good luck, Lyall. Hopefully, when you do, Raelynn and I will already be mated. And who knows, maybe she’ll have our son in her belly.”
He hangs up, and I drop to my knees, yelling up at the sky. There’s too much emotion to keep it in. “Fuck!”
I shout until my voice is raw and ragged. Everyone rushes out of the cabin and surrounds me. “What happened?” Zayne demands.
Getting to my feet, I set my hardened glare on them all. “Soren has Stark and Dany.”
Ryker clucks his tongue and rubs his hands together. “Guess we know what we have to do.”
I nod. “This is war.”