Adolphus’s POV
The moon hung high in the sky, the trees around us stood like sentinels, their branches tangled and skeletal, swaying with the restless wind.
The forest was thick, the shadows deeper than usual, and yet I pushed forward, each step fueled by a gnawing sense of urgency.
Hours had passed since I began this search, yet I am no closer to finding the fortress. No closer to finding her.
Katrina.
Every minute that ticked by without a sign of her twisted tighter around my chest. My muscles screamed in protest, my legs heavy from the endless terrain, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when she was out there, alone, possibly wounded, or worse.
“Spread out,” I barked, my voice sharp, slicing through the silence. “She’s here somewhere. If Katrina’s nearby, we find her. Before it’s too late.”
A chorus of agreement echoed from the two warriors I escaped Crimson Pack with. They moved forward, each one fanning out across the brush, scanning the trees, sniffing the air, listening for even the faintest sound. We moved as one, trained and focused, but the stillness of the forest worked against us.
There were no broken branches, no scent trails, no tracks. Just the whisper of wind through the leaves and the pounding of my own heart.
Then, it happened.
A jolt surged through my head, and suddenly, the mind link flared to life.
Adolphus!
My heart seized. The voice wasn’t faint. It wasn’t a memory. It was her.
“Katrina?” I gasped, already spinning in place. My pulse spiked as adrenaline hit me like a bolt of fire. “Where are you? What’s happening?!”
I—I don’t know! Her thoughts were frantic, rushed. I tried fighting him, but he’s too strong. Please—please, you have to come now!
Her voice cracked with fear, trembling with desperation, and something else.
Pain.
A raw, blinding rage flooded through me. I was already running before I realized it, pushing past trees, ignoring the sting of low branches cutting my skin. My entire body moved on instinct. I wasn’t just running toward her, I was charging into battle.
“She’s close!” I shouted through the mind link to my men. “Fan out! Now!”
The forest erupted into motion behind me. Leaves rustled, boots hit the ground, and blades were drawn. We sprinted through the underbrush, weaving through tree trunks, leaping over fallen logs. The ground was uneven, but none of us slowed.
I had one thought. One purpose.
Get to Katrina.
Then I came to an abrupt stop.
A wall of stone rose before me, hidden behind layers of moss and ivy. A dead end. My breath came in short, furious bursts. “Damn it!” I hissed, eyes scanning frantically. There had to be something, a hidden entrance, a break in the rock, anything.
Then I felt it. A pressure that hadn’t been there before. Cold and sharp, like the moment before lightning strikes.
My instincts screamed.
I turned sharply, and the shadows moved.
Figures emerged from the darkness one by one, masks hiding their faces, their movements smooth and coordinated. They formed a perfect circle around me, trapping me between the stone wall and the edge of their blades.
No escape.
A chill crept up my spine, but I didn’t show it. I stood tall, every muscle taut, fists clenched at my sides.
One of them stepped forward, the moonlight glinting off his mask. “Well, well,” he drawled, his voice deep and coated in smug satisfaction. “Look what we have here. The desperate warrior searching for his lost little mate.”
I didn’t blink. “Where is she?” I growled, my voice low and steady despite the heat building in my chest.
More of them stepped into view. The ring around me tightened.
Laughter rippled through the group, soft, mocking.
“You really think we’ll just tell you?” another voice taunted, higher-pitched but no less dangerous.
I bared my teeth, my wolf pressing hard beneath my skin, itching to break free. “You’ve made a mistake,” I said through clenched teeth.
The one closest to me chuckled. “No. You did. Coming here alone.”
“I’m not alone,” I snapped, and the instant the words left my mouth, the wind shifted again.
Howls echoed through the trees. My men.
The rogue’s head turned slightly toward the sound, and I took the chance. I lunged forward, slamming my shoulder into his chest. He staggered back, but another stepped in, blocking my path with a blade that caught the moonlight like silver fire.
I dropped low, sweeping his legs from under him, but there were too many. Blows came from every direction. A fist cracked against my jaw. A boot struck my ribs. I fought like a man possessed, but even as I held my ground, I knew they weren’t here to kill me.
They were buying time.
For him.
For her.
“Katrina,” I whispered under my breath, fighting harder.
Because I would not lose her.
Not tonight.