Jake's POV
"For Angel to take the royal alpha power, she must be crowned. Though to be crowned, she must be marked by a mate. And you know as well as I that you can only mark a she-wolf while completing the mating process." As soon as Carl had said that, I instantly saw red. I was beyond angry, and so was Hunter.
Who the fuck did that selfish, self-acclaimed Alpha Jason think he was. I had sent Benson to fetch Angel's aunt and uncle to my office. I needed the truth, and I needed it now. I knew Angel was the granddaughter of the Moon Goddess, so maybe I should have figured it out; then I could have protected her. I can't change the past, but if I could, I would have made her stay in the guest quarters the night before her birthday, then this wouldn't be happening.
'How could I not have noticed? I mean, I met the Princess when I was younger. Yes, she was only two the last time I saw her, but I remember Luna Vanessa, and thinking about it, Angel is the spitting image of her.'
'If he touches her, he will pay with his life.'
'Trust me, Hunter; he will suffer slowly and fucking painfully.'
It didn't take long before Benson returned with Nick and Marie. I introduced them to Carl, but something about how Nick greeted him seemed off. Almost like they already knew each other, but that would have to wait. I needed all my focus on finding Angel before that sicko could take her innocence away. Carl told them exactly what he had told me, only they didn't seem shocked.
"Why the fuck was I not told who you three were when I became alpha?"
"Alpha Jake, your father knew who we were, you know that, but he also gave Alpha King William his word that our identities would remain secret. All to protect Angel and the future of the Royal Kingdom."
"I'm sorry, Alpha Jake, with all due respect, but Nick is right. Had anyone known who we are, they could have led Jason straight here, and he would have taken Angel a lot sooner, and goddess only knows how he would have treated her."
"I get that, but I could have protected her had I known. I could have moved you all into the pack house. She would have been safe!"
"You have to understand Angel is... special."
"Nick, I know she is the granddaughter of the Moon Goddess."
"How, if you don't mind me asking." Marie sounded confused.
"It's not a secret that I didn't want a mate after what happened to the Alpha King. When I met Angel, I was dead set on rejecting her. The Moon Goddess, or Selena as she likes to go by, visited me a few days ago. She told me that I was mated to her granddaughter, that she was a gifted wolf and that her life was in danger."
"Man, don't forget the bit about the bloodlines." Benson chimed in. I didn't need them knowing about that yet, so I shot Benson a shut-up look, but judging by the look they gave each other, it was too late.
"The Moon Goddess also said that mine and Angel's bloodline needed to survive; I think it's to do with the fact it's goddess blood."
"Alpha Jake, if you allow it, I can take some of your best trackers and head the search."
"Yes, Nick, take what you need."
It wasn't confirmed, but I had a feeling that Nick was the Royal Packs gamma before Jason took over. His protectiveness over Angel was next level; to hear that she gained her wolf at the age of ten and that Nick had her training also shocked me. Hunter was fuming that she had to learn from a young age. It made me wonder just how much of a normal childhood she had.
...
It had been a few hours since I heard from Nick; he clearly hadn't found her. I was pissed that I was stuck here; I wanted to be out there and find her. I needed to find her. But Nick was right. The pack needed me here for the time being. Me and Hunter were going out of our minds. If they had harmed just one hair on her beautiful head, I would rain hellfire on them and anyone involved.
Nicks POV
Carl led us to where he lost track of Jason, the Moonlight pack trackers were just about able to pick up Angel's scent but lost it again ten miles later. It's not that they weren't skilled because they were; it's just that the vehicle they used had driven through the shallow lake, meaning there wouldn't be a scent to follow. We each shifted into our wolves, splitting into groups, meaning we could search more areas quicker.
Just past the lake, there was a fork in the road; I took three wolves and went down the middle, while Carl took another three and went the other way. We followed our path for half an hour, finally finding an abandoned royal blue transit van. Using Haze's strength, he ripped the back door off its hinges. The sight of the inside of the van sent a blazing heat of rage coursing through my veins. Silver chains attached to the side wall with blood dried onto them. Haze took a sniff confirming it was indeed Angel's blood.
'That bastard cuffed her with silver.'
'I'm afraid that's not the worst of it, look.' Haze growled.
He was right; in the corner was a box of needles. He took a whiff scrunching his snout; I felt the stinging of wolfsbane and silver in his nostrils as he inhaled the scent from the needles. If they were injecting Angel with this concoction, then there was no way she could stop Jason from forcing himself on her.
I called Jake to let him know what we had found, knowing he would completely lose it. It was more important now than ever that Angel was found.
Wayne's POV
'Did I hear what I think I heard? Alpha Jason would force Princess Angel to mate with him to gain power.' I shook my head in pure disgust.
'Now's the time we act; we cannot let him do this. It goes against everything we wolves believe in. It is an insult to our Moon Goddess.' Rex snarled. He was right; rape is never something a wolf would do. Only fucked up rogues stooped that low. We would not stand by and let him do that to the Princess. If this had been his plan, then none of us would have even helped him take her. The elders would execute him if they knew it wasn't Angel's choice.
I sent a message to Elder Tom, the only one I knew personally; I told him of Jason's plans, and saying he was disgusted was an understatement. I told him Angel had found her fated mate at the Moonlight Pack. Elder Tom told me to reach out to Alpha Jake quickly and quietly. So that's exactly what I was going to do.