LUCIAN’S P.O.V.
The clearing was cloaked in an eerie silence as Adrian and his coven vanished into the shadows, leaving and what remained of my pack, alone in the aftermath of their sinister presence. The peace that followed was fragile, a fleeting reprieve that shattered as a sharp, insistent pain began to pulse behind my temples.
Before I could gather my thoughts or shift back into my human form, the pain erupted into a searing explosion, ripping through my skull like a wildfire. My head felt as though it were being torn apart.
Inside , Ares, was thrashing in fury trying to claw his way to the surface, his growls echoing in the depths of my mind and vibrating through every inch of my body. But he wasn’t alone. Raivo, the crazy demon Serena had summoned to strengthen , was clawing at Ares, trying to keep him down, his presence dark and malevolent. They were locked in a vicious battle for control, and I was caught in the middle of their war.
"Stop it! Both of you!" I roared, my voice an unnatural blend of human and beast. The sound reverberated through the clearing as my wolf form trembled violently, unable to contain the chaos raging inside. My claws raked the ground, carving deep trenches into the earth as I fought for dominance over my own mind.
"You’re weak, Lucian," Raivo sneered, his voice coiling around my thoughts like poison. "You can’t even control your own mind. Pathetic."
"Shut up, demon!" Ares snapped back, his growl filled with fury and defiance. "This is my body, my mind. You’re nothing but a parasite."
"Enough!" I howled, the sound tearing from my throat with a combination of agony and desperation. The ground beneath trembled as my frustration erupted in a heart-wrenching roar, echoing into the night.
The witches around began chanting, their voices weaving frantic incantations in an attempt to calm the storm I had beco. The lodic rise and fall of their words clashed with the chaos in my head. Nearby wolves lunged at , their aim to pin down and restrain . But they underestimated my strength, my rage. I was faster, deadlier. My claws lashed out in wild arcs, narrowly missing a witch who scrambled back with a terrified cry.
"Lucian, stop!" Serena’s voice cut through the cacophony, sharp and commanding, but it was as though her words couldn’t reach . The noise, the pain, the battle—it was too much.
Then, amid the chaos, Ares’s voice surged with clarity, cutting through the haze. His tone was panicked, urgent. "Lucian! Teresa! Sothing’s wrong! I can feel her—she’s in pain!"
The words hit like lightning, and a cold dread coiled in my chest, gripping with an iron fist.
Raivo’s dark laughter echoed in my mind, low and sadistic. "Your life is chaos, Lucian. I like it here."
"Shut up!" I snarled, slamming his voice into silence as I broke into a sprint.
"Teresa," I whispered as I could also now feel her pain through the bond, desperation clawing at my insides. My mate. My Teresa. My pups. Sothing was terribly wrong.
Behind , Serena called out, her voice trembling with fear. "Lucian, what’s happening?!"
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My focus narrowed to a single purpose: finding Teresa. The forest blurred around as I pushed my new wolf form to its limits, his muscles burning with the effort. My paws barely touched the ground as I tore through the trees, driven by an all-consuming need to protect what was mine.
When I finally burst onto pack lands, my heart sank at the sight before .
Chaos reigned. Wolves were scattered everywhere, their movents frantic. So barked orders, others sniffed at the ground, their noses pressed to the earth as though searching for sothing—or soone. Panic hung thick in the air, suffocating and oppressive.
I threw my head back and let out a deafening growl, the sound raw and commanding. The wolves froze instantly, their wide eyes snapping to , their Alpha. Through the mind link, my voice cut through the silence like a blade. "What’s going on?"
Rylan stepped forward hesitantly. His face was pale, his expression a harrowing mixture of panic and sorrow that sent ice coursing through my veins.
"Rylan," I growled, my voice low and deadly. "What happened?"
Before he could respond, a piercing scream tore through the night, shattering the fragile mont of stillness.
"Leave alone! I have to find her! I have to find Mai!"
The sound of her voice froze . Teresa.
I turned sharply, my wolf form trembling as a wave of fear and fury coursed through . The scene before twisted my stomach into knots: Teresa was out here, at the edge of the woods, her knees buried in the dirt as she clawed at the ground with frantic, trembling hands. Her curly hair hung in tangled strands around her face, which was streaked with dirt and tears. Her eyes—those beautiful eyes that were my sanctuary—were wild with desperation.
She was cradling little Ollie tightly against her chest. Four enforcers surrounded her like a cage, blocking her escape. Her sobs pierced the air, her body trembling violently as she pleaded, her voice raw and broken.
"Please, just let go!" she begged, her tear-streaked face twisted in despair. The sight alone was enough to rip my heart in two.
Without a second thought, I shifted. The pain of transformation was sharp and fast, but I barely registered it. My human form erged, and I sprinted to her stark naked, dropping to my knees beside her trembling fra.
"Teresa," I whispered, my voice soft but strained under the panic clawing at my chest. My hands hovered over her, unsure where to start. "What’s wrong? What happened?"
Her head lifted, her tear-filled eyes locking onto mine. The sheer anguish in her gaze was enough to shatter what little resolve I had left. She reached out, clutching my hand so tightly it hurt.
"Lucian," she choked out, her voice breaking. "Please... bring Mai back. Bring her back to . Mai!" she scread into the woods, her voice raw and broken. "She’s gone! I can’t feel her anymore!"
Gone?
The weight of her words crushed , and I dropped to my knees beside her, grabbing her wrists to still her frantic movents. "Teresa!" I shouted, my voice trembling with the force of my fear. "Look at !"
Her eyes t mine, and the pain I saw there was unbearable.
"She’s gone, Lucian," she whispered again, her voice quaking. "I can’t feel her. Our baby—she’s just gone."
The forest seed to tilt around as the truth of her words sank in. My mind raced, the bond between us straining under the weight of her anguish.
I turned slowly, my fury bubbling to the surface. My eyes locked onto Rylan, standing stiffly nearby, his face pale and his posture tense. My voice ca out low and dangerous, laced with a promise of violence. "What. Happened?"
Rylan swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as the weight of my alpha command pressed down on him. He took a hesitant step back, his voice trembling. "It was Thaddeus," he admitted reluctantly. "The High Priest... He took Mai. While everyone’s attention was on Adrian’s distraction, he infiltrated Teresa’s quarters and—"
I didn’t let him finish. A furious roar tore from my throat, shaking the very ground beneath us. The pack flinched collectively, the sound reverberating through the night.
"Serena!" I bellowed, my eyes snapping to the witch standing nearby. Her expression was one of hesitation and guilt. "Lock her in the cells. Now."
"Lucian, wait! I didn’t..." Serena protested, but I silenced her with a glare sharp enough to cut through steel.
I whirled back to Rylan, my voice cutting through the chaos. "Round up every witch within a mile of this territory. I don’t care how you do it. Bring them to imdiately."
Turning to the rest of the pack, my command thundered through the air. "The rest of you, search the woods. I want every inch scoured. No one sleeps until Mai is found. Do you understand ? No one!"
The pack erupted into action, wolves darting in every direction, their howls echoing into the night.
I turned back to Teresa, my resolve hardening. I knelt once more and pulled her and Ollie into my arms, holding them tightly. Her trembling body leaned into mine, her sobs ripping through .
"I’ll find her," I promised, my voice raw, cracking under the weight of my emotions. "I swear to you, Teresa, I’ll bring Mai back before sunrise."
She clutched tighter, her whispered words like a blade to my heart. "Don’t fail , Lucian."
I pressed a kiss to her forehead, sealing my silent vow, then rose to my feet, my rage simring just below the surface.
As I turned to leave, a figure erged from the shadows, his presence radiating mockery. Adrian,, stood there with his coven flanking him. His infuriatingly calm deanor made my blood boil.
"Fascinating," he chuckled, his voice smooth and venomous. "I never thought werewolf territory would be this easy to upset. By the looks of it, you’ve misplaced sothing... wolf."
My fists clenched so hard my nails bit into my palms. I took a nacing step forward, my growl rumbling deep in my chest. "You’ve got two seconds to explain why you’re here before I rip your throat out."
Adrian smirked, unfazed by my threat. His calmness only stoked my fury. "Let’s not waste ti, pup," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "I told you this wasn’t over. You know exactly why I’m here. And rest assured, I’ll get what I ca for, one way or another. If you’re lucky, I might spare your pack tonight."
His smirk widened as he added, "This ti, though, don’t expect the witches to save you."
The challenge in his voice lit a fire in my veins. Ares and Raivo clawed at the surface, begging for release. My family was in danger, and Adrian had just made my anger a hundred tis worse.
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