Find her

Killian Pov

The metallic tang of blood still lingered in the air as we finished off the last of the rogues. Too easy. The thought nagged at me like a splinter beneath my skin. My wolf, Atlas, paced restlessly within, his golden eyes scanning the tree line through mine. Something wasn't right.

The evening air hung heavy with autumn's chill, and despite the dozen guards positioned around the pack house's perimeter, unease crept up my spine like frost on a window pane. I tried to focus on the rhythmic beating of River's heart through our mate bond – the constant melody that had become my anchor since we found each other.

That's when I felt it.

The first wave of fear crashed through our bond like ice water in my veins. River's terror, sharp and raw, flooded my senses. My knees nearly buckled under the weight of her emotion. Atlas howled within me, clawing to break free, to reach her.

Then, like a candle being slowly snuffed out, our bond began to dim. The vibrant connection that usually pulsed with life and warmth started to fade, growing distant and cold. My heart stuttered in my chest as panic seized me. This couldn't be happening. A mate bond doesn't just… disappear.

I whirled around to face my father and James, River's grandfather. Their expressions mirrored the horror I felt as they picked up on my distress. The word scraped past my throat like broken glass.

"River."

We moved as one, our wolves surging forward in a desperate race toward the pack house. The guards' startled shouts faded behind us as we tore through the forest. Branches whipped at my face, but I barely felt the sting. All I could focus on was the weakening pulse of our bond, like a dying heartbeat.

The rogues hadn't been the real threat – they were the distraction. And we'd fallen for it completely.

As the pack house came into view, the last whisper of our bond slipped through my fingers like smoke. The building stood silent, its windows dark and empty. River's scent, usually so strong and sweet, was tainted with fear and something else… something foreign.

They had taken my mate, and they would pay in blood.

The mansion's walls trembled with my rage, my wolf clawing beneath my skin as River's grandmother collapsed into heaving sobs. The scent of her fear and despair filled the room like toxic smoke, choking us all. James held her frail shoulders, but his attempts at comfort seemed hollow in the face of our failure.

"Alpha Caden took her." Amelia's words hit me like physical blows, each syllable driving home how spectacularly I had failed to protect River. The rag she held, damp with wolfbane, mocked me with its innocent appearance. My mind raced with images of River – unconscious, vulnerable, in the hands of that monster.

The underground tunnels. Of course. The revelation that such a network existed beneath our feet made my blood run cold. How many nights had we slept above these secret passages, oblivious to the danger lurking below? Jacob's admission that Caden had built them years ago only fueled my fury. These weren't just passages; they were predator's paths, laid in wait for precisely this moment.

"Find them!" I commanded, my Alpha voice resonating through the building's foundation. Royal guards scattered like startled ravens, their boots thundering against marble floors as they rushed to search every tunnel entrance. But each second that ticked by was another second River spent in Caden's clutches.

The grandmother's crying had quieted to whimpers, but each small sound was like a knife to my conscience. I had promised to protect River, had sworn she would be safe here. Now the very ground beneath our feet had betrayed us, opening its mouth to swallow her whole.

My wolf paced restlessly within, demanding action, demanding blood. The scent trail was already growing cold, dispersing into the stale underground air. But I would find her. I had to find her. The alternative was unthinkable.

"Alpha," James spoke softly, his eyes reflecting my own desperate rage, "the eastern tunnels lead to the old hunting grounds."

I didn't wait for more information. My body was already moving, shifting, bones cracking and reforming as my wolf took control. Caden may have built these tunnels, may have planned this abduction meticulously, but he had forgotten one crucial detail: no one takes what belongs to a King and lives to tell about it.

The hunt was on, and this time, I was the predator.

My heart pounds against my ribcage like a trapped animal as I stand at the forest's edge, the scent of exhaust fumes mixing with the earthy smell of disturbed soil. The tunnel entrance mocks me – a gaping wound in the earth that took River from me. Her scent still lingers here, laced with fear and something metallic that makes my wolf howl in rage.

The tire tracks cut deep into the soft ground, telling their damning story. West. They went west. But the trails might as well lead to nowhere once they hit the asphalt of Route 27, where hundreds of vehicles blur any hope of tracking. My claws threaten to break through as I clench my fists, fighting to maintain control.

"Alpha!" Marcus calls from behind me, his voice tight with urgency. "We've split into four teams, covering all major routes heading west. But…" He hesitates, and I smell his anxiety.

"But what?" I growl, turning to face him.

"The rain's coming. Within the hour, any scent trails will be gone."

The sky above confirms his warning – dark clouds rolling in like harbingers of doom. I've never felt so helpless, so utterly powerless. River is out there, my mate, probably terrified and wondering why I haven't found her yet. The bond between us pulses weakly, telling me she's alive but growing more distant with each passing minute.

Back at the pack house, maps cover every surface as we frantically plot possible routes and safe houses where they might have taken her. My beta, Carter, coordinates with neighboring packs, but I barely hear his words over the roaring in my ears. Time is slipping through my fingers like sand.

"Moon Goddess," I whisper, pressing my forehead against the cool glass of the window, watching the first raindrops fall. "Protect her. Give her strength. Help me find my way back to her."

The bond flutters again, weaker this time, and my wolf whimpers. Somewhere out there, beyond the sheets of rain now obscuring the forest, River needs me. And I swear by everything sacred, I will tear this world apart piece by piece until I find her.

I just pray she can hold on long enough for me to make good on that promise.

The relentless drumming of rain against my office window mirrors the pounding in my chest. Each drop is a mockery, a reminder of my failure to protect River. My hands tremble as I grip the edge of the mahogany desk, my knuckles turning white with strain. The untouched coffee my mother brought grows cold, its aroma mixing with the musty scent of desperation that fills the room.

My wolf paces beneath my skin, clawing to break free, to hunt, to kill. Alpha Caden's face burns in my mind like a brand of shame. The mere thought of him sends a surge of rage through my body so intense that the wood beneath my fingers splinters.

Then it happens – a whisper, so faint it could be my imagination playing cruel tricks. But no, this is different. This is her. My barriers crash down instantly, my mind reaching desperately into the void where our link usually burns strong.

"…van…cabin…" River's voice comes through like static on a dying radio. My heart nearly stops. Her fear bleeds through our connection, making my wolf howl in anguish. I can feel her pain, her confusion, the cold terror gripping her.

"Hold on, my love. I'm coming," I project with every ounce of strength I possess. "Keep fighting. Stay strong." My words chase through the fragile connection, hoping they reach her.

"Killian…" Her voice breaks, a sob carrying across our bond. "Please save me…" Then silence. Devastating, crushing silence.

"RIVER!" I roar, both mentally and physically, surging to my feet. The chair crashes behind me as panic claws at my throat. The coffee cup shatters on the floor, brown liquid seeping into the carpet like blood.

"Get me Alpha Jacob! NOW!" The words tear from my throat, causing my guard to jump. He disappears instantly, knowing better than to hesitate when I use that tone.

My claws emerge unbidden, scoring deep grooves in the desk's surface. The rain continues its mocking rhythm, but now it's background noise to the mantra in my head: Find her. Save her. Kill Caden.

The hunt is on, and this time, there will be no mercy