Chapter 0030

Alexander

Athena had fallen asleep during the drive back. I watched her shoulders tremble with silent sobs, her back turned to me the entire time. I remained quiet, unsure how to comfort her. Even Titan seemed lost for words.

I carried her inside, cradling her carefully. She didn't stir as I laid her on the bed. Her face was flushed and tear-streaked even in sleep.

'Do you think she's mourning him?' Titan wondered.

I don't know. She claimed to feel nothing. Perhaps it's a delayed reaction from the binding breaking.

'We should tell her she's our mate. We can claim her now that she's free of that bastard.'

No. That's the last thing she needs to hear right now.

I removed her boots gently. She instinctively curled into a fetal position, emitting that soft snuffling sound she always makes in her sleep.

I watched over her for several minutes until Sebastian's link came through. 'We need to talk immediately!'

His urgency suggested the hunting party had found something significant.

'My office,' I linked back.

'Meet me outside. We'll arrive in ten minutes.'

'What's that about?' Titan questioned when Sebastian ended the link.

'We'll find out soon enough,' I snapped back.

After one final check on Athena, I descended the stairs and exited the house. A convoy of vehicles arrived moments later, forming a protective barrier that blocked the view from the rest of the pack.

Sebastian jumped from the lead vehicle that stopped directly before me.

"Did you locate them?" I demanded. He shook his head.

"Not exactly." Sebastian scanned our surroundings. "Where's Athena?"

"Asleep."

He nodded sharply and yanked open the rear door of his SUV. He dragged out a naked man by his ankles, dumping him unceremoniously onto the snow-covered ground. The man's wrists and legs were bound with thick ropes. A heavy metal chain coiled around his neck. He appeared only half-conscious, covered in blood and mud that obscured his features.

"You brought me a naked man?" I remarked dryly. "He's not really my type."

Sebastian shook his head and grabbed the chain's end. He kicked the prone figure. "Show him!"

Other pack members stepped forward, all holding similar chains. Was this naked man some powerful wolf I didn't recognize? That seemed impossible.

The man simply lay there, staring dazedly at the starry sky. After several seconds, we heard his bones cracking. We watched his limbs elongate, snapping the ropes that restrained him. Patches of fur sprouted across his body. But he didn't shift into a wolf. He transformed into the same type of beast that had attacked my men.

Sebastian signaled his men forward. They quickly secured chains around the beast's legs.

"Where did you find it?" I demanded, studying the creature with my crimson gaze. It matched the description of our previous attacker exactly.

"During the hunt for Dominic and Victoria. This one was hiding in a tree."

The beast remained sprawled in the snow, still somewhat disoriented.

"In a tree?" Titan murmured.

I shared his surprise. Wolves don't climb trees.

"Haven't you noticed the other thing?" Sebastian asked.

I examined the beast more closely and realized it had no scent whatsoever. Not even the faintest trace of body odor.

"How is that possible?"

Sebastian delivered another kick to the creature. "This one either fell from the tree, or the branch couldn't support its weight. It landed right in front of us. If it hadn't, we would never have detected its presence, Alexander. When shifted, these things can literally hide in plain sight."