Falling For Storm
Chapter 23

Storm

It was now a little past midnight, and we still hadn’t found Amara. My parents, including our former Gamma and Beta, had traveled to pack lands near our borders to check for clues or to replace out if any of them had seen or noticed anything, while Dakota, Wyatt, Hunter, and I had divided into different search parties, and we’re now leading a group of eight members each. We figured we would be able to cover more areas faster and more effectively this way, rather than sticking together all throughout.

“Make sure to check everything!” I ordered as I pushed myself to run faster than I already was.

“Copy that,” Dakota answered.

I was beyond distressed because I had no clue whether or not she was injured. However, I could still feel that she was alive, and that fueled my hope more than ever, and I’d give anything to see her again.

Her scent was faint everywhere, and it was making everyone go in circles, which I believed was successfully keeping all of us off track if that was indeed the enemy’s plan of attack. However, I had realized that the strongest and most recent scent I had caught was in the direction of the lake, so I dashed through the woods, heading for it, eyeing every shadow, tree, and movement. It had been weeks since I’d been there, and it was making me hope that Amara would miraculously show up at any given time unharmed. This became her favorite place too, despite the fact that the last memory she had of this place was very unpleasant. This was the last area we checked, and if I couldn’t replace her there, then I might possibly go insane with rage.

I stopped right in front of the lake to gather my wits, and the rest of my pack stood quietly behind me as I concentrated harder than before. This had to work, I thought to myself, so I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I called out to her once more, letting her know where I was before letting my alpha senses wash over me like a tidal wave. I stood very still, like a statue, and took a deep, steady breath. I cleared my mind of any other thoughts and focused on one objective and nothing else.

I extended my claws and felt the earth beneath my feet, then I shook my entire body to feel the air ruffle my fur gently. I lifted my head upward and perked up my ears. Since my sense of sight or smell was failing miserably as of the moment, I was going to force my sense of hearing to pick up even the most subtle sound until I was able to hone in on and listen to the single and most important thing. As an alpha, I was able to hear a person’s heartbeat better than anyone else. That said, this was the only thing I needed to capture right now. I memorized every stutter of her heartbeat under different circumstances, and if she was able to recognize my mind link, I would be able to hear her heartbeat rise in response.

I stood there immobilized for minutes, and just when I was about to move to a different location, I heard it. It was faint at first, but steady. It grew louder and louder as I headed towards where the sound was coming from. I reached another clearing near the lake, and I nearly tumbled down at the sight. Eric was carrying her limp body, and he was covered in blood, but whose blood? I growled and howled in fury before baring my fangs, ready to tear him apart and show no mercy. I stalked closer to him like a predator pouncing on its prey, but he stood there unphased and unyielding. It was as if he was daring me to come closer and try to touch him if I could.

“Careful alpha, we don’t want your mate to get hurt now, do we?” he warned coldly, and that made me want to kill him more.

“She is unharmed, just unconscious. I am not your enemy,” he explained.

Like hell, he wasn’t! There was no fucking chance that I was going to let my guard down and agree that he wasn’t my enemy so easily. I knew from the start that there was something odd about him, and I should have listened to my instincts the first time. Judging from his stance alone and how he carried my mate, he was stronger than he looked.

“I’m going to give her to you, but you need to listen to what I have to say,” he explained, and I snarled in response.

No one, especially him, was allowed to give me orders or ask me to calm down. Did the prick think he could order me around just like that? I didn’t think so.

“There are things you don’t know about Amara. I alone will be able to tell you everything, so stand down and listen for a while,” he added, making me more furious.

I wanted to rip him apart, but I also knew that letting my emotions get the best of me wasn’t a smart move. We stared each other down for quite some time, just waiting. There were only two choices here. Either I concede and listen so that he will let Amara go, or I rip him apart and never get to hear what he has to say.

“Should I let him speak?” I asked, linking my Gamma and Beta, who were about to arrive very soon.

“I’d say go for it; once we hear what he has to say, then we can decide what to do with him,” Hunter replied.

“That’s also what I think, plus we have to choose the option in which our Luna is the safest,” Wyatt answered.

I shifted to my human form for communication purposes. I figured that he wouldn’t be able to try anything because he was well surrounded by my pack now.

“If you hand her over to me right now, then I’ll let you speak. If you don’t, I’ll quickly end your life before you can even say the first letter in the alphabet,” I challenged, and he nodded in agreement.

To be honest, I didn’t expect him to agree with that so easily. Let me tell you, he’s got some balls to agree without leverage. This could only mean that he was not shitting his pants, even though he was completely surrounded by my pack.

“Should I come to you or do you want me to lay her on the ground?” he teased and that had my blood boiling.

Who the fuck did he think he was? I didn’t say anything and just strode towards him. He stretched his arms out so he could pass Amara to me, and he carefully deposited her in my arms. He met my gaze with a cold look on his face, and I watched as his eyes turned from blue to black, which confirmed my suspicion that he wasn’t human. Fuck!