True Luna: The Darkness Within (The White Wolf Series Book 5)
True Luna: The Darkness Within: Chapter 9

Alexander’s POV

I was trying to break through a tangled mess of overgrown bush when I got a mind-link from one of my warriors stationed in the forest.

Mind-link didn’t work long-distance so we had to improvise. Phones weren’t an option. There was no signal in the forest so we stationed a warrior every couple of miles so we could be in constant communication with my parents. Jack was one of the three warriors stationed around the forest whose job was to transfer messages between us and my family. He was stationed on the outskirts of The Howling Woods.

Your father wants you to come home, Alpha Alexander. Jack mind-linked me.

I stopped moving, making everyone look at me.

Why? I asked as my heart raced. Did they replace her?

Oh, Goddess, please.

There was a moment of silence before Jack responded.

No, Alpha. He said, making my heart break even more. But they have relevant information and your father wants you to come home.

I growled. We just started. We barely entered The Howling Woods. I wasn’t going back just because he had relevant information.

Tell him that I am not coming back. I growled through the mind-link. He can tell me the information over the mind-link.

“What is going on, Alex?” Jake asked, making me look at him.

My dad wants us to go back. I mind-linked him. He says that he has relevant information.

Jake’s eyes widened a little.

Hunter shifted back into his human form and grabbed the short sweats that were tied around his ankle.

“What is going on?” he asked as he put the shorts on. “Why did you stop moving?”

We are not going back. Mason growled, making me glance at him.

Good. He was all caught up.

“Logan wants us to retreat,” Jake answered Hunter’s question. “He says that he has some new information.”

Unless he knows where she is and wants us to go there instead, I am not going home. I said through the mind-link with Jake, Mason, and Jack.

Agreed. Mason added.

“Does he know where she is?” Hunter asked, his eyes widening a little.

Your father doesn’t know her whereabouts. Jack mind-linked us.

“No,” Jake answered. “He didn’t tell us what they found out.”

Hunter furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his fists.

“I am not going back then,” Hunter said angrily. “I am continuing and I am going to replace her.”

Tell my dad that we aren’t going back. I mind-linked Jack.

I turned back around and continued to push through the forest. Not being able to run frustrated me so fucking much. There were a lot of fallen trees blocking our paths, but the worst of all were these overgrown, dense bushes and roots that kept getting in our way. We had to stop running every now and then and break through the obstacles using our teeth or our paws.

Alpha, your father insists. Jack mind-linked me, making me stop again. He says it’s dangerous to continue.

I growled again. I knew it was dangerous. This part of the forest was always dangerous. I didn’t give a shit, though. I would go in there no matter what. I had to replace her.

Tell him that I don’t fucking care. I growled at Jack.

“Logan insists that we go back,” Jake sighed, making Hunter growl.

“Why?” Hunter asked. “He needs to tell us what the fuck happened if he wants us to go back.”

I turned around and started pulling on the roots with my teeth. I was frustrated and scared. I needed to continue, not go back.

The information is too sensitive to be said through the mind-link. Jack said, making me stop.

Mason growled and shifted back into his human form. He pulled the sweats on and looked at me.

“We are not going back,” Mason said angrily.

No. I answered through the mind-link.

I wasn’t going to shift back. I needed to stay in my wolf form in case a rogue attacked us.

Tell my uncle that we aren’t going back. Mason said through the mind-link. Not unless they know where she is.

“Maybe they found out who took her,” Jake said.

“We already know that,” Mason mumbled, glancing at Hunter.

Hunter growled and clenched his fists.

“Don’t look at me like that, Mason,” Hunter said angrily. “I will be the first one to dig my claws into his flesh. He took my mate.”

Mason sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I know,” Mason mumbled. “I am sorry. I am just scared and angry.”

Hunter tightened his jaw and gave him a small nod.

“I understand,” he mumbled. “I am scared as well. I am…”

Hunter continued talking, but I ignored him because Jack mind-linked me.

Alpha, your father says that Sophia lost the battle with darkness. Jack said and I could hear the worry in his voice.

My heart fucking stopped beating.

What?

That meant that she was dead, didn’t it? The darkness was always trying to kill her. Did it succeed?

Axel whined loudly, making Jake, Mason, and Hunter look at me.

I shifted back into my human form and fell to my knees. The feel I felt made my legs feel like jello. I couldn’t stand on my own two feet. I couldn’t feel anything except pain.

No. She couldn’t be dead. She wasn’t dead.

“Alex!” Mason screamed as he threw himself next to me.

He made me lean on him a little. He looked up and down my body, searching for any injuries. Jake shifted into his wolf form and stood in front of us protectively.

They thought that I had been hurt.

Is she alive? I screamed through the mind-link with Jack.

“What happened?!” Hunted shouted as he kneeled in front of me.

He looked terrified.

She is alive, Alpha. Jack mind-linked me. But your parents don’t know what to expect now that she is consumed by darkness. They don’t want you to go unprepared.

Consumed by darkness.

Jack’s words made my stomach turn.

No. Please, Goddess no.

“Alex!” Hunter screamed, grabbing my face and making me look at him. “What the fuck happened?!”

I tightened my jaw and tried to take a deep breath.

“The darkness took over her,” I mumbled, making Mason gasp loudly.

Hunter’s eyes widened and he removed his hands from my face. Jake shifted back and stared at me wide-eyed and terrified.

“What?” Hunter mumbled, his voice breaking.

“The darkness took over her,” I repeated, feeling my heart break into a million tiny pieces.

Was she hurt? Was she scared? How the hell did she survive it? What would happen to her? Would she remember me? Would she be able to control it? Would it hurt her?

I had so many questions and not a single fucking answer. I felt a surge of anger so strong that I could rip apart the forest around me with one single stroke.