Chapter 51 The Road to Charleston

Chapter 51 The Road to Charleston
Cole's Point of View

The growl of the SUV’s engine echoed my mood—low and simmering with restrained fury. A day’s drive to Charleston felt like an eternity. Every kilometre of road we travelled was one less between us and Lucienne, but it didn’t feel fast enough. Every second on the road felt like a century.

My Lycan, Blaine, prowled at the edges of my mind, eager to tear into anyone who had dared harm her. The fact that we had to wait to reach her made my blood boil. Marc sat in the back seat next to me, his posture rigid and his eyes locked on the road ahead, his knuckles white as he gripped the armrest. The fire burning in his amber eyes mirrored my own.

Queen Adriana sat in the front with King Daemon driving, their presence commanding yet oddly comforting. Daemon had been our anchor through this ordeal, his steady voice reminding us that charging in mindlessly would only hurt Lucienne. Gamma Ellis was quiet beside us, his jaw tight as he stared out the window.

Tension crackled in the air, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Marc,” I said, breaking the heavy silence. “When we get her back, she’s not leaving our sight again. Ever.”

Marc turned his head toward me, his expression softening just enough to reveal the pain he was trying to hide. “Agreed. She’s ours to protect, and we failed her once. Never again.”

The weight of his words pressed on my chest. We had both felt it—the hollow ache of her absence, the bond still there but faint, as if she was slipping further away with every passing moment. Blaine growled softly in agreement, his fury a steady undercurrent in my thoughts. I nodded, my fists clenching on my thighs. “Never again, Marc. We’ll make sure of it.”

The tension in the car was unbearable, each second stretching longer than the last. Then, out of nowhere, a faint whisper brushed against my mind. It was as if the universe wanted to remind us how fragile hope was; a strange sensation tugged at the edge of my consciousness. It felt like someone was trying to mind-link us, but the distance made it weak and fragmented. I straightened in my seat, my heart racing.

“Marc,” I said sharply.

“I feel it too,” he replied, his eyes narrowing.

Then, like a beacon in the darkness, her voice broke through.

“Marc? Cole?”

I sat bolt upright, my heart pounding. “Lucienne?” I whispered aloud.

Marc’s head snapped towards me, his eyes wide. “Lucienne!”

Her voice came again, faint and fleeting but unmistakably hers. “Marc? Cole?“

I asked her if she knew where she was being held, desperate for any detail that could help us narrow down her location. But all Lucienne could tell me was that she was underground, locked in a dark, cold cell. The way her voice faltered as she described the damp walls and the oppressive silence made my heart twist painfully. She added that Michaela was helping her, though she didn’t go into detail, likely because she didn’t have the strength to explain further.

Marc and I reassured her as best we could, doing everything in our power to mask the sheer panic and rage simmering just beneath the surface. We told her we were close, estimating we were three, maybe four hours away. I wanted to promise her that we’d be there sooner, that nothing would stop us, but lying to her would only add to the torment she was already enduring.

Hearing her soft, strained voice after so much silence was both a blessing and a curse—it gave us hope, but it also made the distance between us feel insurmountable. Blaine growled low in my mind, his restlessness mirroring my own, while I could sense Cassius radiating the same fiery determination through Marc. We needed to close the gap, and we needed to do it fast.

“Stay strong, Lucienne. We're coming.” Marc mind-linked her before the link faltered, her words cutting off as quickly as they came. Blaine roared in frustration, his claws raking at the edges of my control.

“She’s alive,” I said, my voice rough. “She’s trying to reach us.”

We immediately informed Daemon and Adriana, who exchanged a glance of relief and concern. “If she’s managing to reach out,” Adriana said, her tone thoughtful, “then she’s stronger than we thought. Michaela must be helping her somehow.”

“How?” I demanded. “We couldn’t even sense her wolf. How is she able to reach us?”

Adriana’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Lucienne is descended from Fae, like me. She’s a natural Aether Elementalist, though she hasn’t practised as much as she should. That connection could explain her ability to push through the block.”

Turning to her mate, she commented, “I wonder if she is using her earth elemental powers. Earth magic is strong and could be used to anchor Michaela’s link.”

Daemon nodded, his expression grim. “Once her Lycan awakens fully, she’ll be unstoppable. But until then, we just have to trust in her to keep herself safe.”

Adriana’s voice softened. “Lucienne has always been powerful,” she explained to us. “But she’ll need time to recover. From what we’ve seen, it’s clear that Selene, the Moon Goddess, is continuing to change the supernatural world. First, giving Omegas their wolves, and now… this. It’s a new era.”

I raised a brow. “Do you know how that happened?”

Adriana nodded. “Not really, other than at the Luna’s Grace Festival a little under eighteen years ago. Omegas gaining wolves was only the beginning. Even Lucienne’s nanny, Adele, was a wolfless Omega before the first festival. Now, every Omega child shifts at eighteen. The world is shifting, Cole, and it’s not just Lucienne who’ll lead us into this new age.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. I glanced at Marc, mind-linking him. “This is probably why Ellis doesn’t like Omegas as warriors.”

Marc’s lips twitched into a grim smile. “He’ll have to get over it. If the Royal Pack can train warriors from every rank, then so can we.”

“Do Omega’s train as warriors in the Royal Pack?” I asked Adriana.

She replied, “Yes, they do. Before getting their wolves, they trained in human form for self-defence. Once they were able to shift, they had the option of training to be warriors. They still have to qualify before they become warriors, but they are given the option.”

Ellis stiffened at Adriana’s comments, though he kept silent. Marc smirked, clearly noting his discomfort. “Good,” he mind-linked. “He’s been stuck in his antiquated notions of gender and roles for too long. This might finally shake him out of it.”

The remainder of the journey passed in tense anticipation. Finally, as the lights of Charleston came into view, my phone buzzed. Jeremy’s voice came through the speaker.

“Beatrice’s phone is still active,” Jeremy said, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “She’s using it right now to surf the net. There is no security on her phone whatsoever.” He let out a satisfied chuckle. “Amateur move.”

“What can you do with it?” Marc asked, leaning closer, his voice tight with anticipation.

“More than she’d want me to,” Jeremy replied. “I’ve already triangulated her location to an abandoned warehouse near the docks. But give me a second…” He tapped a few more keys, his grin widening. “There. I’ve installed tracking software on her phone. As long as she doesn’t notice the battery draining faster than usual, we’ll have real-time updates on her location.”

Cole’s eyebrows shot up. “You hacked her phone that fast?”

Jeremy smirked, not looking up from his screen. “Her password was her name backwards. Not exactly Fort Knox. Sending the address now.”

Marc’s growl rumbled low in his chest. “Good. But we’re not waiting blindly until first light. Tonight, we’ll sneak in, recon the area, and confirm the layout. We won’t be able to get eyes on Lucienne because she is underground, but we can see what guards they have posted. Even though they are rogues, we don’t know how organised they might be or if they’re as dysfunctional as we’d expect.”

“We also need to map every exit before we move,” I added.

Daemon nodded in agreement, his expression grim. “After that, we’ll rest for the night, but we’ll be ready. Adriana and I will lead the assault.”

The weight of the plan settled over us as we parked near the outskirts of the city. Marc reached out through the mind-link, testing the waters. He couldn’t sense Lucienne, but her presence felt closer, more tangible.

Then, another faint voice brushed against our minds—Michaela.

“She’s alive,” Michaela said, her voice trembling. “But they’re planning to kill her soon. Rodney whipped her again. She’s hurt, but I’ve given her activated charcoal to help clear the wolfsbane, but they won’t let me give her basic first aid. Her wolf should return soon, but I don’t know how strong she’ll be.”

Marc and I shared a look, our rage burning like wildfire. Cassius and Blaine roared within us, ready to tear apart anyone who had harmed our mate.

Marc’s voice was cold as steel. “Everyone except Michaela dies.”

Daemon’s gaze hardened. “Agreed.”

Adriana placed a hand on her mate’s arm, her expression fierce. “We’ll make them pay.”