Chapter 43 THE HUNT BEGINS

Chapter 43 THE HUNT BEGINS

Dalton's POV

We had forty-eight minutes left, and I was leading fifteen wolves through a forest.

My shoulder burned where Vane had shot me. Dr Reeves said the antidote would stop the poison, but the wound itself would take time to heal.

Joyce ran beside me in wolf form.

"Victoria, status," I spoke into the radio clipped to my jacket.

"The signal is holding steady. Two miles northeast of your position. He has not moved in the last ten minutes."

"Could be a trap."

"Everything about this is a trap. We are just choosing which one to walk into."

Mark appeared from my left. "Found fresh blood trail heading northeast. Maybe fifteen minutes old."

"Human blood?"

"Can't tell. It’s too mixed with gunpowder residue. Looks like someone fired weapons recently."

I looked at Joyce, and her wolf eyes met mine. She knew what I was thinking. We were walking into an ambush, and there was nothing we could do about it.

"Lead the way," I told Mark.

We changed direction.

We were getting deeper into territory that belonged to no one. A perfect place for an ambush.

Another warrior caught up to us. "The trail splits ahead. One path goes to the old logging road and the other heads toward the river."

"Which one has more blood?"

"River path. But the logging road has fresh tyre tracks. Someone drove through there recently."

I stopped, held up my fist, and everyone froze.

"He is splitting our focus, and wants us to choose wrong."

"Joyce." She shifted back and stood there naked and shivering. I gave her my jacket. "What do you think?"

"The river. Vane would not use vehicles because it would be too easy to track them. He wants us to waste time on the logging road while he is somewhere else."

"That is what I thought too."

We moved toward the river.

Mark stopped again. "There is a cabin ahead, and the lights are on."

I saw it through the trees. 

"Spread out. Let's surround it. If anything moves, you call it in before you engage." I looked at each person. "Vane has already killed two people tonight. He will not hesitate to kill more."

They dispersed, but Joyce stayed with me. She had shifted back to wolf form.

"Thirty-five minutes left." Victoria's voice crackled through the radio. "His signal is coming from inside that cabin."

"Copy that."

We approached from the front. I had my gun, which had been loaded with silver bullets, drawn. If Vane was inside, this ended tonight.

The door was unlocked. That should have been my first clue.

I kicked it open and rushed inside. I pulled my gun up and was ready to fire.

But the cabin was empty except for a laptop sitting on a wooden table. The screen showed Vane's face. That same video he had sent earlier was playing on loop.

"Dalton, it is a recording," Joyce said, staring at the screen. "He is not here."

I walked to the laptop. A new message appeared on the screen.

"You are twenty miles away from me, Alpha. But thank you for leaving your pack house so poorly defended."

My blood went cold.

"Everyone back to the vehicles now," I yelled into the radio. "This was a diversion. He is not here."

"Where is he?" Mark appeared in the doorway.

"He is at the pack house."

And so, we ran. 

My phone rang.

"Dalton." Grey’s voice shook. I had never heard my father sound scared before. "The Blackwood Pack just breached our perimeter. They are attacking the pack house right now."

"How many?"

"At least forty wolves. They came from three directions at once. We were not prepared, and most of our fighters are with you."

Gunshots and the sound of broken glass echoed through the phone. 

"Dad, get everyone to the safe room. Lock it down. We are on our way."

"We cannot hold them off that long. There are too many and are tearing through our defences like paper."

I heard more gunshots, and the sound was closer this time.

"Dalton, they are inside the house. They are inside, and we cannot stop them."

The line went dead.

I ran faster.

I saw the lights of Pine Ridge in the distance.

Then I saw smoke.

The pack house was burning.

"No," Joyce whispered.

We hit the tree line at full speed. The pack house came into view.

The east wing of the house burned furiously.

There were at least thirty of Blackwood wolves.

My father stood on the front steps with ten defenders. Blood covered his face. 

I shifted mid-run, which made my clothes tear. 

I hit the first Blackwood wolf at full speed. We went down in a tangle of fur and fangs.

I tore his throat out before he could recover.

The pack ran past me.

Mark went for the largest Blackwood fighter. They collided like freight trains.

I fought my way toward my father. Three Blackwood wolves blocked my path.

I took the first one down with a slash across his eyes. The second got his jaws around my front leg.

I twisted and broke free. Blood poured from the wound, but I kept moving.

The third wolf was faster. He dodged my attack and went for my throat.

Joyce intercepted him. She caught his neck in her jaws and crushed down.

He dropped.

We reached my father together. He collapsed against the steps. "They came out of nowhere."

"Where is Mom?"

"She is in the dining hall with the others."

Part of the roof collapsed inward. 

"We have to get everyone out," I said through the pack link.

Joyce nodded. "I will go."

"No, it is too dangerous."

"Your father needs you out here. I can do this."

Before I could argue, she ran toward the burning building.

My heart stopped. I wanted to chase her, but another wave of Blackwood wolves hit our line.

I had no choice, so I turned and fought.

The battle was chaotic. 

Then I heard the scream.

Joyce.

I spun toward the pack house. 

And Joyce was inside.

I ran. Mark called after me, but I did not stop.

The front door was blocked by dust. I went through a side window.

I could barely see.

"Joyce!"

There was no answer.

I pushed deeper into the building. The floor was hot under my paws. Ceiling beams cracked overhead.

I found her in the dining hall.

She stood in human form surrounded by fifteen pack members.

They huddled behind her as she faced down three Blackwood wolves that had breached the barricade.

"Get out of here," she told the pack members. "Go through the kitchen."

They ran.

The Blackwood wolves advanced. Joyce had no weapon, and she was still in human form.

I shifted back. "Joyce, shift now."

"I cannot. The children are too scared."

The lead Blackwood wolf lunged.

Joyce dodged, but his claws raked her side.

She screamed.

I threw myself between them and punched the wolf's jaw. 

The other two jumped me, and their teeth sank into my back.

Joyce shifted then. She tore one wolf off me and slammed him into the wall.

I grabbed the second wolf by the throat and squeezed until he stopped moving.

The lead wolf recovered. He circled us both, as blood dripped from his mouth.

Behind him, the ceiling began to collapse.

"We need to move," I said.

Joyce grabbed my hand, and we ran.

The ceiling came down where we had been standing.

We made it to the kitchen. The back door stood open. 

We stumbled outside into the snow.

The pack members were safe. Victoria was with them, organising an evacuation.

I collapsed. My back was on fire.

Joyce knelt beside me. Tears streaked her face. "You are hurt."

"I will heal."

"Dalton."

"I will heal."

But I was not sure I would. The wolf bites were deep, and silver residue still poisoned my system from earlier.

Joyce pressed her hands against my back, trying to stop the bleeding.

Mark appeared. "Blackwood retreated."

"Casualties?"

"Seven dead, twelve wounded, and the pack house is a total loss."

Seven dead, because I had left them undefended.

My phone buzzed. 

"What?"

Vane's voice came through. "Merry Christmas, Alpha. Did you enjoy my present? Oh, and one more thing. Your mate Joyce is not the only leverage I have. Check your messages."

The line went dead, and a text appeared.

It showed my mother tied to a chair in a dark room and a text. 

"You have twelve hours to bring me Joyce, or your mother dies. Come alone to the coordinates I am sending, or I start sending you pieces of her."