73
73
Connor's POV
The air was stifling in the council chamber. All the voices around me started to meld together into this one loud hum of accusations, ideas, and blame. I sat at the head of the table, my hands clasped over the armrests of my chair so tightly that my knuckles had turned white.
"Connor, do something!" one of the elders called out, his fist reaching the table. "We cannot just let this traitor walk around us. Sophia may have run away, but someone in this room is aiding her."
"She is still in the pack borders!" another shouted, shaking with anger.
"She is not alone," said a third. "The messenger was clear, Sophia has accomplices, and one of them is right here."
I stared at the grain of the wooden table, their words bouncing off me like rain against stone. My thoughts were elsewhere. My son. Val. My little boy, missing, taken away by a monster I couldn't even name. And Aria…was she safe? Was she well?
Connor," Liam's voice cut through the din, soft and yet firm. "Look at me."
I looked up to him then, my eyes heavy with grief and guilt. To my right sat Liam, my oldest and most trusted friend, a great warrior. His expression was steady, even with a calm I could hardly aspire to reach, no matter how much effort I made.
They're safe now," he said softly, leaning in close so only I could hear him. "Aria and the others, they're safe. We found someone to guide them, someone we can trust. You don't have to concern yourself about them right now."
"How can't I?" I whispered hoarse. "My son is missing, Liam. My son.
"And we'll find him," Liam said with conviction. "But sitting here and tearing yourself apart won't help him. You need to focus. You're the Alpha. Your pack needs you."
The words struck a chord deep within me, but it was faint, buried beneath layers of self-loathing.
The debate raged on, their voices ebbing and flowing in heated waves. Ideas were thrown out like careless daggers: interrogate everyone, force truth serums, constant surveillance.
"Enough," I said, my voice slicing through the chaos like a blade.
The room fell silent; all eyes swung to me.
"I've heard all your suggestions," I said, my voice heavy with authority. "But right now, I need to clear my head. I'll return shortly."
Before anyone could object, I stood and left the chamber, the weight of their stares burning into my back.
Cool forest air slapped me like a balm, soothing the storm inside. I ripped my clothes off, leaving them in a heap at the bottom of a tree, as I took a deep breath and let my wolf have its head.
It was a seamless shift, comforting familiarity amidst chaos. All my senses sharpened at once: the rustling of leaves, the faraway hooting of an owl, the faint smell of damp earth.
I started running, my paws pounding against the ground, dodging trees. The forest was my sanctuary, a place where my emotions could run wild with no fear of judgment.
But even then, running, my mind wouldn't shut up.
This is all my fault.
If only I was stronger, faster, smarter, it wouldn't have happened at all. Val would be safe, Aria would be safe, and Sophia…
Sophia.
Her name was a bitter taste in my mouth. All those years, she had been a part of my life-a continuing factor since our childhood. I had once trusted her, believed in her. And now, she had betrayed everything that I stood for.
But why?
A smell halted my movements. My ears pricked and my nose twitched as I tried to place it.
It was faint, almost smothered from the nose by the scents of the forest, but there - blood, sweat, fear, and that uniquely familiar underlying scent.
The scent kept me running, my heartbeat growing louder in my head as the path took deeper treads into the thick of the woods, heavy trees shading it dark with menace.
And then I saw them.
Wolves. A circle formed with one small figure in its core on the ground, fur matted, eyes staring in some crazed appeal against fate. And bloody, a pure white coat turned pink with blood.
My wolf growled low in my throat, and the sound rumbled through the trees like thunder.
The rogues turned to face me, their eyes narrowing as they sized me up. They didn't back down.
Fools.
I launched myself at the nearest, my teeth sinking into its shoulder. It yelped in pain, trying to twist away, but I held firm, shaking it like a ragdoll before throwing it aside.
The others attacked at once, their claws and teeth flashing in the dim light. But I was faster, stronger, angrier. One by one, I sent them fleeing into the night, their tails between their legs.
When the last rogue had disappeared, I turned my attention to the injured wolf. She was trembling, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps.
Sophia," I stammered, the word falling from my lips in shock.
I moved closer, and she began to shift back. Her body twisted and contorted until she was lying before me in human form, her once-beautiful features pale and streaked with blood.
"Connor," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I knelt beside her, my wolf receding as panic took over. "Sophia, what the hell is going on?"
"They…" She coughed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "They're using me…as bait…to get to you."
Her words sent a chill down my spine.
Sophia, stay with me," I said, pushing my hands into her wounds to slow the bleeding. "We'll get you back to the pack. The doctor will”
"No," she cut in, her head weakly shaking. "It's too late for me."
"Don't say that," I snapped, my voice cracking. "You're not dying, do you hear me? You're not.
She reached up, her bloodstained hand trembling as it touched my cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"For what?" I asked, my throat tightening.
"For everything," she said, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I didn't want this…any of this. I just wanted…"
Her voice trailed off, her eyes fluttering shut.
"No," I said, shaking her gently. "Sophia, open your eyes. Stay with me.
Her lips moved one final plea. "Help me, Connor."
And then she was gone.
I sat there in the silence, her body cradled in my arms, my mind a whirlwind of emotion.