Chapter 25
**Zoe**
I step through the portal, my heart pounding in my chest, and run to Ryker, my brother, and Max, our gamma. They’ve been beaten pretty bad. Max, with his piercing brown eyes, sits up and looks at me. “What are you doing here, Zoe? Get out of here now.”
No! I tell him, not until I get you guys out of here safely. We have to hurry before they find out I am here. I untie Ryker and Max and get the portal ready. I tell Ryker to go first, as he has been hurt the most. Before Max and I can step through the portal, we are thrown backwards.
I hit the ground hard, the impact jolting through my body, and saw Max, his muscles tense, trying to fend the men off. But he is outnumbered, and they shoot a dart of something into his neck. He goes down, his body limp, and they put silver cuffs on him, the metal glinting in the dim light. I roll onto my back with a groan, the pain shooting through me, and I look into the eyes of the man I never thought I would see again, the man who haunts my dreams.
“Father,” I manage to utter, my voice barely above a whisper. The shock of seeing him here, in this place, is almost too much to bear.
He looks at Alpha Wyatt and says, " I told you she would come.” His words send a chill down my spine, the unexpected twist of his prediction adding to the tension in the air.
Ugh, this is not how I planned this, Jackson is going to freak out.
**Jackson**
We’ve strategized a way to retrieve Max and Ryker, but my mind is consumed with worry for my mate. I’ve informed the counsel that their permission is not necessary to storm the rogue compound, as they’ve taken a Royal Gamma. I rise from my seat, my heart heavy with concern for her well-being. I know she’s distraught over Ryker’s situation.
I make my way to my room, the tension in the air palpable. I open the door, but I do not see my mate, and I also do not smell her. I look out on the balcony, and she is not there. I yell for Dustin, my voice echoing in the empty room, “Where is my mate?” I growl out. Dustin looks as shocked as I did by this news. “Alpha, she never left the room,” he says, his voice trembling slightly.
I notice a note with my name on it on the bed. My heart starts racing, and I am officially worried. The fear of losing my mate and the uncertainty of her plan grip me as I read the note.
The note tells me what I feared: She is using the portal to save her brother. She outlines her plan. Dustin is mind-linking everyone to get to my room as I read the note. Just as Tyler and Katelynn Walk in, the portal opens. Ryker comes through; he has been hurt. But I am waiting for my mate when the portal suddenly closes. My mate and Max did not come through.
Where is she? I scream as Ryker crumples to the ground. Tyler helps him and asks who did this to you. Ryker actually laughs and says, “Give me one guess.” The old man packs more of a punch than a werewolf.
My heart is racing as I urgently instruct everyone to prepare themselves for tonight. We are embarking on a mission to rescue my mate, and I need all available guards by my side. Eric, Danny, and Jason will also be joining us, all determined to save my mate.
Ryker struggles to sit up, insisting that he is going. Katelynn, hands on her hips, adopts a stern tone, “No, you are not,” she asserts in a voice that brooks no argument. “You can’t even move,” she reminds him.
I warned him that returning you to that place would only undermine the purpose of my mate’s presence there. I regret leaving her alone. The bond she shares with her siblings is unbreakable, a testament to their unwavering loyalty and love for each other.
But once I have her back, I am going to chain her to the bed, and she is never leaving again. I do not know what I will do if I lose her. The thought of never seeing her again is unbearable.
Aliza and Beth Walk in at that moment with Belinda. I was surprised to see Belinda.
“Alpha, I have a crucial idea that could lead us to your mate,” Belinda declares, her tone serious. “But I will need your power,” she emphasizes, underlining the significance of her proposal.
I raise an eyebrow at her. “What’s your idea,” I ask Belinda.
Belinda’s plan hinges on the unique abilities of each of us. With the combination of three witches and a werewolf king, we can manage to enter the Garden of Eve and summon her there. It will hopefully give us a better location. We knew they took them to the rogue compound, but we were not sure where. Ryker said they never moved from the location, so we knew they were still there when Ryker left.