CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Dante brought out the map he had brought out from his father's old study in the house they lived in before he died.

Many things were running through his mind as he went over it with one of the men who knew everything about the territory.

“Here's the main pack prison, it's usually over packed as he's always punishing people. So I guess we get there and ask questions?”

“That will definitely not work. We don't have enough men to attempt a prison break. If we do that, we'll become prisoners as well.” He said, thinking of how to approach this.

“Black, any ideas?” He asked his wolf who was quieter than usual.

There was no response. Dante knew he was fucked. His wolf was supposed to scent her out but with him being out of commission, there was very little he could do.

“But Alpha, instead of asking anyone anything, you could scent her out. If you ask me, I doubt he'll keep her in such a place. He hated your mate with a different level of hatred. She was the only one who had put a dent in his plans in all the years, even the Alpha King couldn't find him.” Another one of them said, coming to the map.

“You have a point but I want to tell you something. My wolf has been poisoned and he's not going to be able to help much today. So this mission is the biggest test of loyalty I could ever give anyone of you. Some are going to the main holding cell, and the rest will head to the underground dungeon.”

“Underground? They don't have any underground dungeon Alpha”

“They do. That was where the former owner of this pack kept women he molested at will. My father dethroned him. Now that I think of it, maybe Jethro is related to him. An apple doesn't fall far from its tree, they say.”

“So you are not coming with us?” The first wolf asked.

“Well, except you want me to get killed, I'll have to stay here till you rescue her. She's your Luna and you will feel the connection to her the moment you set your eyes on her.” He told them, feeling a sharp pain hit his chest like he had been struck with a shard of glass. He doubled over in pain, his wolf feeling the worst of it.

“Alpha, is there anything we can do to help? I don't think leaving you here helpless is a better option.” Terrence said, coming closer to inspect him.

“I'll hide here and communicate with you if I see anything. I'll be okay.”

“Okay, let's divvy up ourselves and get to work. She must escape that hellhole today.” They all gathered together, not noticing the hawk that had been calling their attention for the last fifteen minutes.

***

“When my father worked here thirty years ago, he came back to our pack and told me about the terrible things their Alpha was doing to his female wolves.” The man told them as he took them down a winding path.

He got to a dark part of the path, he opened a flap and they saw a latch and he pulled it inwards. It opened a tunnel.

“My mother gave him the advice to build this to help women escape. But he instructed them to not run away all at once. If he found out about this, he would close it down and find somewhere else to keep them, meaning that there will be no escape anymore. Every week, we received a new woman until Alpha Night came to their rescue”

“I think that's my mate's father,” Taylor replied weakly.

“I hear footsteps but I'm seeing nobody. Someone find them now or many of you will cease to breathe!” Jethro roared from the other side of the wall.

“Shit, we have to be more quiet” Damian whispered, hurrying them along the moldy path.

They had gone quite a distance when they heard a terrifying sentence.

“Master, come see. I think there's a tunnel here.”

***

Dante had finished dividing the group into two with each squad having men from the Blood Stone Pack when he finally noticed the cawing bird.

He paused and looked at it, noticing its eyes. This made him pause.

“Wait,” he made them all pause, “is it me or is that bird trying to tell me something?” He asked out loud. The hawk nodded excitedly, finally getting the attention he had been begging for.

“Alpha, I think it wants us to follow it”

“But what if it leads us to a trap?” One of the men asked.

“Well, from whatever angle we look at it, this mission has that possibility in every way. I say we give it a try, see what it's all about. But we don't all go at once.” Dante said.

“Alright Alpha, I'll go with you” Said Terrence and ten others joined them.

The rest stayed hidden in the caves around the territory, trying to remain inconspicuous.

The rest filed after the strange bird as it flew to the other side of the pack.

***

Damian had no option but to carry Taylor as she was obviously too weak and if they walked any slower, they would definitely be caught.

The man changed into his wolf and went ahead, following different openings in the tunnel which were made to confuse anyone who didn't know how to navigate it.

But this tactic was of no use as Jethro had thousands of wolves at his disposal and sent more men timo each tunnel, some in wolf forms and others in human form.

“But how will we find Dante when we get to the other side? What if he's already looking for us in the pack?” Taylor asked worriedly.

“Don't worry about that. My birds have gotten through to him. We're nearly there, I can feel the air feel lighter. This tunnel must have been closed for a while.” He said, increasing his speed as they ran towards the exit.

“They are here!” They heard just as they got to the last tunnel, the wolf shifting back to his human form and opening the latch.

“Quick, get out so you can escape”

“What do you mean by that? You are coming with us or I'm not leaving” Taylor said, realizing the man wanted to sacrifice himself for their escape.

“Someone needs to lock it back so you can escape!”

“That makes no sense, they will kill you and open it up, stop arguing and get out now!” She roared, her strength coming back up with the adrenaline rush.

The man had no choice but to jump out of the tunnel.

Damian pushed Taylor out and was about to come out when one of the feral wolves bit his ankle.

“We've got one!” They screamed back to their master.

***

Dante’s wolf had been unable to find the energy to resist the poison as their journey progressed but he smelt that wonderful scent that he had missed so much and he raised his head up in Dante's mind.

“Black? Are you alright? We're following a bird, I don't know why I always make terrible decisions when you are not with me” he said dejectedly, already feeling stupid for whatever he was doing, following a random bird with his men.

“I can smell her” Black managed to say

“Where? Are you serious? Can you take over? She might be trying to run and you know she can't shift.”

“But I don't know if I can but I'll try.”

***

Taylor saw her mate in the distance, stuck at an awkward angle, trying to change so he could get to her.

“What is wrong with him?” She said out loud, trying to help the wolf who she had no idea what his name was as he attempted dislodging Damian's feet from the feral that had his teeth clamped around his feet.

Then she remembered her blood was magical.

“I'm so stupid, stepback” she commanded.

“What? Why will I do that?”

“Just listen to her man, I can't take this anymore.” Damian growled.

Taylor bit her arm, blood streaming out of her arm. She then opened the hatch properly, spraying the blood all over the tunnel. They heard a loud shriek and Damian's foot was finally free.

“Here, hold my shoulder.” The other man said as they ran to the other party.

“Dante!” She screamed the moment she laid her eyes on him.