Chapter 95 Hunt Him Down pt 1
Duncan
We walked back to the pack house in silence, the weight of the morning heavy on our shoulders. While we made sure that all who faced justice were guilty, the sheer number of those executed took its toll. Add to that the fact that none of us has had any sleep in the past twenty-four hours, and it’s no wonder we all look exhausted.
We entered the common room to see the fire in the hearth, its orange glow and inviting warmth pulling us inside. Empty mugs sat scattered around, remnants of lukewarm coffee that did little to hold back the exhaustion. The list of tasks ahead of us meant that sleep was a far-off daydream. While it wouldn’t be the first time that any of us had gone without sleep, it didn’t make it any easier.
“King Cian, Alpha Duncan, Prince Gideon. We’ve prepared some breakfast in the dining hall. It’s not much, but…” The omega who approached spoke softly, eyes downcast and head canted to the side in respect.
Cian looked at her, then reached out and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Thank you. What’s your name?”
“Jayna, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Jayna. We appreciate the effort. We’ll be in shortly.” She nodded and then turned away at his dismissal. There was something that looked like pride in his eyes when he turned to us. “Even after everything, there is still strength in this pack.”
Gideon’s eyes trailed after her as she walked back towards the dining hall. “That strength is what will get them through the next months. They’re going to need it.”
“I know, son. And we need to get started on what that looks like, but first, let’s get some food.”
After a simple and quick breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, we each thanked the omegas before heading back to the destroyed Alpha’s office. “Well, this is really the best place to work from, but what a mess.” I looked over the space from my position in the doorway, the flashes of memories that I’d gotten earlier teasing me. “There’s nothing for it. Let’s get this cleared out and then get a new desk in place.”
It must have looked odd to anyone who walked past—the King, Prince, and an Alpha doing manual labor in cleaning out the space—but it felt good to be doing something constructive after the past day. Gideon took over clearing out the main debris from the desk while Cian began salvaging what he could of the scattered paperwork. I headed for the seating area, intending to clear out the broken table and couch there. As soon as I leaned down and picked up a plank of splintered wood, my vision blurred.
Alpha Brian accepted possession of Luna Claire and Amelia, then left with the women and his guards. Alpha James and Tobias stood amidst the destruction of the office, discussing where to go and what to do next, when Alpha James told Tobias they were going to Bloodraven Coven. Tobias flew into a rage, upending the table in the conversation area.
“Why in the world would we go to the vamps for sanctuary?” he demanded.
“Who do you think buys most of our omegas? King Mikhail is our biggest customer. We can go there, hide until things calm down here. They’ll take the million for protecting us, I’m sure of it. Especially if we promise them the rest of the omegas in the pack once we return, no charge.”
“And what if the King really comes? What then?”
“I’ve left Beta George to handle it. He’ll be the one caught here to take the fall. We slip out of the coven once we’re sure everyone is preoccupied elsewhere, then start over in one of the other kingdoms.”
James threw more papers into the fire raging in the hearth. “It’s our best chance. Duncan has Seren, so it’s only a matter of time.”
When my eyes cleared, I looked up to see Gideon and Cian watching me. “What did you see?” Gideon asked.
“James and Tobias sold Claire and Amelia to Alpha Brian. Then they left for Bloodraven Coven. James named someone—King Mikhail—as his best customer when it comes to the trafficking operation. Claims they’d offer sanctuary for a price.”
“Who the fuck is King Mikhail?” Gideon blurted.
“No one that I’ve ever heard of. We’ll need to contact King Dorian and see what he has to say on the matter. Taking sanctuary within a vampire coven certainly complicates things,” Cian said. Just as he went to say more, his phone rang. My father’s name flashed across the screen.
“Good morning, Aidan.”
“Your Majesty. I’m hoping you have a moment.”
“I do. Gideon and Duncan are with me; should I put this on speaker?” It was a courtesy more than anything. With our wolf hearing, both Gideon and I could hear the conversation clearly from where we were standing.
“You may as well. None of you are going to be happy about what I need to share. First, how are things there?”
“Contained. Executions took place this morning, including Beta George’s, in front of the remaining pack. We found over a hundred omegas and low-ranking warriors trussed up like livestock, waiting to be sold. We’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do, and at least two leads on where to look next thanks to your son.”
“Well, I suppose that’s the best scenario we could have hoped for. Casualties on our side?”
“Minor injuries, mostly. A few major injuries that should be fully healed within the next day or two. No deaths.”
“Good, good.” The sounds of paper rustling and fidgeting came through the line.
“Dad, you’re stalling.” My voice, tight with frustration, hung in the air. The silence in the room was thick, a heavy blanket. I could feel the tension like a prickling sensation on my skin. Something had clearly happened, and we were impatient, hearts pounding, to hear the details.
“I’m going to start off by saying that Seren is fine. So don’t go flying off the hook, son. She’s perfectly okay and had a nice evening with the rest of the women last night. But…” He cleared his throat. “They left the pack yesterday to go to the Oakhaven Mall for Seren’s Luna Ceremony dress and some other shopping. There was an incident.”
“What kind of incident?” I ground out. Conn was pacing in my head.
“Someone grabbed her as she was leaving. She got separated from the guards and the other women as they were leaving the mall due to how busy it was. Seren was able to link Queen Gwen, who gathered the guards and went after her immediately. They caught up with the attacker and Seren in the forest that borders pack lands behind the mall there, and Queen Gwen handled it. Seren wasn’t harmed, just a little shaken up by it.”
“And the attacker?” Cian’s voice, a shard of ice, cut through the silence that fell at Dad’s words.