Chapter 96 Hunt Him Down pt 2
Duncan
“Escaped, unfortunately. Neither Queen Gwen nor the guards with them can understand how. She had him contained within a vortex. He jumped straight up to the treetops and ran from there. Even stranger is they all saw his eyes turn red before he made the jump.”
We looked at each other. “Red eyes,” Gideon murmured, breaking the silence. “That’s…unusual.” A chill ran down my spine, not from the temperature, but from the implications. “Do we know anything about him?” Cian asked, his jaw tight. “Age, build, pack affiliation, anything at all?”
“Gwen had your men search the area, but the culprit vanished like a ghost. They’re still reviewing the security footage,” Dad said, “but the cameras from the mall didn’t capture a clear image of his face. The general consensus is male, mid-thirties, average build. Nothing screamed danger until, well, the eyes and the impossible jump.”
A knot formed in my stomach. Red eyes signified something powerful, something dangerous, something we didn’t understand. And he was loose somewhere in the forest, his motive unknown, an obvious threat to my mate.
“Seren doesn’t leave Crescent Moon territory again until we get this figured out. Gideon, Duncan—gather Lucian and Julian, take Tristan and a handful of others and head back to Crescent Moon. Axel and Malachi can help me get things in order here. I’ll get the interim leadership group set up. There are several Elders from Silver Moon who have volunteered. As soon as they’re in place, we’ll return. Aidan, in the meantime, start training Seren. She needs to be able to protect herself.” Cian decreed.
“Already on it. Well, Queen Gwen is. I showed her our warded space for elemental training last night. They’ve been out there since just after dawn. Seren’s a natural.” A thread of quiet pride ran through my dad’s voice.
“Sounds like my mate.” Amusement and affection colored Cian’s words. “Send out trackers if you haven’t already,” he said, gravity returning. “I want this man hunted down.”
“Consider it done,” Dad replied, his voice laced with the same grim determination that had settled over the group. We said our goodbyes, and Cian ended the call.
He clapped a hand on Gideon’s shoulder, a silent signal to begin the preparations. I linked my people, telling Julian to bring ten warriors, including Tristan, and leave the rest to support King Cian. I wanted to make sure that my father-in-law had the backup that he needed until the Silver Moon elders arrived. They would be here soon, bringing their wisdom and, hopefully, some clarity to this mess, taking on the true heavy lifting of getting the pack back in order.
My team arrived within minutes, even though Lucian still had a small limp. The injury to his calf was severe and would likely take another twenty-four hours to fully heal. He shifted his weight off of it while Gideon and I caught them up to speed.
Tristan spoke next. “King Cian, I’ve introduced the other Phantoms to Beta Axel and Gamma Malachi. They can provide intel about the safe houses and escape trails to whomever may need it. They were actively trying to figure out how to help those in the barn when we arrived, so the network is already prepared and waiting to assist however you may need.”
Cian nodded. “Thank you, Tristan. Now, the sooner you get on the road, the safer Seren will be. Get there, get her physical training started. Gideon, you start your elemental training, too. Your mother will take the lead on that. Safe travels.”
Dismissed, the group of us loaded into vehicles, those of us who had actually gotten a quick nap taking on the role of driver. As we got on the road, I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. The exhaustion of the last day was hitting, and we’d be driving for a few hours yet. I drifted off to sleep, thinking of my mate. The image of Seren, a blossoming force, honing her abilities, brought a flicker of warmth amidst the growing dark.
Before I knew it, Julian was shaking my shoulder. "Duncan, wake up. We're fifteen minutes out."
Groggily, I straightened, blinking to clear the sleep from my eyes, and yawned. "Any updates that I need to be aware of?"
"No. Your father will meet us at the pack house."
Several minutes later, I saw my father and my mother both standing on the pack house steps. The warrior parked the vehicle, and we all exited, stretching tired limbs. I greeted my parents, then asked the only question on my mind. "Where is Seren?"
Mom smiled. "She's in the training courtyard. We tried to encourage her to take a break and relax after breakfast, but she refused. She didn't have a restful night, and I think training is helping her push through."
"I'll go find her," I said, already turning toward the path. My father placed a hand on my arm, stopping me. "There's something else you should know, son. She ended up in the Alpha's library early this morning after she woke. She was looking for anything that might help her find some answers. Goddess knows the girl has more questions than most, given everything. We were discussing it at breakfast in the dining hall. One of the topics we discussed was her attacker and his red eyes. It may mean nothing, but the sound apparently traveled. As soon as Seren brought it up, Lenore dropped a plate and ran out. I've still got people monitoring her, and she hasn't left the pack, but her behavior is suspicious."
My eyes narrowed as I took in this new information. Lenore was going to be a problem, I knew it, just as I knew I couldn't actually take any action against her until she acted out. "Keep the surveillance up. If she makes a move out of the pack, I want to know."
"Of course," Dad agreed.
"Maybe we can find something for her to do that could keep her too busy to cause trouble. I'll think on it," my mom said.
I nodded, already heading towards the courtyard where my mate was training. I needed to lay eyes on her like I needed to breathe. Both Conn and I were on edge despite Dad's assurances that Seren was safe and whole. I traveled the cobblestone path quickly, my steps ringing out in a rhythm that warned those in my path to move. I was almost running by the time I reached the entrance.
I threw open the doors, scanning the space even as I was pushing through them. My beautiful little mate was standing in the center of the courtyard, hands raised, water circling in front of her. At the sound of the doors slamming against stone, she jumped. A missile of water streaked towards me, slamming into my chest and knocking me to the ground. 'Fierce little mate,' Conn huffed, and I just smiled.