Chapter 14 Finding Lyra
~Kael’s POV~
My spirit had been disturbed ever since I left the pack house that morning. If I could have cancelled the meeting, I would have, but I had been the one who set the time, so there was no way to withdraw at the last minute.
Since cancelling it was not an option, I attended, but I made everything brief and ended the meeting earlier than planned.
When I returned to the pack house, another meeting waited for me, one I absolutely could not escape. I walked in still feeling restless and irritated, because I had no idea why my spirit was unsettled.
When the interruption came and Elder Rowan announced that Lyra had been taken out of the pack house, both Rudy and I saw red instantly. A growl tore out of me so violently that the elders in the meeting froze in terror.
They lowered their heads and exchanged nervous glances, but I was already on my feet, storming toward the door.
“What did you just say?” I demanded the moment I stepped out and saw Rowan with Taren and Dagan bowing their heads in submission.
“Alpha, Taren just reported that Gordon took the prisoner out on your orders,” Rowan repeated.
“When did I give such an order?” I asked, but no one answered.
“Taren,” I snapped, and he quickly began to speak.
“I was confused as well, Alpha, so I went to confirm from Beta Dagan, but it seems he also is not aware of any such order.”
At that point, I felt as if I would lose my mind. The anger in me was rising so fast that thinking straight became a struggle.
“Leave them. Find her first,” Rudy advised in my mind, sounding calmer than I felt.
“Where is Gordon now?” I asked Taren.
“He left a few minutes ago.”
“Where did he go?”
“He refused to tell me, Alpha.”
Another dead end. My anger spiked again. Before I could lash out, I remembered the pack house security. No one leaves without reporting their destination. I mind linked the chief guard immediately while heading toward the garage.
“Simon, where did Gordon say he was going?”
“Dorhaven, Alpha,” he answered without hesitation. “Is something wrong?”
I cut the link before he finished.
I reached the car and got in without waiting for my driver. I started the engine as Elder Rowan, Taren, Dagan, and Abel rushed toward their vehicles. Their confusion did not matter to me. I drove off, and they followed.
I drove like someone being chased, entirely consumed by the need to catch up with Gordon. My mind held only one thought. I had to find Lyra and bring her back.
When I reached the stretch of road where our vehicles had stopped earlier, I saw bodies on the ground. I recognized the uniforms of our warriors and the telltale signs of corruption in the rogues. Shadow Pack had struck.
“It looks like Shadow Pack members attacked them,” Elder Rowan said as he and the others stepped out of their cars.
I clenched my jaw so tightly that my teeth hurt and slammed my fist against the side window of one of the vehicles. How was I supposed to track her now? My heart pounded violently and it felt as if my anger would swallow me alive.
“Traitor. How dare you do this to us?” Dagan snarled. I turned in time to see him drive a fatal stab into Gordon’s neck.
“Why did you do that? He was about to say something,” Taren protested, but Dagan shot him a dark frown.
“What does a traitor have to say if not more betrayal?” Dagan replied coldly.
“He could have told us which direction their attackers went or who gave him the order,” Taren insisted.
“You think he would tell you anything?” Dagan scoffed. “Someone bold enough to commit such an act would never give you that satisfaction.”
Their argument faded into meaningless noise for me. Anything that did not help me locate Lyra was irrelevant.
“We will need a tracker to find the girl, Alpha,” Elder Rowan said, voicing what had already crossed my mind.
“In other words witches, correct?” Dagan muttered. “Yeah, we are not bringing a witch here to track another witch.”
“Do you have any brighter ideas?” Rowan asked, irritation finally creeping into his voice.
“That idea is not even bright,” Dagan shot back.
“Quit the argument,” I growled. “And he is right, Elder Rowan. Bringing a witch here is not an option.”
“Unless we want to spend many days and excessive resources to find her, this is the fastest method,” Rowan said calmly. His words hit me with the unpleasant ring of truth.
I could send my men out to look for her, but that would take days. I could not afford that. Working with a witch was the last thing I wanted, yet the thought of losing her was worse.
“You should listen to him,” Rudy said quietly in my mind.
“I am not working with a witch,” I replied.
“Our mate is a witch,” Rudy reminded me, and my chest tightened.
“She is not our mate.”
“Then why are we searching for her? Why not let her go?” he asked, and something inside me faltered.
“Because she is important for pack safety,” I said sharply, though the words tasted like an excuse.
Rudy went silent for a moment.
“You can keep saying that, but you and I both know that is not the only reason your spirit is in chaos,” he whispered.
“Be quiet. Let me think,” I muttered.
“Kael,” Rudy said, sounding almost pained, “I hate witches as much as you do, maybe even more, but this situation is urgent and we cannot afford mistakes. What if they kill her before…”
He could not finish the sentence and neither could I, because imagining it was impossible.
So I yielded.
“Even if we decide to find a witch, they are all in hiding. How are we supposed to locate one who specializes in tracker spells within such a short time?” I asked aloud.
Dagan stared at me as though I had grown a second head, stunned that I was even considering it. But I had no choice.
“I think we should ask Kaitlyn, Alpha. She may know someone. She has worked with many healers in the past,” Taren suggested.
Hearing that, we headed back to the pack house.