Chapter Thirty

*Braxton's POV*

We have been coming up with a plan to get Emily out for a couple of days, and today my dad and Connor are going to stake out the house to make a plan. We decided against me going because if I lay eyes on Emily or hear her, I could blow our cover and head in without backup. We are close to having a complete plan and getting Emily back. I still do not know what is going to happen when we bring another baby into the pack that is not mine. At this point, I do not care about that. If Emily loves this baby, I will learn to love them also.

My dad comes up next to me and rests a hand on my shoulder. "Connor and I are getting ready to head out. I will call with any updates, and if we see or hear Emily, I will let you know."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll wait for your call, and I will see you guys back here in a couple of days."

I have been stuck inside this hotel for a few days now. I decide to go out to eat to help clear my mind while waiting to hear from my dad. I pull up to a fast-food place and park my car. Before stepping out of the car, I see a shadow in the corner of my eye. I look over and see Zack getting into his car with a bag of food. He must be out getting food for him and Emily. I quickly duck down so he will not see me and wait to poke my head back up until I hear his car leave. I quickly pull my phone out and dial my dad's number.

He picks up on the first ring. "Dad, Zack was just here. He is about ten minutes from you. Just don't get your cover blown when he comes back home."

"Got it, son. We will drive into the woods to get a good vantage point."

"Okay. Be careful, and let me know the second you hear from Emily." I hang up the phone.

I give it a good forty minutes before I decide to head into the restaurant and get some food. I am a bag of nerves the entire time. After getting my food, I get back into my car and drive back to the hotel. As I am unlocking the hotel room door, my phone buzzes. Connor is on the other line.

"Hey Brax, we have eyes on Emily. She is being mind-controlled. We only saw her for a few seconds, but we know she is here. We are scouring around the grounds to figure out the best vantage points. We let you know if anything new comes up."

"Thanks for letting me know. Talk to you later," I say and hang up.

We are close. So close.

*Connor's POV*

As me and Braxton's dad drive to Emily's house, I cannot help but think about what I'd be going through if this were my wife. Braxton and I have known each other since we were kids. He is the strongest person I know, and he would do anything for his family.

Bringing me out of my thoughts, I hear Braxton's dad speak up. "Braxton just said he saw the vampire while he was getting dinner and told us to be careful when we get there."

"Maybe we should just grab Emily when we get there? It would be easy if the vampire isn't there."

"That's a good idea. Although, there is a child involved now. If we run into the vampire, we could put Emily or the child at risk.

"I still can't wrap my head around all of this," I say, shaking my head.

"Well, between mind control and the Wolfsbane he must be dosing her with, she has basically been turned into a lap dog. If she weren't on Wolfsbane, Connor could mind link her and break her mind control."

We find a spot and can see Emily's home. Only a few minutes later, the vampire pulls up. Emily comes outside to meet him, carrying a baby in her arms. It is hard to watch her in a completely different setting when I know what she has back on the pack lands. It was a good idea for Braxton to stay behind. He would not be able to control himself from jumping out and getting her. Vampires are quicker than us and can be stronger if trained properly. It is safer for us to make a plan and come back in bigger numbers.

"She doesn't deserve this. She looks happy, but we know it's all fake," I say.

"I know. We will get our Luna back."

"We need our Luna, and I need my best friend back. He hasn't been the same since she was taken."

"Well, wouldn't you be different if something happened to Roslyn?"

A growl escapes my throat at the sound of my mate's name. "I don't mean to growl at you. I see your point. I can't imagine I would be any different."

"I almost lost my mate when Braxton was born. She hemorrhaged during birth, and doctors lost her heartbeat in surgery. She was gone for a couple of minutes before they were able to revive her."

"Wow. I never knew that."

"We don't tell many people. I may not know what it means to lose a mate the way Braxton does, but feeling that mate bond break when their heart stops is unbearable. That was the longest couple minutes of my life. The relief that overcame me when her heart was restarted is unexplainable."

After that, we sat in silence for a while. I used my phone to record the house and landscape while Braxton's dad drew out different plans that we could use. Our next step was calling in some pack members and putting our plan into motion. After getting everything we needed, we drove back to the hotel. We filled Braxton in on everything and set a plan into motion. Braxton called some pack members and got them plane tickets for the next flight out. Braxton should be able to have Emily back in a few days.