Chapter 129: Time to Hunt

Chapter 129: Time to Hunt
Damien’s POV

Damien’s hands clenched tightly on the edge of the bed, the veins in his forearms standing out. His ribs still burned, and his body screamed for rest, but he had no patience to stay there and do nothing.

Not now. Not when he still didn’t know where Meredith had run off to or how to find her.

“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?” he snarled, his gaze locked on his mother and father. “You both know more than you’re saying. What did you do? What did you say to her that made her run?”

“What?” Andra flinched at his rising voice, her lips trembling slightly. “Damien, no. We would never—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me!” His roar shook the walls. His wolf surged close to the surface, golden eyes flashing. “I know you well. I know when you’re keeping something from me. What the hell did you do?”

Conrad stepped forward, his tone calm, but there was something else beneath it. “Enough, Damien. You will not speak to your mother this way.”

But Damien only bared his teeth. “She’s gone because of something. There has to be a reason why. And if it wasn’t because of me, if it wasn’t Xavier and Magnus, then it might be either of you. Tell me!”

“Damien…” Before Andra could respond, the door flew open, slamming against the wall behind it.

Magnus’s towering frame stormed in. His grin was nowhere in sight.

Damien’s head snapped toward him. One glance, and he already sensed that it was urgent. It wasn’t about war, or politics, but all about his Sweet Pup.

“Alpha,” Magnus said, his voice hoarse. “We need to talk. Now.” He briefly glanced at Conrad and Andra, who stood on either side of Damien’s bed. “In private...”

Damien’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Magnus. “What—”

“Please...” The word cut through the silence. Damien had known Magnus most of his life, and this time, the words sounded strange coming from his lips. Magnus’s eyes burned fiercely, something Damien had never seen before.

Magnus looked… scared.

Damien’s jaw clenched, but he gave a sharp nod. Then he looked at his parents and ordered coldly, “Leave us.”

Andra hesitated, tears now glistening in her eyes. Conrad silently walked to her side, gripped her arm, and gently pulled her toward the door. “Let’s go…”

They left slowly, casting one last look at their son before slipping out into the empty hall.

Silence hung heavy for a moment. Damien’s chest rose and fell like a storm barely contained.

“What is it?” Damien asked Magnus.

But before Magnus could even speak, another figure slipped inside.

He entered with slow strides, but his presence was no weaker. His parents’ tears still clung to his clothes, but his face looked as if it were carved from stone.

“Figured you both know something I don’t,” Xavier greeted them.

He shut the door behind him, locking it. And just like that, it was the three of them. Alpha Damien, Beta Xavier, and Gamma Magnus. Brothers bound by choice, bond, and her.

Damien’s eyes darted between them. Fire swirled in his gaze. “Good. You’re both here.” He leaned forward, his voice low. “Now tell me. Where the hell is Meredith?”

The silence thickened for a moment. Even their mate bond seemed to ache for Meredith’s presence. It hurt them more than anything else. And that ache could be the very thing that might kill them.

Magnus’s chest heaved. His hands curled into fists at his sides. He looked at them both—his Alpha and his Beta—and for once, he couldn’t force a grin.

His voice cracked as the words tumbled out. “Someone knows where she went.”

Damien and Xavier froze.

Damien’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What?”

Magnus stepped forward, his shoulders shaking. “You see, Meredith left. She ran away from us. But I know where… Well, Dr. Alexander told me everything.”

Xavier’s head snapped toward him. “Alexander? The pack’s doctor?”

Before Magnus could say more, Damien was already on his feet. He ignored the wounds tearing through his body, his bones still cracked, and his heart still beating violently against his ribs.

His wolf surged forward, rage flaring hot. “You spoke to him? You listened to him?” His voice thundered. “And you dare say Meredith really left us?”

Magnus’s voice cracked, his tears spilling freely now. “It’s true, damn it! That doctor helped her run. He talked to the driver who took her back to the human world. He knows where she’s living now!”

Xavier’s face paled, his hands curling into the hospital gown. He almost stumbled to the nearest wall. “The human world…” His voice trembled as he looked at his own feet. “She really went back there?”

Damien’s fists shook at his sides. “Should we actually believe him? What does he know about all this anyway?”

Magnus’s jaw clenched. He stepped closer, his eyes glassy. “I didn’t want to believe it at first, Alpha Damien. But he made it make sense. She’s human. She never felt like she belonged here. No matter what we did. No matter how much we loved her, she still felt out of place.”

Xavier’s head bowed low, as if ashamed of showing his face. “That’s what my mother said…” he whispered. “She tried to reach her, but Meredith didn’t want to stay.”

Damien growled. He refused to believe it. Not at all. And why would Meredith do this anyway?

“No. No! Fuck that. She is ours. Human or wolf, she is ours!” His chest heaved, his veins throbbing at his temples. “She doesn’t get to decide otherwise...”

Magnus’s tears streamed freely, but he didn’t back down. “She even tried to reject us, Alpha Damien! But she didn’t know how. She failed. The bond’s still there. I know you can still feel it. After all, we didn’t accept it.”

He pressed his fist to his chest, his voice breaking. “So yes, she’s still ours. She always will be. But she’s out there, alone. And if we don’t do something soon, who knows…”

His voice faltered, choked. He didn’t finish the thought. He was scared of his own mind.

Damien’s breathing came hard and fast. It felt like something was fighting inside his chest. Xavier finally raised his eyes.

“We should find her,” Xavier said firmly. “Wherever she is. Whatever it takes. We must bring her back here.”

Magnus nodded fiercely, swiping at his face with the back of his hand. His grin twisted. “Yes, Beta Xavier. Before it’s too late.”

Damien stood there, his Alpha’s heart breaking, his wolf howling angrily. But he forced the words out.

“Then it’s time for the hunt…” he ordered.