Bailey POV
No. No, no, no. My mind is screaming, my lycan filled with pure rage as I wrestle to keep him under control, the pain coming over me in nauseating waves. I can't speak, I can't move. I am motionless, on the floor, my mouth open as I scream, the sound filling the air. I hear the sounds of footsteps running from behind me, as Damien tries to stand me up with no success. The pain begins to ebb and I inhale sharply, feeling exhausted, unable to stand without Damien's assistance, Thomas and the elder's standing in the doorway, looking grim. For a moment nothing is said. I clutch my neck, the pain still throbbing. I can't believe it. My fury is growing, my lycan is about to tear somebody from limb to limb.
"This is not good"
My eyes flash at the elders "he marked her" My voice rasps "The son of a bitch marked my mate against her will" My rage grows.
I grab the nearby desk and flip it, sending it crashing into the nearby wall as everybody ducks and the elders wince. Thomas looks at me, his own face mirroring the rage mine must be exhibiting.
"You must remain calm" one elder ventured to say as I turned on him "until we can get to the bottom of this..."
He ducked just in time as I sent a chair flying at him. "Get out" I snarled, unable to contain myself, regardless of whether they outranked me or not "Before I kill you all" I spat.
The elders hesitantly looked at each other and then took off, leaving Thomas and Damien behind. Damien approached me gingerly.
"Bailey, you have to know that my sister would never willingly" he began.
"I know she wouldn't" I snarled "She would never betray me like this. That bastard" I clenched my hands into fists, my claws digging into my flesh and drawing blood that trickled down my hands and onto the floor "I can't bear to think what he's doing to her. The elders are useless" I shook my head in disgust "We have to come up with a new plan."
"Let me take them to Jaxon's pack" Thomas spoke evenly as I stiffened, putting his hands up quickly to stall my impending wrath "If only to get them out of your hair. It will give you some time alone to think" he added hastily as I paused, Damien quickly nodding in agreement.
"Get them out of here" I grunted, "keep them out of my sight, god help me, I'm close to killing them, Thomas."
He nodded "I'll leave immediately, I'm sorry King Bailey" he paused looking at my neck, my mark now having a line through it "I promise you that we will find Riley" he added.
He left, shutting the door back behind him. I let out a roar, the windows shaking violently. I wanted Riley. I wanted my mate. Every second that passed was unbearable. My lycan was bloodthirsty. So intent on my anger, my desire for violence, and images of killing Alpha Jaxon entering my mind, that I forgot for a moment that Damien was still present in the room, until he spoke, startling me out of my thoughts.
"I have an idea," he said as I turned to him, still breathing shallowly, blood still trickling down my hands, ignoring the pain, welcoming the distraction of it "It might seem stupid" he hesitated.
I didn't care. I would welcome any idea, as dumb as it might seem if it would bring Riley back to me. I glared at him, daring him to continue speaking. Willing him to.
"I've been thinking," Damien said slowly, as I listened intently "and there is no way that Jaxon had a big enough headstart to get somewhere quick enough that we didn't see him or locate him. I have this feeling, I don't know, quite how to describe it" he sighed and shook his head "it, never mind. It doesn't matter" he muttered looking away.
"If you think you know something speak up" I growled.
He hesitated "It's stupid" he admitted in a low voice "But I think she's at Jaxon's pack."
I exhaled in disappointment "We've already been to the pack, there's no sign of her" I snapped, "unless she's hiding in plain sight there's no way she's there" I was dismissive.
"But that's the thing" Damien wasn't about to give up "What if she is hiding in plain sight?" he pressed as I half turned "What if she is there and we just can't see it? Is there a way of getting the blueprints to Alpha Jaxon's pack, the outline of his buildings and placements of his house, etc?"
"Are you thinking of a secret room?" I asked slowly, beginning to get excited that he may be right after all "Like a panic room that's hidden away?"
"Maybe" he mumbled "I don't know, it seems stupid but I have this instinct, this strong desire that she's exactly where we think she is. It's almost like my mind is screaming at me that she's there. He has to be there as well" he added as I narrowed my eyes.
"We didn't smell his scent," I said quietly "but it would have faded by the time we reached his pack. If he has a room or some sort of building hidden away, the entrance might not even be at the pack but somewhere in the forest" I added, considering the possibility. "It would explain why the pack seems to have no notion of where he is. He would have had it built for his own safety and he would only share it with a select few. So even using an Alpha tone on his people, or having elders question them would prove useless."
"He doesn't strike me as the trusting type," Damien said a little sarcastically "but he is clever, and don't most Alpha's have some sort of exit strategy in case they are attacked? Some sort of way to ensure their survival?"
"Not all. Most of us believe in fighting to the death but the more cowardly ones would put something like that into place" I murmured, glancing at Damien with approval on my face "to ensure that their bloodline would continue. Or that their heirs would be safe."
Damien was beginning to surprise me with how smart and intuitive he was. The idea of Jaxon hiding in his own pack away from prying eyes hadn't occurred to me and now that I thought about it, it made a lot of sense.
"You would have to request the blueprints from his architecture firm. Get an elder to make the request" I told him urgently, motioning towards the door "They won't refuse an elder. Hurry" I pushed him towards the door and he took off running. My hand reached up to trace the mark on my neck, feeling the line that crossed through the middle, nausea sweeping through me. My mark had been tainted. Riley's mark had been tainted. I felt revulsion sweep over me, along with anger and rage. I needed Riley to hold on a little longer. Long enough for me to find her. Whatever that monster was doing to her, I was going to revisit him ten fold. He was going to get everything that was coming for him. I didn't care what the elders decreed or what they thought might be a suitable punishment. For once I was going to go with what I thought should be done. It was too dangerous to allow this man to live. He was behind everything, the sirens, the kidnapping of Riley. Why should he be allowed to live, when he had killed so many?
No, Alpha Jaxon would have to die, for the good of everyone. I slowly withdrew my claws back until they formed fingernails again, forcing my breathing to get back under control. I could feel myself beginning to calm, even as I glanced around at the devastation I had wrought inside the study. What did I care about the damage to walls and furniture right now? That could be replaced while my mate could not be. Riley meant everything to me. She and our unborn child. I was afraid that Alpha Jaxon might have learned of her pregnancy by now and I hoped that he hadn't. If he was as obsessed with Riley as we all thought he might be, there was no telling what he might do if he found out she was pregnant with my unborn child. I had no doubts he would want to dispose of my child, get rid of any reminder that Riley had another mate and my lycan was terrified of what he would force Riley to endure in his blatant attempt to have her for himself. Now that he had messed with the mate bond, would Riley still feel anything for us? Would she still know that there was nothing that was going to prevent me from searching for her? No matter what, I loved her, and I was willing to die for her. So long as she and our child could be rescued safely, I could be content with that.