-Adrian-
The jet's engines roar, but the sound barely penetrates my consciousness as I tap my fingers against the armrest. My knee bounces with a nervous energy I can't contain. I check my watch for what must be the hundredth time in the last hour.
Too slow. Everything is too fucking slow.
I stare out the window at the clouds rushing past, my reflection showing eyes that can't decide if they want to be green or gold. Nox is pushing, clawing at the surface of my control.
"How much longer?" I demand, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.
"Too long," Nox growls inside my head, his impatience matching my own. "Every second away from her is torture."
Asher doesn't look up from the wicked hunting knife he's methodically sharpening. The rhythmic scrape of steel against stone would normally be soothing, but today it just marks the seconds ticking by too slowly.
"Twenty minutes to landing," he says, testing the blade's edge with his thumb. "We're making good time."
I nod curtly and return to staring out the window. My reflection shows my eyes flashing between my natural green and Nox's molten gold. The beast inside me is barely contained, pacing restlessly beneath my skin.
"If she's hurt," Nox snarls, "we'll tear apart everyone responsible."
Carter breaks the tense silence, his voice carefully neutral. "We don't know what we're walking into. Silver Moon is neutral territory, but they're not exactly allies."
I turn to face him, feeling Nox's rage bleeding into my own. "Doesn't matter," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "We go in and get my mate, no matter what."
Jamison shifts in his seat, always the strategist. "Do you think Alpha Garret is going to take kindly to us showing up unannounced?"
"I don't give a fuck what he thinks," I spit out, my control slipping. "I was promised she would be safe. If he has any problems, then he can settle them with me... personally."
"Anyone who tries to keep her from us will bleed," Nox promises darkly, his bloodlust rising. "We'll paint the walls with their entrails."
"No one can keep us from her," I agree.
Asher sheathes his knife with a decisive click. "We've got your back, no matter what happens."
The rest of the flight passes in tense silence. My patience is completely gone by the time we begin our descent. Something serious must have happened for her friend to reach out after three days of silence.
"If anyone has touched her," Nox growls, "they're already dead. They just don't know it yet."
The plane finally touches down on the private airstrip fifteen minutes from Silver Moon territory. I unbuckle and am standing before the plane has fully stopped, my body coiled tight like a spring ready to snap.
"Finally," Nox snarls. "Let's find our mate."
The pilot opens the door, and I spot an SUV with a woman standing at the hood waiting. I descend the steps first, my men falling in behind me like the lethal shadows they are. The early evening air carries unfamiliar scents that only heighten my agitation.
As we approach the SUV, I assess the woman more clearly. Her vibrant red hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail, and her arms are crossed defensively over her chest. She's dressed in tactical clothing, like she's prepared for a fight—cargo pants, combat boots, and a fitted black jacket that doesn't quite hide the outline of what I suspect is a knife holster. Her expression is tense but determined.
"I smell Little Wolf," Nox says suddenly, his interest piqued. "She's been near her recently."
I take a deeper inhale, and there it is—faint but unmistakable. Vanilla. Honey. And finally, the third scent I couldn't place before: strawberries. My mate's unique perfume. Then my senses are overwhelmed by her friend's scent, and I frown in frustration.
"Alpha Adrian," the redhead says, her voice clipped. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course I would come," I spit out, barely containing my rage. "You've been MIA for three days and then I receive your text saying to hurry. Where the fuck is she?"
She gestures for us all to get into the SUV quickly. She settles into the driver's seat while I take the passenger seat, my body thrumming with tension.
"Sorry, I'm Stella by the way," she says, starting the engine. "Something has come up, and I think it's best if our friend goes with you."
"Friend?" I snap, Nox's growl rumbling in my chest. "She is my true mate. I should have come and got her three days ago."
"Should have claimed her properly when we had the chance," Nox snarls. "Marked her so everyone would know she belongs to us."
"Listen, Snappy," Stella retorts, unimpressed by my Alpha status. "Things are complicated right now. She needed time."
I lean toward her, my patience completely evaporated. "Take me to her. Now."
"That's the problem," Stella admits, accelerating onto the main road. "There was a situation this afternoon and she ran off... into the woods."
"WHAT?" I roar, Nox surging forward so quickly my eyes flash completely gold.
"Find her! Protect what's ours!" he demands, clawing for control.
"Oh, chill out," Stella says, seemingly unfazed by my outburst. "She's still within the pack borders. But her father arrived and is trying to drag her away. Then some shit happened with her ex-mate, and our Alpha won't do anything about it."
From the backseat, Asher leans forward. "What did her ex-mate do?"
Stella's knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. "Um... if she wants to tell you... that's her business."
My imagination runs wild with possibilities, each worse than the last. Nox's rage builds with every scenario, until I can barely see straight.
"We'll kill him," Nox promises. "Slowly. Painfully. Until he begs for death."
"Can you drive any faster?" I demand, checking my watch again.
"I'm already going 80," Stella snaps back, attitude dripping from every word.
"Still not fast enough for an Alpha looking for his mate," Jamison comments from the backseat.
Stella shoots him a glare in the rearview mirror that would have lesser men shrinking back. We pull up to the pack gate and are stopped by a guard who eyes us suspiciously.
"Stella, who are your friends?" he asks, hand resting casually on what I assume is a concealed weapon.
"Listen, Bryan," she says with forced patience, "I vouch for them. They won't be a problem. Alpha Garret knows they're coming." She mumbles under her breath, "Or at least he should after today."
Bryan studies us for a moment longer. "Fine. If they cause any issues, it's your head."
"His throat would be so easy to tear out," Nox observes casually. "One quick movement. He'd never see it coming."
I push Nox back, but just barely. We need to find Our mate first.
Stella drives to the pack house, and I immediately notice a group of guys standing around outside. A girl is clinging to one of them, crying in hysterics that seem more theatrical than genuine.
"What in the world is going on here?" I ask, my voice tight with tension.
"Bethany's usual antics," Stella says with disgust as she stops the SUV and turns off the ignition.
I follow her out, shutting the door harder than necessary. The sound echoes across the yard, drawing everyone's attention. The guy with the crying girl attached to him looks over, inhales deeply and his expression shifts from confusion to recognition to rage in the span of seconds.
His eyes darken with fury, and before anyone can react, he lunges at me with surprising speed.
"You're the bastard who fucked my mate!" he snarls, swinging a fist toward my face.
"Tanner! Stop!" Stella screams, but it's too late.
I dodge the punch effortlessly and push him to the ground with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs. I stand over him, feeling Nox surge forward, our consciousness merging until the distinction between us blurs.
"And she tasted divine," we say, our voice a dangerous rumble that's more wolf than human. I lean closer, letting him see the gold consuming my eyes. "Every. Single. Inch of her."
Tanner scrambles backward, fear finally registering on his face as he realizes what he's done—who he's attacked. A death sentence usually would follow.
"Let me have him," Nox begs, bloodlust rising. "Just a taste. Just his throat."
I'm tempted—so tempted—to let Nox take over completely. To let him show this pathetic excuse for a wolf what happens when you touch what belongs to us. But then Stella's hand is on my arm, her grip surprisingly strong.
"He's not worth it," she says quietly. "And she's still out there. Alone."
That snaps me back to reality. Little Wolf. My mate. My priority.
I step back from Tanner, who's still sprawled on the ground. "Where is she?" I demand, addressing both Stella and the cowering ex-mate.
"I told you, she ran into the woods after—"
"After what?" I cut her off, my patience completely gone.
Stella hesitates, then sighs. "After Tanner trying to force-mark while he um…you can guess what and is receiving no real punishment. And then her father showed up and is trying to drag her away."
The world goes red. Nox roars inside my head, a sound so primal and filled with rage that I feel it vibrating through my entire body.
"KILL HIM!" Nox demands. "TEAR HIM APART!"
I turn back to Tanner, who must see his death in my eyes because he scrambles backward, genuine terror on his face.
"You tried to force yourself on my mate?" My voice is deadly calm—the calm before a storm that will level everything in its path.
"She's mine!" Tanner spits, though his voice wavers. "She's always been mine!"
I move faster than anyone can track, my hand around his throat, lifting him off the ground. His feet dangle uselessly as he claws at my arm.
"Listen carefully," I say, squeezing just enough to make his eyes bulge. "She was never yours. She will never be yours. And if you ever come near her again, if you even speak her name, I will hunt you down and make you beg for death long before I grant it."
I drop him like the garbage he is, and he collapses, gasping and clutching his throat.
"Now," I say, turning to Stella. "Take me to where she ran. I'm going to find my mate."
The pack house doors swing open with a heavy thud, drawing everyone's attention. A tall man with salt-and-pepper hair and an imposing presence steps out onto the porch. Even without the formal introduction, I recognize Alpha Garret from his bearing alone. His eyes scan the scene before landing on me, assessing.
"Alpha Adrian," Garret says, his voice deep and measured. "I was wondering when you'd arrive."
Tanner begins to push himself up from the ground, his face twisted in a mixture of pain and indignation. Before he can fully rise, Stella's boot connects with his chest, slamming him back down. The sound of air rushing from his lungs is oddly satisfying.
"Stay down," she hisses, leaning over him with a knife suddenly appearing in her hand. "Or the next time you get up, it'll be missing parts you're particularly attached to."
Garret watches the exchange with a raised eyebrow but makes no move to interfere. Instead, he turns his attention back to me.
"Please, come inside," he says, gesturing toward the pack house. "We have much to discuss regarding your mate's... situation."
I hesitate, every instinct screaming to find her now, not waste time with pleasantries.
"She's out there," Nox reminds me unnecessarily. "Alone."
"My mate is in your woods," I say, my voice tight with restraint. "Every second we waste—"
"I have wolves searching for her already," Garret interrupts. "But there are things you need to know before you go charging into those woods."
That gets my attention. I give a curt nod and move toward the pack house, my men falling in step behind me.
As we approach the steps, Jamison comes up beside me, a hint of amusement in his voice despite the tension.
"Jax would absolutely love Stella," he chuckles quietly. "I've never seen someone threaten castration so casually."
Despite everything, I feel the corner of my mouth twitch. "If we get out of this with my mate safe, I'll consider making the introduction."
But as we enter the pack house, my momentary levity vanishes. Nox paces restlessly within me, and I can feel his growing agitation matching my own.