Chapter 80 by Cara Anderson

Ch. 80 Winter Woods Luna

Nathan’s POV

We were standing in front of the Hazelwood packhouse, right in the middle of the territory. We had waltzed right in like we owned the place, absolutely no resistance to speak of.

Wolves patrolled the borders and guards stood sentry at the entry points, just as expected based on our intel. But as soon as they’d seen us coming with our warriors in battle formation, they’d fallen back without a fight.

“What the fuck was that?” Colton growled, as confused by the lack of defense as the rest of us.

“Something sure as hell isn’t right.” Cary chimed in. “What Alpha leaves his territory undefended and refuses to show himself when his authority is challenged?”

“One that isn’t here.” Clay answered his rhetorical question. “I doubt he’s been here since he had Mallory taken. Fuck! We’re stupid!”

“Not stupid,” Colton argued. “We just had no other options. We’ll find something here that will lead us to him. We have to!”

“The warriors are scouring every inch of the place.” I added. “So far all they’ve found is a bunch of scared wolves, mostly women and children who want nothing more than to stay off their Alpha’s radar. But I’m still holding out hope they’ll find a ranked wolf with some inside information hiding somewhere around here.

“I had an Omega show me the Alpha’s bedroom and office. I personally turned them upside down. There wasn’t so much as a scrap of paper in either of them. No computer, no phone, no nothing.” Clay informed us. “He knew we were coming and he made sure there would be nothing to find.”

“Fuuuck!” Cary roared, punching the windshield of the car he’d been leaning on so hard it shattered.

He stormed over to the group of guards we’d rounded up and grabbed one by the throat. The man’s face quickly went from pink to puce to purple as Cary choked the life out of him.

“Where is she?” He roared in the man’s face. “Tell me where the fuck she is! Tell me now and I’ll let you live!”

Colton and Clay rushed over to him, whether to save the man or join Cary in murdering him, I wasn’t sure. I forced myself to look away, but it didn’t stop me from hearing Cary’s angry growls morph into pained cries.

“Please! Just tell me. Just tell me where he took my mate. I’m sorry! I won’t hurt you again, if you just tell me where to find her.” His broken pleas gutted me.

Because his pain reflected my own, only I wasn’t allowed to show it. She wasn’t mine anymore. She would never be mine again. But the thought of her suffering ripped me to shreds all the same. I couldn’t imagine a world without her in it and my desperation to find her was eating me alive.

“Come on brother,” Colton spoke softly to his fractured triplet. “He doesn’t know anything. Hurting him isn’t going to help us find her.”

I could hear Cary’s choking sobs grow quieter as they dragged him further away. I balled my fists against the urge to pick up where he left off, choking the life out of every fucker here until someone told us what we needed to know. But before I could act on it, I heard the packhouse door slam and a new scent fill the yard.

“Alpha,” One of the warriors called, ” We found her hiding in one of the rooms. She says she’s the Beta’s sister.”

I heard his voice speaking to me but I couldn’t register the words. Because all I could see was the gorgeous woman in his arms. She was petite, maybe five foot two or three, with long, thick blonde hair and bright blue eyes, bluer than the deepest sea. 3)

Her pouty lips were rose petal red and so fucking kissable. Her white t-shirt clung to her figure, her breasts petite like the rest of her but the perfect handful. Her full hips curved into thick thighs that begged to be wrapped around my head while I ate her til she screamed. I was instantly hard as steel, my cock trying desperately to escape my pants.

“Mine! Mine! Mine!” My wolf panted in my head.

But outwardly, I was growling. Because the look of fear on her face slayed me and the tight grip the warrior had on her arm was obviously painful.

“Let her go!” I snarled, storming over to them and snatching her away from him.

“Are you okay?” I asked, looking her over for other injuries. “It’s okay, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I-, I’m fine.” She whimpered.

All three of the Collins triplets stalked over to us, having heard their warrior mention her rank. They were out for blood and I wasn’t sure how far they would go to get it. I shoved the girl behind me, using my body to block her from their view. She fisted my shirt in her hands and buried her face in my back. Her nearness made my whole body shiver in pleasure.

* “Why are you protecting her?” Clay blared in my face. “If she’s a Beta wolf she’s the enemy. She might know something about Mallory. I thought you wanted her back as much as we did!”

“I do!” I shouted back. “It just, my wolf won’t let you hurt her.”

“What? Why?” Colton asked, clear confusion etched on his face. “I thought your wolf loved Mallory, too. What does he care about a stranger?”

“Because she’s his mate.” Cary fit the pieces together easily.

“Is that true?” Colton demanded, and I nodded my affirmation.

“So what? Suddenly Mallory isn’t important anymore? You’re going to protect this she-wolf you don’t even know over the woman you said you loved?” Clay accused angrily.

“Of course not!” I countered. “But maybe we could try talking to her first.”

They reluctantly agreed to take this conversation inside. I kept the girl, whose name I still didn’t know, tucked into my side. It was meant to reassure her that she was safe but the way her body trembled, I wasn’t sure it was working.

“You’re safe.” I tried to reinforce the message with words. “Just answer their questions the best you can, okay?”

She tipped her head up to meet my eyes, searching them for the lie she wouldn’t find. Then her gaze shifted from questioning to resolved before she asked the question that made me cringe.

“Who’s Mallory?” Her innocent question was the one thing I didn’t want to answer.

She may not know me. She may not even want me as her mate. But her wolf would. And the answer would only hurt her. Still, I owed her more than a lie.

“She’s their mate.” It was the truth but not the whole truth. “And my ex- girlfriend. The woman I loved still do. I’m sorry” and

She sucked in a sharp breath but gave no other indication that my words caused her pain. She nodded in acknowledgement and continued to walk silently at my side.

The Alphas had chosen seats in the common room and I led her in behind them. There was only a single seat remaining and I took it, pulling her into my lap. But she stoically refused, crossing her arms over her chest but standing close by.

I abandoned the chair, offering it to her, my wolf issuing a pleased rumble when she took it. I moved to stand behind her like her own personal guardian, scanning the other men in the room for any sign of a threat.

“What’s your name?” Colton started the interrogation.

“Char-, Charlotte. B-, but I prefer Charlie.” She stammered nervously.

“Charlie,” My wolf, Night, sighed reverently.

“Okay, Charlie. Our warrior said you told him you were the Beta’s sister. Is that true?” Cary asked, his tone much softer than I expected.

“Y-yes. But I-, they don’t tell me anything. I don’t know where your mate is.” She elaborated.

“Why don’t you tell us what you do know?” Clay barked at her making Night snarl.

Clay looked at me hatefully, like my wolf’s defense of the girl was the severest betrayal. I thought he’d be happy to have my attention diverted away from his mate. But I could understand how he might think my shifting loyalties could hamper our attempts to find her.

“I told you, I don’t know anything.” Charlie reiterated. “None of the ranked wolves are here. My brother said they were going to meet our new Luna, but he didn’t say where and he never used her name. It might not be who you’re looking for.”

“Oh, it’s definitely who we’re looking for!” Clay inserted forcefully, making her flinch.

“Charlie,” I said gently, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Can you think of anywhere they might go? Does Quade have any other properties he might stay at when he’s not here in Hazelwood.”

“I’ve only overheard bits and pieces when my brother talks with his warrior friends. Mostly when He thinks I’m asleep. Women are treated little better than animals here. We’re certainly not trusted with important information.” She snorted disdainfully. “But from the little I’ve heard, Alpha Quade has lots of properties, spread far and wide.”

“Fuck!” It was Colton’s turn to destroy something, kicking an end table neck to him and sending the potted plant on it flying, the cracked pot and dirt carpeting the ground. “We don’t have fucking time to scour the countryside!”

“Um, I heard my brother say our new Luna was Alpha Quade’s mate.” Charlie spoke up unexpectedly, despite shrinking away from Colton in fear. ” But if it’s the same woman you’re looking for and she’s your mate, then that can’t be true. Is he-, is he, um, forcing her?”

“Of course, he’s trying to force her, genius. He kidnapped her from her doctor’s office on what should have been the happiest day of our lives, seeing our pups for the first time.”

“Clay!” Cary warned.

I wasn’t sure if he was more worried about the demeaning way he was talking to Charlie or the information he’d just revealed. Either way, I was thankful he pulled him back.

“She’s pregnant? And he took her?” The look on Charlie’s face was a mixture of incredulity and understanding.

There was an innocence about her I wouldn’t have expected from someone growing up under Alpha Quade’s rule. She seemed to struggle to believe someone would do such a thing. But it also seemed to confirm all her suspicions about the man.

“I-, I might be able to help. But I need your promise that you will protect me.” She negotiated. “If he finds out I helped you, he’ll kill me.”

“We won’t let him get near you ever again!” Cary vowed. “Please just help us find our mate and pups.”

He shot me a pleading look. One that said “please back me up.”

“He’s right. None of us will force you to leave if you don’t want to, but if you do, we’ll take you far away where you’ll be safe from Alpha Quade and his men.”

“I want to leave and never come back here again.” She stated resolutely. ” Come with me.”

She led us upstairs to a non-descript room that looked like any other room in the packhouse. Nothing stood out to indicate it was anything more than housing for a pack member. Definitely not a ranked one.

“This is the apartment I share with my brother. I moved in here with him when my parents died. No one has ever said what happened to them but I’m sure Alpha killed them when they refused to support some of his more depraved plans.” She explained. “Anyway, I know all my brother’s hiding places.

“One night He had some of the other warriors over. I got up for a drink of water and saw them all looking at a huge map. They quickly folded it up and pretended to watch TV. But if it was important, I might know where it is.”

She dropped to her knees on the living room floor and started crawling around. I tried to tell myself it was inappropriate to ogle her ass that looked amazing in her cut off jean shorts but it was hard to tear my eyes away.

“Here!” She announced, rerouting my attention to the loose floorboard she was pulling up.

She felt around in the shallow compartment beneath the hardwood floor, pulling out several items before finally pulling out a large folded paper map. Clay snatched it out of her hands and stomped to the kitchen table to spread it out. Colton and Cary followed him but I stayed to offer Charlie my hand, lifting her from the floor.

“Thank you.” I whispered, standing toe to toe with her, enjoying her apple and cinnamon scent.

“I hope it helps.” she said, blushing furiously. “I’m not sure what’s on it.”

“Nathan!” Clay barked, waving me over and snapping me out of the trance my mate had me in.

I joined them at the table and looked over the map. Several stars were marked on the map with red circles around them. Nothing differentiated them from the others to say Quade might have chosen a particular one and there were far too many to search one by one.

But then my eyes landed on the spot I was sure the other men had already zeroed in on. This one had writing next to it. Two words, underlined and punctuated with exclamation points. Underground Compound!!!

“That has to be it!” Colton announced, his voice filled with hope.

Charlie squeezed in between Colton and I, peering at the spot he pointed to.

“Underground compound.” She read the words aloud. “I heard my brother talk about that place before. He said it was like a whole mansion underground, like some marvel in modern engineering. But no one would ever know it was there because an old abandoned shack sat over the entrance.”

“Charlie, you’re amazing!” Cary volunteered, leaning over to peck her cheek.

Night’s answering snarl ripped through the room, but Cary only laughed. Asshole!

“Not so nice to have someone get close to your mate, is it?” He taunted.

“Enough!” Clay growled. “Let’s go!”

“What about all these people?” Charlie asked. “You can’t leave them here unprotected. We can’t live under Alpha Quade’s tyranny any more. That man is sadistic. What if he comes back?”

The triplets looked at each other, torn between their duty as Alphas to protect the Hazelwood people and their need to get to their mate.

“Go!” I told them. “Leave me a squadron. I will send for reinforcements from Winter Woods. And send my Beta home to manage pack affairs until we settle things here.”

Colton nodded in agreement and the . three of them took off, leaving me in the apartment alone with my new mate.

“You’re an Alpha?” She inquired with an awestruck expression on her face.

“I am, sweetness. And you’re the new Winter Woods Luna.”

Now, I just had to find a way to get Mallory out of my heart and make room for Charlie there.