127

127

Ian’s POV

The pain in my shoulder throbbed, a dull ache spreading through my entire body as I pushed myself upright. My vision blurred for a moment, the effects of the werewolf bite still lingering. Everything felt wrong. Sophia was gone, taken, and I had been left behind. The thought of her, out there with those monsters, twisted my insides with a mix of anger and fear. I could sense Jacob and Jenny here with me but I didn’t know when they had come in here.

“Where is she?” I muttered, my voice hoarse as I tried to push away the haze of pain.

Jacob appeared in front of me, his face tight with worry. “We don’t know. The werewolves retreated after they took her.”

That statement alone ignited a burning rage within me. I staggered to my feet, gripping the edge of the table for support. My body screamed at me to stop, to rest, but I couldn’t afford to. Sophia was out there. Alone. In danger. And I had failed to protect her.

I swore under my breath, the bitterness of it sitting heavy on my tongue. The wound on my shoulder wasn’t healing as fast as it should’ve been. The damn wolves had probably laced their claws with something, but that didn’t matter. I’d deal with it later. Sophia was my only priority.

“Send out the search parties,” I ordered, my voice cold and hard. “Now.”

Jenny, standing in the doorway, nodded quickly and disappeared to carry out the order. Jacob didn’t move though, watching me with the same concern that had been there since I’d regained consciousness. He didn’t say anything for a moment, but his silence spoke volumes.

“We’ll find her, Ian,” Jacob finally said, his voice low.

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My head was a mess of fury and guilt, and any words would have come out as venom. I wasn’t angry at Jacob, or Jenny, or anyone else. This was my fault. I should have been stronger, faster. I should have anticipated the attack, protected Sophia like I promised.

I could still feel the phantom bite of the werewolf’s teeth, the pain that had momentarily stolen my strength, the moment I’d failed. It only fueled my need to make whoever was responsible pay.

“We’ll scour every corner of this realm,” I muttered, pacing the room. “They won’t get away with this. Not a single one of them.”

Jenny reappeared, her face set in a hard line. “The teams are mobilizing. We’ll cover the entire area within hours.”

“Good,” I said, my voice low and icy. “And when we find them, I’ll make sure they understand what happens when they cross me.”

I glanced out the window, the dark forest stretching out like an endless canopy. Somewhere out there, Sophia was suffering, maybe hurt, maybe worse. The thought nearly sent me over the edge. I slammed my fist against the wall, the force cracking the stone.

“I won’t rest until she’s back,” I promised myself, my chest rising up and falling down as I breathed hard due to my anger. “I’ll tear this realm apart if I have to.”

Jenny and Jacob exchanged a glance but said nothing. They knew better than to try and calm me down. Not when Sophia was in danger. Every second she was out there with those creatures, the fire inside me grew hotter. And whoever was responsible for this… they’d wish for death long before I was finished with them.

“I’ll go with the first search party,” I said abruptly, turning to Jacob. “Stay here in case they bring her back. You and Jenny make sure the castle’s secure. I don’t trust the council—or anyone else, for that matter.”

Jacob opened his mouth to protest, but he saw the look in my eyes and thought better of it. “Fine,” he said, his jaw tight. “But if you find them, don’t do anything reckless. We need to think this through—”

“There’s nothing to think about,” I snapped. “Whoever took her is going to die. Slowly.”

Jacob didn’t argue further, and I grabbed my coat, ignoring the stabbing pain in my shoulder. I didn’t have time to worry about the bite or whatever poison the werewolves had used. I’d deal with it after Sophia was safe.

As I stepped outside into the cold night, I could feel the shift in the air. Something was happening, something far more dangerous than we had anticipated. There was unrest in the realm, more than just the usual rebellious whispers. Someone had orchestrated this attack, and it wasn’t just about the werewolves.

My mind raced with possibilities as I joined the search party, but one thing was certain—I would find whoever was behind this, and when I did, they would regret ever setting their sights on Sophia.

We moved through the forest quickly, the shadows closing in around us as we followed any possible trace of the werewolves’ path. My senses were heightened, the scent of blood and earth filling my lungs as we hunted. Every snapped twig, every rustle of leaves put me on edge. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more than just a random attack.

The wolves had been too organized, too precise. Someone had wanted this to happen. Someone had orchestrated it all to take Sophia from me.

A low growl escaped my throat at the thought. Whoever was behind this would learn firsthand why you don’t cross me. They’d learn why I was king. And they’d pay the ultimate price for ever thinking they could take her from me.

The wind shifted, carrying a familiar scent—Sophia’s scent. I froze, my body tense, as I inhaled deeply. She was close. Too close for comfort.

I motioned for the others to stop. We were getting closer. I could feel it. I could almost taste the blood that would spill once I found her captors.

They wouldn’t see it coming. And when I was done, they wouldn’t even have the luxury of begging for mercy.