The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a pale glow over the towering trees as Rain rode alongside Nathaniel. Their horses moved in perfect rhythm, their hooves barely making a sound against the damp earth. The journey had been silent for the most part, filled only with the rustling of leaves and the distant howls of wolves in the wild.
Rain kept his gaze on the road ahead, forcing himself to ignore the heat radiating from Nathaniel's presence beside him. He should have been thinking about Soren, about the growing threat beyond the eastern ridge, but the Alpha King's presence was an ever-present distraction.
Nathaniel hadn't spoken much since they'd left, but his gaze had lingered more than once—watching Rain, studying him, as if waiting for him to slip.
It infuriated him.
"I don't need a babysitter," Rain muttered, gripping the reins tighter.
Nathaniel's lips curled into an amused smirk. "And yet here we are."
Rain shot him a glare, but Nathaniel simply looked ahead, unbothered.
"Are you always this insufferable?" Rain asked.
Nathaniel chuckled, low and rich. "Only when I'm with you."
Rain's heart did something traitorous in his chest, but he ignored it.
They rode in silence for a while longer before Nathaniel spoke again, his voice quieter this time.
"You think he was taken?"
Rain tensed.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But Soren wouldn't leave without a reason."
Nathaniel hummed, as if considering this. "Then we'll find out."
There was a certainty in his tone that Rain didn't want to acknowledge.
They arrived at the eastern ridge just before dawn. The air was thick with tension, the scent of unfamiliar wolves lingering in the trees.
Rain dismounted first, his senses on high alert. Alec and Ace flanked them, scanning the area with sharp eyes.
"There," Alec whispered, pointing to a clearing ahead.
A makeshift camp had been set up, though it looked abandoned now. The embers of a fire still smoldered, and footprints littered the dirt.
Rain moved toward it cautiously, his instincts prickling.
Something wasn't right.
Nathaniel was at his side in an instant, his presence a steady force.
"Stay close," he murmured.
Rain bristled at the command but didn't argue.
He crouched near the fire, running his fingers over the disturbed earth. There had been at least a dozen wolves here, maybe more. But they had left in a hurry.
Why?
A faint sound caught his attention—a rustle in the trees.
Rain tensed, his claws itching to extend.
Then, without warning, something—or someone—moved.
A blur of motion.
A body crashing into his.
The impact sent him sprawling, but he was already twisting, ready to fight. His attacker was fast, but Rain was faster. He rolled, pinning them beneath him, his hand already at their throat.
Then he froze.
Soren.
Bruised, bloodied—but very much alive.
Rain's breath hitched as he stared down at his beta.
"Soren," he rasped.
Soren's silver eyes locked onto his, wild with something Rain couldn't quite place. Then, in a hoarse whisper, he said—
"They're coming."
To be continued…