His Missing Luna

CHAPTER 101

NATHAN

ESCAPING

I grit my teeth, bile rising in the back of my throat. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. The alpha king will destroy you.”

The hybrid leader’s eyes narrow as a slow, predatory smile curls across his face. He begins to circle us, like a wolf stalking prey. “Oh, I don’t think so,” he purrs. “Not when I have his daughter’s mate.”

I glare at him. “Malachai will never sacrifice her for me. I wouldn’t let her.”

They both share a look, a knowing chuckle escaping them. “You really don’t understand anything about the Silvercrest wolves, do you?” the woman says, her voice dripping with mockery. “We’ve been planning this for years. The downfall of Malachai and his precious pack is inevitable. And now, thanks to you, we’ve found our way in.”

My pulse quickens, but I fight to stay composed. “Jessica won’t come for me. She ran away from me after she saw me kissing another woman,” I spit out, hoping to make them reconsider their plans. I feel the bitterness of the memory claw at my heart, but I shove it down. I need them to believe me.

But my hopes are shattered when the woman smirks.

“Oh, she’ll come. It doesn’t matter what she saw. You’re her mate,” she says with a sly grin. “The bond will pull her to you whether she wants it or not.”

Shit.

Her mate gestures to the door. “Come on, Mel. We have a letter to send.”

“Sit tight, Alpha. Beta.” They leave with a mock salute, the door creaking shut behind them.

“We’re not giving up,” Alex growls low, anger simmering in his voice as we’re left alone.

“Not a chance,” I growl back. “We’re getting out of here.”

“How’s Declan?”

“He’s stirring.” I close my eyes briefly, feeling Declan’s presence growing stronger in the back of my mind. His growl rumbles through my chest, echoing my own. “He’s awake.”

The problem is the silver cuffs, weighing down our strength. The wolfsbane might be wearing off, but the silver keeps us bound and helpless. We can’t wait for them to come back. We need to act now.

“Alex, move your chair behind me. Slowly,” I link him, keeping my eyes on the door.

Alex starts to edge his chair backward, inch by inch, but the legs scrape against the floor, the sound too loud in the otherwise silent room.

“Stop!” I hiss through the link. The door creaks open, and one of the hybrid guards peeks in.

“What are you doing?” he snarls, suspicious.

“We’re thirsty,” I say, trying to sound as casual as possible. “We need water.”

“The king didn’t say anything about giving you water,” the guard snaps, his lip curling in disdain.

Alex shrugs, his voice smooth, confident. “You don’t want us dying of thirst, do you? The king needs us alive, doesn’t he?”

The rogue freezes, glancing between us. His mind is clearly working through the possibility of a misstep.

“Just ask him,” Alex says in a sweet, cajoling tone. “You don’t want to risk making him angry, right?”

The guard’s eyes shift nervously. “Fine,” he growls. “But no moving.”

He turns to leave, his heavy boots echoing in the hallway. Through the crack in the door, I hear him bark orders to the other rogue. “Watch them. I’m getting them water.”

I link Alex immediately. “When I cough, start moving again.”

I force a loud, hacking cough from my throat, feeling my muscles tense as I strain against the cuffs. Alex inches closer to me, the chair creaking with every movement.

The second rogue bursts into the room, his eyes wild with confusion. “What’s going on?”

“My alpha’s coughing,” Alex growls. “He needs water.”

“You need to stay in your cuffs,” the rogue snaps, his voice trembling with uncertainty.

I start to cough harder, forcing myself into a fake convulsion. “Up the ante,” I link Alex, writhing in my chair as if in pain.

“He’s going to die if I don’t help him!” Alex yells, thrashing in his seat for effect.

“What’s wrong with him?!” the rogue demands, stepping closer.

“Stop asking dumb questions and unlock the cuffs!” Alex roars, his voice taking on a frantic edge. “You’ll be dead if your alpha finds out you let him die! Don’t you know how important this man is to your king’s plans?”

The rogue stares at me, panic flickering in his eyes. He fumbles with the keys in his pocket, his hands shaking.

“Hurry!” Alex snaps, pretending to struggle more against his restraints.

“I’m trying! Stop yelling at me!” the rogue shouts, his hands trembling as he finally unlocks Alex’s cuffs.

In one fluid motion, Alex springs up, spinning toward the rogue. Before the hybrid can react, Alex grabs both of his arms, twisting him around and slamming him to the ground with bone-cracking force.

The sickening crunch of the rogue’s skull breaking echoes through the room. Blood pools beneath his head, the stench sharp and metallic. Alex’s fist crashes down one more time, shattering the rogue’s face.

“Disgusting,” Alex mutters, wiping the blood from his hand as the life drains from the rogue’s eyes.

He grabs the key and unlocks my cuffs. The moment my hands are free, Declan surges forward, his growl deep in my mind.

“You’re a good actor,” Alex smirks, flinging the keys and cuffs away.

“Being an alpha’s not all about muscles,” I reply, rubbing my wrists where the silver had burned my skin. “Come on, we need to move.”

We creep toward the door, peering into the corridor. The way ahead is clear, the air thick with the musty smell of decay and wet earth. The corridor leads outside, and I recognize the cluster of trees beyond the compound. We’re not far from where they caught us.

“We follow the trail,” I whisper. “And pray we don’t run into any more of them.”

We mask our scents, slipping through the shadows. The hybrid camp looks strangely organized—houses neatly lined, though the streets are overgrown with weeds and dirt. It almost resembles a proper pack, but the roughness of it all makes it feel off.

“Strange,” Alex mutters, his eyes scanning the area. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“That woman must’ve designed this place,” I murmur. “She’s smart. Too smart. A smart Luna.

We crawl through the back of a broken shed, hearts pounding in our chests as we inch closer to the edge of the forest. Nearby, hybrids drink and argue, their laughter cutting through the air. We can’t afford to be seen.

Once we’re far enough away, we stop to shift. Our wolves pick up our discarded clothes in their jaws, their muscles tense with readiness.

We bolt through the trees, paws pounding the earth, the wind whipping against our fur. But my mind isn’t on the run.

My thoughts are consumed by her.

Jessica. Amerie. I don’t know which I like more.

Will she listen to me? Will she even believe me without the phone? I don’t have any proof. My heart thunders in my chest as I think of her—the warmth of her touch, the softness of her voice.

“Please, goddess,” I pray, desperation tightening in my throat. “Let her believe me.”

I miss her. And I won’t stop running until I hold her in my arms again.