THE ALPHA'S HIDDEN MATE

TAKEN IN THE DAWN

Chapter 17

The lodge stood battered yet defiant under the pale dawn light, the embers of the fireplace flickering weakly as the night’s chaos settled over Willow Creek, Oregon. Aria leaned against Zane, her sneakers discarded, her borrowed flannel clinging to her sweat-damp skin, the crescent-shaped birthmark on her wrist glowing softly, its heat a warm pulse of their newly forged marriage. The simple wooden ring on her finger felt heavy with promise, a testament to their hurried vows under the moon. Zane’s green eyes held a mix of exhaustion and fierce protectiveness, his patched black shirt torn from the fight, his arm a steady anchor around her. The pack link thrummed in her mind, a vibrant thread binding her to him and the Silverfangs, their unity tested but unbroken after repelling Mira and Rourke.

Zane brushed a strand of hair from her face, his touch gentle. “We made it,” he murmured, his voice rough with relief. “You’re mine, officially.”

Aria smiled, her heart swelling, the mark tingling. “And you’re mine,” she whispered, leaning into him. A strange flutter in her stomach made her pause, and she pressed a hand there, the mark flaring. Heat spread, a realization dawning—life stirring within her. “Zane,” she said, her voice trembling, “I think… I’m pregnant.”

His eyes widened, shock giving way to a radiant joy. He pulled her close, kissing her forehead, his breath warm against her skin. “Our pup,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “A miracle, Aria.”

Before they could savor the moment, a sharp crack split the air, ash swirling through a broken window. Mira’s red eyes gleamed, her voice icy. “The Crescent Marked’s child is mine to claim.” Roots erupted, wrapping around Aria’s legs, yanking her from Zane’s arms. She screamed, the mark burning, but the magic was relentless, dragging her toward the breach.

Zane lunged, shifting into his silver-gray wolf, his howl of rage echoing, but Mira vanished in a burst of ash, taking Aria with her. The lodge erupted in chaos—Lyra shouting, Sienna drawing her blade, Torin smashing at the roots. Zane shifted back, his face a mask of fury, blood trickling from a cut on his cheek. “They took her!” he roared, his fists clenched.

Lyra gripped her knife, her silver hair wild. “We track her. Now,” she said, her eyes blazing.

Sienna nodded, pale but resolute. “She’s carrying the alpha’s child. We can’t let Mira have her.”

Zane’s chest heaved, the pack link throbbing with his pain and determination. “Mira wants her power—and our pup,” he said, his voice raw. “They’ll use her against us. We move at dusk, but we need a plan.”

The pack gathered, weary but united, their voices low as they strategized. Torin scanned the ash-strewn floor, his scarred face grim. “Her trail’s faint, but it heads north—Blackthorn territory.”

Lyra paced, her knife tapping her thigh. “A trap, likely. They’ll expect us to follow.”

Zane nodded, his eyes fixed on the window where Aria had vanished. “We’ll use that. Send a small team to scout, draw them out. The rest prepare for a full assault.”

Sienna winced, adjusting her bandage. “I’ll go with Lyra. We’re fast, quiet.”

“Good,” Zane said, his voice steadying. “I’ll lead the main force. We hit at nightfall, when her power’s weakest.”

The lodge fell silent, the dawn broken by Aria’s absence, her pregnancy a secret now in enemy hands. Zane knelt by the window, his hand tracing the ash, the pack link a faint echo of her presence. “Hold on, Aria,” he whispered, his vow a promise etched in the air.

Outside, the wind carried a distant howl—Rourke’s, triumphant and taunting. The pack tensed, their resolve hardening. Aria’s kidnapping had ignited a fire, her child a new stake in the war. The dusk couldn’t come soon enough, and the battle to reclaim their mate and future loomed large, a shadow over their fragile hope.