The Alpha’s Companion - Chapter 70

Julien had caught Lacey’s scent just outside of their suite at the castle, and then followed it down the hallway toward the right, but there was nothing at the end of the hall. On a hunch, he started pushing on the walls over and again, then a panel opened to a hidden staircase that Julien knew nothing about.

He ran down the stairwell, all five flights, and it opened to the outside of the castle on the ground floor. Julien cursed to himself, wondering why he had never seen this passage before, making a mental note to have every inch of the castle searched and mapped when everything settled down. Julien followed the scent around the corner of the castle, and then the trail headed for the woods.

Julien and the pack had spent the rest of the night and into the next day searching for her, but nothing turned up. With no sleep, he was exhausted, but vowed not to stop until Lacey was found.

It was clear that she hadn’t left on her own accord. And some time during the search, Scarlett, Brock, and Raye had become missing too, and hadn’t turned up yet. After he had dangled Scarlett out the window with one arm, Julien knew that Scarlett was probably too scared to face him. And rightfully so. If she was guilty, she had a right to be scared. When he found out who was responsible for his mate’s disappearance, he wouldn’t stop until it rained blood.

Around noon, Julien was about to go out again, when Koi ran up fast in his wolf form, and then morphed into his human form. “My Alpha! The Alpha Queen… she made contact with me in the Pack Mind!”

Tremors ran down Julien’s spine and limbs, and the red haze with black edges colored his vision. He started running and then leapt into the air, exploding into his wolf, landing on white paws with Koi hot on his heels, in his wolf form again.

“Where is she?” Julien asked, headed for the forest. If she was in her wolf form, she was running.

“She said she was at The Silver Pack!” Koi yelled, trying to keep up. “She said Thorn helped Rex kidnap her!”

Julien poured on the speed, leaving Koi behind. “Good work, Koi! Go back and tell the advanced warriors to meet me at The Silver Pack now!”

“Aye, aye, my captain!” Julien could head Koi’s footfalls speeding up, heading back toward the castle, as ordered.

Julien wouldn’t have any clothes when he got there. But then again, he wouldn’t need any. Thorn would be lucky if he let him live when he was through with him.

“Lacey, are you there?” Julien said in the Pack Mind. “Lacey?”

“Julien?” Lacey said, her voice weak. Good. She was still in her wolf form.

Julien’s paws dug into the lichen, propelling himself forward. “Where are you?”

“I don’t know….” she said. “I was running and jumped into the river….”

“You jumped into the river?” Julien’s voice raised four octaves at least.

“Julien… I love you….” Her breath sounded breathy, barely a whisper.

Tears welled up in his wolf eyes, as he ran through the forest, dodging trees. “Lacey, don’t you do that! Don’t you dare say goodbye to me!”

“Julien….”

He ran harder, pushing himself faster than he ever had before, on his way to The Silver Pack, thinking of all the ways he would kill Thorn and Rex once Lacey. But he would save that for later. Now, the only thing on his mind was finding Lacey. Everything else he could deal with at another time.

Julien realized that family meant nothing to Rex and Thorn. Family didn’t treat each other like this. Even though Julien’s knowledge of family was limited, even he knew that. But now he had a family… a family he would spend the rest of his days fighting for and protecting. And if anyone took her away from him, God help them. He would be the only one who would.

Finally, the forest opened up to the clearing and he leapt over the huge brick security wall that surrounded The Silver Pack Compound and kept running, knowing he had the element of surprise.

Wolves blocked his way, growing ferociously, but he quickly threw them to the side, not caring if they lived or died. He wanted his woman and he was going to find her. He kept pushing through the shifters, sending them flying into trees and into each other, not letting anything stop him.

“Leave him alone!” Rex yelled, jumping down off the steps of the compound. “He’s mine!” Then Rex burst into his russet wolf as Julien flew past.

But Julien didn’t stop. Lacey was the only one on his mind. He would deal out punishment later. He ran past an office building at the back of the property… probably where they had kept Lacey before she escaped. Julien was a fool not to think that Thorn had anything to do with this. His hatred of Lacey had been evident since Julien first met her. But from now on out, things were going to be different.

Julien ran toward the building and the guards in the front of the office building shot at him, but he quickly dodged the bullets. Behind him, Rex took out a guard and then jumped on top of the building as Julien ran around and pushed on. Then suddenly Rex catapulted himself off the building and knocked Julien down. Julien grabbed Rex by the shoulder and threw him into a tree, never slowing down.

Soon, Julien came to the river. Although he was moving fast, he pushed himself harder, faster… and jumped as hard as he could, sending himself sailing through the air. But he wasn’t going to make it. Luckily, he extended his body as far as he could and grabbed the side of the cliff on the other side of the river and pulled with everything he had. Slowly, he pulled himself up onto the bank. Exhausted but running on adrenaline, he squared his shoulders, looking at his brother on the other side as a feral growl resonated from deep within his chest. But Rex stood there watching him… and then ran along the bank, following the river, obviously looking for Lacey.

Julien wasted no time and ran through the forest along the cliff, following the river, searching for his mate. At that moment, Julien knew there was nothing, no one, that he would ever love more. He realized for the first time that he had given himself to Lacey completely… heart and soul. Searching the river, he just hoped that he found her before Rex did…. and that he wasn’t too late.