Crescent (Tribes, Book 1) [completed]

Chapter 27

Conner didn't have to burst through his front door or search for a key to unlock it. He could already smell the irregularities. In a strange twist of fate, none of the trespassers smelled human. Conner's alpha senses identified one human, Liana. The others had been wolves.

A snarl turned into a growl, deep enough to make the wolves following him shrink back in fear.

Conner followed the strange scents to the broken back door. He didn't need to go in to know that Liana wasn't inside. The scent of cupcakes and cookies had already begun to fade, leaving only icing and crumbs in its wake.

"Landon!" Conner snapped, his canines lengthening in preparation for an attack.

Landon emerged from the crowd, head bent and hands folded in an attempt to keep his alpha from showing any more rage.

"Put our best trackers on the trail of these wolves. I want to know who they are and where they went."

"Yes, alpha," Landon answered quickly.

Conner's nose wrinkled, his brain spinning a thousand miles per minute in an attempt to solve this problem. "I need to speak with Katherine, as well."

"I will retrieve her." Landon turned to flee.

"Landon," Conner called him back, his brain finally putting together a few puzzle pieces. "Bring me Hilda, too."

"Hilda?"

"Now that Konan is missing, it's best for both his mate and child to be under my protection, isn't it?"

Landon gave a nod. "I will bring them to the council room immediately."

Konan missing. Kat involved with the cabin wherein they had found the runes. Conner didn't believe in coincidences. The same family appearing multiple times in the grand scheme of whatever plan was brewing? Conner would sooner believe that the sky was falling.

Find Mate, the wolf whined in his head, agitated to the point of panic.

Conner closed his eyes, willing his human half to take over. This required planning, not instinctual recklessness. Someone had managed to abduct Liana, he didn't know who they were, but they most certainly thought they knew how he would react. He had to be smart in this case.

Which meant he had to return to the council room and deal with Konan's family, even though every bone in his body begged Conner to race after the lingering traces of Liana's scent.

By the time he finished with Kat and Hilda, Conner knew, the scent trail would be gone. That's why he put his best trackers on it. In hopes that they would do what he found he could not. Because, even though Conner was Liana's mate, he was also the alpha of a tribe. He had to cut out the root if he wanted Liana to be safe moving forward.

A tug at the threadbare mating bond raked against Conner's heart. He pressed a hand there to stifle it. Probably, Liana didn't even know that she was calling out for his help. She didn't understand the bond, nor was she able to use it on a whim. Every emotion and call for help that Conner felt came from his own grip on the bond between them.

At least he could confirm that she still lived. If she had been killed, Conner wouldn't be able to recognize his own pack, much less create a plan to find his missing mate.

"Someone stand by to check Konan's house once Hilda and Kat are out," Conner gave his final instructions.

If Konan or his family had hidden anything nefarious or dangerous, Conner had the right to know about it. Not only that, but someone had decided to play dirty by taking Conner's mate. That being the case, he no longer had to be a consummate gentleman about any of it. Conner's wolf was in control now, and he wanted hot, brutal revenge.