Omega to Alpha

Chapter 18

Brenden

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since Luca's arrival and still, I had nothing. It's like Dustin's pack completely disappeared.

We sent search parties out every day to look, but we could find nothing and it is driving me insane. I need my mate and my pup to be safe and Dustin and his shithead Beta need to be dead for that to happen.

I've been pacing in my office for the last two hours trying to think of anything that could help us. Shauna and Emory told us everything they knew about Dustin's pack and where they might be, but they were all dead ends.

This is useless. Nothing I'm doing is working. Damn it!

I felt my anger rising and decided a break to see my mate and pup was a good idea.

I opened my door to leave only to find Max about to knock.

"We have a lead."

"What?" I asked shocked.

"Lyles spotted a group of rogues from Dustin's pack about 30 miles from here. Dustin has to be nearby."

Yes! This is what we need.

"Get everyone ready. We leave in an hour."

Max nodded and left my office while I rushed back to my family.

"We've got a lead," I told Emory, taking her in my arms.

"You did?"

I nodded. "I'm leaving in an hour."

"I'm coming," Emory told me.

"No. Absolutely not."

No way would I put my mate in danger like that.

"Brenden, I'm going," she said determinedly.

I didn't want to be the bad guy, but there was no way Emory was coming with us.

"What about Luca?" I tried. "Someone needs to be here to protect him."

"Annalise can do that," she retorted.

"She's coming with me."

"Fine," Emory snorted.

She wasn't pleased, but we talked it through and in the end she agreed it was for the best.

"Please be safe," she said when our hour was up.

"I will."

I gave my mate and my son a hug and kiss goodbye before leaving to help get everything ready.

______________________________

Emory

I hate that I'm not with Brenden. I should be there. But he was right about Luca and I didn't want him alone. Even with people I trusted.

I'm just worried about my mate. What if something goes wrong? I can't lose him.

Playing with Luca helped keep my mind off of my worries, but once he went to bed they all came back.

I've tried everything to get my mind to stop freaking out, but nothing is working. I've showered, watched tv, tried reading, and eaten, but nothing worked so now I'm lying in bed alone tossing and turning. I can't sleep without Brenden and this sense of impending doom isn't helping.

I turned to the clock which read 9:52. My mate has been gone for three and a half hours. How many more until he comes home?

My thoughts and worries bounced around in my head as the clock ticked on, but I was brought out of them by a scream. Luca. He hadn't had a nightmare all week. He must also be pretty unsettled without Brenden here.

I rushed to Luca's room ready to soothe him from a nightmare, but when I opened the door I froze. Luca's window was open and in front of it stood Tony. Holding a knife to my pup's throat.

"Let. Him. Go." I growled.

Luca had tears streaming down his face and I saw red. If he so much as harmed a hair on my pup's head, he would be dead.

"Hello there my sweetling," Tony crooned. "Or should I say, Your Majesty."

"Let go of him Tony."

"You see, I can't do that just yet," he said, casually swinging the knife around in the hand that wasn't fisted in my pup's hair.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I need you back at the pack and I'm going to use your little 'pup' to get you there."

I could rip him to shreds right now. How dare he threaten my child?

I wanted to sink my teeth into Tony's neck and rip his throat out, but Luca would be dead before that happened. The only thing that mattered right now was getting my pup out.

"Let him go and I'll come with you."

It was the only way. I just hoped it would work.

"Ok."

Tony threw Luca down to the floor and grabbed me. He injected me with a low dose of wolfsbane so I wouldn't be able to fight back or mindlink anyone and led me to the window.

Just before he jumped out, he grabbed Luca.

"We made a deal," I growled.

"You said let him go," Tony said. "I did. Now I have him back. You should be more specific next time."

I lunged for Tony, but I was too weak from the poison coursing through me.

Luca was sobbing and I reached out for him. Tony injected him too, but then let me take my son. I held him close to me as sleep took over and Tony led us away from the castle.

I hoped and prayed that a guard would see us, but no one did.

Tony planned this too well. We were screwed.