Prologue
Gabriel
She was gone. When I woke I sensed something was wrong...something was missing. Not something someone.
I rushed into the sitting room to find the door wide open. I wasn’t a great tracker but I could still smell her scent, but it was fading.
I immediately mind-linked Emma.
I need you here right now, Ellie is missing
It was less than ten minutes before Emma arrived.
“I need to know if she left alone, or if she was taken,” I demanded.
Emma nodded, as I showed her Ellie’s room.
She made a quick sweep of the room, saying nothing. Then she headed out of the bedroom and towards the front door. She hesitated at the front door, and frowned. Then she continued out of the front door, and towards the rear of the house. She headed further into the trees, scenting as she went.
She reached a small clearing and stopped. Her fingers touched the ground, then she turned to look at me.
“It’s strange, I can only find Ellie’s scent, but her scent isn’t on the door handle, yet the door was open. Her scent is in the air, but not on the ground until this point. It is strong here, but there is also something else.”
I frowned, “what else?”
She closed her eyes and took a breath in.
“Rope, and a very faint scent of… of Wolfsbane, and something else. I don’t know what it is.”
I narrowed my eyes, “she was taken? Who by?”
Emma nodded.
“She was definitely taken. Carried from the house. Then put on the ground. Tied up most probably, and given Wolfsbane. Whoever took her must of hidden their scent.”
I closed my eyes, and fear gripped my heart. Who could have taken her. Someone who knew she had a wolf. Someone from the pack, or perhaps the human commander.
“Can you find her?” I asked.
Emma sighed.
“I can try.”
I suddenly put my hands to my throat. I felt the metal. Fear gripped me and I snapped my eyes open, as the memory of last night came back.
“It wont come off.”
I glanced across the room. A shaft of light shone through a tiny barred window. It was the only light that illuminated the dark room. A prison cell...no it was more like a dungeon. It reminded me of somewhere else. I swallowed hard pushing the memory away. Tears began to pool in my eyes.
“Don’t cry, otherwise he’ll beat you until you stop.”
I stared into the gloom. I recognised that voice.
I heard a shuffling noise, and the person moved into the light. Samuel.
I gasped. Not just because I was in a dungeon with a person that hated me, but because he looked barely the same as the Samuel I had last seen.
Blood caked his nostrils and bruises covered his face. There was a collar around his neck, just like mine. Where it touched his skin there were nasty red blisters.
I closed my eyes, calling out to nix. Searching my mind for her. I couldn’t sense her. Last time when she didn’t answer I could sense her sleeping, now she wasn’t even there.
“You won’t find her,” Samuel mumbled, “Wolfsbane and silver.”
I ran my fingers under the collar. There was no blistering, it was just uncomfortable.
“Looks like silver doesn’t affect you,” he added, “lucky.”
I wrapped my arms around my body and brought my knees to my chest.
“You must hate me,” I mumbled, as I rested my head on my knees.
Samuel shook his head.
“I don’t, but my wolf does...but then he hates most anyone that doesn’t let him have his own way. I could control him at first, but as he got stronger he took over.”
I sighed. “my wolf helps me, she never tries to take control, but sometimes I let her.”
Samuel rolled his eyes. “nice.”
I lifted my head. “Daddy will find us. He’ll look for me, and I’ll make him bring you back as well.”
Samuel sighed.
“It’s a nice thought, but don’t bank on it. The beta told me you were coming. He said uncle Gabriel would never find you, and by the time he did, it would be too late.”
There was no emotion in Samuel’s voice. Had they broken him already?
My heart clenched, “too late for what?” I asked, my voice breaking.
Samuel shrugged.
“Beta...Dante,” he whispered his name, “only tells you what he wants you to know. If you resist, he’ll just hurt you.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. Zagan had said he was my father. He couldn’t be, my father was dead. Daddy on the other hand, although he wasn’t my blood daddy, he was still my daddy. He would find me. Grandpa and Nana would help him. Till then I had to stay strong. Be like I was before. Become hard again. I buried all my emotion deep. I would survive this. I had before and I would again.
