Page 64 of Rejected Nanny Mate
My heart ached to go out into the woods with the scouts and shifters who were going to be searching the perimeter, but I knew I had to stay behind and keep things in order. I was the Alpha, and I needed to lead.
As each minute passed, I felt more and more desperate. There were no leads, no trace of anyone, and every second that Gwen wasn't found left me more and more on edge. I knew that I was supposed to be acting as a leader, but I couldn't think past my fear for Gwen.
She had to be okay. I would find her, and then I would make things right.
I was pacing the floor when I heard someone approach. “Anything?” I asked without looking up.
“No,” Scott replied, and I shook my head, frustrated. “But we're not giving up. We're going to find her.”
I stopped and looked at him, my friend and brother in all ways but blood. He looked concerned, and I knew why. I could feel that something inside me had broken when I'd lost the connection with Gwen, like a part of myself was gone, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to care.
“We're going to find her,” Samson said this time. “And then you need to tell her that you're her mate.”
“I know,” I swallowed. “I will. I swear.”
The phone rang, and I reached for it immediately. I'd given it to Samson, since I knew that he'd be better at coordinating the search and getting updates from the different teams. I didn't care who called as long as it was good news.
But it wasn't. The call was from Jayce, and his voice was grim. “I've got news. We've located an old underground nuclear shelter on the border between your territory and mine. Do you want us to proceed or wait for you?”
I was already on my feet, halfway out the door. “Wait. I'm on my way.”
Samson, Scott, and I met up with Jayce in the woods. From there, we crept toward the entrance of the shelter. It was in a small clearing, and from the outside, it looked like nothing more than a small cave. If Jayce hadn't mentioned it, we never would have thought twice about it.
As I crept closer, I could hear voices inside. The scent of wolves was overwhelming, and I didn’t recognize a single one of them.
We hid nearby while Jayce and Samson scouted ahead. They'd never be the best of friends, but damn, did they work welltogether. I had no doubts that they'd get in, assess the situation, and get back without anyone noticing.
“I've got Gwen,” Jayce said when he returned, and my heart leaped. “There's a spell on her. I don't know what it is, but she looks like she's sleeping. She's in wolf form and tied up. It's a small group in there, maybe seven or eight wolves. Two are guarding her, but they're not paying attention.”
“What are they doing?” Scott asked.
“It looks like they're going over some sort of plan. I couldn't see much, but I heard the word 'takeover,'“ Jayce told us. “We need to be careful here, though. Mia is there, and I believe all the magic I feel is linked to her. Kiera and Nayeli said she could be a black witch, one who increases their power by feeding off the pain and suffering of others. She might be stronger than we know.”
I didn't care who was there or if Mia could take on an army. All that mattered to me was that Gwen was here, and she was alive. I needed to get to her.
“I'll go in alone. They won't be expecting an attack from me,” I said. “Just give me time to get inside and then come in.”
Jayce looked at me like he wanted to argue, but Samson clapped him on the back. “It's his mate. He deserves to do this.”
I didn't waste another moment. I moved quickly into the cave and crept down into the shelter. There were three main rooms: one that was obviously a bunker room for the humans, one that looked like an old storage room, and one that looked like it had been converted into a war room of sorts.
I heard the voices in there, and I made sure to stick to the shadows as I crept closer. When I peeked around the corner, my heart clenched when I saw Gwen there. She was in wolf form,looking smaller than I'd ever seen her, and she was tied to a post with thick ropes. Her eyes were closed, and her chest rose and fell slowly.
Jayce was right. The bastards had put a spell on her. But I'd have to worry about that later. First, I needed to free her.
“You don't need to go over the plan again, Beta,” a voice said, sounding annoyed. I looked away from Gwen and saw a man who looked like he was in his forties standing at the front of the room. “The Alpha said we just need to get it done.”
“I know,” the younger man, who must have been the pack Beta, seethed. “Mia, check the hostage again. We're going to need her to lure the Brokenclaw Alpha out.”
“Gladly,” Mia purred, kneeling in front of Gwen. I wanted to charge her right then and there, and I didn't give a damn if she was Rose's mother or not, but for the first time all night, I felt the slightest twinge across my mate bond with Gwen.
Wait,she whispered through it.Don't move.
Mia knelt closer, trying to see if Gwen was still breathing, and then closer still when it appeared that she wasn't. My brave Gwendolyn waited until the very last moment, and when Mia was in striking distance, she shattered her magic bonds with her newfound power and lunged, grabbing Mia by the throat with her teeth.
The other wolves in the room leaped up in surprise, and I rushed in, attacking anyone who dared get close to my mate. Scott, Samson, and Jayce were beside me in an instant, and the fight was on.
Mia shook off Gwen, but my mate was on her feet again, shaking off the last of the magic bindings and going on the offensive. I was grappling with another wolf, but I watched inshock as Gwen ducked under Mia's legs at the last second, the muscles in all four legs bunching. She then launched herself into the air, flying across the room, and this time, when her teeth sank into someone's throat, it was that of the enemy Beta. As soon as she hit, she jerked her head to the side and tore his throat out, blood flying.
