Page 94 of The Reaper's Vow
“What is that?”
“Insurance.” I zoom in on the map, watching the dot's steady movement. “I injected her with a tracker.”
“You did what?” Elias stares at me like I've grown a second head. “Does she know you did this?”
I don't give a fuck what he thinks. I knew this plan was dangerous from the beginning. Knew that putting Karina in Lockhart's sights was playing with fire. I hated doing it withouther consent—hated the secrecy, the violation of her trust—but the alternative was unthinkable. Allowing her to walk into the wolf’s den without a way of finding her was never going to be the plan. Will she be happy about it when she finds out? No. But we can fight about it later when she's safe.
“They're heading north on Route 16,” I say, already moving toward the exit.
“Isn’t that the road that leads to the Rosewood territory? Lockhart is going to make a show of it, but that territory is huge. It’s going to take more than just the two of us to cover it, even with tracking her.”
“I don't give a fuck if it's the entire state of California, I'm going after her.” I push past Elias, my mind already calculating time and distance. “They've got maybe a fifteen to twenty-minute head start. If we move now, we can catch them before they reach whatever hellhole Lockhart's taking her to.”
“You're going to need help,” Elias insists, keeping pace with me as I storm through the club's back hallway. “My father?—”
I whirl on him, slamming him against the wall with enough force to make the pipes rattle. “Your father is the last person I want involved in this. Your stepmother helped kidnap my mate. For all I know, he was in on it too.”
“He wasn't,” Elias chokes out, not even bothering to fight my grip. “I swear on my wolf, Damien. Whatever Saloma's done, she's done on her own.”
I search his face for any sign of deception but find only desperation and what looks like genuine shock. My wolf is still screaming for blood, but the tactical part of my brain—the part that earned me the name Reaper—knows he's right. I can't do this alone.
“Fine.” I release him, already pulling out my phone again. “But we do this my way.”
“Whatever you need,” Elias agrees, rubbing his throat. “My pack, my resources, they're yours.”
I dial my father's number, my jaw clenched so tight I might crack teeth. Each ring feels like an eternity when every second takes Karina further from me.
“I trust everything is?—”
“She's gone.” The words tear from my throat like broken glass. “Lockhart took her. With help from Saloma Bellandi.”
The silence that follows is deafening. I can almost hear the calculations running through my father's head—the political implications, the power dynamics, the potential fallout.
“Where are you?” he finally asks, his tone shifted to something harder, more focused.
“Crimson Howl. Heading to my car.” I push through the back exit, the cold night air hitting my face like a slap. The moon hangs heavy in the sky, not quite full but close enough that my wolf howls beneath my skin. “I've tracked her heading north on Route 16.”
“Tracked her how?”
“Does it fucking matter?” I snap, yanking open my car door. Elias slides into the passenger seat beside me, already on his own phone, barking orders to his security team. “They're taking her to Rosewood territory. They are trying to force a mating before moonrise.”
Another pause, this one briefer. “They can't.”
“Which is exactly why we need to find her before they try.” I start the engine, my hands trembling with barely controlled rage. “I'm heading there now.”
“Don’t.” The command lashes across the line, sharp enough to make my wolf bristle. “Wait for backup.”
“Like hell.” I slam the car into drive, tires screaming as rubber peels against asphalt. “Every second I wait is another second they have to hurt her.”
“And every second you charge in blind is another chance you die before you can reach her,” my father counters. “Think with your head, not your wolf.”
“My head is what got her into this mess.” The snarl rips free before I can stop it. I wrench the wheel, taking the corner so hard Elias curses and grabs for the door handle. “I should’ve trusted my instincts. Should’ve locked her down where no one could touch her.”
“Regret doesn’t save lives.” Hudson cuts clean through the spiral of guilt. “Focus. How many men does Lockhart have with him?”
I glance at Elias, who's still coordinating with his security team. He holds up three fingers, then shakes his head and makes it five.
“Unknown. At least five, maybe more.”
