CHAPTER 4

When Lían came across the image of little Ellen crying on the porch of the house, the first thing he thought was that his sister had scolded her for her exuberance, and that had caused the little girl to cry. But when he saw Alice emerging from the thicket near the house in her wolf form, the commotion and concern emanating from her made him understand that the situation was different.

— How long? — he asks as he approaches her.

— Two hours. —is the answer she gives him as she changes into her human form.

But that's all she manages to say. In a swift motion, Lían enters the forest at the same time he lets his wolf out. If he hurries, he can pick up the trail of his mate.

His human side can't help but curse under his breath. This is not the best time to play hunter and prey with his Luna. In reality, Lían had hoped to get home and talk to her calmly, explaining what's happening and the changes her life will undergo from now on. But now he must hurry to find her before something bad happens, even though the possibility of a human covering a great distance in such a short time is practically nil. He prays to his Mother Moon to help him find her before she accidentally encounters any Northern pack wolf.

Curse it!

That's his first thought when, after a long while, he finally finds a piece of fabric from his Luna's dress. Adrenaline surges through his body because, contrary to his expectations, his elusive companion managed to cover a considerable amount of ground. She's only five kilometers from the beginning of the border territory. His wolf silences and commands calm to his human side. He needs to be in total control and serenity to find a clue that indicates the path his mate took.

His eyes scan the area, noticing the dry and broken branches. The number of branches isn't consistent with the presence of a single person, so it's clear that his companion encountered someone on her way. And there he sees it: a piece of lace fabric from his Luna's dress. Approaching the fabric, he sniffs it and at that moment recognizes a familiar scent. He lets out a loud howl, turns on his heels, and heads to his father's cabin.

---

Anne stared fixedly at the two spirited bay horses prancing near the gate. Her father had always told her that such magnificent animals would never be held captive by anyone, but contrary to his words, those specimens seemed to be enjoying their captivity.

— Lían can be quite stubborn, — her father's words came as he entered the house. — But I'm sure there's a good reason for what he did.

— Is there a good reason to kidnap someone? — she quickly retorted. Yes, the bay horses in the pen seemed happy with their confinement, but she wouldn't be. — Let me go! — she exclaimed as she struggled with the restraints on her hands.

— I would if you'd calm down for a moment, — came the calm response. — I can hear your heart, its beats are fast but too weak, and that's not a good sign.

— They're all crazy, all of you!

Hearing a distant howl was becoming a habit, just like the fear it brought with it. The man approached the window and stared intently at the landscape before him. After the second howl, he quickly headed to the kitchen and retrieved a jar, which he proceeded to open. Anne was filled with its contents in a fraction of a second, but her attempt to say something was silenced by the man's hand.

— If you really want to leave, then be quiet for a moment, okay? — Anne found some relief in hearing that. She wanted to calm down, even if it meant obeying this man. He released her hands and handed her the nearly empty jar.

— Go to the back room, there are sweet flowers, — he said, pointing with his hand. — Put the vanilla on your pulse points.

— But...

— And if you're smart, — he interrupted her argument, — you'll stay there and not do anything stupid.

Anne hated being spoken to that way, even if it was an older man doing it, but the cold look in the man's eyes made it clear that it was in her best interest to remain silent and obey. So, without wasting any more time, she made her way down the hall to the designated room and opened the door that separated it from the rest of the house.

As she entered the room, Anne was surprised to see that it was filled with flowers. The scent in the room was truly sweet, so much so that it completely calmed her nerves. Another howl echoed, this time much closer and louder than before. Filled with desperation, Anne obeyed the man's words and began applying the vanilla to her pulse points while approaching the Lily of the Valley flowers.

— Go with him, little one, don't fear your destiny, — a voice in her head said, but she simply refused to listen.

---

Standing in front of his father's cabin, Lían shed his wolf form and entered his father's house without a second thought.

— Since when are you so distracted? — he asked when he saw his father bent over, cleaning a trail of soot from the floor, which had the house smelling strongly of burnt wood.

— Since when do you enter someone else's house like that? — was the simple and disinterested response he received from his father.

— Since the moment they're holding my Luna here.

— Your Luna? — The question came with clear mockery. Leaving aside the bucket full of ashes, Cillian stood up. — If you can't even do something as simple as keeping your mate with you, I don't see what that has to do with me, let alone how you could find her in this place.

— And do you think you're the most qualified to judge whether I'm capable of something or not when it comes to my mate? You, who were never there to take care of our mother.

— Yes, Lían, I know your complaint by heart, — he said as he walked the short distance that separated him from the kitchen, picking up a smaller bucket of water and proceeding to wash his hands. — You'll say, as always, that I was a bad father, that I was an even worse mate to your mother, that you're ashamed to be my son, and..."

—No, — Lían interrupted him upon hearing those first words. — I know very well that none of those words affect you because I know very well that you don't regret any of those acts, not even causing the death of...

— Silence! — his father's shout made the two alphas growl at each other, their wolves appearing in their eyes as a clear sign of threat. — If you think I'll allow you to be here to spew all that garbage, then you're mistaken."

— I'm not here to talk about that. — Lían's words came with a heavy tone, his voice a clear mix of man and wolf. — Your scent was present in the same forest clearing where I found a piece of my Luna's dress, so tell me, where is she?

— I don't know where your Luna is, — his father declared, then turned his attention back to washing his hands. — As for my scent, like that of many other wolves, it's spread in different parts of the forest. — His wolf was agitated by that irrational threat, but he kept his calm and returned to washing his hands to remove the soot. — But I can assure you that even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you.

Anne felt her heart racing. From her position, she could hear the conversation taking place in the living room.

— Leave, little one, go to your Luna, — she heard in her head. But she simply refused to listen.

— I'm going to break this place and kill you if necessary, — she heard someone say.

— Do you think I'll stand by while you do that? — came the threatening response. — If you were this foolish in front of your Luna, I can now understand why she fled from you, — her father said as he made it clear he was mocking his son's attitude and words. — I hope that girl managed to make it to her home safe and sound."

— Her home is wherever I am!

— You're wrong, Lían, her home is wherever her heart dictates, — he declared. — Maybe you already surrendered yours by accepting our mother's design, but did she surrender hers to you?

She needed to get out of there, she had to if she wanted to stay alive. What little she had heard and seen of the man who had kidnapped her made him seem reasonably educated, but now, hearing him speak in such a cruel manner, she was convinced that her life was in danger. She glanced around the room desperately, putting her hand over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face, and she was terrified. 

— Do you claim my actions regarding your mother? — her father asked. His wolf was agitated by that irrational threat, but he calmly returned to washing his hands to remove the soot. — At least she accepted me as her mate, she took me in as her partner,— he commented calmly but with clear intent. — You, on the other hand, in your foolishness and pride, want to subject a human to accept and understand a world she knows nothing about...— He fell silent, raising his eyes and fixing them on his eldest son. — What cruel fate awaits that girl by your side?

Those words from his father made him come to his senses. It was true, his Luna was a human, and her world was as foreign to her as his was to him.

—I...

The sound of one of the back doors being opened silenced his words. Shortly after, Anne emerged from the room, her hands tightly gripping the jar of vanilla, her eyes filled with tears and terror.