They retreated quietly from the pack house, heading toward the edge of the forest. The tree line offered a better chance of slipping away unnoticed. Patrols might pose a risk, but at least they wouldn’t have to deal with Macky or Lanky sounding the alarm. Keeping their bodies close to the ground, they belly-crawled through the snow. The cold bit at Bella’s hands and feet, but Tyler’s warmth in her mind kept her focused and determined.
Tyler’s ears pricked up suddenly, and Bella stilled instantly. The faint sound of approaching vehicles carried through the quiet night. She felt a pang of dread. If it was Luke, her chances of slipping away unseen had just diminished significantly. His senses, honed over years of training and instinct, had always made hiding from him nearly impossible.
Two cars pulled up behind the snowplow stationed near the pack house. Bella’s breath hitched as she watched figures pile out of the vehicles. His entire family emerged, including Dani. Bella’s heart clenched. Dani? How had she ended up here? Had Matt and Nina given in, or had Luke simply taken her, as he was prone to doing when it suited his purposes?
Luke’s figure was unmistakable as he stepped out. His head tilted slightly, and she saw him scent the air. A wave of fear surged through her, and Tyler confirmed what she already suspected.
“Maddis,” Tyler growled low in her mind, a mix of warning and longing. The wolf inside her whined softly, betraying her conflicted feelings. Even as Tyler fought to stay hidden, some part of her was drawn to him. That primal connection, the tether between mates, was still there. Bella felt it too—a pull she tried to suppress.
“No wind. He can’t smell us. He can’t,” Bella reassured herself, though doubt crept into her voice.
Luke’s head turned, his piercing gaze scanning the area methodically. It was as though he sensed them despite the distance and the snow masking their scent. His sharp eyes swept across the landscape, pausing briefly in their direction. Bella held her breath, praying the darkness and snow would conceal them.
His father touched his shoulder, redirecting his attention toward the pack house. With one last glance in their direction, Luke followed the others inside, leaving Bella with a brief reprieve. She exhaled shakily, her heart pounding in her chest.
Once the door closed behind them, Bella and Tyler moved quickly. They couldn’t afford to waste any more time. It wouldn’t take long for Luke to realize she wasn’t in the Luna Suite, and when he did, the hunt would begin in earnest.
“We need to move faster,” Bella urged.
“Agreed,” Tyler replied, her tone firm and resolute.
Her children were with her father, on the other side of the pack. She had to reach them before Luke discovered her escape. Every second counted now, and she wasn’t going to let anything—or anyone—stand in her way.
Luke stepped out of the car into the frigid, snow-filled night. The storm had lessened, but the icy air still nipped at his face. He turned his sharp blue eyes toward Macky and Lanky, standing vigilantly on the front steps of the pack house. Their expressions were tense, a mix of apprehension and unease.
“Nothing from the Luna Suite since she calmed down?” Luke asked, his voice low but commanding.
Macky nodded. “Not a sound. I stationed Benzy outside the door just in case, but she hasn’t made a peep for hours.”
Luke’s jaw tightened. Maddis was pacing in his mind, already growling and urging him to check the suite personally. Something felt off. His wolf’s instincts were rarely wrong, and the uneasy silence from Bella only deepened his suspicion. He strode toward the pack house, his heavy boots crunching through the snow.
But as he ascended the steps, a faint, haunting howl pierced through the night air. Luke froze mid-step, his body stiffening as the sound echoed across the pack. It was Tyler. He knew it immediately—her voice unmistakable, filled with longing and submission, yet tinged with a desperate urgency that sent a chill down his spine.
Maddis erupted in a flurry of growls and excitement. “Mate! She answered us! She’s calling for us!”
Luke’s heart raced. Her howl wasn’t just a response; it was a cry for connection, a yearning he hadn’t heard since she had left the pack. But there was something else—a note of fear, almost pleading. His wolf instincts flared, and he turned his gaze in the direction her howl had come from.
“She’s not in the Luna Suite,” Luke bit out, his voice a low, dangerous growl. He glanced at Macky and Lanky, his eyes hard. “She’s out there.”
The two men exchanged startled glances but didn’t question him. Lanky spoke up, “She couldn’t have gotten far, boss. The storm—”
“She’s faster than any of you remember,” Luke cut him off, his tone sharp. “And Tyler’s grown. Maddis can feel her. She’s trying to run.”
Without another word, Luke let out a howl of his own—a commanding, dominant call that reverberated across the territory. It wasn’t just to locate her; it was a claim, a declaration to the pack that she was his, and he was coming for her.
The silence that followed was heavy, and then her howl responded again, almost involuntarily. It was Tyler—she couldn’t resist Maddis’s direct call. Luke’s lips curled into a grim line. She can’t fight it, and now we know where she is.
“She’s heading toward her father’s house,” Luke said, already moving off the steps with purpose. “She’s going to try and reach her children.”
Macky fell into step beside him. “What’s the plan?”
Luke’s eyes burned with determination. “I’ll handle her myself. Stay back unless I call for you. This isn’t about the pack—it’s about her and me.”
As Luke strode through the snow, Maddis surged closer to the surface, their shared anticipation building. Bella could run, but her connection to him, to Maddis, was undeniable. She had answered his call, and now there was no turning back.
