Chapter 10 10

ELIZA

Ethan led me and his team into the expansive garage. Off to the side, he unlocked a sliding door that revealed a hidden weapons room.

The room was lined with racks of firearms, blades, and other combat tools, gleaming under the overhead lights. The team selected their weapons with practiced ease, checking ammunition and strapping gear to their bodies.

I, however, hesitated, eyeing the assortment warily.

"I've never fired a gun before," I admitted, feeling out of place. "I wouldn't trust myself with one."

Ethan gave me a reassuring look. "That's fine. Just stay close to me. We've got this."

Once armed, they piled into three sleek, black SUVs with bulletproof windows. The engines roared, and the vehicles moved in formation down the long driveway.

As they reached the bottom of the drive, Ethan glanced at me. "Which way?"

It was on me now. I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate. "Andrew, guide me."

And then in an instant, his voice echoed in my mind. "Trust your instincts, Ellie. They'll bring you to me."

I didn't know what he meant. Trust my instincts?

"Ellie?" Ethan's voice made me jump back to reality, "Anything?"

And then all of a sudden, I felt a pull. "Turn right. Old Oakley Road." I pointed.

The convoy turned onto the winding road, the dense forest closing in around us.

After about five miles, my chest tightened, and a wave of pain, Andrew's pain, washed over me. "I think he's close," I said as my hands trembled.

From the front passenger seat, Landon turned to Ethan. "There's an old abandoned estate not far from here. It fits the description."

"That has to be it," Ethan said grimly.

The SUVs slowed to a stop on the shoulder of the road. Through the trees, I could make out the faint silhouette of a large building.

Ethan unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to me. "Stay here. Let us handle this."

My instinct was to argue, to rush in and find my brother, but the intensity in Ethan's eyes made me pause. He wasn't just protecting me; he was ensuring I wouldn't put myself or Andrew in more danger.

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Just... be careful," I whispered.

But I couldn't sit here. I knew I could help them. I grabbed Ethan's arm before he could turn away, "Ethan," I uttered, "Let me help. You know I can help."

"Eliza, I can't put you in danger..."

I cut through his words, "I insist. I can maybe connect with Andrew and guide the way."

Ethan took a minute to think and then said, "Eliza, I said no. Get used to listening to what I say."

ETHAN

The team moved cautiously through the forest, stopping just short of the clearing where the factory loomed. It was giant and old.

I signalled my team to spread out. Three of them circled the back of the building, and three of them flanked the left side, while three of them took the right. I led two of them straight to the front.

I raised my hand in a silent signal, and the team converged on the house in perfect synchronization. Within moments, we dispatched the guards stationed at the doors.

Once inside, we moved quickly, sweeping through the house room by room. The muffled screams from below guided us toward our target. As we reached the hall, the faint cries turned into agonized wails.

"The basement," I muttered.

At the top of the stairs, one of our men took out a guard with a swift, brutal motion. The basement door swung open abruptly, revealing more men who had heard the commotion. My team shifted seamlessly into their hybrid forms, half-wolf, half-human, gaining enhanced strength and precision without sacrificing control.

The battle that followed was short and decisive. The team tore through the remaining guards, and blood splattered across the cold stone walls.

Johnson was the last man standing. I knew Johnson from somewhere, but at that time, I didn't have time to think. Cornered and desperate, he made a break for the stairs, but Eric intercepted him, slamming into him with bone-crushing force.

Before he could react, Landon had him by the throat.

"Not so fast," Landon growled.

I returned with manacles, "We'll deal with you later."

Andrew was chained to the far wall, barely conscious. I approached cautiously. His body was a mosaic of blood and bruises, every inch of skin marred by torture.

"Riley, get the stretcher," I ordered.

As Andrew was carefully unchained, he muttered weakly, "Don't... let Ellie see me like this."

I knelt beside him. "She's waiting for you," I said gently. "She's been panicking, but she'll feel better once she knows you're safe."

The team moved Andrew onto the stretcher and carried him upstairs. Outside, Ellie had been pacing near the SUVs. When she saw the stretcher emerge, she bolted toward it.

"Eliza, wait!" Landon intercepted her, blocking her path. "He's unconscious," Landon explained. "Let's get him stable first."

Ellie's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded.

Landon helped her into the first SUV, where she sat beside her brother, holding his hand tightly.

In the second SUV, Johnson was transported to the pack's office in town. He would be secured in a reinforced cell until the investigative team could question him. My mind raced with the possibilities of why he had targeted Andrew.

The remaining team stayed behind to clean up the site, disposing of the bodies and erasing any trace of the fight. As the last SUV returned to the mansion, my thoughts were already focused on the next steps.

Johnson held answers, and I would make sure the man spilled every last one of them.

ELLIE

I couldn't believe it. My brother was right next to me. This wasn't my fantasy. I wanted to ask him a lot of questions, but he was drained of blood and unable to talk.

I wanted to ask Ethan a lot of questions. I wanted to ask him who he was and why he was called the Alpha, and why he introduced me as his Luna to everyone.

But I couldn't find the right moment.

Andrew was rushed straight to the medical wing. His battered body was barely hanging on.

"Hi, Eliza, I'm Nathan, the doctor in charge here," a man approached me. He was wearing a white doctor's coat and was tall with blonde hair and a mustache. "Your brother is going to be fine."

And suddenly the air got thick. It was hard to breathe. I tried hard to open my mouth to gasp for air, but it felt like I was running out of oxygen.

"Eliza..." I heard Nathan calling my name, but I didn't know how to respond. I could see someone rushing toward me, but I couldn't make out who it was.

"She's having a panic attack," Mason's voice cut through my ears. "Go get the sedative!" he ordered.

He grabbed me firmly, trying to calm me down, but it was only getting worse. It felt like someone was holding onto my chest, and their grip was getting tighter with every breath.

"Here..." Nathan's voice carried urgency. I felt a pinch on my arm, followed by Mason's voice, "This will help you."

And slowly everything started to fade away. I felt like I was being carried on something. A stretcher, maybe.

The last thing I remember was me calling for Ethan.

Ethan. Where was he?