Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

C olt woke at dawn and slipped out from under the covers. Taking a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders, then glanced at the door connecting him and Ariana. He knew her room was empty, but the scent of her still lingered around him. She was a liability. A desire he couldn’t afford right now, and he briefly entertained the thought of inviting one of the females to his bed tonight, provided they came back from this mission in one piece.

His wolf snarled at the idea.

“Fine!” he snapped back. Besides, the idea of another female in his bed right now held no appeal.

Grabbing a pair of jeans, he jerked them on, then donned a black tee and his well-worn leather jacket. After pulling on his boots, he strapped a knife to his belt. Stepping into the hallway, Rhett, the pack’s warrior, and Gage, the pack’s hunter, greeted him, already geared up and ready for action. Their expressions mirrored his own, a blend of determination and readiness. Those closest to him were aware of Vilkas and his condition and all were ready to find and eliminate the enemy who threatened to take down their pack-mates.

Rhett gave a nod. “Morning, Colt.”

“Morning,” Colt replied. “Gather the rest of the team. We’re meeting Ariana and Maya in the main hall.”

Gage nodded, eyes sharp with focus. “On it.”

As they moved down the corridor, the hum of activity from the pack’s morning routines filled the space. Familiar scents of frying bacon and brewed coffee mingled in the air, but Colt’s mind was on the mission ahead, and one particular female.

They reached the main hall, and he spotted Ariana and Maya, who were already there, deep in conversation. He stopped for a moment, watching the soft glow of the early morning sun play across her skin. Ariana looked at him, no doubt sensing he was drinking in every inch of her. She smiled, and he forced his feet to carry him forward.

“Morning,” she said. “Maya and I have been discussing some additional protective measures.”

“Good. Every bit of protection will help.” He wanted to demand she stay here, but she wasn’t his to command. Besides, he understood the duties of a guardian, even one he thought was far too inexperienced for this task.

Maya stepped forward, holding out a small bundle of herbs and charms. “These are for each of you. They’re designed to ward off dark magic and enhance your senses. I’ve prepared extra for the mission.”

Colt took the charm from her, feeling a slight tingle as he fastened it around his neck. He nodded his thanks, appreciating the subtle strength that flowed from it.

One by one, the rest of the team assembled—Talia, with her keen scouting skills; Nova, swift and precise; and Jaxon, their enforcer, his presence a wall of strength. Each member received their charm with a nod of gratitude toward Maya.

Colt turned to address the team. “We have a lead suggesting the rogue pack is hiding in a remote cavern in the Colorado mountains. Our primary objective is to recover the cursed blade. We also need to assess and neutralize any threat posed by the rogue pack. Stay vigilant, work together, and trust in each other’s capabilities.”

The team responded with unified determination, ready to face whatever lay ahead. They moved out, the crisp morning air biting at their skin, invigorating them as they left the main house and headed toward the dense forest that lined their territory. The airstrip was a twenty-minute hike for an ordinary human, but for Colt and the rest of the team, it took them half that time to arrive at the waiting plane.

The sleek metal frame of the small plane gleamed under the morning sun, its propellers hummed with a promise of speed and power. The pilot, one of his own trusted men, nodded in greeting as Colt and his team approached.

“Morning, Colt,” the pilot said. “She’s ready to go.”

“Thanks, Derek.” Colt clapped the pilot on the shoulder. “Let’s get this done.”

One by one, the team stowed their gear and weapons, then boarded the plane. Ariana moved with grace yet the warrior she had trained to be rippled beneath the surface. She commanded her space, and that pleased him. Before she boarded the plane, she glanced back at him, a silent communication between passed between them.

Trust.

Colt took his seat at the front, facing the cockpit. The high-pitched whine of the engine intensified as the plane taxied down the makeshift runway. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple, more from anticipation than the morning sun. The lives of his pack—his family—rested on his shoulders, and he was determined to see them through this crisis.

As the plane lifted off the ground, his heart pounded in rhythm with the ascent. Outside the window, the green sprawling forest beneath them blurred as they sped by. Everyone sat in silence, each member immersed in their thoughts of what they might face. Ariana fixed her gaze out the window. The sunlight played across her features and cast delicate shadows on her cheek. He tried not to admire her striking beauty.

Maya sat beside her, eyes closed, and knowing her, she was deep in meditation. The ancient witch was clearly channeling energy and focusing her mind on the battles ahead.

As the plane climbed higher, he also attempted to calm down and mentally get ready. Colt had barely relaxed when he felt a heated gaze on him. He peered through lifted lids, catching Ariana studying him. He opened his eyes and met the swirling green and silver flecks of her gaze. For a moment, unspoken words of heated desire passed between them. The encounter was brief, broken when Maya looked between them and grinned before closing her eyes once more. The witch likely sensed the tension between Ariana and himself. Hell, the entire pack would sense it.

Ariana glanced away and returned to staring out the window, which was a good thing. Colt had enough trouble and didn’t need to start a feud with Ariana’s father or the vampire king. He reminded himself that her purpose for being here wasn’t to warm his bed.

The flight was thankfully short. As they approached a flat, snow-dusted airport below, the pilot navigated the rocky terrain until they began their descent. The landing was smooth; the plane touched down with barely a bump. Derek glanced back from the cockpit as they came to a stop. “Good luck, Colt. I’ll be here, ready for extraction, whenever you need.”

Colt nodded. “Thanks, Derek. Keep her warm; we might need a quick getaway.”

“I’ll park in one of the hangars to get out of this weather.”

The team disembarked as quickly as they had gotten on, their boots crunching on the snow. A thin mist hugged the ground and curled around their ankles as they removed their gear from the storage compartment. Colt studied the surrounding area with its harsh and unyielding landscape.

Ariana stepped next to him. “I need everyone in a tight circle holding hands. We need to stay connected, or someone gets left behind.”

“You heard her. Step to it!”

Everyone immediately fell into a circle and clasped hands. When Ariana slipped her hand into Colt’s, he experienced a jolt. Her touch was warm despite the cold, a contrast that sent a shiver up his arm. Her fingers were delicate yet strong, and the simple act of holding hands awakened a primal desire within him. This went beyond just necessity; there was an undeniable connection surging through their linked hands—a connection that transcended their mission.

He glanced at her. The faint mist surrounding them swirled gently, as if unwilling to leave the space between them undisturbed. Her gaze met his, the green and silver flecks shimmering with an unspoken promise. It held determination, but beneath it, there was a flicker of fire that matched his own restrained desire. For a moment, everything else fell away—the cold, the mission, the dangers ahead. All he could focus on was the rhythm of her pulse against his skin, the steady heartbeat that seemed to sync with his own. The world narrowed to this pinprick of shared warmth and fleeting intimacy.

His breath hitched, and he tightened his grip on her hand, conveying both encouragement and a sudden rush of want that he could barely keep in check. He fought the urge to pull her closer, to close the space between them and explore the electric tension pulsing through their touch.

Ariana gave him a small smile, a flicker of shared awareness passed between them. Her grip was firm and reassuring, as if telling him she felt it too, that he wasn’t alone in this powerful, confusing pull.

“We need to focus,” she murmured, her voice low and husky. The words were practical, but the look in her eyes told another story—a silent acknowledgment of the desire simmering just beneath the surface.

Fuck his life.

“Right,” he replied, bringing his mind back to the task at hand. But even as he did, he couldn’t banish the image of them together, their entwined hands leading to other places, other touches. With a deep breath, he forced himself to concentrate. There were greater immediate threats to face, and any diversions could come at a high price. He had already failed Mikel. He refused to fail Vilkas or any of the rest of his pack.

Ariana closed her eyes, murmuring under her breath. The surrounding air tingled with energy, the mist shifting to a darker hue as her magic worked. For a moment, Colt saw faint, luminescent threads connecting each member of their circle, weaving the pack together in a protective, mystical embrace. In an instant, it disappeared, and they found themselves in a different location.

“Everyone got their bearings?” He knew flashing wasn’t a power his pack was used to.

The team all nodded.

“Good. Stay close,” he commanded. “We move as one. Talia, lead the way.”

Talia gave a nod. Her keen eyes scanned the terrain as she took point. With her heightened senses, she could detect the faintest of trails, the subtlest of disturbances in the natural order. The rest of the team fell into formation, their breaths forming visible puffs of vapor in the cold air.

Ariana was still at his side, her presence a steady force. “I sense traces of dark magic,” she whispered. “It’s faint, but definitely here.”

His jaw tightened. “Stay alert. We’re getting close.”

The trek through the rugged terrain was rough, the snowy ground a test of their endurance. They climbed rocky inclines and descended snow-covered slopes, with Talia’s lead keeping them on track. The forest thickened as they advanced, the towering pines creating a canopy that filtered the morning light into speckled patterns on the ground. After an hour of hiking, they reached the mouth of a cavern, half-hidden by the dense underbrush. The air became colder, sharper, and filled with an ominous presence. Colt motioned for everyone to halt, holding up a fist.

“This is it,” he whispered. “Remember, we don’t know what we’re walking into. Stay sharp, and trust in each other.”

Rhett took his place beside Colt, his steely gaze fixed on the cavern’s dark entrance. “Ready when you are, Alpha.”

The pack moved with caution into the shadowy depths, every step echoed against the stone walls. Further inside the cave, the temperature continued to drop, with each breath they exhaled becoming visible in the icy air. The gloom was almost tangible, a thick darkness that pressed against them from all sides.

Ariana held out her hand and the next thing Colt knew, a small glowing ball of light floated above her palm and lit the path in front of them. The flickering light illuminated ancient symbols etched along the walls, runes that radiated a dark energy.

“These runes are of demonic origin. We’re on the right track. Everyone, keep your wards at the ready,” Maya whispered.

With each cautious step deeper into the ominous cavern, the suffocating darkness intensified, enveloping the surroundings in an impenetrable shroud. The air grew heavy with an unsettling stillness, broken only by the faint echoes of dripping water that reverberated through the eerie silence. A pungent, musty odor permeated the atmosphere, assaulting the senses and leaving a bitter taste in the mouth. The oppressive weight of the malevolent energy seemed to press down upon every inch of Colt’s body, sending shivers down the spine and causing a primal instinct to recoil.

At the heart of the chamber, an altar held the cursed blade. The knife gleamed with a sinister light; its surface etched with the same ancient runes that adorned the cavern walls. Its presence alone seemed to drain the warmth from the air. Colt glanced around and realized they were not alone. Shadowy figures moved at the edges of the light. The rogue pack members’ eyes glowed red with the fury of their dark magic. Snarls echoed through the cavern, their feral forms bristling with an unholy energy.