48. Zane

48

ZANE

Two hours. She got out two hours early and never called or even sent a text.

Stubborn, stubborn omega.

I pace the length of our pack’s command center, my boots silent on the worn carpet. The scents of leather and sandalwood—my own agitated pheromones—fill the air, mixing with the acrid tang of fear and determination from the others. The room buzzes with frantic energy as pack members huddle over computers, maps, and phones. The harsh glow of screens illuminates tense faces, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

Aria’s absence is a physical ache, a gaping hole in our bond that screams for action. I can almost taste the metallic tang of fear and anger on my tongue, my mouth dry with worry. The memory of her smile and the warmth of her skin against mine haunts me. What if I never feel that again? The thought sends a jolt of panic through me, and I force it down, focusing on the task at hand.

“Quinn’s contacts. What do they have?” I growl, tension in every word. My fingers flex involuntarily, itching to tear into something—or someone.

Malachi looks up from the map he’s studying, his brow furrowed but his voice steady. “No solid leads yet, but Quinn’s leaving no stone unturned. We’ll find her, Zane.”

I bite back a snarl, my alpha instincts demanding I tear the city apart until I find our omega. The urge to shift thrums beneath my skin, making my muscles twitch and ache, but that isn’t how this works. We need to be smart and precise. Still, it’s hard to hold back when every second feels like a lifetime. What if we’re already too late?

“It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” Quinn mutters, his fingers flying over his keyboard. Beside him on the desk is the little charm bracelet. “But I have algorithms running that would make Google jealous. If there’s a digital breadcrumb, I’ll find it.”

“Maybe we should check all the creepy abandoned places in the city,” Dash chimes in, his attempt at levity not quite masking the worry in his eyes. “You know, narrow down Noah’s list of potential evil lairs.”

Despite the situation, I feel the corner of my mouth twitch. Leave it to Dash to find humor even now. It’s one of the things that makes our pack strong, this ability to lighten even the darkest moments.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, the vibration startling in the tense atmosphere. It’s an unknown number. My heart leaps into my throat as I open the message, the bright screen momentarily blinding in the dimly lit room.

Unknown : Where dreams and nightmares dance, the lost one waits. Time is a luxury you don’t have.

My mind races, hope and fear warring within me. This has to be from Aria. It has to be. The alternative—that Noah is toying with us—is too painful to consider.

Aria, if you can feel this, know we’re tearing through the city to get to you.

“Whoa, Zane, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Dash’s voice cuts through my thoughts, his eyebrows raised in concern.

I show them the message, watching as confusion and a glimmer of hope flash across their faces. The air in the room seems to thicken, the scent of anticipation mingling with our collective worry.

“It has to be from Aria,” Quinn says, already pulling up new windows on his screen. “But what does it mean? It’s like a riddle served with a side of cryptic.”

I close my eyes, trying to think like her. The world fades away, leaving only the pulsing of blood in my ears and the lingering scent of Aria on my skin from the last time I held her. Aria’s clever. She wouldn’t risk sending something Noah could easily intercept. This is a clue meant for us—something only we would understand.

“Dreams and nightmares,” I mutter, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “Dancing… Waiting…”

Malachi’s eyes widen as if a light bulb goes off. “The old amusement park.”

It clicks, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. My fingers dig into the edge of the table, the wood creaking under my grip. “Yeah, and it’s been abandoned for years. It would be the perfect place to hide someone.”

The room erupts into action. Maps are pulled up and satellite images are analyzed. The rustling of paper and the soft glow of screens create a surreal atmosphere, like we’re planning a war in the midst of a tech start-up, but as we dig deeper, frustration gnaws at me. The amusement park is a maze with acres of crumbling buildings and hidden spaces. It isn’t going to be easy to find her, and every second counts.

Hours crawl by in a blur of false leads and dead ends.

I feel my grip on my control slip, the primal urge to shift and track her scent almost overpowering, but the scent blockers Noah used make that impossible. I slam my fist on the table, the impact sending shockwaves up my arm and rattling nearby equipment.

“There has to be something we’re missing!” My voice echoes in the room, raw with frustration and fear.

Just then, the door bursts open with a bang that makes us all jump. Cayenne rushes in, her red hair wild and her eyes blazing with determination. The scents of adrenaline and hope roll off her in waves. “I know where she is,” she pants, breathless but resolute.

We all freeze, staring at her. The tension in the room ratchets up another notch, so thick I could cut it with a knife. “How?” I demand, my heart in my throat.

Cayenne catches her breath, her eyes locking onto mine. “I’ve been talking to my contacts in the omega underground. There’s been chatter about Noah setting up a new base—an old maintenance building at the edge of the amusement park.”

It feels like a lifeline, and I cling to it. “Are you sure?” I can hear the desperation in my own voice and feel it clawing at my chest.

She nods, her expression fierce. “As sure as I can be. It fits everything we know.”

I turn to the pack, seeing my determination mirrored in their eyes. The air crackles with renewed energy, hope and fear intermingling in a potent cocktail. “Alright. We move now. Quinn, get us blueprints of that building. Dash, prep the vehicles. Malachi, coordinate with our allies. We’re going in like a storm—swift, merciless, and impossible to stop.”

Everyone springs into action, the room filling with purposeful movement and the sounds of preparation. I pull Cayenne aside, gratitude welling up despite the urgency. “Thank you,” I say quietly, squeezing her shoulder. “You may have just saved her life.”

“Aria’s tough,” Cayenne says, squeezing my arm reassuringly, her touch grounding me. “She’s buying us time, I know it. That girl has more fight in her than anyone I’ve ever met.”

I nod, feeling a fresh wave of resolve crash over me. We have a target now, a real lead. Aria’s waiting for us, and we won’t let her down, but a nagging fear tugs at the back of my mind. What if we’re too late? What if Noah’s done something to her, something we can’t undo? The thought sends a chill down my spine, and I push it away, focusing on the task at hand.

As I study the map, tracing possible entry points with my finger, I feel the weight of leadership press heavily on my shoulders. This isn’t just about raw alpha instincts. It’s about using every ounce of strategy and strength we have. We can’t afford mistakes. Not with Aria’s life on the line.

“Everyone,” I call out, my voice clear and steady, cutting through the bustling activity. “Gather round. We need to go over the rescue plan.”

The pack assembles, focused and ready. I look at each of them. We’re more than a pack of alphas. We’re a family bound by our love for Aria and our determination to bring her home. The air is thick with our combined scents.

“Noah thinks he won,” I say, my voice carrying the weight of our mission. “He thinks he can take what’s ours and walk away, but he’s about to learn a hard lesson. Pack Clarke doesn’t leave its own behind.”

The room hums with energy, our bond pulsing with shared purpose. I can feel it thrumming through my veins and see it in the set of their jaws and the fire in their eyes. That amusement park is about to become Noah’s personal house of horrors, and we’re the monsters he never saw coming.

As I start outlining our approach, I make a silent promise to her. The taste of determination is sharp on my tongue, mingling with the lingering fear. This isn’t just a rescue, it’s a reckoning. Noah crossed a line, and we’re going to make him regret ever laying eyes on Aria.

The room falls silent as I finish laying out the plan. The only sounds are our collective heartbeats and the soft whir of computers. The air is charged with anticipation, thick with the scent of determination and barely contained aggression.

I meet each pair of eyes, seeing the same fierce loyalty reflected back at me. “Any questions?” I ask, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Quinn raises his hand, his brow furrowed in concentration. “I’ve been analyzing the building’s structure. There’s a weak point in the northeast corner that could give us an advantage.”

I nod, grateful for his sharp mind. “Good. We’ll incorporate that into our entry strategy.”

Dash steps forward, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by steely resolve, but a hint of his trademark grin still plays on his lips. “The vehicles are prepped and ready. We can move out in five.”

“Excellent,” I reply, feeling a surge of pride in my pack. We’re ready, and we’re coming for our omega.

As we make our final preparations, I catch a glimpse of myself in a darkened computer screen. My eyes glow with alpha intensity, a reminder of the primal force driving us all, but it’s more than just instinct now. It’s love, family, and the unbreakable bond we share with Aria.

“Let’s move out,” I command, my voice ringing with authority. As we file out of the command center, the air shifts, charged with purpose and determination. The hunt is on, and Noah has no idea what’s coming for him.

The cool night air hits us as we step outside. The city sprawls before us, a maze of lights and shadows where our Aria is hidden. I take a deep breath, letting the crisp air clear my head. The scents of the city mingle with the purpose rolling off my pack in waves.

The engines roar to life, the vibration thrumming through me like a battle cry. As we pull away from the curb, I send out one last silent message through our bond, willing Aria to feel it wherever she is.

The abandoned amusement park looms ahead, a twisted silhouette against the night sky. Somewhere in that maze of broken dreams and rusted metal, Aria is waiting for us, and come hell or high water, we’re going to find her.

Noah thinks he’s the predator here, but he’s about to become the prey.