17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Bane

" I don’t care if you have to tear this place apart! Find him!" I slam my fist against the edge of a desk, sending papers scattering to the floor.

The guards around me flinch but scramble to obey, their movements frantic.

"How the hell does a child go missing under your watch?" I roar, pacing the room. My wolf is on edge, clawing to get out, demanding blood.

Rook strides into the room, his expression grim but focused.

"Bane, we have a lead," he says, his voice low and tight.

I whirl on him. "Spit it out, Rook. What the hell happened?"

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "The guards assigned to Elias’s room—both of them were drugged. Knocked out cold. It was clean, professional. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."

My chest tightens as his words sink in. "Vittorio," I snarl, my teeth grinding together. "That bastard doesn’t know when to quit."

Rook nods grimly.

A growl rumbles in my throat as I turn back to the table, gripping its edge hard enough to splinter the wood.

Before Rook can respond, the door slams open, and a whirlwind of fury storms in. "Bane!"

I whip around to see Aria, her face pale but her eyes angry. "What the hell are you doing here?" I snap, turning to the guards outside the door. "Who the fuck let her through?"

The guards shrink under my glare, but Aria doesn’t back down. She steps closer, her fists clenched. "Don’t you dare blame them. I came here because my son is missing, Bane. My son! And you think I’m just going to sit around and wait for updates?"

"You don’t understand—" I start, but she cuts me off, her voice sharp.

"No, you don’t understand. That’s my child out there, Bane. I’m not staying behind while you play Alpha and bark orders. If you’re going to find him, I’m coming with you. End of discussion."

My wolf bristles at her defiance, but something in her eyes stops me from snapping back.

Rook, standing off to the side, clears his throat. "She has a point, Bane. Two sets of eyes are better than one."

I glare at him, then back at Aria. "This isn’t up for debate." I growl.

"Neither is my decision," she fires back, her voice trembling but steady. "We waste more time arguing, Bane, and Elias gets further away. Is that what you want?"

My jaw tightens, and for a moment, the room is silent except for the pounding of my pulse in my ears. "Fine," I bite out finally. "But you stay close. If you get hurt—"

"I won’t," she interrupts, already heading for the door. "Let’s go."

The woods are dark and dense, the scent of damp earth and pine filling my nose as we move through the underbrush. I lead the way, my senses sharp, every instinct tuned to finding Elias. Aria follows close behind, her breathing steady despite the strain.

"Do you smell anything?" she asks, her voice low but tense.

I shake my head. "Not yet. Whoever took him was smart. They’re covering their tracks."

"Then how do we find him?"

I glance back at her, my jaw tightening. "We’ll follow the smallest signs if we have to. Broken twigs, faint scents—anything. We won’t stop until we find him."

She nods.

As we push further into the woods, I catch a faint scent—something sharp and out of place. I freeze, holding up a hand to stop her.

"What is it?" she whispers, stepping closer.

"Blood," I say, my voice low. My eyes scan the ground, and then I see it: a small smear of red on a jagged rock.

Aria’s breath hitches. "Is it…?"

"No," I say quickly, crouching down to examine it. "It’s not Elias’s. Too fresh, and the scent is different. Could be one of Vittorio’s men." I stand, my fists clenching. "Which means we’re on the right track."

"This is my fault," Aria says suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I glance at her sharply. "What?"

"If I hadn’t come here…if I’d just stayed hidden with Elias, this wouldn’t have happened," she says, her voice breaking.

"Stop," I say firmly, turning to face her. "This isn’t your fault. Vittorio made his choice, and he’ll pay for it. But blaming yourself won’t help Elias."

She swallows hard, nodding.

An hour later, the trail grows colder, and frustration claws at me. "Damn it," I mutter, scanning the area for anything—anything—that might give us a clue.

Just as I’m about to suggest doubling back, I catch another scent—a faint mix of sweat and fear.

"This way," I say, motioning for her to follow.

The scent leads us to a small clearing, and my heart skips a beat when I see what’s in the center: a piece of fabric, torn and snagged on a low branch.

Aria gasps, rushing forward. "That’s his jacket," she whispers, holding the fabric like it’s a lifeline.

I take it from her, sniffing it carefully. "He was here," I confirm, my voice low. "Not long ago."

Aria’s eyes shine with unshed tears, but she blinks them away, her expression hardening. "Then we’re close. Let’s keep going."

I nod, my resolve hardening. Vittorio made a mistake taking Elias. And when I find him, he’ll learn just how big a mistake that was.

The scent leads us to an old, overgrown trail, the kind no one would stumble upon unless they knew where to look. My wolf is restless, its growls echoing in my mind as we press forward. Aria is beside me, her determination etched on her face despite the scratches on her arms from the low-hanging branches.

“We’re close,” I say, my voice a low rumble. My sharp gaze scans the trees, catching glimpses of faint boot prints in the mud. “Whoever took him didn’t bother to cover their tracks properly. Vittorio must think we’re too slow to catch up.”

“Or he wants us to follow,” Aria says, her voice tight. She grips the piece of Elias’s jacket in her hand like it’s a lifeline.

I glance at her and nod. She’s right. Vittorio is twisted enough to enjoy the chase. But this isn’t a game to me. My claws flex at my sides, itching to rip into someone’s throat.

The trail ends abruptly, opening into a small clearing. In the center stands an old, rotting cabin. The wooden boards are warped and peeling, and one of the windows hangs crookedly, shattered. My senses scream danger, but I stride forward anyway.

“Bane,” Aria hisses, grabbing my arm. “Wait. What if it’s a trap?”

“It probably is,” I admit, brushing her hand off. “But Elias could be in there. I’m not leaving without checking.”

She hesitates for a second before nodding. “Then I’m coming with you.”

“No,” I snap, my voice harder than I intended. Her eyes narrow, but I don’t have time to argue. “Stay here.”

“I’m not running,” she says, her voice sharp. “That’s my son in there, Bane. You can’t keep me out of this.”

“Aria—”

“Don’t ‘Aria’ me!” she snaps, stepping closer. “I’m not some fragile little thing you can push aside. If you’re going in, I’m going with you.”

I grit my teeth, my wolf growling in irritation. But deep down, I know there’s no point in arguing with her. She’s as stubborn as I am. “Fine,” I relent. “But stay behind me.” I grit out as we both walk in with the guards outside.

The cabin smells of damp wood, mold, and something faintly metallic—blood. My muscles tense as I push the door open, its hinges creaking loudly. The inside is dark, the only light coming from the faint moonlight streaming through the broken window.

“Elias?” Aria calls softly, her voice trembling.

I hold up a hand, signaling her to be quiet. My eyes scan the room, taking in the overturned furniture and scattered debris. There’s no sign of Elias, but something else catches my attention. On the far wall, a piece of paper is nailed to the wood with a jagged dagger.

“What the hell…” I mutter, striding over to it. Aria follows, her breath hitching as she sees the note.

The words are scrawled in bold, angry letters:

"Your son is just the beginning."

A growl tears from my throat, and I yank the dagger from the wall, crumpling the note in my fist. My wolf is howling now, desperate for blood. “That bastard,” I snarl, pacing the room. “He’s playing with us. This is a warning, a sick little game.”

Aria’s face pales, but her jaw tightens. “We need to find him, Bane. Right now.”

I shake my head, my frustration boiling over. “There’s no trail here, no scent. Vittorio’s men must have covered their tracks after they left. He’s probably miles away by now.”

“So what?” she snaps, stepping in front of me. “You’re just going to give up?”

“Of course not!” I roar, my voice echoing in the small space. “But running around blindly won’t help. We need a plan.”

Her eyes blaze with anger, and for a moment, I think she’s going to slap me. “We don’t have time for plans, Bane! He has our son!”

I grab her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “Do you think I don’t know that? Every second he’s out there, my wolf is tearing me apart. But if we rush in without thinking, we’ll be walking straight into Vittorio’s trap. And then Elias loses both of us.”

Her eyes fill with tears, but she doesn’t let them fall. Instead, she takes a deep breath and nods. “Then what do we do?”

I release her, stepping back. “We regroup. Vittorio’s men may be good, but they’re not invincible. We’ll find someone who knows where he’s hiding. Someone who can lead us to Elias.”

Aria shakes her head. “That could take days—weeks. He doesn’t have that long, Bane.”

“I know,” I say softly, my voice raw. “But this isn’t just about Elias anymore. Vittorio’s made it clear he’s coming for all of us. If we don’t get allies, we won’t survive the next attack.”

She stares at me for a long moment, her anger giving way to a mix of fear and determination. Finally, she nods. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. But if you waste even a second, I swear—”

“I won’t,” I promise, cutting her off. “We’ll get him back, Aria. I swear to you.”

We step outside, the cold night air hits me like a slap. The woods are eerily quiet, the only sound is the crunch of leaves under our boots. Aria walks beside me, her shoulders tense, her hands clenched into fists.

“Let's go.” I say, breaking the silence.

She doesn’t respond, her gaze fixed on the ground. I know she’s holding back tears, and it kills me that I can’t do more to ease her pain.

Suddenly, a low growl echoes through the trees, stopping us both in our tracks. I sniff the air, my senses on high alert. “We’re not alone,” I mutter, positioning myself in front of Aria.

“What is it?” she whispers, her voice trembling.

Before I can answer, a shadow moves in the darkness, and the faint sound of footsteps reaches my ears. My wolf surges to the surface, ready to strike, but the figure steps into the light—and it’s Rook.

“Found something?” he asks, his voice calm but urgent.

I shake my head. “Just a note. A threat from Vittorio. He’s gone.”

Rook frowns. “Damn it. What now?”

“We regroup,” I say, my voice firm. “And we prepare for war.”