Chapter 25

Chapter

Twenty-Five

WHISKEY

T he ATV's engine roars beneath me as I push it to its limits, tearing through the snow and dirt. My eyes scan the terrain, making sure we're still following Wraith's trail. The cold wind bites at my face, but I barely notice.

All I can think about is finding Ivy.

And then, I'm gonna tear Valek limb from fucking limb.

"Anything?" Thane's voice crackles through the comm in my ear.

"Nothing yet," I growl, frustration building in my chest. "How the hell is Wraith moving so fast on foot?"

"He's not thinking, just following his instincts," Plague chimes in, his voice as cold and clinical as ever. "Pure feral alpha drive. He'll lead us straight to her."

I grit my teeth, hating how right Plague is. Wraith might be a feral beast, but right now, those instincts are doing what our fancy tech can't. My hands tighten on the handlebars as I remember how I'd fallen for Valek's trick.

Stupid. So fucking stupid.

"There!" Thane's shout snaps me back to attention. I follow his gesture and spot it. A set of massive bootprints in the snow, heading toward a set of train tracks in the distance.

We gun our engines, closing the gap. As we near the tracks, I can't help but notice they're leading us in an all-too-familiar direction.

"These tracks," Plague mutters, voicing my thoughts. "They're heading toward the outpost near the border with Vrissia."

"Of fucking course they are," I spit, rage boiling in my gut.

Thane's voice is tight with tension. "Valek's never shown any love for Vrissia before. Why start now? There's a chance he's taking her to the safe zone near the border. "

"Who gives a shit about his motivations?" I snap, rounding on him. "He's got Ivy, and that's all that matters. Forgive me for not trusting his sorry fucking backstabbing snake ass after he poisoned me."

We fall into an uneasy silence as we follow the tracks, the only sound the roar of our engines and the crunch of snow and dirt beneath our wheels. My mind races, replaying the moment I'd let my guard down. I'd been so caught up in the afterglow with Ivy, so fucking pleased with myself.

And Valek had played me like a goddamn fiddle.

"You're being too hard on yourself," Thane's voice cuts through my self-loathing, as if he can read my damn mind. "Valek fooled all of us."

I laugh, bitter and harsh. "Yeah, but I'm the dumbass who fell for his 'bonding' bullshit. I should've known better. Should've known he doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself."

"We all should have," Plague adds, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. "Valek's always been a wild card. We got complacent."

"Fat lotta good that does Ivy now," I mutter, pushing my ATV even harder.

We keep riding in silence, the landscape blurring past us. The tracks stretch on endlessly, a stark line cutting through the wilderness. The constant vibration of the ATV makes my muscles feel steamrolled and the poison's still burning and aching in my gut, but I don't give a shit. Physical pain is nothing compared to the knot of guilt and anger twisting inside me.

The train tracks lead us to the edge of a valley and I slam on the brakes at the sight below, my heart nearly stopping. The train lies derailed, smoke and flames billowing from the wreckage.

But that's not what grabs my attention.

Vrissian soldiers swarm the area like ants on spilled sugar, their snow-camo gear barely visible against the stark white landscape. Sleek hovercrafts built for the terrain zip back and forth, kicking up plumes of snow.

"Fuck me," I breathe, my stomach twisting into knots.

Thane's already got his binoculars out, scanning the chaos below. His jaw clenches, and I know it's bad news before he even opens his mouth.

"They've got them. Ivy, Wraith, and Valek."

I snatch the binoculars from his hands, ignoring his grunt of protest. My hands shake from the unfettered rage and adrenaline as I focus on the scene below, desperately searching for Ivy .

There.

My blood runs cold as I watch them load her limp form onto one of the hovercrafts. Her long auburn hair hangs down, obscuring her face. She's not moving.

"Those fucking sons of bitches!" I snarl, tossing the binoculars back to Thane. I rev the ATV's engine, ready to tear down the valley and rain hell.

Thane's hand clamps down on my shoulder, iron-strong. "Stand down, Whiskey."

I whirl on him, teeth bared. "The fuck you mean, 'stand down'? They've got Ivy! Our fucking omega!"

"I know," Thane says, his voice low and tight. "But we can't just charge in there half-cocked. We need to hang back, follow them. Find out where they're going."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" I hiss, gesturing wildly at the scene below. "They're loading her up right now! We gotta move!"

Plague's cold voice cuts through my rage. "Thane's right. If we attack now, we risk losing them entirely. Our best chance is to track them to their destination."

I want to argue, to tell them both to go fuck themselves. Every instinct in my body is screaming at me to go down there and rescue Ivy. But the rational part of my brain—small as it might be—knows they're right.

"Fine," I growl, my hands clenching and unclenching on the ATV's handlebars. "But the second we know where they're headed, all bets are off."

Thane nods, raising the binoculars back to his eyes. "Agreed."

We watch in tense silence as the Vrissians finish loading up their prisoners and equipment. The hovercrafts take off in formation, churning up snow as they head deeper into Vrissian territory. We give them a head start before following at a safe distance.

The journey feels like it takes forever. Every second that ticks by is another second Ivy's in danger, another second those Vrissian fucks could be hurting her. My imagination runs wild, conjuring up horrific scenarios that make me want to puke.

Finally, after what feels like hours, the hovercrafts begin to slow. In the distance, I can make out a massive structure jutting up from the snowy landscape. It's all sharp angles and reinforced walls, with guard towers dotting the perimeter.

"Some kind of research facility," Plague mutters, his voice tight.

My stomach drops as I watch the hovercrafts descend toward the building. A massive door slides open in the side, revealing a cavernous hangar bay. One by one, the crafts disappear inside.

We pull our ATVs behind a rocky outcropping, giving us some cover as we observe the facility. Thane's got the binoculars out again, watching intently.

"They're unloading now," he reports, his voice clipped and professional. "I see Wraith and Valek. They're... they're not looking good."

I grab the binoculars again, my heart pounding. I watch as they drag Wraith's massive form from one of the hovercrafts. He's barely conscious, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Whatever they hit him with must've been strong as hell to take him down like that. He looks fucking defeated.

Valek's next, and I can't help the savage grin that spreads across my face when I see the state he's in. His face is a mess of bruises and blood, and he's limping badly.

Good.

Hope Wraith tore him a new one before they went down.

But my satisfaction is short-lived as I watch them disappear into the depths of the facility. A few moments later, another group of soldiers emerges from a different hovercraft.

And there she is.

My breath catches in my throat as I watch them half-drag, half-carry Ivy toward the entrance. Her head lolls to the side, and I catch a glimpse of her face. There's a nasty bruise blooming on her cheek as she stumbles through the snow.

"Ivy," I whisper, my chest aching with a pain I can't describe.

I watch helplessly as they take her inside, the massive door sliding shut behind them with a finality that makes my blood run cold. The binoculars slip from my nerveless fingers, clattering against the ATV.

"Fuck," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. " FUCK !"

I want to scream. I want to charge down there and tear that place apart with my bare hands. But I know it's suicide. We're outnumbered, outgunned, and have no idea what we're walking into.

"What's the play?" I ask, turning to Thane. I hate how desperate I sound, but I can't help it. The thought of Ivy in there, alone and scared, with them doing God knows what to her, is tearing me apart.

Thane's face is grim, his eyes hard as he surveys the facility. "We need more intel. We can't go in blind."

"So what, we just sit here with our thumbs up our asses?" I snarl, my temper flaring again.

"No," Plague interjects, his voice eerily calm. "We gather information. We watch their patrol patterns, look for weaknesses in their security so we can knock off a couple of soldiers for their uniforms. Then we infiltrate and plan our assault."

Thane gives a stiff nod. "It's our only choice."

I curl my lip at our "leader," a dangerous growl rumbling in my chest. For a moment, I consider knocking his fucking lights out. My hands curl at my sides, nails biting into my rough palms. He'd look pretty with a nice fist-sized crater taking up the spot where his stupid mouth is right now.

But Ivy needs us alive.

If we go in there right now, we'll die.

And our omega might suffer a fate even worse than death.

"Fine," I grit out, forcing myself to breathe instead of caving Thane's face in. "But we better make it quick. I don't like the idea of leaving her in there any longer than we have to."

Thane nods, his expression softening slightly. " We'll get her back, Whiskey. I promise. If it's the last thing we do."

I turn back to the facility, my eyes boring into the cold, unforgiving walls. Somewhere in there, Ivy's waiting for us. Scared, alone, probably wondering if we're going to abandon her.

"Hold on, sweetheart," I mutter under my breath. "We're comin'."