Chapter 21

21

CEREMONY AND A PLAN

Wyatt

The air in the packhouse is thick with anticipation. In just two hours, I will stand before our family and friends, pledging my life to Octavia Bellmont, my fated mate, my Luna. The thought fills me with elation, a warmth spreading through my chest like the first rays of dawn. But then, an ice-cold shiver races down my spine, shattering the moment. Harrison, my Gamma, bursts into the room, his face a mask of grim purpose.

“Wyatt,” he breathes, urgency lacing his voice. “We have a situation.”

I straighten, my heart pounding. “What happened?”

“Octavia… she was attacked,” Harrison gasps, his words striking me like a physical blow. “A warrior claimed he was following your orders to secure her. But it’s suspicious, Wyatt. I think you need to hear the rest.”

The world around me tilts as fury ignites within me. How could anyone dare touch her? “Where is she?” I demand, barely able to contain my rage. The thought of anyone harming her, especially under my name, makes my blood boil.

“Dalton is looking for her now,” Harrison replies, his eyes darting to the floor as if searching for answers among the wooden planks.

“Get the warrior,” I growl, my voice low and dangerous. “Lock him up. I want answers.”

Harrison nods, but I can see the hesitation in his eyes. “Wyatt?—”

“Now, Harrison!” I roar, the sound echoing in the room, a growl that leaves no room for argument. He nods and rushes out, and the moment he leaves, I feel the weight of the world crashing down on me. I pace the room, my mind a storm as I replay the words I heard about Rachel’s plan to fake a pregnancy and break my bond with Octavia. Rachel was supposed to be in a cell. How did she get out?

I shove my hands into my hair, trying to quell the rising tide of anxiety. But as the minutes tick by, each second feels like an eternity.

Eventually, Dalton bursts into the dungeon, where I’m waiting, pacing like a caged animal. There’s a look of concern on his face, and my heart sinks. “Dalton?” I ask, my voice trembling. “You found her?”

He shakes his head, and my stomach drops. “I searched the suite. She’s not there.”

“Where is she?” I demand, my hands curling into fists. “You have to find her! She has to be here!”

“I found something, Wyatt,” Dalton says, his voice low and filled with dread. He holds out a torn piece of fabric, a delicate scrap of Octavia’s gown, its edges frayed and stained with crimson. My breath catches in my throat as I take it in, my mind racing. It can’t be.

“Blood?” I whisper, feeling the room spin around me. “No, no, no. This can’t be happening.”

“Wyatt—” Dalton starts, but I can’t hear him. The roar of panic drowns out all rational thought. My heart feels like it’s been ripped from my chest as I drop to my knees, the cold stone floor pressing against my palms. I can’t breathe. I can’t think.

“Find her!” I shout, the desperation clawing at my throat. “She has to be safe! We have to get her back!”

Dalton kneels beside me, his hand on my shoulder, grounding me. “We will find her, but we need to focus. We need to figure out who did this and why.”

The warrior, I remember suddenly. I whirl around, my eyes blazing with fury. “Bring him to me!” I snarl, the need for answers consuming me. “I want to know who sent him.”

“I’ll get him,” Dalton replies, his voice steady despite the chaos swirling around us. He stands and moves toward the exit, but I grab his arm, forcing him to meet my gaze.

“Please,” I say, the raw desperation leaking into my voice. “I can’t lose her. Not now, not before we got to even live .”

Dalton nods, understanding the weight of my words. He leaves, and I’m left alone in the suffocating silence of the dungeon, the torn fabric clutched in my hand like a lifeline. I can’t let Rachel win. I can’t let her take Octavia from me.

Minutes feel like hours as I wait, my thoughts spiraling into darkness. What kind of monster would do this? Who could’ve thought that they could come between us?

When Dalton returns, he’s dragging the warrior behind him, his face bruised and bloodied. The man’s eyes widen in fear as he sees me, and I can feel the beast within me clawing to be released.

“Wyatt,” Dalton warns, but I’m already moving. I step forward, my fists clenched, my heart racing with rage.

“Why did you touch her?” I growl, leaning close enough that he can smell my anger, the heat radiating off me like a furnace.

“I-I was following orders!” he stammers, trembling under my gaze. “I thought it was you! I didn’t mean to hurt her!”

“Who ordered you?” I demand, my voice a low growl. “Who sent you?”

“I swear, I thought?—”

“Enough!” I roar, my patience snapping. I grab him by the collar, lifting him off his feet. “You will tell me everything, or I swear I’ll make you regret ever laying a finger on her.”

His eyes dart around, and I can see the fear in his expression. “It was Rachel! She told me to secure the Luna! She said you needed her out of the way!”

The revelation hits me like a punch to the gut. Rachel. The very person I thought I could trust had orchestrated this chaos.

“Rachel sent you?” I repeat, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. “What was her plan? What did she want?”

“Just to keep you from the ceremony! She said she could convince you to change your mind, to come back to her!” The warrior’s voice is frantic, and I can see the truth now. Rachel’s jealousy had twisted into something dark, something vile.

“I’ll kill her,” I hiss, the words escaping my lips before I can stop them.

“Wyatt, wait!” Dalton interjects, his tone urgent. “We need to focus on finding Octavia. Rachel doesn’t matter right now.”

But I can’t think about anything else. The fury surging through me is overwhelming, but beneath it lies an icy fear. What if she hurts Octavia? What if she’s already?—

“Dalton,” I say, my voice trembling with desperation. “We need to find her. We need to get her back.”

“Let’s search the grounds, check every corner of the pack territory,” Dalton urges, his focus steadying as he turns back to the warrior. “You’re coming with us. You’ll guide us. Rachel knew I would question you, and that gave her a perfect opportunity to flee while nobody was guarding her cell.”

I throw the warrior a dark glare, but he nods, clearly terrified of what I might do if he doesn’t comply. “I’ll help you! I swear!”

“Let’s move,” I command, pushing past them and heading toward the exit. My heart is pounding in my chest, and with each step, the need to find Octavia grows stronger. I won’t let Rachel take her from me. I won’t let anyone take her from me.

The night air is cold against my skin as we step outside, and the moon hangs high above, casting an eerie light over the landscape. I scan the grounds, my senses heightened, searching for any sign of her.

“Wyatt, check the forest,” Dalton suggests, pointing toward the dark trees that loom at the edge of our territory. “She could’ve been taken in that direction.”

Without hesitation, I head toward the forest, my heart pounding with every step. I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.

As we move deeper into the trees, the shadows seem to close in around us. The air is thick with tension, and I can hear the rustle of leaves underfoot, the sound echoing in the stillness. I feel the warrior close behind me, his presence a constant reminder of the betrayal that has sparked this nightmare.

“Keep your eyes open,” I warn, glancing back at him. “If you’re lying to me, I swear?—”

“I’m not!” he interrupts, panic rising in his voice. “I just want to help! I don’t want to die!”

“Don’t worry,” Dalton says, his voice calm despite the chaos. “You’ll get out of this alive if you lead us to her.”

We continue our search, moving through the thick underbrush, each shadow feeling like a lurking threat. My heart races as I push forward, desperate to find any trace of her.

Suddenly, something catches my eye — a flash of white fabric caught on a low branch. I rush forward, my breath hitching in my throat as I see it’s another piece of her gown, stained with more blood.

“No,” I whisper, dread pooling in my stomach. “No, no, no.”

“Wyatt,” Dalton calls, moving to my side as he takes in the scene. “We have to keep going. We can’t stop now.”

I nod, but panic is clawing at my chest, suffocating me. I can’t allow myself to think of what could’ve happened. I can’t let the fear take hold.

We push deeper into the forest, the darkness closing around us. I can feel the weight of the world on my shoulders as I search for her, the fear of losing her threatening to consume me whole.

Octavia

In the chaos that follows, everything feels surreal. The last thing I remember is the laughter echoing around the pack house, the happiness of the day because it was supposed to be my Luna Ceremony. But now, here I am, bound and gagged, being dragged through the underbrush by Rachel. The moon filters through the trees, illuminating her face, twisted with a mixture of satisfaction and rage. I can barely focus on the details of the forest around me, the pine needles crunching underfoot, the cool night air filled with the scent of damp earth and pine.

I can feel my wolf, a restless energy thrumming beneath my skin. She whimpers, a soft sound that resonates in the cage of my heart. We both know Wyatt is out there, searching for me, but the gnawing fear in my gut tells me he might be too late. I can’t help but wonder, what does Rachel want? Why now and how did she escape her cell? My mind races, piecing together the fragments of conversation I overheard just before everything went dark.

Rachel’s voice breaks through my thoughts, sharp as a knife. "You think you’re special, don’t you, Octavia? The chosen one, destined to be Wyatt’s Luna. But you’re not. Not anymore." She pauses, her grip tightening on my arm, forcing me to walk faster. “I’ll show you what it means to be discarded.”

My heart races as I struggle against the ropes that bind my wrists. “Rachel, let me go!” I manage to shout through the gag, my voice muffled and desperate. “You don’t have to do this!”

She laughs, a sound devoid of any warmth. “Oh, but I do. You see, Wyatt will never choose you. He’s too busy playing the hero, trying to save you from me.” Her eyes glint with malice in the moonlight. “But I have a plan, and you’re a part of it.”

The forest closes in around us as we near the abandoned cabin. It looms ahead, a dark silhouette against the starry sky, its windows shattered like broken dreams. Panic surges within me, and I feel the urge to fight, to scream, to claw my way out of this nightmare. But I know deep down that it won't matter if I don't get free soon. Rachel has always been cunning and manipulative, and now she wields that power like a weapon against me.

As we reach the cabin, she pushes me through the door, and I stumble, falling to the floor. The cold, hard ground is unyielding beneath me, and I wince as the ropes dig into my wrists. Rachel kicks the door shut behind us, the sound echoing in the empty space. I look up to find her standing over me, her expression a mix of triumph and something darker.

“This is where your story ends, Octavia,” she says, her voice low and taunting. “Wyatt can’t save you now. No one can.”

I scramble backward, my heart pounding in my chest. “You’re wrong! He’ll come for me! He loves me!” The words spill from my lips like a desperate prayer, a plea for belief in my own truth.

Rachel rolls her eyes, her patience wearing thin. “Love? That’s a joke. You think Wyatt loves you? He’s just using you to fulfill some ridiculous destiny. You’re nothing but a means to an end.” She leans down, her face inches from mine. “But I’m going to change that. You’ll see.”

Before I can respond, she yanks the gag from my mouth, and I take a deep breath, ready to shout for help, to call for Wyatt. But Rachel, anticipating my move, slaps her hand over my mouth, her eyes wild with rage. “You scream, and I’ll make sure he finds only your lifeless body. Do you understand?”

I nod, dread pooling in my stomach. The wildness in her eyes frightens me more than anything else. I’ve seen Rachel angry before, but this is something else entirely — a darkness that seems to consume her.

“Good,” she says, straightening up. “Now, let’s make ourselves comfortable, shall we?”

She drags a chair toward me and forces me to sit in it, tying my ankles to the legs, ensuring there’s no chance of escape. I watch helplessly as she moves around the cabin, her movements frantic yet purposeful. She rummages through drawers, tossing aside old, dusty items that were once someone’s memories.

“Wyatt will come,” I say again, my voice steadier now, fueled by a stubborn hope. “He’ll find me. You can’t keep me here forever.”

Rachel whips around, her face flushed with anger. “You think I don’t know that? I know he’s out there, but I also know he’s going to be too late. He’ll waste precious time looking for you in the wrong places.” She pauses, her expression shifting to something almost contemplative. “And when he does find you, he’ll be too late to save you from what I have planned.”

My heart sinks, the weight of her words crashing down on me. What does she mean? What plan could she possibly have that would ensure my doom? My mind races, trying to devise a way out of this nightmare. I can’t let Rachel win; I won’t be another victim in her twisted game.

As she continues her frantic search, I take a moment to breathe, to focus on the bond I share with Wyatt. I close my eyes, reaching out to him in my mind, hoping he can feel me, hoping he knows I’m in danger. The connection we share is strong, a tether that binds our hearts and souls. If he is out there, he must feel my fear, my desperation.

“Wyatt,” I whisper silently, hoping my thoughts can reach him. “Please find me. I need you.”

The cabin feels suffocating, the air thick with tension. I can hear Rachel muttering to herself as she scavenges through the remnants of the past. “He’ll never forgive you,” she hisses, and my heart skips. Is she talking about Wyatt? Or is it something else?

Suddenly, she stops, the air around us shifting. I can sense her mind working, plotting, and I understand that whatever she’s planning, it’s about to unfold. The dread coils tighter in my stomach as I search for a way to distract her, to buy myself some time.

“Rachel,” I say, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. “You don’t have to do this. You can let me go. We can work together.” I try to keep my tone as calm as possible, even as my heart races.

She turns, her eyes narrowing. “Work together? You really think I’d ever team up with you? You’re a fool.” She laughs, but it’s hollow, like the empty walls surrounding us. “You’re nothing but a stepping stone for me. Once you are out of the picture, I’ll take my place as the true Luna of this pack.”

“Rachel, don’t you see? This isn’t the way to get what you want. You’ll lose everything.” I can feel the desperation creeping into my voice, but I push it back. “Wyatt won’t choose you. He loves me. You’ll just end up alone.”

Her expression shifts, anger boiling beneath the surface. “You think I care about love? This is about power, Octavia! Power is everything! I won’t let you ruin my chances!”

The realization settles in, and I know I must act fast. I can’t let her spiral deeper into this madness. While she’s distracted, I glance around the room, searching for anything that can aid my escape. Old furniture, broken items strewn about — a treasure trove of possibilities.

Rachel moves toward me, her fury palpable, but I don’t waver. “You’re wrong about power! It doesn’t come from fear or manipulation; it comes from trust, from love. Wyatt will never trust you if you keep this up!”

The words hang in the air, and for a brief moment, I see a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. It’s small, but it’s there. I decide to press on, to push her further. “You think taking me will make you stronger? You’re only showing your weakness, Rachel. You’re scared of losing control, and that’s why you’re doing this.”

“Shut up!” she screams, but there’s a tremor in her voice. I can feel it — her confidence wavering, her grip on her emotions slipping.

“Wyatt won’t stop searching for me,” I say, my voice steady and calm. “And when he finds me, he’ll be furious. You’ll have to answer for what you’ve done, and there will be no escaping that.”

Her expression twists, and for a moment, I can see a glimmer of fear in her eyes. It’s enough to give me hope. I take a deep breath, focusing on the connection I share with Wyatt. “He’s coming for me, Rachel. You can’t hide from him. You can’t run.”