Chapter 34: Desperate Measures
Chapter 34: Desperate Measures
(Alexander’s POV)
Jason knocked lightly on my office door before stepping in His expression alone told me whatever he had to say wouldn’t be what I wanted to hear He looked tense, his shoulders stiff, his eyes molding mine for a moment too long. Mason growled low in my mind, agitated by the delay
“Well? Speak!” I barked, my patience already wor
Jason inhaled slowly, as if the words were physically painful “Alpha.. we’ve pursued every lead, Checked every contact in and outside the Northern Territories.” His words were deliberate, cautious.
“And?” I prompted sharply.
Jason’s expression darkened. “And every trail ends in nothing. Whoever this Alpha is, his presence is… wiped clean. There’s no trace of him where we’re looking”
Mason snarled in my head, snapping at invisible threats. The memory of that Alpha–his quiet, suffocating dominance, those piercing blue eyes locking onto me like I was prey–rose unbidden, and fury followed close behind. My fists clenched.
ped clean?” I repeated bitterly, my tone hard. “What does that even mean, Jason? No one can just vanish Someone, somewhere, knows who he
Jason shifted, his discomfort obvious, but he didn’t fatter. “Alpha, it’s like… it’s deliberate. Purposeful. As if someone doesn’t want him found. It feels like they’re covering his tracks.”
The weight of Jason’s words hung in the air, suffocatingly heavy. “Covering his tracks?” I hissed. “Who could even do that? Who has that kind of power?”
this
Jason hesitated for a fraction of a second before finally saying what he’d clearly been dreading. It feels like the Shadow Organization’s hand is in
Mason’s roar hit me like a tidal wave, clawing at my restraint. The Shadow Organization. Those elusive ghosts in the wolf world, powerful enough to make even the strongest packs tread lightly. And now, the wolf who dared to stand between me and Scarlett might be tied to them.
I leaned forward over my desk, glaring at Jason with enough force to make him shift his weight uncomfortably. “So, what’s your plan, Jason?” | demanded, my voice cold as ice.
Jason straightened reflexively. “I think we should confront Scarlett directly. She knows who he is. She could-”
“No!” I growled, my voice loud enough to make Jason flinch. The idea of seeing Scarlett again, defiant and calm, wrapped in another Alpha’s scent, was unbearable. It burned like acid in my chest. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the edge of the desk, forcing down Mason’s snarls
“She’ll twist the truth I spat, pacing now to keep from lashing out. “She knows how to manipulate. She knows how to play her cards.” I slammed my fist down on the desk, the wood creaking under the pressure. “She’s not some nalve little pup. She’s curning.”
Jason nodded reluctantly but remained rigid under my glare. “But Alpha, if this Shadow Organization is protecting him–this isn’t a simple matter.”
His tone softened as if trying to reason with me.
“Then we hit harder barked, cutting him off. 1 don’t care how many strings you have to pull I want every lead followed. I want his name, his pack- everything about him laid bare. Do you hear me?”
Jason swallowed hard, nodding. He turned to leave but hesitated at the door. “What if Scarlett doesn’t want him found, Alpha? What if His voice
trailed off, but I didn’t need him to finish.
The unspoken implication twisted like a knife in my gut. Mason’s growls deepened in my mind, his anger barely restrained.
“Then,” I said slowly, my voice low and venomous, “she’s in deeper than she realizes. Either way, I’ll deal with it.”
Jason nodded once more before exiting quickly, closing the door behind him. Alone, I tried to reign in the storm raging inside me. The memory of that Alpha resurfaced again. His eyes. His aura. The way he stood in nothing but a towel yet radiated power–more than I had expected, more than
wanted to admit
Mason snarled, hating the echo of that crushing dominance. No one had ever subdued him like that. No one.
Chapter 34. Desperate Meanses
But then Grace’s voice shattered my spiraling thoughts like glass. Her mindlink slipped through the hare of my anger, soft and fragile.
“Alexander,” her voice trembled, raw with fatigue. “It’s spreading again. It hurts so much. I–I don’t know.”
“Stop” snapped instinctively, masking the rising panic in my chest, “You’re not giving up, Grace. Do you hear me? I won’t let you”
But even as I said the words, doubt crept in Hazel was gone Scarlett was ensnared in her own web of refusal And Grace it felt like I might lose her
The sight that greeted me in the sacred chamber twisted my stomach in ways I hadn’t expected. Grace, who once sparkled with ethereal beauty, now lay pale and trembling on the sacred stone. Veins of silver poison marked her skin in jagged, angry lines that seemed to pulse like a living thing
She barely turned her head as I approached, her hollow eyes meeting mine. –
“I can’t stay here,” she croaked, her voice shaking as much as her fragile body. “Alexander, please. I need. I need to leave
Her words hit me harder than any physical blow. I knelt beside her, gripping her cold hand carefully. “What are you talking about, Grace? This is where
you’ll heal. You just need more time.”
“No!” she rasped, tugging weakly at my hand. 1 can’t.“Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled to speak. ” can’t stay here, surrounded by these stones and–and herbs, It feels like a tomb.”
Her voice broke, and Mason let out a soft whine in my mind. “It’s too much, Alexander,” she whispered.
I shook my head, my grip tightening protectively around hers. “You’re not giving up, Grace. You can’t.”
1 keep dreaming about the ocean,” she murmured, cutting me off. “I can smell the breeze. I can hear the waves. It’s peaceful. I want to feel it. Just
once. Please_
Her final word was a broken plea and I felt something ***k deep inside me. Her pain was unbearable, both hers and mine bleeding together through
the weakening bond
I swallowed hard, forcing Mason to heel. “Fine,” I said softly, my voice almost unrecognizable.
The flicker of relief in Grace’s watery gaze nearly brought me to my knees.
Jason worked tirelessly for hours, scouring reports for a safe seaside retreat that could bring Grace peace without risking her fragile condition. It couldn’t be just anywhere. It had to have both medical and spiritual safety
Eventually, we found it. The reports painted a perfect picture: a secluded mansion at the edge of the world, perched near the coastline with sprawling views of the sea. It was surrounded by natural barriers, offering both privacy and serene beauty.
It felt like the solution—until Jason returned with an expression that struck me like a slap.
“We failed to secure the property Alpha, Jason said carefully, his tone laden with unease.
“What?” I snapped, rising to my feet, my heart beginning to pound as Mason stirred restlessly
Jason hesitated but forged on. 1 reached out to the property’s caretakers. I offered five times the usual tribute–money, resources, anything to
secure it quickly.”
“And?” I demanded, my voice colder than ice.
Jason shifted uncomfortably. They refused,” he said finally “Flat out.”
Mason roared, his anger spilling over into me as I growled audibly. Refused?” I repeated heatedly. “No one refuses an offer like that?”
Jason winced. “Alpha, they didn’t just refuse. They laughed. The caretakers said no amount of money or resources could change the owner’s mind.”
