The Storm Inside Me

Chapter Eleven - A Storm Inside Me

Ronan’s POV

The wind was quiet when I came back.

Too quiet.

The trees didn’t sway like before. The birds didn’t sing. Everything was still—like the forest itself knew something had gone wrong.

I had only stepped away for a moment. Just one moment. Selene had smiled at me, sweat on her face, her hands bruised from training, but she said she was fine. I believed her. I should have stayed. I should have never left her alone.

But now… she was gone.

The first thing I saw was the ground.

The flowers we had walked over were crushed. The place where we sparred was scattered.

And then I saw it—blood.

Fresh. Red. Right beside the old training stone. My heart dropped. My chest tightened. My hands clenched.

“No…” I whispered to myself. My breath started coming faster. My mind raced. A thousand thoughts ran through me.

I looked around wildly. I called her name.

Nothing.

Only the forest. Only silence.

My legs moved on their own. I searched every corner, sniffed the air, touched the bark of trees for any signs. I shifted, partially, enough to sharpen my senses. Still—nothing. No scent. No sound. No warmth.

Just her blood.

And then I knew.

Kael.

It could only be him.

Who else would take her like this? Who else would come for her without a word, without warning, and disappear so cleanly?

I growled. My claws dug into my palm. My fangs were already out.

Just then, Lucien appeared, panting.

“Ronan,” he gasped. “Where is she?”

My voice was hard, cold. “Gone.”

His eyes widened. “Gone? What do you mean—”

“She was taken,” I said through clenched teeth. “Kael. It has to be him.”

Lucien looked down, then saw the blood.

His fists clenched. “We can track him. We can trace her scent, follow it to wherever he took her—”

“No,” I snapped, though not at him.

I was angry. At Kael. At myself.

I paced. My mind was spinning.

Lucien didn’t understand.

Kael would know we’d come. He’d expect us. He wasn’t dumb. He was waiting. If we came charging in, we’d lose her for good. He’d hide her, or worse.

I couldn’t risk that.

I couldn’t lose her.

Not now.

I gripped a tree trunk so hard my knuckles turned white. My breath shook.

“She’s my mate,” I said under my breath. “I should have protected her.”

Lucien’s voice was calm, but firm. “We can still get her back.”

I turned to him. “Not by being careless.”

I was restless. I couldn’t stay still. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. My body wanted to run, to shift, to destroy something. But my mind—my mind told me to wait. To be smart.

“He’ll expect us to storm in,” I said slowly. “He’s probably already set traps. Maybe even told his men to kill her if we get close.”

Lucien looked at me, stunned. “You think he’d go that far?”

“I know Kael,” I muttered. “He won’t let her go easily. Not now.”

We fell into silence for a moment.

And then, an idea formed.

“We go in,” I said, “but not as ourselves.”

Lucien blinked. “What?”

“We disguise ourselves,” I said. “We wear masks, hide our scents, blend in. We find where she is. We find his guards. We get close enough without drawing attention. Then we strike—when the moment is right.”

Lucien slowly nodded. “That could work. But we’d need to move fast.”

I looked back at the blood on the ground.

“We will.”

I closed my eyes and made a silent promise to the moon.

Selene, wherever you are, I’m coming for you. I’ll burn the whole world down if I have to.