Chapter 56: The Hunt Tightens Oliver POV

The hall reverberated with the sound of my boots hitting the chilly stone floor, a steady drumbeat to my increasing rage. With my Beta, Mark, standing rigidly in front of me and his eyes focused on the floor, there was a palpable sense of dread in the room. The meeting of the elders had fueled the storm that was building within me with their whispers of dissatisfaction.

I started, "Weeks," my voice low but like a razor slicing through the quiet. "The traitor and the omega are still at large after weeks. Mark, tell me, is this treason or incompetence?"

Mark's hands at his sides curled into fists as his jaw grew stiff. "Alpha, we've investigated every lead. The bandits in the western regions—"

"Failed," I yelled, hitting the massive wooden table with my fist. The elders recoiled, their muttering cut off. "All of the leads have fallen through. And now it is we who are being made fun of. Do you think the Moonstone Pack won't take advantage of this to make us weaker? To paint us as idiots?"

"Alpha," Elder Garret interrupted in a circumspect tone. "More resources might be needed. A bigger search team—"

"Resources?" I rounded on him and barked. "I've already overworked our troops. What comes next? Giving up our limits in order to chase shadows?"

Garret flinched but did not back down. "The longer this goes unresolved, the more vulnerable we appear."

I stepped forward, looming over him. "And whose fault is that?"

There was an awkward hush in the room. With all of my patience left, I turned back to Mark. "Explain to me why I should not replace you."

Despite the embarrassment oozing from him, Mark's voice remained firm as his gaze finally lifted. "Because nobody is as familiar with the area as I am. For I have struggled with you and earned my place. Additionally, removing me right now would simply cause the hunt to drag on longer."

I felt a glimmer of hesitant respect for him because of his disobedience, but it wasn't enough to calm me down. With my voice lowered to a menacing whisper, I stalked closer. "Then show it. Deliver them to me. Alive. Both of them. Or this humiliation will be little compared to the next one you face."

Mark squared his shoulders and nodded quickly. "It will be done, Alpha."

I waved him away and turned to look at the leaders. "Leave us. Now."

With perfectly neutral faces, they filed out. Amelia was the only one who stayed, her eyes flaming with something I couldn't quite describe, but her face was pale. The final elder walked forward, her voice stern but quiet, as the door closed behind her.

"This obsession will be your undoing, Oliver."

My lip curled as I turned to face her. "And what are you asking me to do? Release them? Let our enemies get their hands on that omega's mark?"

"She's just a girl," Amelia noted, her voice a little quieter. "A scared, angry girl who didn't ask for any of this. Additionally, Lucas is among the best fighters I've ever seen. When we need to be strengthening our pack, you're wasting energy on a personal grudge."

"She's not just a girl," I growled as I moved in farther. "Power is that mark. We have power. Lucas, too, misled us. Betrayed me."

She continued, "Or he saw something in you he couldn't follow," with a whip-like voice. "Oliver, what if this was your error? What if it's you who is leading us to destruction?"

I took hold of her arm, firmly but kindly. "Be careful, Amelia. You're going down a hazardous path."

Her speech remained steady, and her eyes never faltered. "Someone has to."

My hands shaking with barely restrained anger, I let her go. "Get out."

After a brief moment of hesitation, she turned and left, taking deliberate but measured steps. With the weight of her words weighing like a stone against my chest, I watched her leave. Yet I couldn't afford to be uncertain. Not right now. Not when getting Anna back was the only thing that counted.

The chilly night air pricked my skin as I walked to the window and flung it open. Anna and Lucas were running somewhere out there. Hiding. Defying me. I stared into the darkness, my fists locked at my sides.

"You can't run forever," I whispered to myself, the vow burning in my throat. "I'll track you down. You'll understand what it means to betray me when I do, too."

I turned to see Mark standing there with a somber look as the door behind me cracked open. "Alpha," he uttered softly. "We have a lead."

"Where?" With the fire in my chest rekindling, I ordered.

"A small settlement in rogue territory," he said. "They've been spotted."

A gradual smile, icy and greedy, appeared on my face. "Then let's remind them why they should fear the Nightshade Pack."

Mark's brow furrowed as he paused. "If I may, Alpha, the settlement is famous for its impartiality. Attacking can attract unwelcome attention."

I answered, "Then we'll be discreet," in a tone that made no place for disagreement. "But don't mistake, Mark. We are returning them. Regardless of the price."

He nodded, his face stern. "Understood."

My thoughts were racing as he walked away, so I turned back to the window. It was no longer just a hunt. It was a struggle for dominance, authority, and my pack's survival. I wouldn't lose, either. Not to Lucas. Not to Anna. Not to anybody.

Outside, the wolves' faraway echoes were carried by the howling wind. My wolves. My hunts. And they would be closing in soon.

As I whispered into the darkness, "Run while you can. It won't save you."