LOGINRowan's POV I reached the tunnel entrance and searched for the hidden trigger to open it from the outside. It took me a few minutes, but I finally found the switch and the wall opened up again.I climbed back into the tunnel and started running back toward the palace.“Hold on, Iris,” I muttered as I ran. “Just hold on a little longer. I’m coming for you. I swear I’m coming for you.”The tunnel seemed even longer on the way back. Every second felt like an eternity.But in reality, it took a much shorter time as this time, I didn’t hesitate. I followed my own scent straight back the way I had come.Finally, I reached the opening back into the palace restroom.I climbed up the ladder quickly and pulled myself through the trap door.Shane was still there, along with several of the King’s guards. They all turned toward me immediately when I emerged.“Alpha Rowan!” Shane said, rushing over. “Did you find anything?”“She was taken through the tunnels,” I said quickly. “They crossed a lake.
Rowan’s POVMy elbow hit something as I pulled back from the wall, and suddenly I heard a soft click.The tiny hole of light expanded as the wall began to open up.I stepped through quickly before it could close again.Fresh air hit me immediately. I was outside now, standing in a dense forest. The moon provided enough light for me to see clearly.Behind me, the opening began to close quietly. Within seconds, the exit narrowed until it was completely invisible.I spun around, using all my enhanced senses to search for any sign of Iris or her kidnapper.But there was nothing.There was no scent. No footprints near the tunnel exit. No disturbed vegetation, nothing.It was like no one had passed through here at all.I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. What if I was wrong? What if this tunnel was just some random ancient passage that had nothing to do with Iris’s kidnapping? What if Cole’s story was actually true and I had wasted precious time chasing nothing?I gritted my teeth,
Rowan’s POVI moved through the tunnel with speed. My enhanced vision made it easy for me to see in the darkness as I navigated the passageways. Every few minutes, I hit another dead end, forcing me to backtrack and try a different route.The frustration was eating me up. There was no scent to follow. Just stale air.Doubt crept into my mind. What if this was another trick? What if Cole had been right after all, and I was wasting precious time down here while Iris was being taken in the opposite direction?No. I shook my head violently, forcing the doubt away. My instincts had never been wrong in all my years as Alpha. Cole had been lying. His story hadn’t added up, his injuries looked staged, and he seemed shifty to me.Which meant I knew exactly who to interrogate next once I got back to the palace.Though doing that might be difficult. Cole was a member of the royal staff, trusted by the King. I couldn’t just accuse him without evidence. I needed to be smart about this.My mind rac
Iris’s POVI lost track of how long I hung limply over Maximus’s shoulder like a sack.The paralysis was so unbearable. My body was completely unresponsive from the neck down, but I could still feel everything—the uncomfortable pressure on my stomach from being carried this way, and the slight movement of my baby inside me.My baby. The thought made fresh tears fall down my eyes.I had to find a way to leave some kind of trail for Rowan to follow.But how? I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak properly. I was completely helpless.Time seemed to lose meaning in the dark tunnel. I had no idea how long we had been walking. Twenty minutes? An hour? No idea.Then suddenly, I began to feel a tiny tingling sensation in my fingertips.The paralysis was starting to wear off slightly, just enough that I could feel my fingers again.Hope sparked in my chest. If I could move my fingers, maybe I could do something.I tried wiggling them experimentally. They moved, but just slightly.What could I do? W
Rowan’s POV“While injured?” I pressed. “With possible broken ribs, you followed them?”“I had to try to save Luna Iris,” Cole insisted, his voice rising defensively. “I couldn’t just let him take her!”“That’s very brave,” Marcus said, but I could hear the doubt in his voice now too.“The east wing,” I said, testing him. “You’re sure it was the east wing?”“Yes, absolutely,” Cole said firmly. “I saw them heading that way with my own eyes.”But his eyes flickered slightly when he said it. He was lying.“What time did you see this?” Shane asked.“I… I don’t know exactly,” Cole stammered. “Maybe ten, fifteen minutes ago?”“Fifteen minutes ago, we had already sealed the palace,” Derek countered. “All the guards were already at their posts. How did no one else see this man carrying an unconscious woman?”“It was chaos,” Cole said quickly. “Everyone was running around searching. He must have slipped through.”The King’s guards were buying it. I could see them nodding, already convinced by
Rowan’s POVI was losing control.My wolf was clawing at the back of my mind, fighting to be let out, demanding blood. Every second that passed without finding Iris made it harder to maintain my control.“Search the east wing again!” I barked at a group of guards. “Every room, every closet, every fucking corner!”They scattered immediately with fear clear on their faces.I knew I was snapping at everyone. I knew I was being unreasonable. But I didn’t care.My mate was missing. My pregnant mate had been taken right under my nose, and with each passing minute, she was being taken farther from me or worse—being hurt.“Rowan,” Marcus said carefully, approaching me like one would approach a rabid animal. “You need to calm down. We’re doing everything we can.”“It’s not enough!” I snarled, my eyes flashing gold. “She’s been gone for over thirty minutes now. Thirty minutes! Whoever took her could be miles away by now!”“We’ve sealed the palace,” Derek reminded me, his voice calm. “No one has







