Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 93

Nolan’s POV

A wave of despair struck my heart. My wolf rose inside me and roared until my vision narrowed. ‘SHE IS IN DANGER!’

The message cut through every other thought. I reached for the pendant at my throat and tore it free. The mate bond snapped into place. I could feel Talia’s fear and pain.

My wolf strained against my control. ‘Hurry! HURRY! I will never forgive you if we lose her.’

I did not fight him. I gave him one order that was simple and absolute. ‘Track her scent.’

My wolf accepted the command with a fierce surge as he took over our body. We ran at full speed and followed a faint trail that led east through pines and across a slope of wet stone. Branches raked our shoulders. Brambles snatched at my legs. None of it slowed us.

We vaulted over a stream and landed on the far bank. The scent grew stronger and then thinned until we almost lost it. My wolf began to pace restlessly at the thought of losing Talia. I regained control and continued on. I refused to slow my pace. The slope steepened. A sign stood at the base of two trees. The paint had peeled but the words were clear.

“No Entry.”

I scented the air, but I could not smell Talia here. Right when I turned to go back in the direction I came, Talia’s scent drifted past the sign like smoke. My wolf bared his teeth in my mind and leaned forward.

I crossed the line.I followed the scent down a seam in the ridge and found a low opening under an old fall of rocks. I slid through the opening and dropped into a narrow corridor.

The corridor widened and then turned. A grate in a ceiling slit let in a seam of gray light. I tasted the air and gagged. Wolfsbane was in the air. Someone had used it to choke this place. I wrapped my arm across my mouth and nose, but kept moving.

I reached the chamber. There were only a few hanging light bulbs that cast a dull glow. The light picked out chains, stone, and a set of rusted bars on a side cell. In the center, Talia hung from silver shackles fixed high on the wall. Her head slumped. Her hair stuck to her face with sweat and blood. The skin at her wrists was raw where the silver had burned it. Her dress had been torn by claws.

Two rogue wolves stood next to her. Viki stood near the open cell. She watched with a greedy calm that twisted my stomach. Her hands rested on the bars as if she had come to see a play.

“Smart idea to hang her up like this,” one of them chuckled. “Gives us a better view. A shame she’s unconscious now.”

The other ripped open Talia’s dress revealing her lingerie underneath. “I know how to fix that.”

Seeing Talia like that, rage took over me.

‘We need answers first,’ I responded.

“Who helped you do this? How much wolfsbane did you inject her with?” I demanded.

Viki tried to speak, but my grip was too tight. I loosened my hand a fraction because I wanted answers more than I wanted to see the life drain from her eyes. Viki dragged in air and coughed.

“Let me warn you before you speak,” I growled. “If you lie to me, I will know and I will do so much worse to you than I did to those rogues. Do you understand?”

“You’re doing all of this… for a stupid barren omega. What is wrong with you?!” Viki spat.

I tightened my grip again and slammed her hard into the wall, enough for the stone to crack. Viki’s gaze flicked to Talia and then back to me. This time she was truly afraid that I would kill her. Viki’s legs kicked in small jerks as she attempted to flail to get me off her.

“Listen,” she gasped. “You cannot kill me… or Talia will die!”