The Alpha's Four Hidden Heirs (Natalie and Samuel) novel Chapter 136

**The City That Drowned in the Sound of Its Own Heartbeat**
**by Erynd Cal DusK**
**Chapter 136**

Alpha Samuel Bowers stood in the dimly lit corridor, the weight of the moment pressing heavily on his shoulders. He had just finished a tense phone call with Kataleya. Her tone shifted to one of gravity as she absorbed the gravity of the situation. “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she had declared, her voice resolute. Samuel had wanted to probe further, to understand how she intended to navigate the urgency of the moment, but before he could voice his questions, the line went dead.

Just five minutes later, a calm voice crackled through his earpiece, relaying that Kataleya had arrived at the gate. They asked if they should grant her entry. “Drive her straight down here,” he instructed, his heart racing with anticipation.

It had been some time since he had dealt with witches, and he felt a twinge of unease. He had forgotten just how formidable they could be, particularly the older ones who descended from ancient bloodlines. The power that surged through them was palpable, and he braced himself for whatever Kataleya had planned.

As the sleek car rolled to a stop a few paces away, Samuel watched as Kataleya emerged. She strode towards him with purpose, her presence commanding.

“You have your superspeed, I have my teleportation,” she quipped, a playful smirk gracing her lips.

“But that was quite a distance,” Samuel replied, his brow furrowed with concern.

“I know,” she admitted, her expression shifting to one of seriousness. “It drained me, but like you said, it was urgent. Where is he?”

“He’s inside,” Samuel replied, tension coiling in his chest. “I instructed the guards to give him another dose of chloroform. If I could have kept him awake, I would have told them otherwise.”

“No, that’s actually better,” she said, her tone firm. “I need him unconscious for what I have in mind.”

“What exactly are you planning to do with him?” he probed, curiosity mingling with apprehension.

“Dive into his mind and extract what we need. It’s far more effective when he’s asleep; his defenses will be down, and I can slip in through the back door,” she explained, her confidence evident.

“Alright, I suppose that makes sense,” he conceded as he pushed open the heavy cell door.

“Yeah, sometimes it’s better to keep our hands clean,” she shot back with a mischievous grin.

“Well, not all of us possess the art of mind-jumping magic,” he retorted with a hint of sarcasm.

Suddenly, Kataleya’s expression shifted. “Fuck,” she exclaimed, her eyes locking onto their captive.

“What is it?” Samuel asked, alarm bells ringing in his head.

“That tattoo on his chest,” she said, her voice laced with urgency.

“What about it?” he inquired, his heart racing.

“There’s a part of the story I didn’t share with you because I didn’t think it was relevant,” she confessed, turning to face him. He noticed the flicker of fear in her eyes, a reflection of the gravity of the situation.

“Venya had her followers, her coven. They were known as The Valkyrie, marked by that very symbol on their chests. They received it upon joining her coven. After Venya was imprisoned on the other side, I believed The Valkyrie had been eradicated—or so I thought, until now.”

Samuel’s mind reeled at the implications. “So you’re telling me this man is a thousand-year-old witch?” he asked incredulously.

She burst into laughter, a sound that was both light and dark. “Of course not! He’s just a fledgling. But someone has rekindled The Valkyrie, and that’s troubling news, Samuel—really troubling.”

“Well then, I guess you better get to work,” he urged, urgency creeping into his voice.

“Please tell me you saw where he dropped them off?” Samuel asked, his heart racing.

Kataleya gave him a knowing look. “Of course I did, but I doubt you’re going to like what comes next.”

“Why not?” he pressed, his anxiety mounting.

“Because I saw him deliver the men to a lab,” she revealed, her voice steady yet heavy with foreboding. “It’s in the basement of Nichols Pharmaceuticals.”

“No, that can’t be!” Samuel exclaimed, disbelief flooding his senses.

“I warned you that you wouldn’t like it, but that’s exactly what I witnessed. He drove his van into the underground parking lot of Nichols Pharmaceuticals, and then they took the men down to a sublevel where an entire lab was set up,” she reiterated, her gaze unwavering.

Samuel focused on her heartbeat, which remained steady, a stark contrast to the turmoil swirling in his mind.

“Look, Samuel, I have no reason to deceive you. This situation affects us both,” she reminded him, her eyes locking onto his.

“Yeah, I understand that. Did you see Alpha Thomas?” he asked, his mind racing with possibilities.

“No, I didn’t. But that doesn’t mean he’s not involved; it is his building after all,” she replied, her voice firm.

“No, something else is afoot. I need to speak with him,” Samuel insisted, determination surging within him.

“No, what we need to do is storm that building before they realize that pretty boy here is missing and they’ve been compromised. So, what do you say, Alpha Bowers? Are you with me?”