The Lightning Wolf Chronicles (Evelyn and Nadia) novel Chapter 120

Chapter 120: We’ll Definitely Figure This Out

Evelyn’s POV

‘I didn’t do anything special,’ I said with a shrug. “Just asked questions I was actually curious about. Being new gave me the perfect excuse to dig deeper without seeming weird.”

Aria waved her hands excitedly. “That’s exactly it! You came across as genuinely interested, not just some girl fishing for attention. No makeup, no fancy outfit, yet you still caught their eye.”

“You sound ridiculous, I laughed. “You and Nadia always try to make mountains out of molehills. They just see me as the curious new kid. Once Robert and his friends find out I’m sixteen, they’ll lose interest faster than you can say ‘jailbait. College guys like them especially ones who seem serious about their studies aren’t usually into high schoolers.

–

As we approached Conrad’s car, something about his posture set off alarm bells in my head. His smile looked plastered on, never quite reaching his eyes. His entire body was coiled tight.

“What’s got you two giggling?” he asked, voice forcibly casual.

“You won’t believe it,” Aria jumped in. “Evelyn’s been in class for one day, and already these guys were practically fighting over her number! One even invited us to some forest hangout on Thursday.”

I ignored Aria’s exaggeration and studied Conrad’s face. “What happened?”

Conrad took a deep breath, eyes locked on the road. “Mia’s missing. His voice was tight. “She was supposed to head back to her settlement after your

marking ritual. No one’s heard from her since. It’s been almost three months now!

He rubbed his face, exhaustion bleeding through every movement.

“You think the rogues took her,” I said. It wasn’t a question.

Mia’s power had been overwhelming during our ritual. What could possibly overpower a witch that strong? If these rogues could take someone like her, they must have found a way to suppress magic and hide their tracks.

‘But they slipped up,” I thought aloud. “Everyone knows Mia wouldn’t go silent without a damn good reason. They had to know we’d start looking. After

staying hidden so long, why risk exposure now?”

I noticed the subtle shift in Conrad – jaw clenching, eyes flickering, fingers curling unnaturally.

“Conrad, I asked quietly, “what is she to you?”

For a moment, the car filled with heavy silence.

‘She’s my mate,’ he finally said.

“What?’ Aria’s jaw dropped. ‘But you’re not marked! Why would you become a Sentinel instead of staying with her?”

‘It’s complicated,’ Conrad kept his eyes on the road. “She leads her coven, with a the responsibilities that entails. Their traditions dictate she should pair with a wizard to produce magically gifted offspring.”

Aria gasped. A chill ran down my spine.

“She refused those arrangements, turned down other matches,” Conrad continued But I worried she’d eventually have to choose between duty and

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Chapter 120: We’ll Definitely Figure This Out

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happiness. So I joined the Sentinels. I couldn’t accept anyone else as my mate, he didn’t want to hold her back.”

A thought suddenly clicked. ‘Did they take her because of her magic, or because her connection to werewolves?”

Conrad’s head snapped up, face draining of color. ‘Shit. I never considered that. She’s the most powerful caster in her coven. If someone saw her werewolf mate bond as contamination…”

He didn’t finish before slamming the accelerator. I could feel him mind-linking famously with someone, the car thick with his rage and fear. Minutes later, we screeched to a halt at the safe house.

Taric was already waiting on the porch. After a brief exchange, Conrad bolted to the training sandbag in the yard and unleashed hell on it. Each punch channeled raw emotion rage, helplessness, fear the bag swinging violently with each impact.

Taric watched silently, not interfering, just making sure Conrad didn’t completely lose control. Eventually, Conrad’s attacks grew wilder, less controlled, until a final devastating blow split the bag, sand spilling everywhere. He dropped to his knees, breathing hard, knuckles bloody. Only then did Taric approach, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Aria and I watched from a distance, that choking feeling of powerlessness all too familiar. I remembered nearly destroying the gym at the training center in

similar frustration. That memory seemed like a lifetime ago now.

“Get it together,” Taric said quietly. “We have some leads, but we need more.” He turned to us. “We need your observations.”

We nodded and approached Conrad. I crouched down, gently turning his face toward mine. The emptiness in his eyes broke something inside me.

“We’ll figure this out,” I said firmly. “This isn’t just a mission anymore – it’s family.

*Can you promise that? His voice held a vulnerability I’d never heard before.

I promise. You don’t know what I’m capable of when protecting people I care about. Alpha King Nathan says I’m different – time to prove it.”

“Is it true you can flush out any toxin?” he asked suddenly.

“Yeah. Can’t explain how it works, though. That’s for Dr. Harrison to figure out.”

Conrad looked straight into my eyes. “I just want her back, Evelyn. The raw pain in his voice was suffocating.

I swear by the Goddess, we’ll find her,’ I squeezed his hand. “Whatever it takes, we’re bringing her home.”

He nodded slightly and rose to his feet. Together, we headed inside.

The living room was packed. Besides Taric, Jett, Celine, and Shepherd had arrived a clear sign of how serious things had become, I suspected other teams were watching the safe house from nearby.

“What have you found?’ Taric asked, tension edging his voice.

“Just an increasing number of male rogues registering for courses this semester,” reported. No rumors about missing guls or anything obviously

suspicious.’

“But, Aria added, “Evelyn got invited running with the rogues. First time they ve approached either of us directly.”

All eyes turned to me, and I didn’t like what I saw that look that said they wanted to bench me for my own safety. A low growl rumbled in my chest, my wolf bristling at the very idea of being sidelined.

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