The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride (Evelyn and Alexander) novel Chapter 255

**Steps Along Forgotten Roads**
**By Sophia Reed**
**Chapter 255: Ethan’s Mistake**

**Judy’s POV**

“Kill us?? W… why would they want to kill us?” Irene stammered, her voice trembling with fear, her wide eyes reflecting the sheer panic that gripped her. “What did we do?”

“Irene, please, just focus,” I urged, inching closer to her while being careful not to jostle the handcuffs that bit into my wrists, sending sharp stings through my skin. “We need to stay calm. If they realize we’re awake, they might come back sooner than we expect, and then it’ll be over for us. Right now, we have the element of surprise. They think we’re still unconscious.”

The basement where we were held felt suffocatingly dark, and although I was acutely aware of our surroundings, I couldn’t shake the fear that our captors might overhear us. The creaking of their shoes above us sent chills down my spine, and I instinctively lowered my voice, terrified for our safety.

“So, what? We just sit here and pretend to be asleep?” Irene asked, her voice cracking as tears began to pool in her eyes, glistening like fragile glass.

“For now, yes,” I replied firmly. “Until we can devise a better plan, we need to do everything possible to survive.”

She wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, but the moment the cuffs shifted, a cry of pain escaped her lips as they dug into her skin, causing her to wince. A soft sob broke free, and I could see the tears streaming down her pale cheeks, each drop a testament to her fear.

“My father will find us…” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s the most powerful werewolf in the world. He has to find us…”

I wanted to cling to her words, to believe that her father would come for us, but a heavy weight settled in my stomach. I couldn’t bring myself to share my own fears with Irene; I was just as terrified as she was. I had trained my entire life to be a gamma warrior, yet in this moment of peril, it felt as though all my training had evaporated into thin air.

The absence of windows in this basement left me with no sense of time. My eyes scanned the dimly lit room, and I spotted a vent high up on the ceiling. A fleeting thought crossed my mind—could I somehow reach that vent? But with the handcuffs binding my wrists, the chances of escaping through it were slim to none.

Irene drew her knees closer to her chest, burying her face in her lap as she took a shaky breath.

“We are going to get out of here…” she kept whispering to herself, as if trying to convince not only me but also herself. “We have to get out of here…”

**Third Person POV**

Later that evening, Ethan received a text from one of his subordinates, confirming that everything was in place. A satisfied smile spread across his face as he reveled in the knowledge that he held the upper hand once more. Judy had been kidnapped by some seemingly harmless packmates and was being kept somewhere, just waiting for someone to swoop in and save her. They were likely using silver cuffs and wolfsbane to weaken her, but in his mind, she was safe enough. Not that Judy knew she was safe; her belief that she was in danger was all that mattered to him.

His plan was to let her remain in confinement for about twenty-four hours before he would come to her rescue. He envisioned the moment she would look up at him with gratitude, her eyes filled with appreciation for saving her, and he imagined her doing anything he desired, including becoming his mistress.

The thought sent a rush of exhilaration coursing through him, igniting a fire of desire deep within. He envisioned Judy in the home he had bought just for her, and the image alone made his pulse quicken. Without hesitation, he reached for his phone, scrolling through his contacts to find Irene’s name. He felt a pressing need to relieve himself, and he thought meeting up with his fiancée would be the perfect distraction.

When she didn’t pick up, his smile faded, replaced by a frown. He called her again, but still, there was no answer.

What the hell? She always answered his calls.

Frustrated, he decided to send her a text instead.
Ethan: Where are you?

Minutes ticked by without a response, and his brows knitted together in concern. He sighed heavily and pushed himself to his feet. If Irene wasn’t going to respond, he would have to go to the Landry Villa and find out where she was himself.

He refused to tolerate being ignored like this. As he stepped outside, he climbed into his car and steered it toward the Silver Crescent pack. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone once more. He needed to contact the packmates who had kidnapped Judy.

While he had received confirmation from his subordinate, he wanted to hear it directly from them for peace of mind.

He arrived at the location in record time, jumping out of the car. The faint scent of Judy lingered in the air, but it was clear she hadn’t been there for a while. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a few businesses equipped with street cameras.

Just as he was about to enter one of the buildings, he caught sight of Gavin and some of his men exiting, the owner trailing behind them. Ethan instinctively ducked out of sight, pressing himself against the side of the building.

“Beta Taylor,” he called to his Beta, who was waiting by the car. “I need you to look up this license plate. We managed to capture footage of the kidnapping on the security camera of this business. The kidnappers appeared to be a group of rogues, but I couldn’t be sure.”

Kidnapping? Was he referring to Judy’s abduction? The thought sent a jolt of anxiety through Ethan’s stomach. Judy was his to save, and he wouldn’t allow anyone, especially not Gavin Landry, to take credit for rescuing her.

He relayed the license plate number to Beta Taylor, who furrowed his brow in concentration. The number sounded eerily familiar to Ethan. He grabbed his phone and scrolled through his notes app, trying to recall where he had seen it before.

Then, it hit him. A few years back, he had thwarted a series of break-ins, and he had noted the license plate of the rogues involved in those incidents. He had tracked some of them to an old, abandoned house in rogue territory. Although most had escaped, he vividly remembered that house and the vehicle parked outside.

A low growl rumbled in his throat as the thought of those rogues returning to claim what was his filled him with rage.

He would not allow that to happen.

Fortunately, he already knew where they were located. Now, he just needed to get there and find Judy. She would be so grateful for his rescue; she would willingly become his mistress. Yet, he was acutely aware that this wouldn’t be easy—those rogues wanted his blood.

Gavin appeared ready to leave at any moment, but Ethan knew he had to be the one to get there first. From what he recalled, it could take several hours, even in wolf form, to reach that part of rogue territory. He had to move quickly if he wanted to make it in time.

“Judy, just hold on,” Ethan thought as he shifted into his wolf. “I’m coming for you!”