Chapter 1Audrey's POV
Darren and I arrived at the packhouse to be informed I would be taking my half-siblings with us to Ryker's packhouse. I was a little apprehensive about bringing them. We have no idea what traps could be waiting for us, but it was better not to make a fuss over what the Luna has already ordered. I was still afraid, since I had only been released from the dungeons not too long ago, that questioning her would send me straight back.
We all piled into the black SUV with a warrior in the driver's seat. As we pulled out of the driveway we were followed by a bus which was hopefully large enough to accommodate all the pups we were apparently going to be finding hidden within Ryker's packhouse.
While lost in my thoughts, I felt Darren brush his fingers over my cheek. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
I raised my hand to my cheek, finding tears. Pulled my hand down, I saw the tears I had cried unknowingly. "It's okay to be sad. He was your father no matter what evil he committed," Darren spoke soothingly. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. His warmth helped to ease my pain.
a reassuring squeeze. The Luna had put us in charge of this mission, but I hadn't really thought through what being in charge really meant.
Darren cleared his throat, trying to tell me I needed to start, but I was struggling. Even though the warriors weren't saying it, I could see it in their eyes. They didn't trust me and I didn't blame them. “Thank you for coming with us,” Darren started, his voice strong as he spoke.
The warriors nodded, but their expressions remained the same. “Audrey and I are proud to have been given this mission to get back the pups that were taken. We hope you can take pride in also being selected to accompany us.” He sounded so certain, almost like an Alpha in his confidence.
I, on the other hand, felt no confidence in what I should say or do here. He nudged me, trying to make me speak. We hadn't talked about this. We didn't even have a plan. Taking a deep breath, I finally opened my mouth to speak. “Yes, thank you,” my voice was small as it came out.
“What are your orders?” one of the warriors questioned. He appeared to be trying to keep his voice relaxed as he spoke, but I could hear some of the hatred that slipped out.
Looking up at Darren, he gave me a reassuring smile. He wanted me to address them. He wanted me to give them the orders. I knew it had to be me. If they didn't start to respect me now, then this mission could very well fail. They were warier of me at this point than him. Understandably so.
Drawing in a deep breath, I gathered my courage. “I will select ten warriors to scout around the land. Once they have cleared each section we will begin moving forward again,” I instructed, watching their eyes as they all peered at me with uncertainty in their gazes. Deciding to ignore their looks, I quickly selected ten of the twenty warriors sent with us.
“Once each quadrant has been cleared, you will like us back here,” I told them. “Then we will slowly begin to make our way toward the packhouse down this road.”
The ten warriors nodded and then shifted. Before I knew it, they had taken off in different directions. Within a matter of minutes, we were receiving links that most buildings were abandoned while others appeared to have never been used by Ryker's traitor pack. “Okay, let's get back in the vehicles and start moving,” I said as I glanced around.
Everyone appeared apprehensive but didn't say anything. Instead, they all loaded into different vehicles. Mine was at the front of our caravan. We started driving, slowly, continuing to get reports that the areas were cleared. It took an additional thirty minutes to reach the packhouse in this manner, but it was better safe than sorry. It appeared my father hadn't set any traps or left anyone outside of the packhouse to stall us.
There before our SUV stood the packhouse Ryker had taken for his own. Somehow, it appeared more foreboding than I had ever thought possible. "It's time," I whispered as I pushed open my door. My heart was pounding against my chest. My anxiety was rising.
Darren, the twins, and I exited the car. I stretched as the warriors joined us. "What plan of action would you like to take?" one asked me as the scouts arrived around us. They had already cleared the area around the packhouse.
“Shift back,” I ordered. They obeyed and shifted. Their comrades handed them their clothes. “I want half around the front and the other around the back. Cover all possible exits. Five will enter from the back while myself, Darren, the twins, and two other warriors will go in the front,” I explained my plan of action.
They all nodded and then I selected the five that would go in through the pack as well as the two that would accompany me. “Go,” I ordered, and everyone moved to cover around the packhouse and prepared to enter.
Taking in a few more deep breaths trying to stop myself from shaking, I placed my hand on the door. To my surprise, it wasn't locked or even shut properly. It was almost inviting us to just walk right in. I looked over to Darren and then down at the twins. They all nodded, encouraging me to go in. With a gentle push, the door opened and I stepped over the threshold.
An unsavoury stench wafted out of the house. It was almost an intrusive smell. Covering our mouths and noses, we continued to push forward into the packhouse. The other warriors entered from the back and I motioned for them to head up the staircase. I figured that was where the pups would be held, or at least, it felt like the most logical location. The twins presumed that his lab would be in the basement or another underground location. Either way, the entrance would more than likely be in the basement.
My purpose was to get the pups out safely, not find my father's lab. “Darren, can you go with them and the two warriors? I'm going to go upstairs with the second group to find the pups,” I informed him.
He appeared worried but didn't try to change my mind. “Okay, but please be careful,” he implored me.
“I will,” I gave him a tight smile. Something inside me was screaming not to let him go, but we had no other choice. The twins needed protection, too.
With a sigh, I pushed myself forward up the stairs with the warriors. This is what I was instructed to do. I am the only one with the power to control others if things start to get out of hand. This time, I would be a protector and not a perpetrator.
Looking over the railing of the stairs, I watched for a moment as Darren and the twins disappeared down a hallway toward what we all hoped was a door to the basement. One of the warriors cleared his throat, trying to get me to move again. Embarrassed, I quickly went up the remaining stairs. “Okay, spread out. Go room by room. If you run into any pups that get violent, call me. I'll come to handle them.” I told the warriors. They nodded and began to move according to my words.
I began to search the rooms alongside them. To my dismay, every room I entered was empty. The warriors reported that the floor and rooms were clear. “What should we do?” I was asked.
“Clear the rest of the house, all the floors. Then we will work our way down to the basement,” I decided. Without a word, they began searching each floor. This packhouse wasn't as big as the one back in Crimson Fang. Still, it felt larger the longer they searched, making sure to cover every corner and check behind each curtain.
Still, we came up empty. We made our way down to the basement, meeting up with Darren and the twins. They had found what they came for. “Where are the pups?” Darren asked as he looked over at me, confused.
“We've checked the entire upstairs, but came up empty. It was clear the pups had been upstairs, but they have been moved recently,” I huffed. I was exhausted. My father was gone and yet here he was still messing with me from beyond the grave.
The twins and Darren all appeared surprised. “Give us a moment,” Aiden said as he stepped toward the center of the room. “I suggest everyone step back.”
Everyone took a step away from the center of the room. The warriors appeared nervous and I didn't blame them. They were trained not to trust anyone who used magic. This made them wary of the twins. “Caden, are you ready?” Aiden asked his brother.
“Always,” he smirked as he walked to the center of the room. They extended their arms and their eyes began to glow as they floated slightly above the floor.
