Stolen and Forgiven (Branded Packs #1)(59)

She’d been injured.

And recently.

Bounding over a narrow stream, he skidded to a halt as he came to a small opening.

Here.

Restlessly sniffing the ground, he caught the scent of the humans, as well as his mate. She’d shifted into her cat, he abruptly realized. A fight? He followed her trail to a nearby tree, his hackles rising at the potent scent of her blood along with something else…

Something that made his nose wrinkle in disgust.

His wolf bared its teeth, preparing to go in pursuit of the female who was his heart and soul. But even as he charged forward, he found himself wrapped in a pair of ruthless arms.

Snarling in fury, his animal struggled to break free, even snapping his teeth at the throat of his captor. The male, however, refused to release his steely hold, speaking directly in his ear.

“Soren, come back,” the voice commanded.

A shudder raced through his body at the powerful sound of his Alpha. He wanted to ignore the order. His every instinct cried out to rescue his mate from the enemies who’d stolen her away.

But as the voice continued to speak in a voice that refused to be denied, he gave a pained whine. With another blast of agony, he shifted back to his human form.

“I’m sorry, old friend,” Holden murmured, laying a hand on Soren’s shoulder as he shivered on the cold ground.

“They have her,” he rasped, forcing his weak limbs to hold his weight as he lurched to his feet. “She’s been drugged.”

“Christ,” Holden muttered, holding Soren’s arm until he managed to regain his balance.

Indifferent to the fact that he was naked in the cold night air, or that his knees felt like jelly, Soren pulled away from his Alpha. Molten anger flooded through him, his fangs still elongated as he hungered for the taste of blood.

“I’ll kill them,” he rasped, his body vibrating with the force of his fury. “I’ll hunt them down and kill each and every one of them.”

“We’re going to get her back, but the only way to do that is to use our f*cking heads,” Holden snapped, still in Alpha-mode. “If you give in to anger, you’ll put her into even more danger.”

The older male was right. Becoming lost in his emotions would only give the humans the upper hand. He had to maintain command of his temper if he were to rescue his female.

“Why would they take her?” he snarled.

Holden gave a lift of his shoulder. “Has she mentioned anything about the SAU?”

Soren struggled to recall if Cora had ever mentioned the agency that made their existence a living hell.

“Nothing more than our mutual hatred of the humans who’ve imprisoned us,” he said at last.

“She doesn’t have any inside contacts or intel that might make her a target?” Holden pressed.

Soren gave a sharp shake of his head. His cat was cunning and beautiful and capable, but her talent was creating harmony, not playing spy.

“No.”

Holden circled the small opening with a troubled expression, abruptly pausing to lean down and pick up a tiny dart that was trampled in the mud.

“Then she must have been in the wrong place at the right time,” he said, holding up the dart. “They were looking for one of our people to take, and she was handy.”

Soren battled back another surge of anger. Shit, that had to be how Cora was drugged.

A shudder wracked his body.

Cool, calm, logic…he fiercely reminded himself.

“They obviously came prepared,” he said between clenched teeth, nodding toward the dart.

Holden gave a slow nod. “True.”

“But why kidnap her?” Soren pressed, frustrated by the suspicion that he was missing something obvious. How the hell was he going to help Cora if he couldn’t figure out why she was taken? “They could have demanded we send them a shifter if they wanted one.” His Alpha growled. By mutual consent, they rarely discussed the shifters who were randomly taken from the compound and never returned. What was the point in agonizing over something that couldn’t be changed? At least, not yet. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Holden released a hissing breath, his expression revealing the same irritation that plagued Soren.

“Goddammit.” Shoving the dart in the pocket of his jeans, Holden gave a shake of his head. “None of this makes sense.”

It didn’t. Why would they go to the trouble of sneaking over the fence to kidnap a shifter? And why Cora? She might be precious to him, but there was no reason for the SAU to even be aware of her existence. Not unless it was connected to her role as princess…

Soren made a choked sound as an icy dread clenched his heart.

“Shit,” he breathed.

Holden moved to stand directly in front of him. “You’ve thought of something?”

“Cora may not possess connections to the SAU, but she does have something that no other shifter can claim,” he said in thick tones.

“I don’t understand.”

“Her father’s heart.”

Holden sucked in a shocked breath; both of them easily able to imagine the catastrophic reaction when the Alpha of the Golden Pack discovered that his only daughter had been taken.

“You’re right,” Holden muttered, his face pale. “We need to find Jonah.”