Chapter 95: Warn Dorian

"Alyssa?" Pandora whispered, her voice cracking with a blend of confusion and disbelief.

"Help me..." Alyssa sobbed softly from the other end. "And... warn Dorian... Pilate set a trap..."

Dorian crossed the hallway in a single stride, wrenching the phone from Pandora’s trembling hand. Tears of hot desperation burned against his lashes, but his voice was steady and clear as he answered.

"Alyssa?"

Alyssa let out a faint gasp over the line. "Dorian... Pilate set a trap... he’s doing this to avenge his brother..."

"Where are you? Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you," Dorian urged frantically.

"I... I’m not sure..." her voice was fading, drifting away like mist. "Far from the North... I found an old emergency phone box at a crossroads... I’m bleeding..."

A thick, scalding tear spilled down Dorian’s cheek, cutting through the dirt on his jaw. "I swear to you on my blood, I will find you."

​"Hurry... please..."

The line went dead with a harsh burst of static.

Dorian lowered the phone, his face hardening into a terrifying, deathly scowl. Blood and tears glistened in his crimson eyes, but the hesitation was gone.

"There’s only one way to figure out which call is real," he said, his voice cutting through the air like steel as he marched toward the front door. "We split up."

He turned on the steps, looking at Jake and the others. "Jake, Anthony, head for the southern crossway outposts. There are two emergency call boxes along that highway. Split the distance. When you find her, do not touch her until you ask something only the real Alyssa would know. Shapeshifters can copy appearance and voice, but they can’t copy the memories of their victim."

Jake and Anthony gave sharp, disciplined nods. "Understood."

Dorian turned his burning gaze onto Alec. "Alec, you stay here. When André and the rest of the warriors arrive, lead them to the training grounds. Administer the antitoxin to the guards and secure the perimeter."

"Yes, Alpha," Alec replied grimly.

Finally, Dorian locked eyes with Pandora. "Stay here with Henna. And keep your eyes on her," he added, jerking his chin toward Samantha who was slumped weak and pale against the stone archway. "Until I have Alyssa back in my arms, I don’t trust a single breath out of anyone’s mouth."

​"I understand," Pandora whispered, her heart splintering as she looked at the raw agony etched into her brother’s face. "Be careful, Dorian. Please."

Dorian offered no response. He was barely holding Soren and Shadow back; the dark mana surrounding him was so thick the air tasted like ozone and blood.

"What about you, Dorian?" Anthony asked, stepping down the stairs after him. "What route are you taking?"

"I’m tracking the GPS signal on Alyssa’s personal phone," Dorian growled. "If the signal leads me to my real Luna, I will bring her home, and leave Pilate to you and Jake. But if that signal leads me to the monster..."

He paused, his shadow aura flaring dark and suffocating around his frame. "I will tear him limb from limb."

Anthony swallowed hard as the main question burned on the tip of his tongue: What if both calls were a trap? What if Alyssa was already gone, and they were just playing into Pilate’s trap?

He forced himself to remain silent. Hope was the only thread holding Dorian together. If he snapped it now, nothing would stop Dorian from going feral.

"Just think before you strike, Dorian," he said softly. "He’s an assassin. Don’t let your rage blind you."

"Pilate is the one who should be praying," Dorian snarled. "Because when I reach him..."

He let the threat hang in the freezing air, far more terrifying than any roar.

Without another word, he erupted into his colossal Lycan form, letting out a deafening howl that shook the glass panes of the mansion before leaping down the steps and vanishing into the forest at blinding speed.

Jake turned quickly to Henna, pulling her tight against his chest for a swift, fierce kiss.

"Stay inside. Don’t leave Pandora’s side, and watch Samantha."

"Be careful, Jake," Henna whispered into his shoulder.

Nodding, Jake and Anthony whirled around, shifting mid-stride into giant Lycan wolves, tearing down the eastern trail like twin streaks of grey lightning.

Pandora gently took Henna’s hand, guiding her back into the living room. As they passed Samantha, she paused, her expression turning deadly cold.

"I am choosing to believe your story," she hissed harshly. "So this had better not be another one of your games, Samantha. Because if anything happens to Alyssa, and I find out you had a hand in it, I will kill you myself before Dorian even gets back."

Without waiting for an answer, Pandora pulled Henna deeper into the house.

Alec stood near the front doors, watching Samantha wrap her arms tightly around herself, weeping softly against the wall. For a moment, he almost felt pity for her. He had a twin too, and he couldn’t imagine the horror if he ever lost Jake.

Then the pity died, replaced by cold steel. He remembered how she had hired Arrow to kidnap Alyssa weeks ago. A snake didn’t deserve sympathy just because another predator bit it.

He turned his back on her, staring out into the dark driveway to wait for the returning guards.

...

Under the pitch-black canopy of the night sky, two massive Lycan wolves tore along the deserted forest highway, their paws kicking up dirt and gravel at terrifying speeds.

Jake and Anthony covered miles in minutes, their lungs burning with cold air. After nearly an hour of nonstop sprinting, they reached the intersection where the Northern border met the South.

​The two beasts skidded to a halt in the high grass along the shoulder.

Jake lowered his head, his bright amber eyes scanning the dark horizon.

[This is where we split,] he said through the mind-link. [You take the eastern call box near the old mill. I’ll take the southern ridge.]

Anthony hesitated, his clawed paws shifting uncomfortably in the dirt. [I don’t like this, Jake. Splitting feels like walking right into a trap.]

[We don’t have a choice!] Jake countered firmly. [Alyssa is bleeding out somewhere near these roads. Splitting up is the only way to cover both phone boxes in time to find her.]

Before Anthony could respond, his ears twitched. A faint, dragging sound echoed down the center of the asphalt road

[Someone’s coming.] he said, his body freezing.

They dropped low into the tall grass, their glowing eyes fixed on the bend in the highway.

Seconds later, a lone, fragile figure emerged from the thick fog, staggering helplessly down the center of the road.

Anthony’s heart stopped. It was Alyssa.

She was deathly pale, barefooted, her clothes shredded by thorns and soaked through with dark blood around her abdomen. She was clutching her stomach, her knees buckling with every step she took.

Ignoring every tactical warning, Anthony dropped his shift mid-stride, reverting to his human form as he rushed out from the treeline toward her.

[Anthony, STOP!] Jake’s frantic voice exploded through the link. [We don’t know if it’s really her!]

Anthony didn’t hear him. The sight of her shattered, bleeding form dissolved all logic. He sprinted down the asphalt, stopping ten feet away from her.

Alyssa lifted her tear-stained face, her glazed eyes finding him through the fog. A tiny, painful gasp left her lips as her knees gave out, sending her collapsing onto the cold asphalt.

"Anthony..." she sobbed, clutching her bleeding stomach, reaching out a pale, trembling hand toward him. "Help me... please..."