My Omega Queen
Chapter 39: Unexpected Help

POV: Edward

This is a terrible blunder. The mysterious figure got what they wanted, but maybe it’s not too late. Arthur can surely reach them, they must be nearby. Running at our top speed, we arrive at the scene of the campfire in four minutes. There are six rogues, who have just finished killing Andrew. I notice his empty gaze towards me, going limp just as I come into the clearing. They were collateral damage, but were going to die anyway. I guess I’m thankful Emily didn’t have to go through with it, I just hope she got the information she needed.

In just under two minutes, Arthur deals with the rogues, one by one, as they attempt to block off their leader’s escape route. We get a smell and start our pursuit anew, while also mind-linking Michael:

“Emily has been kidnapped by an unknown assailant. I am currently in pursuit, but rogues keep attempting to slow me down. Andrew and Lance are dead. Assemble a troop of warriors and get to the campfire. FAST, Michael.”

“Yes, right away!”, Michael replies right back, with no hesitation upon hearing the news.

We continue to give chase for a couple of minutes, not losing the trace of the smell. Surely the kidnapper cannot be too far away, the rogues only took a few minutes to defeat. Arthur is insanely fast, especially now since our mate is in danger. We finally reach an open road, and the worst has just happened. The smells of both Emily and the bastard have vanished. A quick glance is enough for me to notice tire burns. Fck, Fck, F*CK! Arthur can give chase to any living being with ease, but catching up to a car is impossible. His dissapointment is palpable, but this is not the time to give up. We have not become King with a weak resolve. The next few hours will be crucial in finding who took Emily and why. I’m going to shred that bastard to pieces,

Returned to the scene of the campfire, I meet with Michael and the pack warriors, who have finished dealing with a few other rogues still around the area. He notices the disappointment on my face and says briefly to me, wearing a saddened expression:

“We’ll find her, Edward. Don’t worry.”

The next few hours are filled with dread. With the help of Michael and Amanda, the warriors come to smell the trace of the kidnapper. An incredibly awful timed rainstorm appears in the area, effectively burrying the only evidence we have about Emily’s possible location. Meanwhile, I do some investigating of my own, in my office. With a map of the nearby packs in my hand, I make a list of every possible pack, based on how close it is and their affinity to me. Of course, since the kg was to the South-East, packs in that direction are the most likely to have kidnapped her, so those are the highest priority to check.

I go to our library to get more insight into the other packs. There, I stumble onto something odd. A book, taken off the shelf, placed face-down on the table. Picking it up, it seems to be about the war. Then I remember my conversation with Emily from yesterday. A thought pops into my mind. Wait, what if…? No, it couldn’t possibly be the case, but, what if some of the members of Whitemane survived? The elders lied about a lot of things in the past… what if there were survivors who are now looking for her? They have her description and the news of her being a Luna of the Midnight pack must have reached everyone’s ears by now. In any case, I make a mental note to send a special scouting troop to investigate the Whitemane Pack’s old territory, even if it has most likely been assimilated by the other surrounding packs.

Arthur is in deep pain, whining desperately to get our mate back. But I need to stay strong and focus on the matter at hand. Emily is out there somewhere and my only solace right now is the fact that our bond has not severed. She’s obviously kept alive for a purpose, even though I cannot even comprehend why this is happening. They might want ransom, which I am prepared to pay at any time, just to end this ordeal for everyone. The pack needs its Luna, and I’m going to get her back.

This attitude is what keeps me going, thoroughly searching, along with Michael, pack after pack after pack. With no end in sight, days are passing by and I have no idea if we’re even going to find her at this point. I’m feeling extremely nauseus just at the thought of never seeing her again. No ransom note has arrived. The thought of killing the bastard who did this and getting Emily back is what’s keeping me going.

A full three days have passed. My mood has worsened terribly and I keep getting these stomach pains which the doctor seems to think it’s because of the stress. The search has not ceased or even slowed down, but something unexpected happens. One of the patrols mind-links me:

“A bloodied wolf has arrived and asked to speak with you regarding Emily, but he passed out. What shall we do?”

“Get him to the infirmary, NOW!”

Finally, a stroke of luck. I rush to the hospital where the outsider has been taken to. The warriors arrive with the wounded wolf and I make sure he gets urgent treatment. His wound looks really dire, as if mauled by multiple werewolves. The dried b***d over his fur makes it hard to discern a specific smell. The nurses assure me that his main issue is the b***d loss, as his vital organs suffered only minor injuries. I quickly arrange for a b***d transfer and wait by the bedside in case he wakes up. A few hours pass, and the nurses assure me his condition is finally stable. At my request, they have given him an IV and some drugs to help him wake up, despite their recommendations. In a couple of minutes, my arm is softly grabbed by the wolf in the bed. He weakly manages to speak:

“Thank the Goddess I found you. You need to know what happened to Emily.”

As he shifts into human form, I realize the truth of what had happened.

POV: Emily

I wake up in a weird windowless room, feeling completely confused. There is a bitter taste in my mouth and Accalia is eerily quiet. I cannot remember how I got here or what I was doing before I went to sleep. There is a numbness in my legs, which prevents me from getting up. Still, I make an effort and use a nearby chair as a makeshift support, getting to the door. It’s locked. The last thing I remember is a conversation with my mate, but I can’t recall what it was about.

While I try to make sense of my muddled thoughts, the door unlocks and opens. My mate is here. My heart feels warmer, as I don’t focus on my confusion anymore, hoping he would make sense of what’s going on:

“How did I get here?”, I ask him.

He comes up and hugs me tightly, and I return the warm embrace. This feels weird. I don’t know why I’m here, but at least he’s here for me. My mate replies:

“My dear Emily, do you really not remember? You were fighting a pack of rogues in the forest and were knocked out. You spent weeks in the hospital, but I convinced the doctors to let you rest at home after you became stable. I have bad news, however. They said you might not be able to walk for a while. I tried getting more information, but the doctors just gave me a bunch of medicine, which you have to take every day until you get better. Until then, I shall take care of you.”

His reply saddens me, but at least now I know how I ended up in this situation. I k**s him on the cheek and tell him:

“Thank you for all your help, Kyle. I’ll try to get better. I love you!” That last one made me feel weirdly inside. Are these butterflies, or…? Ah, what am I even thinking, he’s my mate after all. He’s taking such good care of me, the least I can do is tell him my feelings.

He k****s me back, then leaves the room, saying:

“I’ll be right back with something to eat. Please try to rest.”

“Of course!” I reply quickly.

So, this is my situation. When Kyle gets back, I want to ask him about the others. I wonder what Nathan is doing. I hope Grace and Wendy are not too worried about me. I’ll take the medicine. I need to get better and be a worthy Luna.

After a few minutes, Kyle arrives with a tray of food. My stomach is grumbling, so I grab everything by the fistful and eat like a starving wolf. Heh, I guess I haven’t eaten anything proper in a while. After a few bites, I ask Kyle:

“How are the others doing? Did they visit me while in the hospital?”

Kyle’s expression gets somber as he begins explaining:

“Oh, Em, I really hate to break the news to you. While we were attacked by the rogues, you did a good job of defending, but a lot of them slipped through and went rampant in the village. We barely managed to stop the assault and we had quite a lot of casualties. Nathan and Wendy died protecting the pack, and Grace is still in bad condition at the hospital. She might not be able to make it. Again, I’m really sorry that you had to find out like this.”

I immediately lose all of my appetite and begin sobbing uncontrolably. How did this happen? All of my close friends, gone. I’m in a worse shape than I’ve ever been. I begin to cry, as Kyle gets up and tells me:

“I’ll give you some space to grieve. I’m truly sorry, Emily. We shall talk more tonight, if you want.”, then he leaves the room once more.

I’m left with my grief and my tears and it feels like hours pass. I cry myself to sleep, with Kyle nowhere to be seen. He’s probably grieving the loss of his Beta and pack members, too. We’ll talk in the morning, I guess.

The next day comes and I wake up next to Kyle. He quickly gets up from the bed and rushes to get me breakfast, while I sit and try to work through my feelings. Finally, food arrives, as well as a glass of water. Kyle tells me:

“The medicine is soluble, so you need to drink the water. Please, enjoy your breakfast. I have other matters to attend to, but I’ll be back shortly.”

“Thank you”, I manage to reply weakly, as my mate leaves the room.

I get to finish my food and drink. The water has an odd, familiar taste to it, but I can’t quite remember why. Nonetheless, I try to think of what to do while Kyle gets back, so I don’t get bored. I try to talk to Accalia, perhaps shifting might help my cause. However, there is no reply. This is quite strange, but I chalk it up to either the medicine or her own grief. Focusing on the death of my close friends, I try to work through my feelings. Was there a ceremony? Did I miss it? Is the pack safe now? Questions keep appearing and disappearing, while overwhelming sadness prevails. At some point in my crying, a noise snaps me back to reality. The doorknob is turning, but the door is not unlocked. Someone is trying to get inside, as they are still fiddling with the door. I shout out:

“Who’s there? Kyle, did you forget the key?”

The rattling stops and I hear the thumping sound of footsteps, as if someone was running away from the door. Were they afraid? What was that? I guess I’ll ask Kyle about it later, there’s not much I can do from my position.

A few hours pass and my mate is nowhere to be seen. I’m hungry, confused, tired and depressed, so a quick nap is the only thing which can help me until he arrives. When I wake up, there is simply another tray of food and a drink next to me, which I gulp down instantly. I begin eating, silently thanking Kyle for my meal. He’s so nice, bringing me food and taking care of me despite his own harships. He must also be distraught, seeing me like this. I need to get better, for his sake.

POV: Nathan

The last few days have been quite hectic around here. While Kyle had been acting strange before, now it’s on a whole other level. He seems weirdly rude and antsy and he’s rarely seen around the pack anymore. He’s left me in charge for a week straight. He briefly returned for half a day, then left again on a “business trip”.

Today, he came back again, in his car, with a big box jutting out of his trunk. Curious, I walk up to him to try and find out what is going on:

“Hey, Kyle. Welcome back! How was the trip? Do you need any help with that?”, I say, pointing to the box.

“I gathered some things which might help in the future. There are some discussions of a war coming soon, so I got a few supplies, just a few silver weapons. I can carry them myself, don’t worry, I don’t want you getting hurt by them.”

The box definitely contains silver as it doesn’t smell of anything. I watch him shift and carry it on his shoulders towards the dungeon. A war? Is that why he’s been acting so strangely? Hmm… I need to find out a bit more.

I finish my duties for the day and go to sleep, with questions still lingering in my mind. I suppose I’ll ask him tomorrow, I’ll go to his office early, he might be less busy. The next day comes and do just as planned. At least, I try to, but I notice something extremely unusual. Kyle is bringing a tray of food into his office, which never happens. I decide to sneakily look through the window and I barely manage to see past some blinds. He seems to pour something into the glass, but I have no idea what. He heads for the door and I make it seem like I was heading toward the office.

“Kyle, hello. I was meaning to ask you more about the war, I’m thinking of running some drills with the warriors, if you think it necessary.”, I manage to say, wondering if he saw me snooping. Instead, he just replies coldly:

“Do whatever, I have someplace else to be right now. Dismissed.”

“Yes, right on it.”

Of course, I have no intention of doing what I proposed and he doesn’t even seem to care. I try to carefully tail him, just so I can see where he took the tray of food. From a distance, he seems to take a path which has the fewest eyes on him, especially this early. I manage to closely follow him until he goes inside of the dungeon. Damn, I can’t just go in there, he’s definitely going to see me.

I keep myself busy with the pack warriors for a while, still keeping an eye on the dungeon from time to time. After a while, I see Kyle exit the dungeon and realize that now is the time to find out what he’s hiding.

I get inside the dungeon and get to the holding cells, where a guard denies me entry:

“Sorry, Nathan, can’t let you inside the dungeon. Kyle’s orders.”

What? My mind runs through countless possibilities, but it does indeed seem like he’s hiding something from me. I need to take action quickly, otherwise I might not get a chance.

“I’m sorry, man”, I say, shifting and trying to take the guard out, attacking him. He’s quick to react and manages to s***h me, but I get him into a choke and he becomes unconscious. Bleeding, I rush through the cells, one by one, to see what Kyle’s trying to hide. There’s nothing in the common area, so I decide to check the solitary confinement cells, down a dark hallway. Finally I get to the silver door of the cell. Strange, there didn’t use to be a doorknob before. I try to open the door, but it’s locked. After a few attempts, I hear a voice from inside, asking if I’m Kyle. I instantly recognize Emily’s voice. Why is she here and why isn’t she screaming her lungs out of this place? Why does she say Kyle’s name in such a friendly voice? I have no time to answer these questions, as my body just sprints to the exit, with only one thought in my mind: I need to get to the Alpha King, fast.

My bleeding has slowed down, and I manage to get out of the dungeon. The wound still hurts, but I make it out of the pack’s territory without being seen and I decide to run for it. I leave a message for my mate not to worry about me as I might be gone for a bit. After a few minutes, three rogues ambush me out of nowhere and taunt me:

“Well, well, well. From the B***d Moon pack, are you? You see, the liar who promised us we could join his pack… we followed him home. He needs to be taught a lesson!”, one says, lunging toward me with claws drawn.

What is he talking about? I defend myself, but it’s getting hard with my wound. The fight drags on for a couple of minutes, and my wound opens up, while they also get to s***h me up more. Through sheer force of will, I manage to beat them, slashing their throats in the process. I really didn’t want to do this, but I had no choice. I’m bleeding profusely now. I have to keep going.

Thankfully, my wolf keeps me conscious for hours, and while the searing pain is getting more unbearable, my resolve is stronger. I think I am in the Midnight Pack territory. I keep going for just a bit more, when I spot a patrol. They also seem to spot me and yell out:

“Stop right there! Another step and you’re dead meat!”

I comply, which makes me fall completely to the ground. That’s the end of my adrenaline. In a matter of seconds, the warriors get to me and I manage to get out:

“I need to talk to Edward, it’s about Emily, she…”, but I lose consciousness.

Upon waking up, I realize my message was received. I notice Edward himself by my bedside, so I grab his arm and give him the information he must be looking for:

“Thank the Goddess I found you. You need to know what happened to Emily.”, I shift back into my human form, thinking he would recognize me and continue:

“Kyle is holding her in a dungeon. She seems to have lost her memory and is weirdly friendly to Kyle. Please save her, you’re the only one that can do anything to him.”

I can feel my bed shaking as the Alpha King gets visibly mad, his veins pop out and his eyes darken. However, as always, he still managed to reply articulately:

“Thank you, Nathan. I’m going to kill that bastard.”