Chapter 24

“Aiden, let me go look for her. You’re in no condition. You still have a lot more healing to do.”

Shaking his head, Aiden stood. “No, it’s my fault she stormed out. I’ll go find her. Besides, I can sense when I'm near her. You stay here and call me if she comes back.”

“But Aiden, you’re arm…”

“Just a scratch. Call if you hear anything, okay?” It wasn’t just a scratch, more like a nasty bite from a savage dog, but it had gotten better so it wasn’t exactly a lie. Besides, it had been five hours since Charlie had left the house and neither he nor Sarah had been able to get through to her on her mobile. The knowledge that Rafael was on his way to meet with the Alpha of the Red Dawn pack and with Charlie being alone and having nowhere to go, had resulted in a very agitated wolf as well as an anxious Aiden.

As he walked the streets, Aiden had a heavy feeling in his stomach. He had checked at least a half dozen pubs and the local park and found no sign of Charlie. His beast was becoming more frantic by the minute, trying to catch a sniff of her scent but failing miserably. It was as though Charlie had completely disappeared from Salisbury without even saying goodbye.

She wouldn’t do that, would she? He asked himself as he crossed a road, into a side street.

Wolf… his beast growled in warning.

Aiden felt a low rumble trying to push its way out of his throat as he crossed the side street. He could see someone in the distance, walking towards him and with each step that he took, the growl became more intense, warning him of danger. As the unknown man got closer, Aiden sensed the wolf that was hidden underneath him. His wolf was ready and eager to fight, but Aiden, knowing when was best to avoid a brawl, continued to the other side of the road, ready to duck down an alley.

“Wait! I need to talk to you. The redhead…”

Aiden, halfway across the road, stopped dead, turned and began walking to the stranger who had shouted. “What? What do you know of her?”

“It’s only a rumour that I heard but it's a believable one. Dawn has her in their cabin. It’s in the woods.”

All sense of danger forgotten, Aiden walked straight to the man, pushing him against the wall of a house. “Take me to your Alpha. I know you’re one of them. I can smell your wolf.” Aiden's teeth were gritted to the point of pain but he didn’t relent.

“Woah, calm down, mate. I came to help if I can. I’m a wolf, yes, but not with them. Never would be. I’m a rogue, like you. Pack less, thank fuck. Never found my place to fit in."

“Why should I believe you?” Aiden kept his grip on the mam's jacket but relaxed his face a little.

“My name is Simon. I have trust issues and pack life doesn’t work without trust. Much easier to go it alone when you think that everyone has an agenda. That way then, the only person you need to rely on is yourself and you’re not at risk of being stabbed in the back when you least expect it.”

Aiden let his hand drop. There was a niggle of warning at the back of his mind but what Simon had said was relatable. He had always preferred to be alone for the same reasons and had never really trusted anybody further than he needed to.

“I know you have no reason to trust me but what I said comes from a reliable source. Someone I know saw Thunder throw a blanket over the woman and chuck her in a van. I would bet my life that she is at the pack cabin. It’s where they take all their players.”

“Players?”

Simon nodded and straightened his jacket, “Yes, players. They’re a twisted bunch of idiots who rule by fear. Whoever wrongs them for whatever reason, even if it’s ridiculous like they looked at them strangely, gets taken to the cabin. At midnight, they’re let out and told to run. If they make it out of the forest alive, they’re left to live.”

Aiden didn’t need to ask what happened if they didn’t make it out. His heart hitting the floor told him the answer.

“It’s already nightfall…”

“It’s a suicide mission, mate. You’ll never get in those woods, let alone the cabin.”

“That’s what you think,” Aiden said. "Where Is it?"

"Seriously mate, I get it. What they do is wrong but nobody around here will stop it because they know what will happen to them if they try. This woman is pretty much gone. I'm sorry."

“She's my mate. I have to go get her while there's still a chance.”

Simon sighed and pushed off the wall. “Come on. I know someone who might be able to help. There's another pack. The Alpha and I go way back. I’ll take you to him.”

Aiden had never needed to accept help before, let alone ask for it but he had never faced an entire pack before, either. “I guess today is a day for firsts,” he mumbled to himself.

“You think?” Simon replied. “It was definitely my first time seeing Thunder thrown through a window. Nobody around here would dare say anything to any of those Dawn twats but then you come along and try to teach that prick of a wolf to fly. That in itself deserves some respect. I have to say though, you’re a hard man to follow. Almost lost you a few times. Your wolf is hidden pretty deep, ain’t he?”

“Look, Simon. I appreciate you offering to help and take me to this Alpha but small talk isn’t something I'm good at. Neither is trusting so if you’re expecting a conversation, you’ve picked the wrong wolf.”

Simon shrugged his shoulders as he set off walking back down the street, in the direction he had come from. As Aiden followed he could have sworn that he heard him mumble something about definitely finding the right wolf for him.