Chapter 102

Sabrina POV

It was almost too easy!

Hurrying out of the palace, with Nathan’s brat asleep in my arms, it took everything I had not to simply crow with victory.

Nathan took such pride in his security, in the high level training all of his enforcers received.

He’d be going crazy knowing someone had just walked right into Andy’s room and taken his precious little son.

With any luck he’d blame Claire for poor palace security, and they’d be too busy fighting to make any kind of plan of attack or retaliation.

I smiled smugly as I saw Soren’s car parked up ahead, a few blocks away from the palace.

As if they could do anything but wring their hands and wait for my next message.

As if they could do anything to stop what was going to happen.

“Any trouble?” Soren asked as I walked up. He took Andy out of my arms and laid him in the back seat.

“None at all,” I said with a grin.

Soren answered with one of his own. “Perfect.”

We drove to my mother’s estate at a nice, reasonable speed. No need to attract attention to ourselves.

Not with precious cargo on board.

We parked at the back of Mom’s large house, and Soren carried Andy upstairs to the bedroom she had prepared for us. A room easy to lock and keep closed, and well away from the front door in case anyone came sneaking around.

Not that anyone possible would. I’d made sure that the note I left wasn’t in my handwriting, and was careful to keep my face turned down and away from anyone’s glance while I was in the palace.

No one had recognized me.

There was absolutely nothing connecting me to Andy’s disappearance.

It was perfect.

Soren settled Andy onto the small hard bed.

“Well done, Sabrina. I think it’s safe to say our plan is going to work.”

Soren’s praise pleased me, but I didn’t want it to show. So I crossed my arms and smirked at him.

“Of course it is. I knew I could handle my part. Now you just have to make sure you don’t mess up yours.”

Soren didn’t seem as annoyed by my smirk as I’d hoped. The man was so difficult to upset!

It just made me want to try harder.

“Don’t worry, darling,” he said, patting me on the shoulder.

Like I was a child worried about some silly, trivial thing.

I gritted my teeth.

“I’ll handle the ‘exchange’ in the morning. We’ll tie this one up to a tree to draw Nathan and Claire in. With my men in place and ready to grab them, they won’t have a chance to fight us off, or get their hands on the pup.”

Despite my annoyance, I smiled up at Soren. “Then we dispose of the brat, and I get Nathan and Claire all to myself.”

“All to yourself. I’ve already made arrangements for you to travel with them back to Bloodclaw territory.

“No one will interrupt your…play time there.”

I couldn’t wait.

There were just so many fun ways to inflict pain on a body.

While keeping them alive as long as possible.

“And,” Soren added as we left the room. “While you’re having fun with your new pets, I’ll take advantage of the chaos caused by Claire disappearing.

“I’ll take the palace by force. Then no one can stop me from taking the throne.”

“And then we’ll rule together, of course,” I said.

For a moment we stared at each other in silence.

Then Soren smiled. “Yes…of course.”

Claire POV

The time seemed to be racing by, and I couldn’t help but feel like we were falling behind.

Every moment we weren’t out there looking for Andy was one minute closer to him being…

I couldn’t even think the word.

But I was terrified we wouldn’t get to my baby on time.

After Nathan and I rushed into the hidden passageways, I followed behind Nathan as he raced ahead, hot on the scent trail.

Just to stumble out into a hallway near the back door, blinking in the sudden glare of light, pulling up short to avoid running into the back of him.

“It’s gone,” he said, his voice hollow. “I can tell they went out the back door, but there have been so many people coming and going tonight, earlier today.

“I’m sorry, Claire.” He looked down at me, his eyes dark with despair. “I’ve lost the trail.”

Despite my own fear and helplessness crashing through me, I put my hand on his arm. “It’s alright, Nathan. We know now who’s responsible for this cruel act. That’s more than we did before.”

Turning to me, he closed the distance between us. Then he leaned his forehead against mine, closing his eyes for a moment.

“You’re right.” He rubbed his hands up and down my arms, then opened his eyes. “We’re going to find our son, Claire.”

I reached up and held his face in my hands. “Yes,” I said, willing away the hopelessness, replacing it with determination.

“Yes we are.”

We walked back through the palace, giving orders to servants as we went, eventually meeting up at my father’s conference room. The trusted staff members we ordered the servants to summon arrived within moments.

Including Nathan’s Beta, Evan, who had just arrived from the airport.

I looked around at the group, at the room. Not too long ago this room had been used as a headquarters during the rogue attacks. The walls were still hung with maps, and tables were piled with a variety of reports and lists.

This room had been used as a communications hub during a war.

Now it was going to be our own hub, while we fought an even more personal battle.

Nathan and I stepped forward at the same time to the head of the table. Then Nathan, with a small smile, took a step back and gave me the floor.

I nodded at him, then turned to look at the people gathered. “Our son is missing. Kidnapped. And while we don’t know everyone involved, we do know who walked into the palace tonight and took him:

“Sabrina.”

Several gasps met this news, as well as a few grim looks. Obviously, like me, there were a few people who were not exactly surprised by just how wicked my false sister could be.

A number of people raised their hands, each with a question. But at that moment, my father’s Beta walked in.

“Princess, Alpha,” he said, looking at me and Nathan. “I believe I have news that may help.”

Nathan pulled out a chair and offered it to Garrett. “Please, sit. Tell us.”

Garrett thanked him, then sat. “Not long before he was ambushed and injured, the Royal Alpha instructed me to investigate the false princess’ origins. Specifically how she came to be put into place as the Royal princess.”

It hurt my heart to think of my father, still lying helpless and lost in that mysterious coma.

How I wished he could be there right now. His wisdom and strength would have meant so much.

“What did you find?” Nathan asked.

“After careful investigation, I believe Sabrina’s former nanny, Martha, is actually her mother.

“And that Martha is also the sister of Bloodclaw pack’s old Alpha.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. “Alpha Soren’s father is her brother?”

I turned to look at Nathan. “But that means Sabrina and Soren…”

“Are actually cousins,” Nathan finished grimly.

I shook my head. “No wonder Sabrina was able to gather such a strong group of allies. The Alphas and Lunas helping her were also allying themselves with Bloodclaw pack.”

Then I turned to Garrett. “Beta, how does this information help us find our son?”

Garrett leaned forward in his seat, pulling a map of the territory closer to him. “I suspect Sabrina will have gone to her mother’s house. While it’s a possibility she’ll ultimately head for Bloodclaw territory, she might still be inside the kingdom.”

He pointed to a spot on the map. “Here. That’s where Martha’s estate is.”

We all stood and gathered closer, looking at the map, judging the distance between us and where Andy might be.

“We need to get there, find her, before she leaves the kingdom.”

Nathan agreed. “We need to move.

If Sabrina makes it into Bloodclaw territory, we may never see Andy alive again.”