Chapter 76

Nathan POV

I flew into Royal territory that evening, with a small group of enforcers as a protection detail, something Beta Evan insisted on.

The truth was, I was glad he thought about sending people with me. If he hadn’t, I would have rushed headlong into an unknown but surely dangerous situation. Alone, without a plan.

Just the urge, the drive, to find my mate.

It was an urge that grew to an almost painful need as the small plane flew us into the Royal pack’s territory.

As I saw the absolute destruction of the peaceful towns and villages along the borders.

In some places there were only piles of rubble - some still smoking - to give any sign that a village had even once stood there.

I stared at this, stunned.

When Beta Evan told me the kingdom had been dealing with attacks, I pictured small roving gangs of rogues sneaking into towns or laying in wait along the roadside.

But this…This looked more like the after effects of battles between armies.

This looked like a war zone.

Inside me, my wolf shook with the need to find our mate.

And with the fear that we might be too late.

Too late, because while Claire had been going through who knows what, while her kingdom was under attack, I was at home drinking tea.

Drinking tea, and being Sabrina’s puppet.

My fists tightened until my knuckles ached at the thought.

Sabrina was going to pay for this, one way or another, sooner or later.

She would answer for what she’d done to me.

But for now I needed to focus on finding Claire.

As we got off the plane I tried once again to mindlink with her, as I’d been doing since I found out what was going on.

And again, there was nothing but that strange staticky interference.

I couldn’t get through.

Commandeering a car from the Royal’s private lot behind the airport, I headed for the main clinic, my desperation growing with every mile.

I pulled into the clinic parking lot and jumped out of the car, Claire’s name on my lips, ready to shout for her.

But the shout died before it ever left my mouth.

Even before I walked inside, I began to understand just how bad things were.

The grounds of the clinic were filled with tents and lean-to structures, with crowds of people.

Refugees, I realized with shock. These people must have come from the border areas.

They’ve got nowhere else to go, I thought, remembering the smoking remains of villages we passed over on our way in.

The kingdom may truly be on the verge of collapsing.

After staring for a moment, I hurried inside. The waiting room was filled, and I felt like I could taste the fear and desperation in the very air that surrounded these people.

Why had no other packs sent aid?? Why had Sabrina issued an order in my name for Silverfang not to help either?

How had things become so bad, and so fast?

I was determined to find out. As soon as I knew Claire was safe.

But when I went to the front desk to ask for her, I was shocked at who I found.

Amelia - the doctor from my very own clinic!

“What are you doing here??” we both said at once, each of us staring in shock.

Amelia recovered first, planting her hands on her hips. “I’m not leaving, Alpha Nathan. You can’t make us stop the work we’re doing here. We’ll - we’ll leave the pack if we have to!”

Nothing she could have said would have stunned me more.

“Leave the pack? Stop you? Why on earth would I do that?

“I’m glad you’re here!”

She stared at me. “You are? But…the order you issued…”

“It wasn’t actually mine,” I said, then shook my head when she opened her mouth to ask what I meant. “I’ll explain later. Right now I need to know where Claire is.

“I need to know she’s safe.”

“Oh, that’s right. You don’t know.”

My heart dropped. I charged forward, grabbing her by the shoulders.

“Know what?? Is Claire hurt?!”

“No. I mean, as far as I know she’s alright. But she’s not here.”

“What do you mean, ‘as far as you know’? Where is she??” I demanded, giving her a shake.

“We’ve got mobile clinics set up along the borders, to help the wounded as soon as possible. Claire’s out in the countryside traveling from location to location.

“She comes back to resupply every few days, but just left yesterday. I don’t know where she is right now.”

I let go of Amelia’s shoulders and closed my eyes for a moment with relief.

Claire was alive. She had just been here.

And yet - I still needed to see her. Just hearing that she was alright wasn’t enough.

I needed to see her for myself.

I needed to feel her in my arms.

I wanted to hold her, and never let her go.

“Does anyone know where she might be?”

“I assumed the Royal Alpha? He’s running defense operations from the palace.

“Alpha Nathan, does this mean Silverfang is sending more - ?!”

I didn’t hear the rest of her question. I was already hurrying back out the door.

But when I got to the palace, the reception I got wasn’t what I was expecting.

As an Alpha, and an ally of the Royal pack, I had expected the Royal Alpha to welcome me into what I realized was basically a war room.

But when a servant brought me up to the room, and informed the Royal Alpha that I was there, the look of cold suspicion in the older man’s eyes gave me pause.

Around us, everyone else in the room grew silent, and stared.

“What do you want here, Alpha Nathan?”

“Sir, I…” I hesitated, a sudden feeling of shame overwhelming me.

This man, who was older and who I knew struggled with frenzy, had nevertheless been doing everything he could to defend his territory, and his pack.

While I had done nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

“Well?” he demanded, his voice ringing with command. “Out with it, Nathan. Are you going to tell us where you’ve been? Or perhaps why you gave orders for your citizens not to send us aid?

“Why are you here??”

I lowered my gaze from his, as a sign of deference. “Sir, I apologize for not being here sooner. And not sending aid before this.”

I raised my eyes. “But I do have an explanation. May we speak in private?”

He stared at me for a long silent moment, until I began to worry he might just kick me out.

Then he nodded, once. His Beta immediately gave the order to clear the room, and people obeyed instantly.

Clearly the Royal Alpha, despite his age and his personal struggles, was still a trusted and respected commander.

My own respect for him grew as I watched everyone leave without a single question or hesitation.

“Sir,” I said, once only the two of us and his Beta remained. “I truly am sorry. And I am also sorry to have to report that your daughter Sabrina is to blame.”

His eyes narrowed, and he and his Beta exchanged looks. “Explain yourself,” he told me.

So I told him about the tea, the orders Sabrina gave in my name.

His look of shock quickly turned to one of grim acceptance.

He believed me.

“I remember the nanny you say Catherine mentioned. I punished her - I was going to fire her. But Sabrina threw such a fit at the idea that I relented.

“I can see now that was a mistake. I’ve made many mistakes, it seems, where Sabrina is concerned,” he added, sharing a longer look with his Beta.

A lot of information passed between them in that look, one that made me wonder if Sabrina had done more than just try to take over Silverfang pack.

What if poisoning me, and the order not to send aid, were somehow related to what was going on here?

Could Sabrina have something to do with the rogue attacks??

I put that thought away, and asked the Royal Alpha if he knew where Claire was. He studied me a moment, then motioned me over to a map on the table in front of him.

“She just left on a supply run, and to check in with her mobile clinics. If she sticks to the agreed route, you should find her somewhere around here,” he said, pointing to a small area.

I took in the entire map, the markers indicating both Royal and rogue forces. And my eyes widened.

Claire’s route was taking her to the western border of the territory.

Right into the very heart of the fighting.