Intuition

Bastian was seated on the coffee table with his legs folded in front of him. The scent in the house that she had originally thought to be one of the warriors outside, actually belonged to her enemy. His dirty blonde hair was longer than she remembered but the sides were still shaved. He had a wide, white smile and his irises were so dark, they were nearly black.

“Hello, Evie.” He greeted her as she saw him.

The towel she’d been using to dry her hair fell from her grasp. She stared at him in shock. She opened her mouth to yell for the warriors on the porch but Bastian held his finger up to his lips, ominously shushing her.

“Shhhh. Wait. Don’t scream.” He stated. “I have something of yours, you’ll want it back.”

Bastian picked up the remote and turned on the news, adding background noise to the tension.

“Why are you here?! How are you here?!” Eve finally spoke.

“You should be asking me what I took.” He grinned at her.

She growled in response. The power in her chest told her to rip him apart. She had to focus on her breathing to calm the thundering of her heartbeat. She closed her mindlink, trying to conceal her panic from the others.

“I know. You’re surprised to see me. But you have to just not wolf-out long enough to hear me out.” Bastian stood and took a single, cautious step in her direction.

“What did you take?” Eve snarled.

“Selena will be so disappointed. You didn’t even notice she was gone.” He answered.

“You’re lying. You were last time.” She retorted.

“No, I’m not.” Bastian took his phone from his pocket. “See for yourself.”

He unlocked the screen and turned it to face her. Eve took a couple cautious steps and looked at the image. It was a video feed of the apartment building Selena was in.

“I have a friend watching her. He’s the one streaming. If he doesn’t hear from me in four minutes, he’ll take a team and kill her.” Bastian spoke calmly.

“What do you want?” Eve snapped at him.

“You, Evie. Just you.” He smiled confidently.

“No.” She growled and took a step away from him.

“Calm down.” Bastian chuckled.

The next sequence of events passed with impossible quickness. Bastian lifted his hand and threw a powder in her face. Eve coughed and tried to run away. She took a single step before the bitter taste in her throat clouded her mind.

Bastian caught her as she fell backwards, her eyes drifting closed. The rogue took a deep breath and lifted her in his arms. He gazed down at her face with an expression of accomplishment.

“That was just an herbal sedative. It won’t hurt you or the pup.” Bastian leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Don’t worry, Evie. I’ve got you.”

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Flint parked in front of headquarters and checked his phone. As he got out of the car, a feeling washed over him. Anxiety, panic, fear, and anger. He touched his chest and followed the pull of the emotions.

Eve. He thought to himself.

He turned back to the SUV but the sensations gave way. They seemed to ease, though now his own nerves were peaking. He focused his mind but he couldn’t feel her emotions any longer.

It’s been a long day... Maybe she’s dreaming. Flint tried to rationalize things as he unlocked his phone screen.

The line rang for a couple very long minutes before her voicemail picked up. Flint cursed and hung up.

Go! Now! His wolf commanded loudly.

A hand fell on Flint’s shoulder. He turned around sharply to see Duncan. He had been so distracted by his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed the commander approaching.

“Alpha?” He furrowed his brow.

“Eve isn’t answering the phone. Something’s wrong.” Flint headed toward the car as he spoke.

“Should-”

“Handle the security protocols until I get back. Protect the pack.” He interrupted Duncan.

Flint closed the door and started the engine. He drove toward his estate, going well over the speed limit. For the entire journey, his mind was trying to come up with scenarios in which Eve was safe, just away from her phone.

Still, a feeling persisted in the back of his mind that told him there was danger. Even if he didn’t know about it. He barked at the warriors to open the gate a few minutes later. He was moving so quickly that he slung gravel as he parked in front of the house.

The warriors on the porch stopped pacing when they heard him approaching. Flint didn’t bother to say anything to them, as he dashed up the steps and into the front door.

“Eve?” He called out loudly.

The sound of the television drew his attention. It was playing infomercials and the volume was very loud. Eve hated infomercials and she never blared the speakers unless there was music playing. Worried goosebumps spread over his skin.

“Eve?!” He raised his voice.

Flint stepped out of the foyer and he couldn’t help but notice the house was completely dark. He entered the living room to turn off the television but he froze in place. The dim, shifting light from the screen on the wall, shone across the coffee table. Illuminating a small, black wolf made out of folded paper.

“Eve?! Eve?!” Flint ran up the stairs and into the bedroom.

He hadn’t noticed the scent buried amongst those belonging to the warriors outside. Bastian’s smell was all over the house. He tried to call Eve’s phone again as he ran down the stairs. She didn’t answer.

“Alpha?” The warriors were standing in the living room when Flint entered.

“Where is she?!” He snarled angrily.

“Wha-” The man fell silent under his superior’s gaze.

“You said the estate was secure! Where is my mate?!” Flint couldn’t silence the howling, viscous beast in his mind.

“The house was empty when we searched it at three eighteen.” An older warrior stepped forward.

That was more than an hour ago. Flint’s mind was racing alongside his heartbeat.

They were outside! How could he take her under their noses?! How?! The animal within him raged.

The Alpha was taking ragged shallow breaths and he couldn’t alter it. He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t think.

“You were right there!” Flint roared.

He lost control. The situation overwhelmed him as his wolf clawed his way to freedom. The waves of erratic, uncontainable power coming from him told the warriors all that they needed to know. They scattered as the mindlink was washed in rage. Flint fought against his instincts to rip the warriors apart.

One of the men kicked the bookshelf as he ran across the room. The picture of Eve and Flint at the Alpha banquet wobbled a before it fell to the floor. The glass shattered and the frame broke apart. With it went the last bit of restraint the Alpha had.

He lunged forward and knocked him to the ground before he tore into his chest with his claws. Behind him, one of the larger warriors shifted forms. He must have thought he could escape faster this way, but he was wrong.

Flint immediately noticed the man becoming a beast and his wolf saw this as a threat. He grabbed the wolf’s throat with his jaws. The other wolves reacted, shifting to try to distract the Alpha from his kill. They rushed him, jumping onto Flint’s back and biting him. One by one, he threw them off and injured them.

Several minutes later a large, white wolf burst out of the front door and into the forest on the property. The taste in his mouth and the stains on his paws came from the blood of his people. StarLight members, the thought alone was maddening.

Yet, beneath that were the reasons this had happened to begin with. Eve was missing. Her pregnancy was threatening her and now she was gone. Bastian had her. Flint feared what plans the rogue had for his mate and the pup growing in her stomach.

Also, there was the issue of her mindlink. Flint couldn’t feel her. He knew her heart was beating and she was healthy; that much he could sense. But her emotions were a blank to him. It was as if she were in such a deep sleep that she wasn’t even dreaming. Fear flooded his every thought.

Flint still couldn’t think. It felt like he could barely breathe. He simply ran. There was no scent of Bastian or Eve outside the house. They’d left no trail for him to follow. He was struggling to keep it together. And, at the moment, he was losing that fight.