Wolf under an oak tree.

But I think our tea time was over now since Alan turned around to face me with a small knife in his hand, it had something dripping from its blade, and the smell of acid was very prominent in the room, which made the struggle even more in my ropes. “Can you remember the knife that you ran down my forehead, Iris?” he asked me while he took slow steps toward me.

“And, I bet you know what silver does to a werewolf.” Alan slowly brought the knife closer to my cheeks, and slowly ran it down my skin, making sure he only cut the top layer of skin, right when the acid leaked into my skin, I let out a blood-curdling cry, tears were pouring down my cheeks, and I wriggled even more in my chair. The acid burned the wound, but he didn't stop right there, he brought the knife lower, and without warning, he stabbed me in my stomach. It was torturous, and I felt the knife twisting inside me.

“Argh! Alan, please!” I begged him to stop it, but the more I screamed, the more ruthless he became. Once he took out the knife, he went back to his box and took out an eerily familiar lamp.

“Do you remember this lamp, Iris?” he brought the lamp closer. “This is the lamp you used to hit my head before you ran out,” he said, and I still see the dried blood on it. “And, I think you should feel how it is to get hit by a lamp. Don't you think?” he asked me, and by this point, I was pledging at him with my eyes to let me go, but he leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead before the lamp came crashing down on my forehead. It was the last thing I remember before I fell unconscious again for the second time.

Jace Emerson

I thought about what Elana said and realized that can be a possibility too because when Walter went to the bakery to catch Alan, he didn't come that day, and that confirmed one of the theories, but I know that we are running out of time. It's been two days since Iris was kidnapped, and all my best trackers and pack Warriors still couldn't find where she is.

“Alpha, can I come in?” I looked up, to see one of my pack warriors standing there, and I gestured for him to come in. He stood in front of my now destroyed desk and bowed his head before he gave me a ziplock bag that had Iris’s phone inside.

“Where did you find this?” I asked him, while I removed the phone from the bag and examined it, the screen was scattered due to a high impact, but other than that, it was all in one piece.

“We found this twenty kilometers away from the pack borders, Alpha,” that is the no man’s territory, so that means they are close by.

“Go and tell the technical team to find anything, building, or human civilization that is located within the twenty-kilometer radius and bring me all the findings immediately,” I ordered, and he bowed his head before he left the room, as soon as he left, I noticed that Camila was standing near the doorway with a cup in her hand.

“Son, you will find her. She is a strong woman, nothing will happen to her.” Camila consoled me before she handed me the cup, and I looked at the greenish liquid in disgust before I drank everything in one go. The witch portion that Jennifer gave me not only made me do all those unforgiving things, but it also blocked my bond with Iris, and that was the reason I was not able to communicate with her, not feel her emotions for a very long time, and all this while, I thought that maybe she finally figured out how to completely block me out.

“Do you feel anything different?” Camila asked me, and I nodded at her before giving her the cup back. I felt the familiar buzz of our bond but other than that, it was void.

“I am not able to feel her feeling yet,” I said.

“She must be unconscious, Alpha. But once she wakes up, you will be able to feel everything that she is going through.” Camila said, which made me cringe because I will also be able to experience the pain that she is going through, and my heart aches, knowing that I failed to protect my mate once again.

“I hope she is still alive, Camila,” I said, and she nodded her head before she left my room, I went over and sat on the new chair that I got, and as I was going through the territory map, I felt a sharp pain on my stomach that punched the wind out of my system. And I felt my neck burning, it was like someone has placed a matchstick on my neck but what hurt the most in my head, was like someone had cut it open. And I couldn't tolerate it anymore, and I screamed in agony and fell to the floor.

“Jace! What happened?” I heard my mom’s voice next to me on the floor, and I saw that Walter and Mike were also in the room, looking worried. I have never cried for anyone in my life, the last time I cried was when my grandma was murdered, and the pain was not something I cannot handle but knowing that my mate is the person who is going through all this torture, tears started flowing down my cheeks.

“Jace, try to block Iris’s emotions for some time. You would not be able to think with a straight mind if you continue to experience her pain.” my mom advised, but I growled at her and closed my eyes, I am only experiencing ten percent of what she is going through, and I am not going to let her go through this alone.

I kept my eyes closed, I was able to endure this pain silently for my mate, and when I opened my eyes, I saw that my dad was also in the room right now, looking worried. And after something, as abrupt as the pain came, it vanished, and I realized that Iris must have passed out due to the pain. “The technical team found a few locations using the satellite image.” and that was enough for me to get up from my place and move towards the IT department.