Chapter 85
ADRIAN’S P.O.V.
The air was suffocating, heavy with unspoken fears, and Teresa’s quiet sobs cut through the oppressive stillness like a blade. Each sound from her was a visceral reminder of the chaos unraveling around us. My chest tightened, a sensation both alien and unwelcome. I wasn’t accustomed to emotions like this—raw, unfiltered, and painfully human. But seeing Teresa in this state, her tears falling unchecked as she clutched at the void where her child should have been, shattered something inside me I didn’t know existed.
I clenched my fists at my sides, my jaw tightening as the truth I’d been avoiding finally crashed down on me. Harry had been right all along. My obsession with Teresa had consumed me, clouding my judgment until I couldn’t see past my own desires. I had made reckless choices, dragged her into my age long trauma, and now her child was missing. This was on me. If I had been patient—If I had shown her who I really was the right way, instead of her discovering it in the most disastrous way imaginable, she and our babies might still have been living with me. None of this chaos would have unfolded.
I shook off the suffocating weight of regret and activated the mind-link to Harry.
“Get Elizabeth. Now. Tell her to meet me in Redfield. I need her tracking skills p>
Harry’s response was instant, his tone sharp and focused. “On it, Adrian. Anything else p>
“No. Just hurry p>
I severed the link, steeling myself as I turned back to Teresa. She was crumpled in on herself, arms wrapped tightly around her torso as if trying to hold together the pieces of her breaking heart. Beside her, the annoying wolf man held Ollie and stood stiffly, his face a storm of emotions: guilt, anger, frustration. His knuckles were white against the blanket wrapped around the child, as though the fabric was the only thing tethering him to control.
I stepped closer to Teresa, forcing calm into my voice despite the urgency clawing at me. “Tell me everything,” I said, my words firm but low. “Every detail. I need to know where to start tracking p>
Before Teresa could respond, the naked man growled, a low and menacing sound that reverberated through the tense air. “Can’t you see she’s still in shock? I can answer your damn questions. Stop pushing her p>
I turned to him, my gaze sharp and unyielding, my voice icy. “You weren’t there when it happened. Your answers are second-hand at best. Step aside, wolf p>
His growl deepened, his body tensing as if ready to lunge, but Teresa’s voice cut through our stand-off, raw and commanding.
“Seriously!” she cried, her voice cracking but resolute. “Both of you, stop it! My baby is missing, and you’re wasting time fighting p>
The man deflated, his shoulders slumping as his head bowed slightly. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, his tone subdued as he turned back to Teresa. “Are you okay to tell us what happened? You don’t have to if it’s too much p>
Teresa hesitated, her hands trembling as she wiped at her tear-streaked face. For a moment, I thought she might crumble under the weight of it all, but then she straightened, drawing a shaky but determined breath.
Her voice wavered as she began, but there was a steel beneath the trembling—an unyielding resolve to find her child. Her words spilled forth, vivid and harrowing, painting a picture of the nightmare that had descended upon her.
Teresa’s voice trembled as she began recounting. “Mai started crying around two in the morning,” she said, her tone hollow and eyes unfocused. “She was running a high fever. Juliette and I did everything we could to bring it down. Juliette was about to call the doctor when Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard before continuing. “When we heard noises outside the door p>
The wolf placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, his touch gentle but firm, anchoring her in the moment.
“Juliette went to check,” Teresa continued, tears welling up in her eyes again. “But she never came back. Then Her voice faltered, a haunted look crossing her face. “A huge wolf was thrown into my room—it broke the wall and the door. I thought I was hallucinating, especially when the wolf got up. It wasn’t like any wolf I’d ever seen—it was massive, bigger than any creature should be. It stood in front of me and the doorway, and then… he came p>
Her hands trembled as she clutched the man’s arm tighter. “A man walked in with others behind him. He was dressed in a ridiculous silver robe. He barked orders at the others to take me and the babies. I was so scared I couldn’t even move. But the wolf… it stood in front of me, shielding me from the man as if it was protecting me p>
Her voice cracked, and she leaned against the man, seeking support. “Then more wolves came out of nowhere. Huge ones, like the first. They attacked the people with him and killed them all. But the man—he didn’t fight. He just… stood there. And when he realized he was outnumbered, he didn’t say a word. He just snapped his fingers, and suddenly Mai disappeared from my arms. When I looked up at him, she was in his arms. Just like that. I tried to stop him, but he vanished. Disappeared with her as if it was some sick magic trick p>
Her sobs became uncontrollable as she pressed her face into the man’s chest. “And Juliette… she never came back. I don’t know if they took her too or… or killed her.” Her cries turned into anguished wails, every word drenched in pain and fear.
The man wrapped his arms around her, his voice a low rumble meant to soothe. “Juliette’s okay, Teresa. She’s out there right now, looking for Mai. We’ll find our baby soon. I promise p>
I stood silently, letting the weight of her words sink in. Her mention of wolves piqued my curiosity, but there was no time to dwell on it. My focus shifted to the man who had taken Mai.
“Did he say anything?” I asked, my tone calm though a storm raged inside me.
She shook her head, her tears glistening in the moonlight. “No. But… the wolves. They… they seemed very intelligent, more than the average wolf p>
The wolf at her side, tensed. His jaw tightened as he turned to me. “The man she’s talking about is Thaddeus,” he said, his voice grim. “He’s a high witch priest p>
Teresa gasped. “A witch?” she whispered, more to herself than to us. Her voice carried the weight of disbelief, but she said no more.
I nodded slowly, committing the name to memory. Thaddeus. He had made a grave mistake crossing paths with me. He would pay dearly for it.
Turning to Teresa, I fixed her with a steady gaze. “I’ll find Mai,” I promised, my voice firm and unyielding. “No matter what it takes p>
Just then, Harry’s voice broke through my mind-link. “Elizabeth’s here. She says there’s news about the baby, but it’s not good p>
I turned back to Teresa, softening my tone. “I have a lead. I’ll let you know what I find p>
The wolf’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Where did this lead come from? And why should I trust it or you p>
I met his glare with a cold smile. “You don’t have to trust either. Just worry about why your wolves failed to protect her in the first place p>
His growl came instantly, low and dangerous, but Teresa’s sharp intake of breath cut through the tension.
“What do you mean, wolves?” she asked, her eyes darting to the wolf. “Lucian, what is he talking about? Were those… were those wolves yours?” So he had a name?
Lucian froze, his mouth opening and closing as he scrambled for an explanation.
I couldn’t suppress the laugh that escaped me. “Oh, this is going to be good. Careful, Alpha. One wrong word, and she might run away from you again p>
Lucian shot me a murderous glare, but I smirked, turning on my heel. The night enveloped me as I disappeared, leaving him to face the consequences of his secrets.