Chapter 102
Nathan’s POV-
Marcus swallowed hard, his face turning ashen. “Nathan… this is Alpha Titus.”
The name shocked me. Even Liam’s grip loosened. Titus was a legend–the Alpha who had nearly ended the Rogue King years ago. We all thought he was dead.
The witch let out a tired, jagged laugh. “Clearly not.”
“He stabbed Silas with a cursed blade,” she whispered. “And now their lives are tied. As long as the Rogue King
bleeds… so will he.”
“We thought he died a decade ago,” Marcus muttered, looking horrified.
“He should have.” The witch’s voice broke. “But I begged for him. The Rogue King only let him live because he
knew the wound would be a slow, agonizing death.”
My rage returned, sharper than before. “You planned this. You manipulated Emily from the second you arrived. You whispered in her ear. You killed that rogue we caught before he could talk.”
Her silence was my answer.
“You handed my mate to a monster!” I screamed.
“I HAD NO CHOICE!” The cottage walls groaned with the force of her voice. She was sobbing now. “I was trying to
save him!”
My breathing was ragged. I could feel Asher howling in agony. “So, can you find her?”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
‘Liar.”
“I told the truth that time. There’s another witch in the rogue lands,” she snapped. “Someone powerful enough to
block my sight completely.”
I stepped into her space, my shadow looming over her. “Then how did you talk to the Rogue King? How did you beg him?”
She hesitated, her eyes darting to Titus. Liam’s claws pricked the man’s throat again.
“Alright!” she gasped. “There was a hidden entry point.”
“What kind of entry point?”
She looked away, her voice barely a whisper. “A portal.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
1:22 pm PPTM.
witches can’t track them.”
“But you could?
She swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the dying Alpha. “If I know what to look for… I can feel where the hole was ripped open.”
A sudden, sharp hope flared in my gut.
“Blake,” I called him through the mind link. “Get me every map of all territories. Now.”
I turned back to the witch, my eyes boring into hers. She didn’t answer right away. She just stared at me with a look that made my skin crawl. It was pity.
“Do you really want to find her, Alpha?”
The question made my blood boil. “What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I do.”
Something painful crossed her face. “Then prepare yourself.”
My–stomach tightened. “She may not be the same Emily you lost,” she said quietly.
Rage flickered through me. “I know about the trials,” I growled. “She’s strong. She’ll survive them.”
The witch slowly shook her head, her eyes dark. “I’m not talking about the trials.”
A cold chill crawled up my spine. “What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“Before Emily was taken…” Her voice cracked slightly. “I gave Tessa a potion.”
My heartbeat stopped. “What potion?”
Silence. Then-
“A love–binding potion.”
The ground felt unsteady beneath my boots. Marcus cursed behind me, the sound sharp andjagged. Liam’s claws slid out with a metallic click. I stared at her, the air in my lungs turning to lead.
“What for?” I needed to hear the answer.
“She needed to willingly accept him,” the witch said. “She must voluntarily allow herself to be marked. Otherwise, ner power will not flow to him. The potion was meant to weaken her resistance. Her mind. Her instincts.”
Every word felt like a slow twist of a knife in my chest.
“No…” I rasped.
Asher went feral inside me. I grabbed the edge of the table so hard the wood cracked beneath my hand.
“You drugged my mate,” I said hoarsely.
1:22 pm PPTM
Tears spilled down the witch’s cheeks. “I was trying to save him!”
– Rage exploded through me so violently I couldn’t breathe. All I could picture was Emily trapped in that place. Alone. Confused. I saw it all in my head. Another man’s hands on her. Him leaning close, marking her neck while
she moaned his name?
Asher let out a jagged howl of agony in the back of my mind. I’ll rip that bitch apart, he snarled.
That was the last thing I heard before I nearly lost control of my body. I lunged. Before she could even blink, I slammed her against the wall. The wood creaked behind her. Immediately, Liam and Marcus grabbed my arms, trying to pull me back.
“Nathan, stop! She’s the only one who can find Emily!” Liam shouted. His voice finally brought me back.
I didn’t want to let go. The witch’s face was turning dark red as she fought for air. With one last growl, I shoved
her away.
“How did you even end up with a wolf?” I spat. “You’re a witch.”
“Since when is that a crime?” she rasped, clutching her throat. “Love doesn’t care what you are, Alpha.”
Blake walked in and dumped a pile of maps on the table. We spread them out, and the witch pulled a silver chain from her shirt. A small crystal hung from it, glowing. She held the stone over the first map and whispered. The crystal swung back and forth, hitting nothing. We tried three more maps before the stone suddenly jerked.
It was like a magnet pulling it down to a specific spot.
“There,” she said, her finger shaking as she pointed. “It’s a two–day drive through those mountain passes. The
roads are a mess.”
“Not if we run,” I said, my voice hard. “In wolf form, we can cut through the ridges and be there in half the time.”
“Then you better move,” the witch said. “And pray that portal is still there. They can shut it down whenever they
want.”
I stepped closer. “No,” I said quietly.
The witch frowned slightly. “What?”
I looked her dead in the eyes. “You’re coming with us.”
Fear flickered across her face instantly. “Nathan
“You helped deliver my mate to monsters,” I growled. “So now you’re going to help me get her back.”
Liam’s dark laugh echoed behind me.
“And if that portal closes before we get there…” I stepped closer, my voice dropping. “You better pray you know where to find another one.”