A growl lodged in his throat, hepushed forward. They reached the mountains a few minutes later andlocated Mytan’s lair. The moment he stopped at the entrance to thecave, he smelled his wolves and Trinity. He raced inside, eventhough he felt in his heart that Trinity wasn’t there.
It was pitch black, and Wrath cursednot being able to see because there was no natural light. Somethingscraped and clacked, and a flicker of light flared behind him. Heturned and saw Magnus had lit a small torch. Their healer steppedup next to Wrath and held it high, illuminating the cave. Mytan,Creek, and Jet were on the floor. Magnus handed the torch to Wrathand touched each one.
“They’re alive butunconscious. I smell smoke.”
Wrath sniffed, unsure of what thesmoke meant.
“I think it’s afhog bomb,” Daresaid.
“Fog bomb?” Wrath asked,looking at him.
“F-H-O-G. It stands for theingredients in a weapon that creates a toxic cloud of smoke. When aperson breathes it in, it paralyzes them first to slow them down,and then it knocks them unconscious. My father worked on weaponsfor his pack, and that was something he created to aid inbattle.”
“How long will it last?”Wrath asked.
“A few hours, though Idon’t know how long it’s been since they were dosed. There isn’tanything to counteract the drug, it just has to wear off. We shouldget them outside into fresh air, though.”
“You know that Veltris tookTrinity,” Trick said as he bent and slung Creek over hisshoulder.
“You don’t know that,” Daresaid. “I don’t smell anyone but our people.”
“Who the hell else wouldtake her?” Trick said.
Wrath helped carry the enormous Mytanout into the fresh air. He knelt next to the big beast and strokedhis soft, furry face. “I have my share of enemies,” Wrath saidsoftly. “But no one has ever come on the offensive to us likethis.” Silently, he cursed himself for setting a precedent ofstealing true mates. If he’d never abducted true mates, perhapswhoever took Trinity wouldn’t have had the urge to do so. He sawthe horrible truth of what he’d done to others. His heart wasbreaking, and his mind was a shambles; his wolf pacing and furiousthat she’d been taken when he’d sworn to protect her.
“I believe it was Veltris,but I can’t be certain. If we go after their people and it wasn’tthem, we’ll waste valuable time. We need to wake upMytan.”
“Why him? He can’t talk,”River asked as he knelt next to Creek.
“But he’s connected to her.I’m certain he can find her.” He leaned down and pressed hisforehead to Mytan’s. Centering himself and calming his wolf’s fury,he reached out for the connection to Trinity. He couldn’t reallyfeel her, which told him she was still unconscious. He wouldn’tentertain the idea of her death. He knew he would feel if she’ddied; their connection would sever, and it would be a physical painunlike anything he’d ever felt before. But she wasn’t awake, thatmuch he was sure of. Focusing all his love on his mate, he said toMytan, “I need you, pup. I don’t know how she made you, but shedid, and I know you can find her. Wake up, damn it. Wakeup!”
* * *
Trinity woke up slowly, her headpounding and her vision blurry. She pressed a hand to her templeand let out a sob at the sharp pain. Blinking rapidly, she tried todispel the blurriness. As her vision returned slowly, she tried tolift her head, but the increased pressure made her stay put. Sheran her hands around her to see what she could feel, realizing shewas laying on a wooden floor, which told her she wasn’t in Mytan’slair anymore.
Careful to move slowly, she pushedthrough the pain in her head and slowly sat up. Her vision swam andher ears rang, and a terrible metallic taste in her mouth made herwant to retch. But she finally made it to a seated position,leaning her back against a rough wood wall. Panting for breath, sheblinked the tears from her eyes that the strain of sitting up hadgiven her and looked around.
She appeared to be in a cell, withwood floors, walls, and ceilings. One wall was made of iron barswith a door in the center, facing another cell which was empty. Theaisle between the cells led to a wooden door that had a rectangularopening covered with bars.
A chain rattled, and she looked downand realized there was a shackle around her ankle. She touched it,feeling the cool metal and the heaviness of the chain that wasattached to an eye bolt in the floor.
She closed her eyes and reached outfor Wrath. Would he know where she was? Would he feel her distress?She had no idea where she was or who had taken her, but she figuredthe people who’d drugged them were Blood Wolf enemies, possiblypeople Wrath had wronged at one time or another. Her eyes began toache, her headache worsening, so she tilted her head back againstthe wall and closed her eyes.
Something creaked loudly, and sheopened her eyes suddenly, realizing she’d passed outagain.
Three males stepped in through theopen door and stood along the wall of bars. They lookedpissed.
And familiar.
“Do you know who I am?” themale in the middle asked, folding his arms.
She opened her mouth to speak, but herthroat was so dry that nothing but a wheeze came out. Wincing atthe pain, she wanted to ask for water, but judging from his angryscowl, she had a feeling he wouldn’t be getting heranything.
Swallowing and wincing at the pain,she rasped, “You look familiar.”
He snorted. “You don’t, human. What’syour name?”
“Trinity.”
His gaze narrowed. He was looking ather arm. She cast her eyes down, her mating tattoo visible becauseshe was wearing a sleeveless shirt.
“You’re Wrath’s true mate.That makes you valuable. It also makes you a fool,” hesaid.
Her headache was a little better
