Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers

River:

The other person slowed down their car, turning their headlights low enough for me to get a proper look at the car.

"Oscar," Kieran said quietly beside me.

I had already stopped the car as I too recognized my younger brother's car.

While Kieran and I had headed to check with Evaline's friends, Oscar had went to look for her at the academy.

It might sound stupid to think she might have gone there, but we still couldn't leave any place related to her unsearched.

Besides, the current situation hinted that she might not have gone anywhere on her own accord. Something happened at Charles' house, and from there, someone took all three of them away.

We hadn't even confirmed if that person was aiming at Charles, his grandmother, or our Evaline. And that's exactly why I had our team look into Charles and his grandmother.

I didn't wait.

I was already out of the car before the engine had fully died., followed by Kieran.

Oscar stepped out too.

And the moment I saw his face, everything inside me stilled. His eyes were red and glossy. I could see he's barely holding on.

I had barely taken two steps toward him when he broke.

Completely.

"I-" His voice cracked, and then the rest of his words dissolved into a broken sob.

I caught him just in time. I wrapped my arms around him as his body shook violently.

"I can't-" he choked out. "I can't do this anymore, River…"

His hands clutched onto my shirt like he was holding onto the last thing keeping him grounded.

"I tried - I went everywhere - I checked everything - she's not there - she's not anywhere-"

His voice broke completely as tears spilled over.

"I'm scared," he whispered, the words barely audible. "I'm so f-king scared…"

My chest tightened painfully, but I held him tighter.

"It's okay," I murmured, my voice steady even though everything inside me was anything but. "I have got you."

"I'm not strong enough for this," he continued, shaking his head as he buried his face against my shoulder. "I can't-what if something happened to her? What if she's hurt? What if-"

"Hey."

I pulled him back slightly, forcing him to look at me. His face was wrecked, filled with fear, panic, and helplessness. All of it laid bare.

"Nothing's happened to her," I said firmly.

The words came out stronger than I felt. But I needed him to believe them. Needed both of them to believe them.

Because if they didn't, if they broke completely... we were done.

"She's fine," I continued, holding his gaze. "You know why?"

His breathing was uneven as his eyes searched mine desperately, waiting for me to continue.

"Our bonds," I said.

That made him pause, just slightly.

"It's still there," I added. "Though silent, but it's there."

I could feel it - faint, distant, but present. Like a thread stretched too far... but not broken.

Even if something was keeping our bonds from reaching out to each other, no power in this world was strong enough to completely remove this connection.

"If she was in any immediate danger…" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "We would know."

A silence fell between us.

Oscar's breathing slowed just a little. Just enough.

I pulled him back into a hug. And then, without wasting more time, I reached for Kieran too and pulled him in for a hug.

Because I could feel it - the way he stood there. He was too still, too quiet, holding everything in.

Just like I was.

And the moment my arm wrapped around him, Kieran let out a deep, shaky exhale. Like he had been holding that breath for far too long.

For a few seconds, we just stood there - the three of us - in the middle of an empty road. We held onto each other like it was the only thing keeping us from falling apart.

Because maybe it was.

My eyes closed briefly, just for a moment. Because if I let myself think - about all the things that could have happened to her - I wouldn't be able to stand here like this.

I would break.

And I couldn't afford that. Not now. Not when they needed me.

So I swallowed it. All of it - the fear, the anger, the helplessness clawing at my insides.

I buried it deep and locked all of it away.

And forced myself to breathe.

"She's okay," I said again, quieter this time... but no less certain. "And we are going to find her. No matter what it takes."

I meant it.

Even if I had to burn the world down piece by piece. Even if I had to let the beast inside me loose... I would find her.

I would bring her safely back to us.

Slowly, I pulled back.

Oscar wiped his face roughly, trying to regain some control.

Kieran straightened beside me, his usual composure slipping back into place... but I could still see the cracks.

Still feel them.

"What now?" he asked quietly.

That was the question, the one we had been avoiding. Because until now, we had always had somewhere to go. Something to try.

But now, we had nothing. No leads. No direction. Just a disappearing trail and a growing sense that this wasn't random.

That this was planned. Deliberate. Calculated.

Which meant, we needed something more. Something beyond normal search. Something… deeper.

I exhaled slowly, and then looked at them.

"We go to Elder Morwen," I said.

Kieran's brows furrowed slightly.

"The witch elder?" Oscar asked, his voice still hoarse.

I nodded.

"If anyone can help us find her-" I paused. "Or connect to her… it's her." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Silence followed. And then a shared understanding passed between us. Because we were out of options, and I wasn't about to sit back and wait.

Not when Evaline was out there. Somewhere. Alone. And needing us.

"Let's move," I said, already turning back toward the car.

Because every second mattered now.

And I wasn't wasting another one.