The Mad Alpha's Substitute Bride-Chapter 115: I Got You

(GRIFFIN)

The thought sends a surge of primal terror through me, my hands tightening on the steering wheel until the leather creaks in protest. I force myself to breathe, to focus. Panic won’t help Maya now.

The Golden Birch Inn comes into view, its elegant façade nestled among tall pines. I park haphazardly at the entrance, already sniffing the air as I exit the vehicle. Maya’s scent is here, recent enough to follow, along with Mathew’s and several others I don’t recognize.

They lead not into the inn itself, but around the back of the property, toward a service entrance. I follow them, every sense on high alert. The trail continues to a small parking area, then abruptly ends.

They left in another vehicle.

A growl of frustration escapes me as I scan the area, looking for any clue, any hint of where they might have gone. A young man in a service uniform exits the rear door of the inn and is startled when he sees me.

"Can I help you, sir?"

I approach him, trying to appear less threatening than I feel. "I’m looking for a woman who was here earlier. Auburn hair, slender build, with a man with purple hair."

Recognition flashes in his eyes. "Oh, them. Yeah, they met with some people in the private dining room for maybe half an hour, then left."

"Together?" I press. "All of them?"

He nods. "Yeah, they all went out through here. The woman seemed a bit, I don’t know, out of it? Her friend had to help her walk. Said she wasn’t feeling well."

Ice floods my veins. "How many people were with them? What did they look like?"

"Three others. Two men and a woman." He shrugs. "Didn’t really notice much about them. They tipped well, kept to themselves."

"Which way did they go? What kind of vehicle?"

"Black SUV," he says, pointing. "Headed north on the main road."

North. Away from the palace, toward the mountains and the vast wilderness beyond. Perfect for hiding someone they don’t want found.

I thank the young man and return to my car, heart pounding with renewed urgency. I need to follow them, but I also need backup. Charging after them alone would be foolish, especially if they’re armed and expecting pursuit.

I grab my phone and call Erik.

"Griffin," he answers immediately. "Jerry told me what’s happening. Where are you?"

"The Golden Birch Inn," I reply concisely. "They were here, but they’ve moved on. North, in a black SUV. At least five people, including Maya. She’s been drugged."

Erik curses. "We’re on our way. Twenty minutes out, with a full tactical team."

"I’m not waiting," I tell him. "I’m going after them now. They have too much of a head start already." "Griffin, don’t—"

"She’s my mate." My voice breaks slightly on the word. "I can’t lose her again."

A pause, then: "Follow, but don’t engage until we arrive. That’s an order from your commander, not a request from your brother."

"Understood." It’s a lie, and we both know it. If I find an opportunity to get Maya out safely, I’ll take it, regardless of the risk to myself. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Be careful," Erik says quietly. "We’re coming as fast as we can."

I end the call and pull back onto the main road, heading north. The mountains loom ahead, their peaks disappearing into low clouds. Somewhere in that wilderness, Maya is being held against her will, possibly injured, certainly frightened.

And Mathew—no, not Mathew, that’s clearly not his real name, has her. The scientist who tortured me for years has my mate.

The realization sends renewed rage coursing through me. My vision blurs momentarily as I fight to maintain control of my wolf, which is straining against the confines of my human form, desperate to hunt, to track, to kill.

Not yet, I tell it silently. We need to find her first.

I drive for miles, scanning the roadside for any sign of the car, any hint of Maya’s presence. The road narrows as it climbs into the mountains, the forest closing in on either side. Fewer vehicles here, mainly logging trucks and the occasional tourist.

No black SUV.

I’m beginning to fear I’ve missed them when I catch a glimpse of something through the trees, a dirt road, barely visible, branching off from the main highway. Fresh tire tracks mark the turnoff, too recent to have been made before the rain we had around lunchtime.

I slow down, making the turn cautiously. The road is rough, clearly not meant for regular use. It winds deeper into the forest, climbing steadily. After a mile or so, it opens into a small clearing where a dilapidated cabin stands, its windows boarded up, its roof sagging with age.

Parked beside it, partially hidden by overgrown bushes, is a black SUV.

I kill the engine immediately, coasting to a stop well before the clearing. Getting out silently, I move through the trees, circling to approach from the rear of the cabin. Every sense strains for information, sounds, scents, movement.

Maya’s scent is strongest, tinged with fear and something chemical I don’t recognize. Mathew’s is here, too, along with three others, all unfamiliar. No voices, but footsteps inside the cabin, moving between rooms.

I creep closer, finding a position where I can see through a gap in the boarded-up windows. The interior is dim, but my enhanced vision makes out several figures in what appears to be the main room of the cabin.

One of them is Maya.

She sits on a wooden chair, her hands bound behind her, her head lolling slightly as if she’s struggling to stay conscious.

Mathew, or whatever his name really is, stands beside her, one hand resting possessively on her shoulder. "—won’t hold them off forever," one of the other men is saying, his voice tense. "We need to move her now."

"Not until I get what I need," Mathew replies, his tone entirely different from the cheerful assistant I’ve observed in the lab. This voice is cold, calculating, with an edge of mania that sends chills down my spine. "She’s the key to everything. The formulas, the calculations, they’re all in her head."

"We have the antidote," the woman argues. "Isn’t that enough?"

"The antidote is just the beginning," Mathew says, moving to crouch in front of Maya, forcing her to look at him. "She’s going to give us the formula for the enhancement serum next. Aren’t you, Maya?"

Maya’s voice, when she speaks, is slurred but defiant. "Go to hell."

Mathew laughs, the sound devoid of genuine humor. "Always so spirited. No wonder the king is in love with you. But he can’t help you now."

"He doesn’t love me," Maya mumbles, and the pain in her voice cuts through me like a blade.

"So sad," Mathew mocks, stroking her cheek in a perverse caricature of tenderness. "Poor little Maya, abandoned by her wolf king. But don’t worry, your work for us will change everything. Humans will finally have the power to fight back against your precious shifters."

I’ve heard enough. Maya is in immediate danger, and whatever they’re planning goes far beyond simply stealing the antidote. It’s time to act.

I reach for my phone to text Erik our location, but before I can, a twig snaps beneath my foot.

The sound, slight as it is, draws the attention of everyone in the cabin. Mathew’s head whips around, his expression hardening.

"Someone’s here," he hisses. "Check the perimeter."

I duck back into the trees as the cabin door swings open and two figures emerge, weapons drawn. There’s no time to wait for Erik now. If I don’t act, they’ll move Maya, and I may never find her again.

Decision made, I let my wolf surge forward, the transformation rippling through me in a wave of pain and release. My clothes tear and my bones reshape, fur sprouting across my skin as I drop to all fours.

The shift complete, I charge toward the cabin, a roar tearing from my throat. Let them see me coming. Let them know exactly what awaits them.

I am the king of the Human Wolf Kingdom, and they have taken my mate. There will be no mercy.