We drive to the edge of the property, not wanting to waste our energy on running before we even leave pack grounds. Our first stop on our rescue mission is Alpha Leon's pack, which borders both Killian and Lucas' land. Although Alpha Leon had recently decided to ally with Alpha Lucas in the upcoming war, I've always known Leon to be a fair and reasonable leader in the few times that I dealt with him, and he's been kind enough to let us search his property for Jacob.

As we pass through the thick lining of trees, now barren in the dead of winter, I idly wonder if Alpha Leon knows the true extent of what Alpha Lucas has done. Surely he's smart enough to not align himself with someone so cruel and depraved.

I had never personally met Alpha Lucas, although I've heard enough stories about him from other Warriors. He seems charming enough, sure, but can he really fool so many people about his true nature?

My heart breaks when I think about Killian losing his parents in such a horrific way, having to take on so much responsibility so young. I sigh deeply, causing the window my head is leaning against to fog up, feeling the full weight of everything that's happening deep on my conscience.

"Missing the alpha already, huh?" Daniel leers, looking at me through the rear view mirror.

"Just worried about Jacob," I respond softly.

It's not entirely a lie, but I'm not exactly comfortable with discussing Killian's business with everyone, whether they already know it or not.

"I didn't know you were capable of such emotion."

"Yeah, you better not be going soft on me, Warrior."

I scoff at Lexie's comment and smirk at Marcus.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head. Just because I'm more badass than you could ever hope to be, doesn't mean I'm completely incapable of emotions. You won't regret bringing me with you, promise."

When we finally reach the border between Killian and Leon's packs, we hop out of the car and grab our gear. Since we'll mostly be moving in wolf form, each of us carries a small backpack with our weapons and a change of clothes. Marcus tried convincing us we wouldn't need the weapons, but I wasn't having it.

A few wolfsbane grenades and a handful of silver bullets made me much more comfortable about the mission ahead.

Gabriel walks back towards our group from where he was standing a few feet away and puts his phone back into his bag.

"Alpha Leon has told his guards we're here. We're good to go."

Within seconds, we all shift and hit the ground running, trying to sniff out Jacob's scent. It's difficult with the fresh layer of snow on the ground, but my wolf's superior sense of smell makes it a little easier.

I take the lead, making sure to stay attuned to the rest of the pack's scents, but needing to spread out to cover more ground. With me having the most experience, it made more sense for me to run deeper into the pack while everyone else fanned out along the outskirts.

I'm not exactly sure how long I've been running, but I start to lose hope. I haven't run into anyone else in the group, it's hard to keep in touch with them without a mindlink, but I'm sure they would have found a way to call me if they found anything.

What feels like hours later, I come across the edge of Alpha Lucas' property and recognize a faint but familiar smell. I know instantly that it's not Jacob, but I can't place where I know it from.

I press my muzzle further into the snow, trying to ignore the way the cold, wet flakes tickle my nose. A low whine forms in the back of my throat, the hairs on my back sticking on end. My wolf is trying to tell me something is wrong- a feeling of dread washes over us both.

I hear the footsteps approaching, but I'm not quick enough. The person behind me places a cloth over my muzzle; I try to bite the hand, but they clamp down too tightly.

I'm able to kick them with my back leg, strong enough to bring them to their knees, but it's too late.

My vision blurs. I try my best to stay focused, to keep my eyes open. My captor hits me over the head with a blunt object, forcing me to the ground with a loud yelp.

As I sink further down into the snow, the darkness quickly closing in on me, I look up into a familiar pair of eyes.