17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Finn
I watched the tablet screen, heart pounding as the tracker beeped. Amelia was headed toward Zampalan Park. But I noticed something odd.
“Dammit, she has left Zampalan park” I muttered, gripping the steering wheel. I pulled the car out of the parking lot and tapped my phone to dial Aidan.
It rang once, then twice.
“Aidan, it’s Finn,” I said as soon as he picked up. “She’s on the move.”
“What do you mean she’s on the move?” Aidan’s voice crackled through the line.
“The tracker indicates that Amelia just left Zampalan Park. We need to act now. I’m following the tracker.”
“Stay on her. I’ll get my people in place. Share your location. My underlings will follow you from there,” Aidan said, his voice tight.
I hit the GPS location and shared it, my pulse racing with every passing minute. I couldn’t lose Amelia. I wouldn’t let her slip through our fingers.
The seconds stretched as the road blurred past me. I drove with purpose, keeping the tracker’s signal in sight, making sure nothing stood in my way.
“Don’t worry Amelia, I won’t let anything happen to you,” I muttered.
Then, thirty minutes later, I saw a van parked in front of a dilapidated building. The tracker beeped again, louder this time.
This must be where they are, I thought.
I parked the car a distance away, making sure I couldn’t be directly seen. My wolf instincts kicked in as I stepped out of the car. The faint scent of vampires clung to the air, making my senses alert.
“I can’t risk getting too close, I need to be sure Amelia is here,” I said.
I used my wolf senses to sniff the area. Amelia's scent was unmistakable; she was inside the building.
“Amelia is here,” I said as I continued sniffing.
I sprayed myself with anti-scenting spray to mask my scent and moved to a hidden spot behind debris.
Then, I called my pack to guide them to my location.
“Finn, you’re sure Amelia’s in there?” one of the pack members asked when they arrived.
I nodded grimly.
“Yes, the tracker’s reading is clear. She’s inside. We need to move fast.”
“We can feel the vampires around. What’s the plan?” another pack member asked, his eyes scanning the area for danger.
I clenched my fists, fighting back the surge of anger.
“Vampires are the ones holding her hostage, however there will be some vampires fighting alongside us”
“I don’t understand, when do werewolves and vampires cooperate with each other?” Baris interrupted.
“It’s complicated but I promise to explain later, I need you to trust me as your Alpha.”
They exchanged wary glances but didn’t argue.
“We’re here to save Amelia and her best friend, Sienna. That’s what matters now.”
“You have our full support Alpha,” Damon said as he appeared from the shadows.
“Where the hell have you been?” I asked as I chuckled.
“Wait, am I late?” he asked.
“You are just in time.”
I saw Aidan’s car approach and moved to meet him. He parked, and his vampire underlings followed.
“So, what’s the plan?” Aidan asked.
I held up a hand to signal to my pack.
“This is Aidan,” I said, motioning to him. The pack members tensed, clearly unsure of how to react. I could feel the weight of their unease hanging in the air.
Aidan didn’t waste any time. He stepped forward, his voice calm but firm.
“For now, I need you to forget your differences,” he said, his gaze sweeping over each of them. “Two innocent women are in danger, and that’s what we need to focus on.”
I could see the hesitation in my pack’s eyes, but there was no room for doubt. We couldn’t afford to let old grudges dictate our actions now.
“Do you really think we can work with these bloodsuckers?” Gael, a member of my pack asked, his tone laced with skepticism. His muscles were tense, ready to shift into his wolf form at any moment.
Aidan’s eyes darkened slightly, but his voice remained steady.
“We don’t have a choice. Right now, we’re all that stands between those women and whatever Orson has planned for them. We fight together, or we fail them.”
Gael didn’t reply immediately, but I could tell the words had hit home. My pack wasn’t known for backing down, and right now, there was no room for doubt.
“I’ll handle it,” I said, stepping in before the tension could escalate further. “Aidan and his team are with us now. The faster we get this done, the better. We save Amelia and Sienna, and we’ll talk later about all of this.”
The pack exchanged reluctant glances but nodded, accepting my decision, if not fully comfortable with it.
Aidan’s underlings, clearly well-trained, stood silent but alert, their eyes scanning the area. They might have been vampires, but they were here for the same reason as us.
“We’ll follow your lead, Finn,” Gael said, his voice steady now, though I could still hear the underlying tension.
“Good,” I said, turning toward Aidan. “We’ll need a full strategy.”
Aidan gave me a sharp nod.
“My people know how to move without being detected. We’ll have an advantage if we time it right.”
“Damon,” I said, turning to him, “take some pack members and flank the building. I need you to clear out any vampires hiding around the perimeter. We don’t know how many we’re dealing with, so don’t take chances.”
Damon gave me a tight nod before disappearing into the shadows with them.
“Aidan, we’ll need you and your people to handle the vampires inside. I want you to move in as silently as possible, no fights unless we absolutely must.”
Aidan’s lips curved into a brief smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“That’s a solid plan, let’s just prioritize getting Amelia and Sienna out of the building.”
I turned back to the pack.
“You’re with me. Stay close, stay quiet, and don’t do anything unless I give the order. We’re not just going in to fight. We’re going in to get them out alive.”
The tension was palpable, but the resolve in my pack’s eyes told me they were ready.
We had a plan, and now all we had to do was execute it.
"Let’s move," I said, my voice sharp.
We moved into position, the sound of our footsteps drowned by the tense silence. The next few minutes felt like hours. The weight of the mission, the lives on the line, pressed down on me with every step.
“Ready Alpha, we have killed all the vampires surrounding the area, but there are some at the back,” Damon said, his voice low.
“Good. Keep the perimeter clear. We move in fast once we’re inside,” I ordered.
I silently took out the two vampires at the back, slashing one’s throat and driving a blow into the other’s chest before they even had a chance to react.
Sienna is here but where is Amelia? I thought as I approached a small dimly lit room.
The vampires guarding Sienna were down, but I didn’t waste time.
I leaned close, keeping my voice steady, though my heart hammered in my chest.
“Sienna,” I said gently, shaking her shoulder. “Sienna, wake up.”
Her eyelids fluttered open, and she gasped for breath, her eyes wide with fear.
“Finn?” she whispered, confusion and relief mixing in her voice.
“Where is Amelia?” I demanded, my voice harsh with urgency.
Sienna’s eyes filled with tears, and she tried to speak but couldn’t find the words at first. “She’s... she’s in another room,” she choked out. “They’re going to…”
Before she could finish, a cold, harsh voice echoed from the hallway.
“NO ONE moves until I say so!”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
The door slammed open, and he stood there, tall and furious, eyes glinting with malice.
“You really thought you could just walk in here and leave with them?” he sneered.
This must be Orson; I thought as my blood boiled at his words.
“You’ll regret this,” I growled, stepping forward. My hands curled into fists, ready for a fight.
“You think you can stop me?” Orson laughed darkly, taking another step toward me. “You’re just a wolf. You’re nothing.”
The door creaked open, revealing Amelia unconscious on the floor. My heart surged, followed by a surge of rage. I was done waiting.
“Amelia…” I whispered.
I lunged forward, but before I could reach her, Orson blocked my path, his body moving with an inhuman grace. He swung at me with a speed that was almost too fast to follow, but I ducked just in time.
“You have a death wish, don’t you?” I snarled.
The fight was on. Orson’s speed and strength overwhelmed me as each punch landed, and his kick sent me crashing into the wall with a grunt.
“Is that all you’ve got, wolf?” Orson taunted, his voice dripping with venom.
I pushed myself up, my senses sharp. This wasn’t just about strength. It was about strategy. I couldn’t let him overpower me like this.
“You’re not alone, Finn!” Aidan’s voice cut through the noise, and suddenly, the vampires around me hesitated, giving me just enough time to regain my footing.
I turned to see Aidan, his vampire underlings flanking him, eyes glowing. Aidan’s gaze locked with mine, a silent agreement passing between us.
Aidan charged, and the two collided in a blur of fists and brutal force, fighting like animals in a cage, neither giving an inch.
“Get Amelia out of here!” Aidan screamed.
I moved toward her, my claws outstretched, ready to break the door down. But as I reached for the doorknob, Orson’s voice rang out once more.
“You think you can just walk away with her?” Orson snarled, his focus still on Aidan. “You’re too late.”
He broke free of Aidan’s grip and charged at me. I met him halfway, landing a punch to his stomach, but he quickly grabbed my throat, lifting me off the ground with an iron grip.
“YOU WILL NOT LEAVE WITH HER,” he roared, his eyes wild with fury.
Gasping for air, I twisted in Orson’s grip, sinking my teeth into his arm and driving my claws into his chest, making him stumble back in pain and fury.
“You’ll regret this, werewolf.”
Just then, Aidan appeared behind him, his eyes blazing with fury. With a swift motion, Aidan knocked Orson back, sending him crashing to the ground.
“Enough, Orson,” Aidan growled, his voice low and filled with venom.
I didn’t wait to see what happened next. I rushed into the room, my heart hammering in my chest. Amelia lay unconscious on the floor, her skin pale, her body limp.
“Amelia!” I whispered, kneeling beside her, my hands trembling as I gently shook her. “Come on, wake up.”
Her eyelids fluttered, and then, slowly, her eyes opened. She blinked at me, confusion clouding her gaze, but relief washed over her when she saw me.
“Finn?” Her voice was barely a whisper, and I couldn’t stop the wave of relief that surged through me.
“I’m here,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I’ve got you.”
With her in my arms, I stood up, moving quickly toward the door. But Orson wasn’t done yet. As I turned to leave, he lunged at me, his body colliding with mine in a violent twist.
“You’re not leaving with her,” he snarled, his eyes wild.
Before he could strike, Aidan stepped in front of me, blocking his path.
“You’re finished, Orson,” Aidan said, his voice calm but deadly. “This ends now.”
Orson’s face twisted with fury as he lunged at Aidan, the two vampires colliding in a brutal, chaotic fight. But I didn’t have time to watch. I had to get Amelia out of here.
“I won’t let you kill her like you killed Alma!” Aidan snapped.
“I didn’t kill Alma, your sister did!” Orson said with a vile smile.