CHAPTER 30: _ SHE IS IN DANGER

The brothers reach the door of the private study. Grayson pushes it open and strides in confidently. Morgan follows, spouting nonsense.

"So where’s Amias? We need to share our brilliant anti-bond strategy with him."

Darien dumps his bag onto one of the deep leather armchairs. "He’s not coming."

Morgan shrugs. "Yeah, with the way you two were about to throw hands this morning, I figured."

"I’d appreciate it if he didn’t show up," Darien grumbles.

Grayson grins, slouching into the couch opposite. "Why? You afraid he’ll steal your precious omega?"

Darien throws him a look. "I’m afraid I’ll actually punch him this time."

Morgan chuckles, raising his hands in the air as a dreamy look sprouts in his eyes. "Wouldn’t mind watching that, honestly. Amias always thinks he’s so above us. Maybe you’ll knock some humility into his brooding ass."

Grayson chuckles. "Or knock him into the wall. Either way, win-win."

Argh, these two...

... they are probably the worst of the four of them. They are spoiled, lazy, adulterous, and a hell of hypocrites. The inseparable twins who relish pitching everyone else against one another as if they are scared they might never be able to handle Amias and Darien should they be united.

Darien knows that if it were Amias here, they would definitely tell him the same thing they are saying to him now. That’s how they are – two-faced bastards.

Just like their mother. But what does one expect from sons of a rogue woman? Pfft.

Darien sighs and leans forward, elbows on knees, hands rubbing down his face. "Don’t you two have some juniors to mess with or something?"

Grayson lifts a brow. "Are you trying to get rid of us?"

"I’m hurt," Morgan mocks, placing a hand to his chest. "You don’t want to hang out with your favorite brothers?"

Darien doesn’t respond. But he’s definitely trying to get them out. Heidi is supposed to meet him here—any minute now, and the last thing he needs is the Hyena Twins running commentary over it.

Morgan grins. "Our study, too, remember?"

"Yeah," Grayson says, stretching his legs out with a satisfied sigh, "unless you’ve suddenly bought us out of our ownership."

Darien’s about to snap when his phone rings. A weird stillness washes over him. The number lighting up the screen isn’t just any number. It’s his number, the secondary line that only one person has.

Heidi.

His entire body snaps into attention. Fingers frozen. Breath held. The moment he answers, static fills his ear. Then, he hears howls. Scuffles. Snarls. A muffled thud. A gasp. Then silence.

Darien’s heart slams into his ribs like a trapped animal. The air feels colder suddenly.

"Heidi?" he barks into the phone. "Heidi, answer me."

No one answers. The crash of something heavy hitting the ground is the last thing he hears before the line goes dead.

Oh, shit.

Kairos goes deadly still in his mind. "Something’s wrong."

Darien doesn’t waste a second. "She’s in trouble."

Grayson and Morgan shoot to their feet. "What?"

He’s on his feet in an instant, chair crashing behind him. The nylon bag falls to the floor. His heart is in his throat.

"Darien?" Grayson asks, sitting up.

"What’s wrong?" Morgan frowns.

"I have to go," Darien snaps, already moving toward the door.

Morgan frowns. "Wait—what do you mean? Who was that?"

Darien doesn’t answer and bolts instead, His heart is whipping, breath ragged, and his vision is narrowing. He promised to protect her and that’s exactly what he’ll do. And nothing—not the Moon Goddess, not their stupid plan, not even himself, is going to stop him from finding her.

He’s not sure where she is, not exactly. But he knows this school. Knows its corners and alleys. Knows where an omega could be dragged to without anyone noticing.

His legs move before he can even think. The halls blur, full of students who don’t even bother hiding their stares. Some girls gasp, trying to move aside fast enough, others squeal like pigeons, whispering to their friends, no doubt imagining this has something to do with some hot Alpha business.

"What’s with him?" one whispers.

"Maybe he’s chasing someone!" another giggles.

But he doesn’t care about the whispers, the gazes, or the hundreds of mobile phones that catch his movement. He’s running through them like they don’t exist.

Heidi. He needs to find Heidi.

His chest aches, and not just because. His head spins, full of panic and fury, the kind that makes his claws twitch and his gums ache to shift. He’s not even trying to mask his aura that pulses with feral energy as he runs. Students press themselves against the wall, shrinking away from him. His wolf is barely held in check.

"Please be okay. Please be okay. Please, Heidi."

Darien doesn’t know how to describe the way her scent calls to him... It’s like smoke and honey, but now, it’s laced with salt and blood. He picks it up near the South Wing, just beyond the boundary of the school building and the bordering woods. A place few students go willingly.

And perfect for a crime. It’s always been the place where older students took fights to avoid detention, or where the more sadistic ones dealt out punishment to the weak without the staff noticing.

He hates that he knows this.

Darien’s pulse spikes. He doesn’t slow down until he hits the last hallway and turns sharply toward the emergency exit. The metal door creaks open when he kicks it, and the second he steps out, he hears the voices.

"... outside the walls, yeah. No one will trace her. She’s just an omega. They’ll assume she ran away like the rest."

"I say we finish her fast. I’m not wasting my claws on trash."

"Gotta admit, though. She put up more fight than I thought. It was kinda cute."

He crashes through the last thicket, rage exploding like a grenade inside his chest. He’s so furious that he doesn’t even mask his scent.

A breeze rustles the trees nearby, carrying their scent to him. There are four. Level twos and threes, from the strength of it. One smells familiar. From his class.

He growls, so loudly that a crow above startles from its perch and takes flight. The voices go silent.

Then one panics. "You smell that?"

"Shit..."

Darien’s already in front of them before the second finishes his sentence. They freeze.

Oh, these bastards are going to regret the day they were born as werewolves. Darien’s fists clench so tightly, his face turns red.