Serge's POV

She had been gone more than a week.

We still had no luck finding Elise.

After we had exhausted searching every inch of the territories, we had sent people to the nearest towns to search for an hint of her scent. The only possible lead filled me with dread, because it had been at a gas station along the Trans Canada Highway, and by the time her brother had gotten there to confirm the scent it had been nearly overridden by the scents of countless humans and he had not been sure.

We had not been sure, but I believed it had been her. The direction had been south east, and nothing could ever make me forget who lived in that direction and all that they had taken.

The eastern king.

I was furious, but I harnessed the feeling and used it do everything that might possibly help. We had discussions and meetings and I did what work there was while I waited.

I preferred to be angry and busy, because when I stopped everything else came crashing back to me and threatened to cripple me.

Every minute I had spent with her paraded through my mind and taunted me. Every time she managed to push past the curse to grasp some of her former happiness beckoned and then disappeared like smoke when I tried to grasp it. Every time I had seen the curse afflict her pointed the terrible suffering she must be experiencing even now.

And I tried to avoid my pain that she was gone and my fear that she was lost to me forever. We were doing everything we could, but until we figured out her location there was little more I could do.

What I wanted was to be out there with the scouts who were trying to track her down, who were actively searching. My animal side wanted that action to soothe myself with, but I was needed here. It was my place to lead.

If... No, when they located her, then I would drop everything and leave.

In the meantime, while I fulfilled my role, I help sort through all the information gathered from Mark and Fenton. Every detail of their lives we could get our hands on was laid out before me, and surely in one of these details we would find a connection to where she was.

Then I would go and rescue her.

Her presence in my life, now that she was gone, highlighted how isolated I had been before. I had friends, I had my pack, but I had been alone.

And then I had her and I loved her, and she said that she loved me. If I had known what I now knew, Mark and Fenton would be imprisoned or dead and she would be safe with me.

I could not take it anymore. I had to release some of the pent up anxiety inside me. I opened the door, stripped off my clothing and transformed. Denizen's ears perked up as I trotted out of the house. He came up to me and greeted me affectionately.

I wagged my tail a bit in response, then I started running.

Usually, when Denizen came with me, I paced myself so that he would keep up easily. I tried to hold myself back, but this day I needed to run with everything in me, as if it were possible to run fast enough to escape from the problems I could not solve.

I gradually lost my pet in the forest behind me, but I did not slow down. Perhaps it meant that I was a terrible leader, but this run was all for me. But even running solved nothing, because she was not there. I missed our runs together. I missed her. I worried for her.

My certainty that Elise's disappearance was the work of the eastern king only grew, although there was still no direct evidence pointing towards him. What was he doing to her?

I could not help myself. I stopped, and I let out my feelings in a long low howl. Surely she was not dead, but she was gone.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

My sleep was fitful and I woke early in the morning. I pushed out of bed and showered and got ready quickly. I ate cereal and let the door slam shut behind me as I strode down my steps.

I got into my truck and put it into gear. I took it out of the driveway and started on the road to my offices.

My phone rang in my pocket. I answered it with voice commands and said, "Hello, Serge here."

"Serge, it's Nick."

"What's happened?" I asked him. His voice sounded terse.

"We've got a message from the eastern king."

"What does it say?"

"Come here and see."

I almost disagreed, then decided that Nicholas would not have me drive over to his pack territories without a good reason.

I did a three point turn and headed down the gravel road in the opposite direction.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

I had assumed that Nicholas would be in his pack offices and I was not disappointed. As soon as the secretary saw me sent me back. Nicholas was sitting behind his beat up old desk.

Nicholas looked up at me when he heard me enter. The lines on his face seemed even more defined than the last time I had seen him.

He threw a piece of paper across the desk towards me and I walked forward and picked it up, feeling more like I was picking up a bomb rather than a message.

I was not far wrong.

Nicholas Mason,

I wish to extend my sympathies on your most recent loss.

If you wish to see your daughter returned in the same condition that she was taken, you will surrender your territory at once. I do not wish to see further harm befall members of our proud race.

In order to give you time to consider my generous offer, my messenger will return in a week for your response.

If you harm my messenger and choose not to cooperate, the consequences will be dire. I will no longer be measured in my approach to your lands and your daughter will be given to my son. Consider carefully.

Yours,

Larson

Instead of rational thoughts, a cold fury swept through me. How dare he threaten her? I had surmised that she had likely been taken to use as leverage, but seeing it in black and white made my heart pound and my jaw clench.

"What are we going to do?" I heard myself ask.

"I don't know," Nicholas said. He sounded defeated.

"We have to find them before then."

"We're trying."

I shook my head. "We throw everything at it. We're at the end, Nick." I shook the paper. "This is his declaration that we either surrender or he annihilates us. It's as I suspected, they have not been attacking at full strength. They've been playing with us the whole time. This is the real declaration of war, just as much as that first time they contacted us and told us to join them."

Nicholas frowned and nodded. He looked like he had aged a decade in the last couple months and I felt a shot of my old familiar guilt. I pushed it away. I had no time for it.

"We're going to figure out where she is and I am going to take a team of people we can trust to save her. We'll keep it quiet, keep surprise on our side. They don't expect it."

Nicholas nodded. "If we can locate her."

I pushed aside my self-disgust. It served me no good now. "I'm going to use the curse magic on my prisoner."

There was a long pause while Nicholas considered my words.

Nicholas did not argue with me. He nodded. "The thought of using the curse has crossed my mind as well. I'll do the same and see what I can learn. We have two in confinement. I'm going to inform Austin of our plan. This is rather unorthodox."

"I'm not changing my mind regardless of what he says. I should have done this the first day and my reluctance has lost us days."

"It's not to be used lightly," Nicholas said, but I sensed he was reminding himself rather than me.

"I love her, Nick."

He looked at me with a neutral expression. His brown eyes looked so much like his daughter's that the comparison caused a pang in my heart. The only thing I read on his face was his deep weariness. "She chose you. I've made my peace with that. Do what you will."

He had given me his reluctant blessing and I was not going to question it. "I would like a few of your trusted warriors to take along, Nick, and Austin's too. Ask him for me, please."

"Of course."

With a nod of farewell I strode from the room.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

As I drove back to my territory, I considered what I was about to do.

I had never wanted to curse anyone and after my mistake I had only been resolute about the matter.

This magic was not something to be used lightly.

But desperate times call for desperate measures.  And I was going to do the unforgivable, intentionally this time.

My desperation was consuming me. The eastern king had pushed me to this point. The thought of him threatening to give Elise to his son made me see red. Rescuing Elise was my top priority, but it would be so much sweeter if he were destroyed at the same time.

I pulled into the parking lot of the detainment cells. Patwin was on guard duty and he let me in with a knowing nod, as if he had been expecting me. Perhaps they all had. It was only my unwillingness that had saved this prisoner thus far.

I strode inside and down the hall. There were only six cells and only one or two had ever been used at a time, mostly to let someone sleep off a hangover. Not much happened internally in my territory so this was the first time they had housed a serious prisoner for any length of time.

Tabitha was well armed and standing guard outside the cell. She had become darker since we had lost Bobby. Her brown eyes had dark circles underneath them and she had a sort of manic energy that I imagined I mirrored.

"Let me inside, please."

She did not question me, but simply opened the cell.

The prisoner jumped to his feet as I entered.

"Lock the door behind me," I ordered and Tabitha obeyed.

I had not seen the prisoner since before I had suggested that Matthias deal with him and I felt a twitch of sympathy at his condition. He had not lost weight since he had been here since we fed him well, but his face still bore the bruising Matthias had inflicted on it, he had a cast on his right hand and I was pretty sure his nose had a different angle.

I could not afford to see him as a fellow human who had probably done little more than obey the orders of a corrupt king. He was neither a traitor nor a criminal, but he might have the answers I needed.

He would be given one more chance. "Are you ready to tell me what I want to know?"

He shuddered as if my words had been physical. "I don't know anything."

I did not want to do it, except I absolutely wanted to. It was like the magic was pushing even at the tips of my human canines, begging to be allowed out.

"Then I have no choice."

He knew what I was going to do the moment I pulled off my shirt. His eyes when wide with terror.

"Please, no," he begged.

I did not allow myself to let him see how very much I did not want to do this. I tried not to let myself see how much I absolutely wanted to.

My wolf form was upon me in a moment and I stalked towards him. I smelled his fear as he huddled away from me in the corner. I watched patiently as he began to shift into his own wolf form, which was foolish with a healing bone, although I supposed Doctor Fischer would say that I was one to speak on the matter. His clothes pulled and ripped and the cast that had been protecting him slipped off.

Still, the form he bore would change nothing, but if he wanted the comfort of his magic, I would allow it. He would not be able to stop me.

I eyed the slightly smaller wolf as he tried to scurry past me with three paws as if he had anywhere to go. I watched him for a long moment until he let his guard down, just a bit. Then I lunged and bit down hard into the back of his neck, the same way I had cursed Elise.

The magic swelled inside me and my intent rushed into my bite. It was a familiar feeling, although I had tried my hardest to forget it. It felt good.

It felt so damn good, like a release of some pent up pressure that had been building since I had taken over my pack.

The difference was this time I was aware of what I was doing. Unlike when I had realized my mistake and pure horror at my terrible error overrode my euphoria, this time I simply felt determination that this man would tell me everything once he was in my power.

I tasted his blood and fur on my tongue as I released my iron grip on his neck. He dropped to the ground in a pathetic heap, before recovering and scurrying into the corner of the cell.

I was hit with my memory of Elise cowering up against the rocks that cold spring day. I had been so angry at myself, so filled with self loathing.

So guilty.

So confused.

I was not confused this time. I felt resolute.

I stepped backwards and I slipped back to human. I pulled on my clothing before addressing my second thrall.

"Change back," I said.

He scrambled to obey.

His clothing resembled rags. "Tabitha, open the door and then go grab him something else to wear. Call Doctor Fischer, too, please."

A moment later the door to the cell swung open and she promptly left.

"Come with me," I ordered him. I walked out and he scrambled after me. It was pathetic and I ignored the stirrings of new guilt. I hoped that Elise would forgive me for this in the end.