The Wolf & The Witch (The Wolves Of Winter Valley Book 2)

Chapter 4 - Running To The Rescue

Natasha POV

I was so excited and anxious to get on the road to Isabella that I channeled everyone on my team at once. 

I need you guys in my office now. Someone grab Drake on your way.

I didn’t give them a chance to respond before I cut the channel and began flipping through my phone’s appointment calendar. I was making notes of the appointments that needed to be rescheduled when my computer’s video chat rang. Without stopping what I was doing, I hit the button to engage the call and glanced at the vaguely familiar face of Elder Conrad.

“Hello, Elder Conrad. What can I do for you?” I asked, still scribbling my notes. 

He offered me a kind smile. “I apologize for interrupting your day, Alpha. Elder Yuri is off the mountain today and wanted me to inquire about the investigation into Ms. Montoya’s disappearance. Are there any updates?”

“Actually, yes,” I said and lifted my eyes to his image on the screen. “Isabella has been located and we’ll be leaving shortly to go pick her up and bring her home.”

“That’s wonderful!” he said with enthusiasm that wasn’t reflected in his eyes, igniting my curiosity. 

I smiled, ignoring the hairs on the back of my neck that were suddenly standing up. “Yes, it is. I can’t wait to see her.”

“Um, Alpha. I hate to dampen your spirits, but we will need you to delay your trip for a day or two. That was the other reason I was calling. We’ve arranged for a summit between all species governing bodies. We need you three, as The Triad to be present. Some of them have questions.”

“Reschedule. I can’t put off rescuing my sister, Elder. She’s trapped in a foreign country with no money, no ID, and no way to meet her basic needs,” I answered without bothering to cover my anger.

He fidgeted nervously. His eyes swung away from the screen briefly, then back. “Believe me I understand your predicament but rescheduling a summit of this magnitude is impossible. We can send a pair of our enforcers to rescue Ms. Montoya in your stead.” 

Something felt off about this conversation, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it could be. He was entirely too nervous and that was making me nervous. However, I couldn’t ignore a request like this one without Elder Yuri’s approval and he was unavailable. Still, Elder or not, I didn’t trust anyone I didn’t know with the safety of my family. I would bring Isabella home one way or another without outside help. 

“I appreciate your offer, but I’ll figure out how to get her home without taking your men away from their duties. When and where is this summit?” I asked.

“Tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. at the Necromancer’s Senate in upstate New York. I’ll be sending you an email with the directions,” he said visibly more relaxed. “I will let you get back to your work, Alpha. I look forward to seeing you and your mates tomorrow.”

“Thank you. I look forward to seeing you as well.” I punched the button to disconnect the call and stared blindly at the blank screen until Seth, Harmony, Drake, and Adam came rushing into my office, shaking me out of my thoughts.

Seth ran around the desk and lifted me from my chair. “What is it? Are you okay? What happened?”

Gripping his forearms and leaning in, I kissed him soundly and grinned. “Everything is fine. In fact, it’s better than fine.” I shifted my eyes to meet Drake’s. “Isabella just called.”

Seth, Harmony, and Adam whooped and shouted, but Drake rushed forward and leaned close, bracing his hands on my desk. “What did she say? Where is she? Is she okay? Can we go get her?” 

I waited for him to take a breath before I answered. “She’s in Venezuela and she said she is fine. She didn’t say a whole lot more than that. As for going to get her? Seth, Harmony, and I can’t. At least, not yet. We have a summit tomorrow morning that the Elders arranged, and we can’t get out of.”

“What? Since when?” Harmony demanded.

“Since just before you came in. Elder Conrad called to pass along the message.” I turned my attention back to Drake. “I know this is probably a stupid question, but would you go get her?”

“Just tell me where I’m going and when I’m leaving and I’m gone,” he said.

Drake POV

Natasha arranged for an emergency flight and a hotel room in Naiguata, Venezuela, a few miles west of Anare, where Isabella would be waiting. The five of us, then, headed over to Isabella’s cabin to find her documentation and some ring she’d told Natasha to bring with her. Natasha and Harmony were in her closet searching, while Seth and Adam searched her office downstairs. I opened her carry-on bag and stuffed her purse inside, then Harmony brought a couple of outfits out for me to pack.

“She may need these,” she said, passing them to me. “I doubt they gave her anything clean to put on.” She moved to the dresser and plucked out a couple of pairs of panties with matching bras and a few pairs of socks, then tossed them in the case, her amber eyes dancing mischievously. “She’s probably been running around in her bridesmaid’s dress since they took her. Oh! Shoes!” Spinning on her heel, she hurried back into the closet and emerged with a pair of sneakers. “I figure these were the wisest choice considering the fact that she’s on the run from whoever kidnapped her.”

“I agree…”

“I found it!” Natasha’s shout cut off my response. 

A few seconds later she appeared in the closet doorway pinching a small white gold band with a half-carat malachite nestled in a cluster of vines between her fingers.

“What is that for?” I asked. 

Natasha sat down on the bed and handed me the ring. “This is how you’re going to find her.” She smiled at my lifted brow and continued. “It’s a kind of magical tracker that she made when she was 18. Isabella has never really spoken of her life before Winter Valley. All any of us knows is that her parents were killed by a religious band of mercenaries set on ridding Venezuela of witches. She’s held on to the fear that they would come for her one day and she charmed this ring and the matching necklace she wears to find each other should that ever happen. It has a five-mile radius. The closer that ring gets to the necklace the brighter it glows. Since she likely has to keep moving to avoid being caught, this is going to be your best way to locate her.”

I tucked the ring into my jeans pocket and closed Isabella’s bag. “What time is my flight?” I asked, knowing I still had to pack my own things.  

Natasha looked at her phone. “Two hours. We’d better hurry.” 

Lifting Isabella’s bag over my shoulder, I led the way out of her room and downstairs where Seth and Adam were coming out of Isabella’s office. 

Seth held up her passport with some other papers wedged inside. “Everything is here. She shouldn’t have any trouble getting on the plane home,” he said, handing them to me. 

I set the bag on the back of her couch and tucked the documents in the outside pocket, then secured the zipper. “Now, all that’s left is for me to grab a couple of changes of clothing and my own documents.” 

Since I was packing light, I didn’t feel it necessary to pack an extra bag that I’d have to check and risk losing. So, when we returned to the packhouse, I dumped a couple of changes of clothing and my travel documents in with Izzy’s things and declared myself ready.

“Your ticket is waiting at the counter and I’ve reserved a rental car for you,” Natasha said as they walked me out to one of the pack owned SUVs. “Call me as soon as you find her, and I’ll arrange for your tickets home. We’ll be a day or two behind you.”

“No, Nattie. I don’t think that would be wise. If she’s hiding from someone, four of us might draw too much attention. I’m going to draw enough by myself because of my size. I doubt they see many men that stand 6’9”,” I pointed out and tugged her into my embrace when she started to argue. “I’ll bring her home, I promise.” 

She nodded and leaned into me. “Come home safe, Drake. Both of you.”

I kissed the top of her head. “We will.”

When she stepped back, Seth and Harmony stepped forward flanking her while I got into the SUV. I offered them a smile and a wave as the vehicle pulled away and hoped that I could keep my promise to come home safe with Isabella. I had no idea what I was going to encounter when I got to Venezuela.

***

I bolted upright at the first sound from my phone’s alarm. I’d barely slept at all. By the time I’d arrived at my hotel in Naiguata, it was dark, preventing me from beginning my search for Isabella. So, I’d spent a miserable night, tossing and turning, waiting for the sun to come up. When I did sleep, I dreamed of her running through crowded streets, ducking into shops, and riding in a car covered by a blanket. The most disturbing of all the dreams that came to me was of her curled up in that same blanket, asleep on the sand. That dream was enough to keep me awake the rest of the night. I couldn’t bear the thought of her sleeping out in the open, and if these dreams were actually visions, I needed to find her that day. I needed to make sure that she never spent another night sleeping on the beach.

The sun was just cresting the horizon when I stepped out of my bathroom to the sound of knocking on my door. With a towel wrapped around my waist, I opened the door to a tiny young woman pushing a room service cart. Her big, dark eyes widened as they skimmed up my body and met mine. I sent her a friendly smile, making her blush and jerk her gaze away.

“I bring room service,” she said as I stepped back to allow her to pass. 

“Just set it there by the window.”

While she parked the cart, I fished a bill out of my wallet and held it out to her as she started to leave. She blushed again, keeping her eyes on the floor.

“Gracias, señor,” she murmured, then hurried from the room.

(Thank you, Sir.) 

Breakfast held little to no appeal to me. I wanted to throw my clothes on and go. The sooner I got to Anare, the sooner I’d find Isabella, and the sooner I’d have her in my arms. Holding her might earn me a few bruises, but every single one would be worth it. I’d gladly take any injury she wanted to inflict upon me just to hold her for a few seconds. Damn, I missed that wildcat of a woman.

Sneering at the huge platter of perico venezolano, avocado, and arepas, I forced myself to sit down and shovel it in. I was getting ahead of myself. There was no guarantee that I would find Isabella right away. It could be hours, possibly even days—that thought terrified me—before I was able to locate her. I needed every ounce of energy I possessed, and I had to keep a clear head. That wasn’t possible on a diet of coffee and whatever I could grab on the fly and very little rest. Coffee could only do so much to keep me awake and alert. And I needed to be both. My responsibilities would not end when I found her. I also had to keep her safe and get her back home.

I was just finishing my breakfast when my phone rang. I muttered a few choice words, then bit my tongue when I saw it was Natasha.

“Good morning, Nattie. How was your flight to New York,” I asked, trying to sound casual, and not like I was wishing she’d say what she had to say and hang up quickly.

She groaned. “It was fine until we stepped out of the airport and into a f*****g blizzard. I’m amazed the pilot was able to land safely. How was yours?”

“Uneventful. It’s a balmy 67 degrees right now in lovely Naiguata. It might rain a bit later, though,” I teased.

“Yeah, bite me, asshole,” she said without a trace of heat.

I laughed. “Jealous?”

“f**k you.” 

Clucking my tongue and suppressing another chuckle, I said, “My, my what a dirty mouth you have, cousin.”

“Get off my phone and go find my sister, d**k!” She was trying to sound indignant, but I could hear the giggles she was stifling.

“On my way. I love you, Nattie. Enjoy your summit.”

She sighed. “I love you too, Drake. Keep me posted.”

“I promise,” I said and disconnected the call.

After shoving my phone into my back pocket and collecting my wallet and keys, I pushed the room service cart out into the hall and set off on my mission to find the woman I loved.

Anare was a quaint little village on the coast with a population of four thousand and lined with pristine beaches and majestic cliffs. It was well known as a prime surfing spot and based upon the number of surfers currently bobbing on the ocean, I could see that description was accurate.

Knowing that I wouldn’t find Isabella by driving around, I parked in the beach lot and walked into the village. There were a few locals milling about just starting their day, but not so many that I’d miss Isabella if she crossed my path. So, I didn’t draw suspicion, I peered into shop windows as I passed, pretending to show interest in some product or bauble on display. Only the occasional villager bothered sparing me a second glance. The rest ignored me. 

Just as I was turning a corner to head back to my car, I was hit by a strong blast of vanilla. I froze and drew in long, deep breaths. Inside my head, Gideon had alerted.

Mate!

What?

It’s our mate. Find her.

I can’t. I have to find Isabella.

Mate!

Gideon, stop. I’m rejecting her, remember?

No! Do not reject our mate.

I love Isabella.

She has no wolf.

I know. I’m sorry, Gideon. I love her.

When Gideon began to howl in objection, I blocked him and continued back to the car. I’d forgotten that it was my birthday. My mind had been so focused on Isabella since the day she’d disappeared that the date never registered. Now, it was registering. My mate was close. She was in the same village as the woman I was going to reject her for. Talk about awkward. Why did she have to turn up now? Why here?

When I reached the car, I paused and leaned against it, staring out at the beach. Isabella was my priority. I couldn’t worry about my mate now. I reached into my jeans pocket and pulled her ring free. I smiled. The malachite was glowing so brightly that I could have used it as a flashlight in the dark. Pushing myself off the car, I walked toward the beach, keeping one eye on the ring in my hand and the other on the people I passed.