The Wolf's Cub (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 3) Read online

  “But I do! He’s capable of murder and he’s capable of kidnapping and he’s capable of killing an innocent baby!” At the words, I sat back down on the loveseat, my body overtaken by sobs.

  Jasper sat down beside me. “We’ll find him. We’ll find him.”

  “But will you find him alive?” I asked through my tears.

  Jasper swallowed. “God willing.”

  I wrapped my arms around him. “Jasper, I just can’t. I can’t let you go without me. I need to help.”

  “You can help by staying behind.”

  “That’s foolish! The more eyes you have looking, the greater your chances.”

  Jasper glanced at Benedict. They shared an exclusive look that I couldn’t interpret, but after a moment, Jasper sighed.

  “All right, my love. Let’s go get changed.”

  Feeling some small sense of accomplishment, we went upstairs. Everyone was in their sleeping clothes, so it took a few moments for us to all get changed. Jasper went to check on Christoph first, then disappeared into his own room to put on a shirt. I changed from my negligee into a slip, and Bridget helped me button up my dress. Being active, getting ready, that was helping to steady my nerves.

  We twisted my hair back, not gracefully, but practically. I wore no jewelry. My eyes were red and puffy, but I didn’t care. It fueled my hate and my anger.

  We stepped out into the hallway to meet with everyone else. Benedict was handing out weapons to those who didn’t have them. I noticed Jasper had both a knife and a gun. Benedict offered me a pick of the same type of weapons. I had never fired a gun before, but I chose it because it seemed to me to have more power and to put more distance between me and anything that would attack me.

  Benedict went over the basics with me, how to make sure it was ready to use, and I slipped it in the pocket of my skirt. Having the gun on me made me a little nervous, but it gave me a sense of protection as well. My hands were shaking, but I was ready to take on my brother–in–law and find my baby.

  “Is everyone ready?” Jasper asked, and murmurs and nods were given in response.

  “Christoph?” Benedict asked.

  I was surprised that Christoph was here with us, considering the condition of his wife. I could understand, though, the need and urge to extract revenge on Seth. The knave hadn’t just destroyed my life, he’d destroyed Christoph’s as well, forcing him to participate in a kidnapping, threatening his child, nearly killing him, nearly killing his wife. Christoph was here for revenge, surely.

  Christoph stepped across the crowd of men over to me.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered, and before I could comprehend what was going on, I felt a prick in my neck.

  “Wha—” I murmured before my legs wobbled and I tumbled to the ground, my world turning black.

  Chapter Twenty–Six

  I woke up gasping.

  “It’s all right, Christine, it’s all right,” Annabelle said soothingly, smoothing my hair.

  “Lowell, where is Lowell?”

  “They’re looking for him,” Hazel said, sitting down next to me.

  I struggled to sit up. At some point while I was out I had been moved to my bed. I reached my arm back to feel a sensitive spot on my neck where I had been stuck with a needle.

  “That bastard,” I muttered, although I wasn’t sure if I was talking about Christoph, Jasper, or Benedict.

  “They were just trying to keep you safe,” Annabelle said.

  “No, I need to go look for my son,” I said, trying to move. My limbs were heavy and my head felt fuzzy. I couldn’t concentrate.

  “Calm down, calm down,” Annabelle told me. “They’ve got dozens of men out looking for him. They’ll find him.”

  “I need to help,” I begged, choking on my words. “Please, let me help.”

  “Take a deep breath,” Annabelle said, and I did, letting the cool air fill my lungs. “That’s it, that’s a good girl.”

  “Please let me go find him,” I cried.

  I knew that Lowell was likely dead already, and if that were the case, I needed to find his body and hold him close to me. If he was still alive, who knew what state he would be in? He hadn’t eaten in hours. Seth had no idea how to take care of a baby. Lowell was probably cold and crying, and that hurt me. I didn’t know if the thought of him being alive stabbed me more than simply not knowing if he was alive or not.

  I wrapped my arms around my legs and cried into my skirt. Annabelle rubbed my back while Hazel clutched at my hand.

  “It’s going to be all right, it’s going to be all right,” Annabelle recited. She had no way of knowing that; it was purely for my benefit, and it wasn’t helping.

  I lifted my head up and sniffled. “Can I get some water, please?”

  “Of course,” Daisy said. I hadn’t even realized she was in the room, but she was in the sitting area, ready to help if needed. As she stood up and left the room, Bridget entered.

  “They’ve searched the castle,” she said, “but he’s not here. All the parties are out in the forest now, looking.”

  I nodded, numbness falling over my body.

  Bridget sat on the edge of the bed. “They’re going to find him, Christine.”

  “I’m worried that it’s going to be too late,” I whispered. The girls were quiet for a moment. I think all of them were worried about the same thing, and didn’t know how to help.

  “I’m going to use the restroom,” I said quietly, and the girls let go of me so I could get off the bed. I went and rinsed off my face, hoping that would help calm me. My reflection looked devastated, with dark, puffy bags under my eyes.

  I walked back out into the bedroom and stood by the window, looking out at the snow–dusted courtyard basking in the light of the nearly full moon. The silver light made the snow glow, and it looked so peaceful compared to the chaos going on inside of me.

  The girls were watching me from the bed when I turned back to them. “I’m going to go take a walk,” I said.

  “Do you want someone to come with you?” Annabelle asked.

  I shook my head. “I think I just need to be alone for a while, if that’s all right.”

  “Of course,” Annabelle said. “As long as you don’t do anything rash.”

  “I’m not going to go running into the woods again, if that’s what you’re concerned about,” I promised.

  I pulled on a heavy wool coat and some gloves from the closet. I laced up a pair of boots and pulled on a hat to protect me from the cool spring snow.

  “You let us know if you need us,” Bridget said quietly as I left the room. I could only nod in response.

  I weaved my way through the castle, finding the back door in the same corridor as the dining hall. I pushed the heavy door open, stepping into the cold, still air. Despite the month of the year, and the small scattering of clouds, large snowflakes fell from the sky. I walked to the edge of the balcony, looking out over the gardens. My breath formed little puffs of fog in the chilled air. I thrust my gloved hands into my pockets as I walked down the icy steps and into the courtyard. The paved path had been shoveled, and the only snow was the recently fallen fluff. My boots left prints as I walked.

  I wished the weather was nicer. A beautiful blooming garden would be much more soothing than this dead, snow–covered garden. Still, the peace was welcome as I walked, looking up at the moon as it shined its beams down on the beds.

  I wished Jasper was here. It was for the best that he wasn’t, of course. He needed to be out there with the other men, finding our son. If they did find Lowell, being wrapped up in Jasper’s familiar arms would help comfort him until he could get home and he could eat. It was essential that Jasper was there to reassure our baby that everything was going to be fine. All I wanted more than anything was to be there when they found Lowell, so I could hold and cuddle and kiss him, but they had left without me. Jasper would have to be there in my place until our baby could be in my arms.

  That is, if he was still alive.
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  I tried not to cry in the cold, not wanting my tears to freeze on my face. Instead, I focused on my breathing, trying to keep myself calm, trying to soothe myself. I needed to clear my mind. Being hysterical wasn’t going to help my son.

  Still, I couldn’t sit idly by and do nothing while the men forged ahead in their search parties. What could I do? They had already searched the house, and there was no way I was going to be able to leave the grounds.

  My only thought was to go through the castle to look for clues. It was doubtful that I was going to find anything, but I needed to keep myself busy. I had no idea what I could possibly hope to find.

  I could start outside. I had seen footprints so far, but no paw prints. If Seth had escaped out the back door, it wasn’t as a wolf. That was good; that meant that Lowell was most likely not being carried about in his jowls.

  That brought another thought. If they had found Lowell’s body, Jasper would have returned to the castle already. Because he hadn’t yet, perhaps that meant that there was a good chance that Lowell was still alive. But why on earth would Seth keep him alive?

  I thought back to my kidnapping. Seth had kept me alive so that he could destroy Jasper, and likely that was what was happening here. Seth wasn’t just going to kidnap Lowell and live happily ever after in the countryside. He had kidnapped Lowell with the intent to eventually kill him. If I were to venture to guess, Seth hadn’t killed Lowell yet because he wanted Jasper and I to watch. If all that was true, then Seth probably hadn’t ventured far away from Lycan Castle.

  At this new revelation, I hurried inside the house, careful not to slip. If he wasn’t far, then perhaps I could find clues as to where he was hiding out until the men returned. I pulled the doors open and raced upstairs to my bedroom. The girls had all left now, presumably going to their own rooms. I imagined that Annabelle was cuddling her son, thankful that it wasn’t her in this situation.

  I shed off my outerwear, letting it pile up on the chair. If my suspicions were right, then I needed to find clues right away. After peeling off my gloves and tossing them on top of my coat, I moved down the hall to Christoph and Ingrid’s room. I gently knocked on the door. Though it was late, Christoph still answered. Apparently he hadn’t gone with the men after all.

  His face blanched when he saw me. “Christine, I’m so sorry, I was working on orders—”

  “I know, it’s fine,” I told him.

  “Christine?” Ingrid called from the bed, and I went over to her.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, a tear dripping down her face.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” I told her. “But can you tell me what happened?”

  “I heard crashes and noises in the hallway,” she said. “I didn’t know what it was. I had Lowell in my arms and I looked out the doorway. Seth forced me backward, a knife at my stomach. He grabbed Alice’s hair. He told me that if I didn’t let him take Lowell, he would slit Alice’s throat.”

  She swallowed, trying to get the words out. “I lunged at him, and he stabbed me. I fell to the floor as he took the baby.”

  I nodded. “Is there anything else that you can tell me?”

  Ingrid shook her head. “No. He stopped at the table for a moment, and I thought maybe I could reach him, but I was bleeding too much. Then he left the room and I screamed again.”

  I glanced over to the table she was talking about to see only Christoph’s medical bag. I walked over and peered inside. On the top was a small case of needles, with two missing.

  “This is what you used to knock me out?” I asked.

  Christoph nodded. “I kept it out in case Ingrid needs it.”

  “What happened to the other needle?”

  Christoph frowned. “What?” He came and stood behind me, looking in his kit. “I’ve only used one since we went on this trip. I was in such a rush to grab the needle for you, I didn’t even notice one was missing.”

  “Is there anything else missing in your case?”

  Christoph set the needles aside and rummaged through the bag. He paused, his eyes widening. “I’m missing a bottle of sodium thiopental.”

  “Sodium thiopental? That’s a barbiturate, right?”

  “He nodded. “I use it in anesthesia.”

  “Why would someone steal that?”

  He looked down at his hands. “Do you want an honest answer?”

  “Please.”

  “Seth probably took it to put the baby to sleep and keep him from crying.”

  My heart sunk, but I knew he was right. On the same note, if Seth was worried about Lowell crying, that must mean he kept him somewhere we would be able to hear the baby.

  “Thank you,” I said to Christoph, showing myself out the door.

  The only other place I was sure Seth had been was his prison. I took a flashlight and spent a moment investigating the mess Seth had made in the hallway. What was the point of that? A diversion? To be annoying? I moved tapestries and pottery out of the way, but found nothing. I sidestepped the mess, thankful I was still wearing my boots, and found the side stairwell that would lead me down to the prison. Somehow, the air felt even darker, damper, colder than it had the previous times I had been down this way. My shoes squished on the soggy ground as my eyes adjusted to the blackness.

  In the doorway to the inner part of the prison was a dark lump. My heart leapt for a moment, thinking it was perhaps Seth hiding there, but as I drew closer I could see it was one of the guards. Blood dripped out of his mouth, and blood was stained across his torso. Seth had stabbed him just as he had stabbed Ingrid.

  No, that wasn’t right. This wasn’t a stab. This wasn’t a stab wound, this was a claw. Jasper had escaped from the prison while in his wolf form. No wonder he had been able to kill the guard. Upon a closer look, I saw that the guard’s sheath, where his knife had been kept, was empty. That’s where Seth had found the knife that had injured Ingrid. A wound to the torso had always been his go–to move.

  I cast the beam of my torch across the floor and saw a collection of teeth. I knelt down, not touching them, but examining. These weren’t human; these were wolf teeth. Seth had changed back into his human form after killing the guard. That made sense. Ingrid would have mentioned if he had been a wolf.

  I stepped past the guard. The door to this part of the prison was unlocked. I pulled the door open, smelling the dank and dirty air of the solitary cells. Holding my light in front of me to light the way, I made my way to Seth’s cell. In the corner where he had sat before was the second guard, mauled to pieces. He probably hadn’t even seen Seth coming. The door to Seth’s cell still stood open, and I stepped inside, shining the light throughout the cell to see if I could find anything.

  Near the bed was a pile of teeth. These were human; I could tell that at a glance. I tried to walk through the steps that Seth must have taken. He had the keys. He unlocked his cell, and the guard didn’t notice. He must have been stealthy. He had, at some point, unlocked his cage, then sat back down on his bed. He had to have shed his clothes, because there weren’t scraps of fabric here. He shifted and snuck through the cell door and attacked the guard. Perhaps the guard screamed, and the other guard unlocked the door. Seth charged and attacked him, shifted back to human, and doubled back to put his clothes on. Down here in the dungeon, any cries were likely muffled. I doubted that even the wolves in the levels above could have heard anything.

  Then Seth must have sneaked up the side staircase. He caused a commotion in the hallway—why? Perhaps he had gone to our room first, and discovered we weren’t there, and needed to figure out where I was. He had caused the commotion to attract attention and find Lowell? That was possible. Almost everyone else had been downstairs at the time, so there were very few people left upstairs.

  Then what had happened? He didn’t have much time to react before Jasper and I came to investigate. I had determined what had probably happened leading up to the kidnapping, but had no idea what happened after.

  I sat down on the dirty bed, t
rying not to let my despair overtake me. When I finally got my bearings, I stood up and moved toward the door. As I crossed the cell, my eyes caught sight of something on the ground near the corner. I stooped down to pick it up.

  It was a little green hat. Lowell’s hat. The one he had been wearing when we left.

  The only reason this would be here is if Lowell had been here. After grabbing my baby, Seth must have brought him down here. It was smart. The elders wouldn’t have looked here if they had already discovered he was missing. He must have left the cell when the elders were finished searching the castle and left to join the other teams.

  Seth was still in the house.

  Chapter Twenty–Seven

  He’’s still in the house.

  He’’s still in the house.

  The thought rang through my head as I clutched Lowell’s cap to my chest.

  Seth had stolen medicine to keep him asleep, so Lowell was still alive.

  And they were in the castle.

  My heart racing, I left the prison and the bodies behind. As I left the prison, I could hear the thumping and yelling from the prisoners in the other cells. Did they have any idea what was going on?

  I paused. There were people in there who might be able to help me. Clutching the flashlight in one hand and the cap in the other, I wrenched the door open and entered the prison. All eyes were on me, faces pressed to the bars, as I walked down the hallway until I found who I was looking for.

  “Theodore,” I barked, and he looked up from the bed. Dark hair fell over his beady eyes as he looked up at me.

  “What’s going on out there?” he asked. “We heard a commotion, but no one has come.”

  “Seth escaped,” I told him, talking fast, trying not to waste any time. “Where did he go?”

  Theodore shrugged. “How should I know?”

  “You were his lackey.”

  “Was. Not anymore.”

  I clutched at the bars. “If you help me, I’ll help you.”