Killian
There wasno way in hell Killian was accepting Stark's words. After Scout was taken away — no, willingly went away with the assassin, Killian stood where he was.
"Killian," Stark began again. "I swear we'll come back for him. It's just not the right time now."
Killian whirled on him. "That's easy for you to say," he snapped. "Your mate isn't a hostage in enemy territory."
Something flashed across Stark's eyes. He sighed. "I know. I'm sorry."
Killian paced and cuffed at the ground. "I'm going."
"What? Sir, you can't —"
"I can, and I will." Killian stood firm. "You’re all going back to Whitewood. When the omegas are safe, you're welcome to come back and help me. Either way, I'm going to save Scout."
Stark looked on in horror as he realized his prince was serious. "Killian, it's too dangerous!"
"Scout sacrificed everything!" Killian snarled. "He gave himself up so the captive omegas could be free! Don't you understand that?"
Kyle, who was standing beside Stark, hung his head in grief. Stark couldn't respond. He knew that without Scout's actions, Kyle wouldn't be by his side.
"I owe it to him," Killian said. "I owe it to my mate to be just as brave as he is."
This time, Stark didn't object. He merely nodded in understanding.
Killian glanced at the party one last time. "Good luck. Stay safe."
With that, he darted off into the woods.
Killian was grateful that the scent trail was still fresh. He weaved through the dark trees, racing forward with only one thing on his mind — saving Scout.
His mind whirled with the memory of Scout avoiding his gaze and brushing him off. At first Killian was bitterly hurt, but an intense feeling in his gut told him things weren't s they seemed. He still felt his strong alpha connection to Scout, and was sure Scout felt his side of the bond, too.
He had to.
Killian ran without a single pause until he reached the edge of a clearing where the trees thinned out. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end. In the middle of the clearing stood an old wooden cabin that gave off an uncomfortable aura, one that chilled Killian to the bone.
He lifted his snout and sniffed the air. Without a doubt, he recognized Scout's scent — and it was fresh. On top of his, there were two others that smelled sour to Killian's nose. One belonged to the grey assassin, but the other he didn't recognize at all.
He changed back to human form to slip quietly around the side of the cabin. His wolf form was just too big, and would be easily spotted. Killian kneeled on the ground, careful to keep his head below the sole window. He just needed to see inside once — that would help him formulate a strategy.
But when he peered slowly into the window, all he saw was a single man sitting at a table, drumming his fingers on the wood. To Killian's relief, the man was facing away from him. But that didn't completely calm his nerves, because Scout was nowhere to be seen.
Killian craned his neck. The cabin was small, apparently only consisting of a den. But then a glint of reflected light in the darkness caught his eye — there was a door handle at the back of the cabin, which meant it lead to another room.
Killian's heart skipped a beat in his chest. Could Scout be held prisoner in there?
Killian carefully circled the outside of the cabin, looking for any other means of entry or escape, but found nothing. It was just a solid wood cabin with a single window. Killian wondered briefly about the purpose of such a building, which sent him on a train of thought he didn't want to be on. He shook his head to clear his mind, then circled back to the window.
The guard — Killian assumed it must have been the grey wolf assassin, considering he had a scent trail leading to the cabin — was the only person inside. Killian mulled over a straight head-on attack. He'd fought this shifter once before and won, and had no doubt he could do it again. Even if he somehow managed to call for backup, Killian was sure he could get Scout and escape before they showed up. His heart raced as he played out the scenario in his head.
He swallowed hard as he Warrened his resolve. He would save his mate, no matter what.
A loud crack like thunder shook the cabin.
The guard inside scrambled to his feet, knocking over his chair. He gazed wildly around, looking for the source of the noise. Killian ducked below the window as the guard headed for the front door.
This is my chance, Killian thought, I can get him out of the way while he's distracted.
