Page 104 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

"Elena—"

"The kids—something happened!" I cut him off, nearly shouting. "Liam and Anya have been kidnapped!"

Silence on the other end for a heartbeat.

"Where are they?" His voice instantly went cold, seething with suppressed fury.

"Old docks, warehouse 3," I said, tears already falling. "Lucifer, I can sense it. Liam... he's hurt..."

"I'm on my way." His voice was steady. "Elena, don't panic. We'll go together. Wait for me."

"But—"

"Wait for me." He repeated, voice firm. "Elena, trust me. We'll go together. We'll get them out together."

I bit my lip.

"Okay."

I hung up and leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes.

My wolf paced inside me, fur standing on end. It growled low in my body, claws scraping the ground, desperate to burst out.

When the car stopped at the old docks, Lucifer was already there. He pushed open his door and strode toward me.

"Elena."

I threw myself into his arms, trembling as I showed him the photo on my phone.

His arms came around me, palm pressed to my back. I could feel his body heat, smell the cedar and amber on him, hear his heartbeat—fast, pounding, syncing with mine.

"Don't be afraid," he said softly, lips against my forehead. "We'll get them back."

"Okay."

I pulled back and looked up at him. His face was dark, eyes full of suppressed rage. But when he looked at me, that rage softened slightly into worry and pain.

We walked side by side toward warehouse 3. The old docks were desolate, littered with abandoned containers and rusted frames. The air reeked of salt water mixed with rust and mildew. Wind blew in from the sea, lifting my hair and stirring the sand on the ground.

Warehouse 3 was at the far end, door ajar, weak light leaking through.

Lucifer walked ahead, shielding me. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The warehouse was huge, stacked with abandoned containers and wooden crates. A dim yellow bulb hung from the ceiling, swaying, casting flickering light across the space. In the clearing in the middle, Liam and Anya were tied to chairs.

Blood covered Liam's face, running from his temple to his chin. His shirt was torn, exposing a long gash along his ribs. But he was awake, eyes locked on Anya, as if making sure she was okay.

Anya was crying, face streaked with tears, mouth taped shut, only able to make muffled sounds.

"Mommy—"

She saw me and struggled frantically, the chair scraping harsh sounds across the floor.

I started forward. Lucifer grabbed me.

"Careful."

As he spoke, several figures emerged from behind the containers.