GIFTED RILEY by Lacy Mierr

Chapter 61: For My Luna

*Nicolas*

I failed.

And the fact of the matter crushed me.

I wasn’t the big, bad wolf I thought I was after all. My claws were sharp, but I couldn’t protect the one person that mattered above all others. The one person I should have been there for. What was I doing anyway when they took her? Nothing was more important than my

mate.

I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened to her.

Every day that passed without her by my side was another day she endured G o d knows what kind of torture. It had been days since her disappearance, and still no word from whoever had taken her.

My heart ached with fear and worry for her well-being. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even drown my sorrows in alcohol. My mind was consumed with thoughts of her and what could be happening to her at this very moment.

And when I attempted to reach out to her through our mind link, there was only silence on the other end. Panic coursed through my veins like

wildfire as I realized that someone or something had severed our connection. The only way to cut off a werewolf’s mind link was with

wolfsbane.

Fear, hot and sharp as a knife. coursed through my veins. What if it wasn’t Wolfsbane, what if she was….

No! I couldn’t even bring myself to think about it, let alone consider the possibility. My only focus was getting my Luna back.

I pushed my way through the thick, damp woods, searching for any signs or clues that could lead us to her whereabouts. My guards were with me, determined as ever to find our missing Luna.

We had combed this area countless times before, but whoever had

done this knew exactly what they were doing. Their tracks were expertly covered, leaving us with nothing to follow.

A hand landed gently on my shoulder, probably in an attempt to bring me comfort amidst the chaos. Vera.

“We’ll find her,” she said, trying to reassure me.

“I should have been there,” I muttered bitterly. “Instead of protecting her, I was worried about some irrelevant runt. I hate myself for it.”

“It’s not your fault,” Vera insisted.

Chapter 61 For My Luna

“But it is,” I argued, the guilt weighing heavy on my shoulders. “If I had just been there…”

“But you weren’t,” she reminded me sternly. “We can’t change that now. We just have to focus on finding her.”

“I should have been there,” I said again, my voice heavy with emotion.

“You can’t beat yourself up too much, Alpha Nicolas.”

“Alpha?” I scoffed bitterly. “I can’t protect my mate… what makes you think I deserve to be the Alpha of the pack.”

“Because of how much you sacrifice for your people. You’re the Lycan

King for a reason. Don’t doubt yourself.”

Even though I didn’t believe her, I nodded. I couldn’t change what had happened. I could only put my all into bringing her back to me. And I would make whoever did this, pay for ever attempting to cross me.

“Alpha…” Reid’s deep voice interrupted our conversation as he led at skinny, trembling man towards us. My guard had a tight grip on the man’s arm and pushed him forward until he stood before us, his eyes darting nervously between me and Vera.

“Who is this and what is going on?” Vera demanded, her gaze narrowing at the sight of the stranger before us.

With a swift motion, Reid tossed the man to his knees in front of me. His ragged clothes and unkempt appearance spoke of days spent wandering through the dense woods.

“We found him lurking in the forest,” Reid explained. “He said he has a message for you.”

I furrowed my brow, studying the man’s face for any signs of familiarity. Did he know something about Riley?

“What message do you have for me? And from whom?” I asked, expecting an immediate response.

But instead of answering, the man reached into his pocket and withdrew a slim envelope. Vera moved forward, cager to take it from him, but I extended my hand and accepted it myself.

“It’s okay,” I reassured Vera. With trembling hands, I tore open the envelope and extracted a folded piece of paper a letter. As I unfolded it, my heart began to race with anticipation.

The words on the page were tauntingly familiar, written in a neat hand. that sent shivers down my spine.

“It’s nice that we get to communicate like this,” it read. “You all the way there, and I, a safe distance away.” The writer was gloating, reveling in their power over me.

Chapter

ter 61: For My Luna

“Now that I have everything I need, you can come retrieve your mate. She’s of no use to me anymore anyway. All beaten and b**d y, what could I possibly need her for.”

I clenched my fists, the urge to strike something or someone almost overwhelming. But finding her was my priority, so I forced myself to continue reading.

“If you want to see her again, come to 1204 Wisteria Lane,

Silverbrook, and come alone. Don’t try to play smart. I think by now we both know that I’m smarter than you. If you don’t come alone, you just might be coming to retrieve her corpse.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I crumpled the note in my hand and hurled it into the nearby bush.

Turning to the man who had delivered the message, I grabbed him roughly by the collar. “Who sent you?” I seethed, trying to contain my

anger.

I got no response from him. Without thinking, I tightened my grip on his throat, feeling satisfaction as he gasped for air. “I said, who sent you?” I repeated, my frustration growing.

There was still no sound coming from him. Not even a croak. Annoyed, I shoved him back to the ground. “Reid, grab him. Throw him into the cellar until he speaks.”

Reid lunged forward, his hand outstretched to grab the man, but he

Chapter 61. For My Luna

was too late.

The man moved with an inhuman speed, pulling a gleaming knife from his pocket and bringing it swiftly across his own throat. Blood gushed and spattered onto the ground.

“No! F**k! No!,” I yelled. I watched as the blood spread out, pooling

around him.

Vera didn’t even flinch. She bent down in front of what was now his

dead body. She pried his mouth open, taking a look inside. “His tongue was cut off.”

This person was more brutal than I thought. And if he could do this, then what was he doing to my mate?

“You’re not seriously considering going after him, are you?” Vera’s calm voice broke through my thoughts.

“I don’t have a choice, Vera,” I replied grimly.

“Then I’m coming with you,” she declared firmly.

I shook my head in protest. “You can’t do that…”

“Why not? I’m your beta. I must be by your side.” Vera countered. determination blazing in her fierce gaze.

Chapter 61: For My Luna

“I have to do this for Riley,” I declared. “I don’t want anything to happen to her. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” She was my world, my everything, and I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to her.

“I understand they deliberately captured her, lured her out…possibly in connection with the hunter’s attack,” I explained, struggling to keep my voice steady. “And this might all be a ploy to get to me. But I can’t put her in further danger to protect myself. She comes first.”

Vera sighed, accepting my decision. “Who do you think did this?” she

asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. But I know I have some grudges I need to deal with on my own. I can’t let Riley take the heat for the enemies I’ d made in the past.”

I’d made up my mind. I was going to save my Luna. But before I do,

there’s someone I need to see first.