Chapter 340

Author’s pov

After finishing his report to Alpha Sebastian, Tang made his way back to the lake house, taking his time along the quiet path.

The night air was cool against his skin, carrying the scent of pine and lake water.

His boots crunched softly on the gravel, the only sound in the stillness.

The moon hung low above the treetops, casting silver shadows across the forest floor.

In the distance, he saw headlights coming down the mountain road.

At first, he didn’t think much of it. Cars passed by from time to time. Nothing weird.

But something about this one felt off.

When the vehicle slowed at the turnoff leading to their hidden sanctuary, Tang’s instincts flared to life.

The car came to a complete stop at the junction.

No hesitation. No U-turn. Just… parked.

Tang immediately dropped into a crouch, his wolf senses on high alert as he observed from the shadows.

The vehicle remained stationary for what felt like an eternity.

His heartbeat slowed. His breathing went shallow. He didn’t move a muscle.

After about thirty minutes, the car doors finally opened. Two figures emerged, and Tang’s blood ran cold when he recognized them.

Alpha Xavier?

How in the hell did he find this place?

Alpha Xavier took the lead, with Beta Henry following behind, illuminating their path with a flashlight.

“Alpha, there’s nothing out here,” Henry said, sweeping the light across the densely forested hillside.

“Then explain this road,” Alpha Xavier replied, his voice carrying in the still night. “Don’t you find it strange? We’re miles from anywhere, and the car disappeared from all traffic cameras after turning onto this stretch. We’ve already ruled out a vehicle switch. They didn’t vanish into thin air p>

“I understand, but Beta Henry paused, shining his flashlight around the apparently empty landscape. The beam caught only trees and rocks, no sign of any structure. “Where would they even be staying p>

The night pressed in around them, quiet and thick. Somewhere an owl called, but otherwise, nature held its breath.

They’d been searching for four days, nearly ready to give up when Alpha Xavier had insisted on driving the mountain road one last time.

The first time he drove by, he missed the turn completely. The entrance blended in. It looked like just another curve along the hillside. But on the way back, he noticed something strange.

There was a break in the rocks and some faint tire tracks leading behind a granite outcrop.

As they approached the iron gate, Beta Henry’s jaw dropped.

“There really is something here p>

Alpha Xavier took the flashlight from Henry’s hand, scanning the area until he located a doorbell set into the stone. He pressed it without hesitation.

The button gave a soft mechanical click.

Somewhere inside, a chime echoed. It was sharp, clear, and way too fancy for a place this deep in the woods.

“Ding dong p>

Cecilia’s pov

Harper and I were curled up on the couch watching a movie when the doorbell shattered our peaceful evening.

The sudden chime cut through the silence like a warning shot.

It might as well have been a gunshot for how badly it startled us.

“Tang!” we both yelled at the same time.

Harper ran off to find him, and I rushed to check the security monitor.

My legs felt heavy, but adrenaline kept me going.

The lake house was still a good distance from the front gate.

As long as I didn’t open it, we’d be fine.

I reached the control panel near the entrance and switched on the monitor. The cold green glow of the night vision display made my stomach twist.

There, clear as day, was Xavier’s face.

My persistent ex-husband, who apparently thought a restraining order didn’t apply to him.

Beta Henry stood next to him, scanning the trees like he expected something to jump out.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Then something moved behind them.

A third figure stepped into view, gliding forward in total silence.

Before I could even process what I was seeing,Tang attacked.

Two fast, precise hits.

Xavier and Henry dropped like puppets with their strings cut.

I stared at the screen, completely stunned.

Tang dragged their unconscious bodies to the side of the road, then sprinted through the gate and locked it behind him.

His face was set like stone.

“Cecilia, our location’s been compromised,” he said the second he stepped inside.

His voice was low and steady, but all I could hear was urgency.”We need to leave. Now p>

We called for Harper, grabbed only the essentials, and threw ourselves into the SUV. Tang drove like the road was on fire, only easing up once we were miles away and still not being followed.

Once we finally slowed down, Tang pulled out his phone and called Sebastian on speaker.

From the background noise, I could tell Sebastian was at a club with Cassian, probably meeting someone.

The second he picked up, his whole tone changed.

“Alpha, we’ve been compromised. Alpha Xavier found us,” Tang said, his voice steady.

“Alpha Xavier?” Sebastian repeated, sharp and cold. I could almost hear him clenching his jaw.

Harper spoke up from the back seat, guilt thick in her voice. “Earlier today, Alpha Xavier called me using my coworker’s phone p>

“I told you to keep your phones in airplane mode,” Sebastian said, his voice now glacial.

“I’m so sorry,” Harper said softly. Her shoulders slumped. “We stopped for lunch, and Tang said it was safe, so I turned airplane mode off. I didn’t think one call would lead him straight to us p>

I reached back and took her hand. “This isn’t only your fault. We were being careful. He was just smarter this time p>

“The important thing now is that we can’t go back there. Where should we go p>

There was a pause on Sebastian’s end.

“Find somewhere you can catch a taxi,” he said at last.

His voice slipped back into that calm, commanding tone that always made me feel like we had a plan.

“Abandon the car. It’s compromised. Tang, take the ladies to a hotel for the night. I’ll handle the rest p>

There was a shuffle over the line, then another voice came through. Cassian had taken the phone.

“Listen to me,” he said, voice firm and clipped. “I’ll arrange a helicopter for the morning. Don’t screw this up again p>

“Alright,” I said quietly, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Cassian. We appreciate it p>