Chapter 156

Noah

Noah’s knuckles were white as a sheet on the steering wheel as the car sped along the winding mountain roads. His keen eyes scanned the darkness frantically, looking for any sign of the trailhead that Zoe had mentioned, but saw nothing other than dense trees and outcrops of jagged rocks lining either side of the road.

“Are you sure it’s this way?” Noah asked for what felt like the millionth time that night, glancing at Zoe in the rearview mirror.

Zoe nodded, although she looked a little less certain than before. “I think so,” she said, her sparkling red dress catching the light as she shifted in her seat. “It’s been a while since I’ve been here, but I remember it being off this road.”

Drake, who had been silent for the past several minutes, suddenly spoke up. “Look, we’ve been driving for almost an hour and have found nothing. Maybe we should turn back, try another route?” he asked.

“Or maybe we should head back to the cabin,” Zoe suggested. “Maybe the police found a lead.”

Like hell I’m giving up, Noah thought to himself with a grimace, glancing at his phone. If the police had found any leads on where Hannah had gone, one of the girls would have called him. Until that happened, he wasn’t going to stop driving, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

Before Noah could respond, his phone rang, startling everyone in the car. Noah fumbled for it, his heart racing when he saw that there was an unknown number on the screen.

“You should pick it up,” Drake hissed through clenched teeth.

Zoe blanched. “Don’t pick up! It could be a trap!”

Noah shot Zoe a withering glance in the rearview mirror, effectively silencing her without having to say a word himself. Swiping to answer, he slowed the car slightly and pressed the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Noah!” Hannah’s voice came through, sounding strained but very much alive. “It’s me.”

Noah let out an immense sigh of relief. “Hannah!” Noah exclaimed, although there was a heavy dose of fear still churning in his stomach. “Where are you? Are you okay? I’ll come get you.”

There was a pause before Hannah spoke again. Noah strained to hear, and could just barely make out the sound of rushing water in the background. The waterfall… She had to be there after all.

When she finally answered, her words were slow and measured, and the strained tone in her voice gave Noah pause. “I’m fine. But... I need your help. The people who have me, they’re asking for money. Five million dollars, to be exact.”

Noah’s blood ran cold. He exchanged wary glances with Drake, who was leaning close to listen. “Five million? Hannah, what’s going on?”

“Please, Noah,” Hannah said, her voice trembling slightly. “They want you to wire the money immediately. If you do, they’ll let me go.”

Noah’s mind began to race. Something felt off about this whole situation—and his wolf sensed it, too. Hannah’s voice, the way she was speaking... it didn’t sound like her usual self. She sounded almost like she was reading from a script.

Exchanging another glance, even Drake slowly shook his head. He was right; this seemed suspicious. He couldn’t just send five million dollars like that, although he had the money—he didn’t know if they would actually release her once he did.

But if she really was in danger, he also couldn’t risk refusing outright.

“Hannah, listen to me,” Noah said carefully. “I need more information. Where are you? Who has you?”

There was another pause, longer this time. When Hannah spoke again, her words seemed even more measured. “I can’t tell you that. Just... please, send the money. It’s the only way. If you don’t, they’re going to… kill me.”

Noah caught Drake’s eye. Drake nodded, a silent understanding passing between them. They needed to keep Hannah on the line for as long as they could while they continued searching for the trailhead. As long as she was on the phone, then they could ensure that she was still alive.

“Okay, Hannah,” Noah said, trying to keep his voice calm so as not to raise any suspicions as he pushed the car faster again. “I hear you. But five million dollars is a lot of money. I need some time to arrange the transfer. In the meantime, can you tell me more about what happened? Are you hurt?”

As Hannah began to speak again, her words halting and unnatural, Drake suddenly pointed out the window. “There!” he mouthed.

Noah squinted through the darkness. Sure enough, he could make out a wooden sign marking the start of a trail. Fresh tire tracks in the mud led up the path.

She had to be there.

“Noah?” Hannah’s voice came through the phone. “Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here,” Noah said quickly. “I can send the money. But I need to move some accounts around if I’m going to be able to get that much this quickly. It’s going to take a little time.”

There was the sound of muffled speaking in the background before Hannah spoke again. “Okay. They say you have one hour. If you don’t send the money, they’re going to…”

Her voice trailed off, and Noah could hear a tiny, choked sob escape her throat. He felt his chest clench painfully, and he knew he needed to act quickly.

Noah took a deep breath, his mind working furiously as he pulled the car up to the side of the road. “Okay. One hour. But I need to know you’re safe. I want another call from you in 30 minutes. If I don’t hear your voice, I won’t send the money. Do you understand?”

Another pause, more background murmuring. “Okay. They agree,” Hannah said finally. “Thirty minutes.”

Before Noah could answer, the line went dead.

Noah lowered the phone, his hands shaking. “They have to have her hostage up that trail,” he said, nodding toward the marker. “I could hear running water. We need to move fast.”

Drake was already opening his door. “We can’t take the car any further. They might hear us coming.”

Zoe leaned forward from the backseat. “What’s the plan, then?”

Noah turned to her, his expression grim. “We need to go up on foot. It would be best if we shift.”

Zoe’s face paled a bit, and she leaned back. “Oh, um… I’ll stay here, then,” she said. “With the car. You know, in case you need a quick getaway.”

Noah stared at her for a moment, then nodded, not caring to delve into why she was acting so strange. Drake was already outside, crouching next to the fresh tire tracks in the mud, and they needed to move quickly.

“Alright,” Noah said, opening his door. “We’ll be back within the hour. Stay down, and keep the car off.”

“Okay,” Zoe replied quietly, already slipping down between the seats.

As Noah stepped out of the car, he could already feel his wolf stirring inside of him. The urge to shift, to run through the forest on four legs instead of two, was almost overwhelming. His mate was nearby, and she was in danger. He needed to go to her.

And then, he would make the people who took her pay for what they did.

Noah and Drake moved a few paces away from the car, giving themselves space. Noah closed his eyes, focusing on the change. He felt his bones begin to shift, his muscles stretching and reforming. Fur sprouted across his skin, and his senses sharpened dramatically.

When he opened his eyes, he was looking at the world from a much lower, but far more perceptive, pair of eyes. Beside him, Drake had also completed his transformation, his dark fur a contrast to Noah’s silver coat.

Noah’s keen wolf senses picked up a myriad of scents on the night air. He could smell the damp earth, the crisp scent of pine, and... something else. A faint trace of Hannah’s scent, mixed with fear and... blood?

Yes. She was this way.

A low growl rumbled in Noah’s chest. Drake’s ears perked up, and he bounded off into the woods alongside Noah.