Chapter 171

Gilliard POV.

"King Josh has Lewis!" Oliver's words made my own blood run cold, as I looked at the hurt wolf in front of me. If Lewis really had been taken by Josh, then he wouldn’t last long at all.

"What do you mean?" My voice was the first to break the silence that Oliver had caused. I stole a small quick glance at Dylan who seemed to mimic my shocked facial expression's, however she also appeared to be fighting back tears. It’s taken her so long to let Lewis in properly, and now she knew it was a very real possibility that she could lose him forever.

"King Josh turned up with his warriors in tow. Then Alpha Shawn came out of nowhere to let him into the borders…” The guy looked like he was about to pass out as he steadied himself on the wall with one hand. “Me, Lewis, and the few men that were there… we didn't stand a chance.” I wasn’t buying it. Knew I never should have trusted him the way we did, but Lewis often saw the best in people. Hell, I wasn’t even sure my cousin could even fight the king without trying to talk him round first, but he definitely felt a rage unlike anything else every time he mentioned what Dylan had gone through. I still don’t think he had told me the full extent of the incidents.

“How is it that only you magically get back here, and practically unscathed I might add?!” I didn’t even think about my actions as i instantly squared up to the man in front of everyone. My claws extended and my teeth bared along with a small anger filled growl, causing heads of lower ranks to bow at my authority.

“It’s not like that! King Josh personally targeted Lewis, screaming and shouting about how he stole his mate, and I fought too, but if everyone had been caught then they would have stormed the packs of this sector straight away. Instead they’re holding up in a pack just outside of the border. In the next sector along.” He rambled, clutching at his left rib cage with his right arm and holding himself up with his left hand firmly pressed against the wall.

“And how the fuck do you know where they are residing?!” I was on the verge of punching this guy clean in the face, I can’t imagine what Dylan must have been feeling.

“He mindlinked me, technically I still hold the title of royal beta, so I’m still able to communicate with everyone. Told me to tell the rebellion that he was coming to reclaim what is his.” That had to be Dylan. Goddess knows what she was thinking and feeling at the chain of evens.

My sight strayed from the lord beta, over to where our queen was stood, only she was no longer there. I gulped hard, taking a large sniff at the air in hopes that she was still in the pack house and hadn’t marched straight to the borders out of rage, I knew the girl could be both impulsive and reckless, not to mention slightly arrogant and one sided when it came to her views. To my relief she was still within the confines of the walls and so my mission drastically changed from berating Oliver, to seeking out my cousin in law and getting her view on the action that she was undoubtedly planning.

“Olly?!” My thought process was cut off by Vee who, ignored the growing audience and ran straight past me in order to get to her mate. The mark and bond between them was extremely fresh and so her need to be with him could pose an issue. “Oh my god, what the fuck happened?” He betrayed us, is what I desperately wanted to say. Instead command left my mouth, leaving no room for arguments.

“The king has arrived earlier than planned, he’s taken one of our own as a hostage. Prepare for battle.” Everyone’s heads bowed lowly while Vee remained by the side of Oliver, now dabbing at his head wound with the sleeve of her sweater. “You two!..” I turned my attention to two of my warriors who instantly showed their attention and respect to me. “Escort the lord beta to the dungeon where he will remain until further questioning.”

“What? No, you can’t do that. He’s injured, he at least should get seen to.” It was natural for Vee to want to help him, her bond drawing her into his needs, however my trust for the man had gone as soon as he re entered the pack house.

“His loyalty is currently questionable, I won’t tolerate him wandering around the house when he could be leaking possible information to king Josh and his army.” Vee didn’t like my answer, she shook her head, and stepped in front of her mate protectively, not that she could actually do anything of significance.

“But… he’s injured.”

“A superficial wound at most, if he can’t handle that, then he shouldn’t have found himself in such a position of power. Take him down, I’ll deal with him later.” I turned my back to the tractor and his mate, hearing a few slight grunts coming from his mouth as he was grabbed and escorted down to the pack dungeon.

I hastily made my way up the stairs to Lewis and Dylan’s room, in hopes of finding the queen there. We needed to discuss what was going to happen next.

Wolves charged past me, anticipation clouding their every sense as they prepared themselves for the battle of a life time. Life as we knew it would crumple completely, whether that be for better or worse. This was unequivocally the beginning of the end.

I knocked upon getting to Dylan’s door, although just from the smell alone I knew she wasn’t in there. I barged in just to be sure, I hoped that the lack of scent was bought on by the immense number of people darting to and from the different rooms, but no, the room felt so cold knowing exactly where Lewis was currently. I mean for all we knew, he could have already been dead.

“Shit!” Where was Dylan. I could still faintly sense her in the house and so my worries weren’t too focussed on her where abouts, they were more on concentrated on her thought process. She still had the capacity to do something entirely dangerous and reckless.

I slammed the side of my fist on the wall in frustration and quickly spread to another room in the house where I thought she might be, the armory. She still had the key in her possession after all. Yet again, however, there was absolutely no sight of her.

**“I want everyone to keep an eye out for Queen Dylan… as soon as someone located her, I am to know immediately.”** I barked my orders through mindlink and waited, I was met by a flood of voices all telling me the same thing, they hadn’t noticed her yet.

My anxiety was increasing by the second. Where the fuck was she?! What was going through her head?!

The dungeon, maybe? Scents were blocked once you passed a certain line leading down to the dark cells, the wolfsbane and silver coated walls made that reality. She could have gone down there upon hearing about my sentencing of Oliver, maybe she had gone to question him more about what actually happened.

I made my way down there and growled lowly upon seeing Oliver attempting to comfort Vee through the bars of his cell, I felt sorry for Vee but my actions were completely justified given the situation. This was Lewis we were taking about, and as far as I’m concerned all the evidence pointed to the royal betas betrayal to the rebellion and his loyalty to the crown.

“Has Queen Dylan came down to see you yet?!” I demanded an answer, however my aloha tone had no real effect on the royals or their envoy, typically speaking, Royal beta Oliver held more peer and status than I did.

“No, not yet.” He sighed meeting my furious eyes with disappointed ones, however that disappointment quickly changed to concern and his eyes widened slightly. “She hasn’t gone after him has she?!” That was starting to play around in my mind too.

Everything in my body told me that she was still inside these walls, but there was a part of me that knew she was reckless enough to attempt a rescue mission alone. With the way she loved Lewis, it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if she would sacrifice herself for his freedom, offering herself up as collateral damage.

“You better hope for your sake that she hasn’t.” I stormed out of there and made my way to the medical wing, maybe she thought that’s where I had sent Oliver… Nope.

I checked the kitchen, and once again she was no where to be found.

Maybe she really had gone off. My heart sank further into my chest, my fear enveloping mead I charged to the last place I could think of, my office.

On the way however one of the younger lycans in my pack, gingerly came through my mindlink. His voice holding a somewhat nervous tone.

**“Alpha Gilliard? I think I’ve found her grace.”** Why did he sound so worried?

**“Where?!”**

**“The supply closet, on the first floor.”**

I didn’t waste a beat in turning around where I stood and racing back down the many steps I had now both ascended and descended numerous time within the span of twenty minutes. I stopped when I came face to face with a pup, who must have been 15 year of age. He was pacing outside the door, clearly unsure whether to enter or not.

“Rhydian, you may go now.” I fixed my disgruntled attire slightly and walked closer to the boy.

“I don’t think she can breathe!” Huh?!

“Go!” I ordered him while racing to the door and throwing it open, shocked by the sight in front of me.

Never had I personally seen Dylan so meek and small. Her body was curled up into a tight ball, her hand rested firmly on her chest, tears streamed out of her eyes and down her cheeks, and her breath came out in heavy uneven pants. I knew what it was instantly and raced to her side, closing the door behind us for privacy. She was currently in the throws of a large panic attack.

“Dylan?!” My voice came out soft as I forced my concern down in an attempt to transfer my pretend ease onto her, but instead a strained sound came from her lips. I crouched down lowly in order to be at her eye level and frowned at her state.

Lewis had told me very briefly that she often experienced these attacks, but he never went into detail about how bad they could be or how he managed to calm her down, and honestly, I had never had to help anyone in this manner before. In honesty, I probably wasn’t the best person for it.

“You need to calm down.” That was the worst thing I could have said to anyone, never mind Dylan. I raised my hand in order to place it on her shoulder for comfort, but for some reason I hesitated. In a truly awkward fashion, that counteracted my alpha position, I patted her on her arm and winced at my own cringeworthy action. “I… I don’t know what to do. Do you want me to get someone? I-I just…” what do I do? What should I say.

I was completely and utterly lost, all the scenarios that were going around in my head were absolutely nothing compared to how I found her.

Ok… there’s only one thing I could think of.

**Aunt Ygritte?! I need you’re help, how fast can you get here?!”**