24.

**Angelo**



It has been a week searching for my brother and things haven't got better. It was utter chaos, a chaos that has to stay hidden from the humans. I couldn't do it my self, I gave in to Micah's advice on day two and notified my family of Caiden's disappearance. I had no choice.

On that day I made it my duty to keep the company afloat while using our surveillance around the states to pinpoint Caiden. After a meeting with yet another nervous and fumbling client, the wolf sensor went off; Micah was in the office also we both froze afraid to view the footage whatever came in contact with trigger sensor. Slowly we went into the control room, what greeted me was proof enough that it wasn't good. The men who were in charge of controls eyes were frozen to all twelve monitors, I turned to view what was going on. It didn't take me less than a second to recognize my brother's wolf Rion he was tearing apart hunters who were threatening to capture him. His attack moves were fatal, not defensive as we were taught, this wolf was in full control. We noticed how he froze up and stepped back from the hunters for a moment then went back in full attack mode.

"Call Aunt Emma Now. We are losing our brother, Angelo" Micah shouted at me but I couldn't move as I was in shock what I just witnessed. Caiden doesn't willingly kill nor have we seen him use those powers in wolf form. His powers were being used as a weapon. I shook my head in denial and rushed out of the room. 'That couldn't be my brother. The same guy who always looked after me when we were younger, the guy I looked up to' I thought to myself.

"Angelo. We can't handle this by ourselves, the hunters are on to him and I don't think Rion would be sympathetic to us if we try to bring him back home" Micah said behind me. He was right both Rion and Caiden only listen to our mother, his mate would have been ideal but she was livid at the moment. She was dead to the world as she kept on apologizing to us and asking about Caiden. How am I to tell her that her mate is slowly being taken over by his wolf. His wolf who was slowly becoming feral. Stiffly I nodded in agreement, taking my phone out I walked over to the large window and dialed my mom.

"Hi, my little angel enjoying your visit with your brothers" she answered cheerfully. Mom always loved the fact all her kids were close with their cousins, she always had a smile on her face for anyone, now I was going to tell her that her firstborn would soon be lost.

"Mama" I spoke up. I heard her gasp at the same time Micah did also, I dropped to my knees as the tears flowed freely. I haven't spoken fully in eight years not even initiated a conversation to any of my family members only subtle words. For me to freely speak like this would be a shocker to everyone especially my mother, I knew she longed to hear me call her mama again, I overheard her crying to dad one night, she didn't even know why I was like this.

"Baby? Oh, my baby. Michael. He spoke. Michael, Angelo spoke. He actually spoke." I heard her called out to dad.

"Mama. It's Caiden. Mama something has happened." I said in one breath. My voice cracked as it wasn't in use for a long time plus I was trying to keep strong.

"Angelo where is your brother?" I heard dad said through the phone, my mother's cries were heard in the background.

"I-I don't know exactly but we spotted him on the cameras"

Dad released a frustrated growl after I told them what happened, my throat hurt after talking so much. "Its happening Michael. I'm losing my baby boy." Mom cried at the back.

"No my love we are not losing him" Dad returned I knew he was trying to comfort her, he never wanted to see mom sad.

"We are coming," he told me before hanging up. I sat still and tried to contact my brother again. 'Cay. We need you to come home. Your mate needs you' I said through our link.

'She doesn't, brother. You didn't feel the pain when she told me she wanted out. If I can't love her as close as I want then why come back.' He answered weakly. His voice was strained. 'Cay what is happening to you.' I asked as panic started to rise.

'I can't hold out... Rion wants to control. He says he's protecting her. I don't understand...I don't understand why he's so powerful now' he said

'Mama is coming she would know what to do. Please try to stop the bloodshed. A manhunt will be put on you. Please try to talk to him' I pleaded with him.

'I will. Take care of my princess' was the last words I heard from him and that was five days ago.


**********


Our whole family was now in the heart of a heavily forested area, mom found a way to locate him, the method in which we had to use to get him back home was a way none of us wanted to do. I stood on the right side of her as Rebecca stood on her left she held both our hands as she watched the sentinels load their guns with wolfs-bane serum. Grandfather Landon and dad created weapons to take down wild rogues a few years ago the mechanism was barbaric but it was very effective. They actually were able to recreate harpoon guns to their own styling with new technology. It was made to create cages for the wolves with a shot of each silver steel rod which would be charged by moms' power of lightning.

"I thought, him finding her will be enough but I guess no one can rush love between a human and wolf. Mother warned us of this and I know Caiden saw something like this" mom said squeezing our hands tighter.

"We won't lose him," Rebecca said softly as dad approached us with Uncle Mason by his side. They both were in fighting gear as everyone else except for mom. She was dressed in black sweatpants and a white t-shirt with her hair flowing around her.

"We are ready Emmy" uncle Mason said hugging her. Mom didn't answer but let her eyes focus to the dark of the forest where Caiden hid. Dad kept silent and looked at his mate, he gently stroked her cheek wiping away a tear from her eyes as it silently rolled down. "Bring back our son," was all he said before turning away.

"Did you do what I asked sweetie?" mom asked of me. "Yes ma'am" I answered. I no longer kept silent around her or my family it was time I moved on. I had to. If I wanted to help my brother and his mate I have to let go of my pain.

She kissed my head then my sister's before walking forward as she did that Rebecca cloaked everyone's scent. "Caiden. It's mama. Baby why are you running from us?" she called out to him. I was nervous about what was going to happen. I don't know how dark he has become, is Caiden still alive? Has Rion truly went feral?

"Cay. We need to talk about what is happening. You too Rion don't make me angrier at you. Do you know how worried everyone are? Me? Your father? Your siblings? Your mate?" she said again. With the mention of the word mate we all heard his painful whimper, Rosaline sure did a number on him.

"Come out hun. She's home waiting for you. She didn't mean to hurt you. Rosaline is waiting for you to come home."

Mom was being honest, I had Anais come for both her and Eva to take them back to the palace. Once we get Caiden, seclusion is what we would need the most. No one expected him to come out this soon but he did slowly watching his surroundings. He would only see mom Rebecca and myself but not the dad and our sentinels.

Mom released a tortured cry as we all took in the wolf before us, his eyes were red and stared unblinking at us, his fur was matted with blood he had a dangerous look about him that didn't stand well with us.

"Come here my little pup. I've missed you so much." Mom was crying even harder now I couldn't handle everyone's emotions to keep them neutral we were all happy that he was here but he can still sense them by their emotions even while cloaked by Rebecca's cloaking.

Rion let out a whimper again we saw how affected they both were; in a flash, Rion's red eyes quickly turned to gray as he made his way over to mom. "Look at my big bad wolf," She said in a soft voice as she stretched forth her hand to touch his head.

The loud snap of a twig broke the silence we were trying hard to maintain, Rebecca looked at me with wide eyes. 'Hunters' Uncle Mason said to us. Rion definitely heard as he immediately pushed Caiden back and took over. "Michael now!" mom shouted while focusing on the sky. The clouds covered the sun making the area darker than usual.

Rebecca removed the cloaking on the sentinels then focused on the hunters but was too late to hide them from Rion's wrath. As they approached us they began to shoot, Rion stopped the bullets while mom sent them back to them.

Our men began to shoot the steel rods around Rion, mom knew he would try to remove them with that in mind I created a shield around him blocking his gifts. He growled in anger as he noticed what I've had done.

A ball of fire sailed across my head I turned to see its target, two hunters were making their way towards me with guns trained at me. Fire engulfed their bodies, their screams of pain were mixed with the warning growls and mom's shouting was deafening.

"Becca I need you now" I shouted at her running to the far end of the area where the hunters were approaching.

"Emma do it now. He's breaking your shield" I heard dad said as we saw one of the rods slightly bending. Turning back my attention to our attackers I was able to bind five stopping their movements as I levitated the other five with my next hand. Not caring if they remained alive I sent them away a few feet through the trees. Their bodies created loud thumps as they broke through branches and hitting the trees hard, screams of torture and pain came from behind me as Rebecca willed her victims to kill each other with her power of manipulation.

The crashing of thunder sounded out as two bolts of lightning struck the ground; they struck a second time as mom moved them to the steel rods. Rion was trying hard to break the shield quickly I held it in place and pushed them against him causing him to go into a fetal position but he was bent on breaking free he didn't care that he was hurting himself in process. The more he pushed against the shield the more he would get hurt.

"Rion stop, you are hurting your self" I shouted. He froze at the sound of my voice with that as a distraction mom joined each lightning struck rod creating a cage dad added his gift of fire to the bars, I released my hold on my brother but he didn't listen as he broke free of my shield and attempted to break loose.

"Rion NO!" we all shouted but it was too late. He was electrocuted on impact, he howled out in pain, even in pain you saw his anger towards us as he struggled to get up.

"Show me my son NOW, Rion. This is not you " Mom shouted the angrier she got the darker the skies got, she was creating a storm. Rion was now corrupted as he sent threatening barks to her. The cocking of a gun was heard without warning the shot rang out hitting Rion in his side. We turned to the shooter, it was a hunter "I knew you were a monster. You don't deserve my daughter" he shouted as two sentinels held him down.

"Secure him now. He would be dealt with later" dad shouted as we all ran towards the one person we were afraid to lose. Rion allowed him back into his human form but we kept him in the cage. "Cay look at me. Open your eyes, son" dad begged my brother. He held his side, screaming in pain, his wound wasn't healing the silver would take effect soon.

"Dad" he called out weakly. He turned to look at us but the grey eyes we were looking for weren't there. Dark eyes now replaced them, "We need to get him home," mom said softly. We all watched as Caiden groan in pain, he wasn't the same, my brother was now corrupted by the darkness.

"Sleep brother," I commanded my heart ached as I saw how tortured my big brother was.

"What do we do now?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know," mom said removing the lightning bars to allow our men to tend to him. How can we get our Caiden back? This was unknown territory to us. I crouched beside him relieved that his breathing was steady. "The chopper will be here shortly your majesty. A few men are staying back till the clean up crew arrives" the team medic reported as they put Caiden on a portable gurney. I nodded but my attention was on my brother.

'Where there is dark, there is light' my wolf said to me.

Now, what did that mean, I let out a frustrated groan why couldn't everything run smoothly for once?