Page 50 of The Alpha Wolf’s Secret Baby Boy

I shake my head, too enraged to care about his justifications now. “You were making excuses, and I knew exactly why. Your father was still alive, and you didn’t want to be a disappointment by mating with an omega.”

Damian opens his mouth to say something, but I take a step forward and glare at him harder.

“Now, my son is gone, and all you care about is acting like the victim in all of this. But you know what? I’ll let you wallow in your victimhood all you want, and I will find Daniel. With or without your help.”

The last nail is hammered into the coffin, and with that, I turn and march back into the living room just as Connor goes to answer the door when the bell chimes.

The awkward silence stretches out until Dorian looks at me and says, “We’re putting together a search party. We’re going to need something to track Daniel’s scent.”

He must have changed his mind after hearing all of that, so I nod as I turn to Ingrid. Something about letting all of that out of my system has shifted the tone of my voice, making it more level, more authoritative as I tell her, “In one of my bags…the leather one. There’s a baby blanket inside. It’s Daniel’s. Will that work?”

“The bags you were packing…” Damian begins dryly beside me, and I realize he’s returned to the living room. “You weren’t packing them to come back to Cedar Valley with me.”

“No,” I concede flatly. “I was going to take Daniel with me, and leave.”

Damian gulps just as Alpha Flynn comes back with Connor, followed by a group of five women.

Flynn looks at me with sympathy in his eyes, and it’s probably because he’s been made aware of everything that’s happened.

“This is Sister Aoife,” he announces as the oldest woman from the group steps forward gracefully, her raven-black hair billowing out behind her, the long sleeves of her cream-white robe following her like a gentle wave as she nods curtly.

She looks up at Alpha Dorian, saying, “I am Sister Aoife Callaghan, leader of the Golden Raven Coven. We are the nomadic witches Alpha Flynn told you about.”

She turns to me then, and I notice the thin patch of golden highlights running down along one side of her face, and I meet her golden eyes that swim with ancient knowledge and a hint of sympathy for my plight.

“Poppy Barnes…” she says my name with the kind of grace that belongs on the tongue of royalty. “I have heard about what happened here today, and I am truly sorry. We have checked the ground where he was last seen before we came here. Whatever took him…left the signature of forbidden magic.”

“Forbidden magic…?” I repeat, my heart sinking.

Beside me, Damian steps forward, determination hot in his eyes, his fists curled. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, it is quite straightforward, Alpha Damian,” she begins, her voice heavy. “We seem to be dealing with evil witchcraft. Twisted, corrupted magic.”

“I thought all magic was the same…” Dorian speculates from the side, and Sister Aoife shakes her head slowly.

“Allow me to explain what you are dealing with, Alpha. This is not ordinary magic. Not the kind my sisters and I practice. Just like you are werewolves, and rogue wolves are the adversaries of what you are, black magic wielders are the antithesis of what we are, and what we believe in.”

“How is this possible… I thought all witches were wicked,” Damian murmurs, and Aoife chuckles.

“No, Alpha Damian, there are distinct differences between white magic practitioners and those who use black magic. We create, and dark witches destroy. Unfortunately, the residue found on this pack’s territory belongs to black magic.” Aoife meets my eyes again. “Your son has been taken by dark witches, and you cannot simply go chasing after him. It is more complicated than we can understand at this time.”

My ears pound with the information, but my inner wolf is furious, and I raise my chin in defiance.

“Watch me.” I blow out a huff and spin on my heel before leaving the room, heading for the front door.

If no one wants to help me find my son, I will find him myself, black magic or not. I’m not letting more time pass while he’s out there alone, frightened, amongst dark witches who probably don’t have a flicker of conscience that will keep him safe.

I will find him. I will do it myself, even if it is the last thing I do.

Chapter 13 - Damian

“We can’t just go out there without knowing exactly how to face what we’re dealing with.”

“We can’t leave Daniel out there, either.”

“The dark witches are a cruel bunch, but they won’t hurt a child.”

“So, why have they taken him?”