Gloom 156_Balance of Light and Shadow

Chapter 156 

 Conrad POV 

 I ran to the office to try to work this out. I pulled out a map of the local surroundings and ced it on a table. I put anotherpass down to show North, and then ced the one I had blessed next to it. 

 They look the same. For fuck sake. 

 I went back over the description that Willow had written down, and all it stated was that it would follow the force of the mate bond. I had to be missing something. 

 I picked it up and started moving around the room. I closed my eyes and thought of Lewana. Her smile, herugh, her eyes. The amazing noises she makes when she lets me pleasure her. 

 When I opened them, the needle was still pointing north. Maybe she was just north. This had to work. 

 I ced thepass down again and saw it move to north. I picked it up again, and it shifted. Just slightly. I kept it held in my hands as I </bpared it side by side to the other one. 

 It was off by about 20 degrees when I held it. On a small handheldpass, it is barely noticeable, but it’s there. It was 

 my n to get everything there. 

 pointing NNE. I had a heading. Now I just had to implem 

 I walk calmly out of the pack house towards the barracks. I have a van packed with supplies ready to go. I decided I was going to go myself to suss everything out in case whoever the traitor was alerted the enemy. That way, if they tried to move her, I could just follow or rescue her then. 

 I’m going to leave a note and just say I went to Lewana’s cabin. Don’t give a shit if they believe it. They just can’t know where I’m actually going. 

 I can hear noisesing from the barracks as I approach. What the hell. No one is supposed to be here. 

 I walk in and find Liam, Prince Aalto, and Prince Eli all waiting with packed duffle bags. 

 I growl at them. “None of you areing“. 

 Liam just smiles. “OK. We’ll just follow you then“. 

 I use my full Alpha aura and growl at him. “I SAID NO“. 

 Liam, for the first time in his life, stares me down and growls back. “I didn’t ask. I told you what I was doing. What we are doing. We have an enemy in the pack, and the only thing I know for sure is that it is not these two. They have both only been in our lives a few weeks, and to cause as much havoc as the traitor has, they would have been in our lives for the day 

 you first knew she was your mate. You need support to bring her home, so stop being a stubborn Jackass and tell us which direction we are going“. 

 I realise he is right. Doesn’t mean I like it. “You have been spending too much time with Arthur, you traitorous prick“. 

 He backs down andughs. “I’ll take that as apliment. He told me my job as a Beta is not just to back you up in whatever you do, as I always have done, but to tell you when you’re being an idiot as well. You have always worked hard to get where you are, but this is the first life–or–death challenge we have faced. I need to grow as a Beta to face these challenges more seriously rather than leaving it to you, and you need to stop being so controlling as you shut down the 

 1/3 

 second you don’t have it“. 

 “So do we have a heading or not?“. I look and see Prince Aalto gesturing out the door. Ipletely forgot he was here. 

 I just grumble as it’s clear I’m not getting out of this. “North East“. 

 “Do you want us to drive while you two sit in the back and braid each other’s hair?“. Prince Eli is smirking at us, and I start growling. 

 Liam snaps back before I go to punch him. “Maybe we should talk in great detail about you and Willow having sex in the library instead“. 

 “You what?“. 

 Prince Aalto startsughing and practically skipping to the van I have hidden under a tarp at the back of the building. “This is going to be a great get–to–know–you boys trip. Also, let’s drop the titles while we’re doing this. Will makesms 

 easier“. 

 Eli agrees with a nod. 

 We all pile in and Liam drives. When we get to the front, Liam talks to the guard at the front gate while the other Princes 

 hide in the back. 

 “Hey Matt. Luna Queen apparently has a cabin she goes to on full moon, and Alpha Kings wants to go there for a few days. Arthur is in charge until then“. 

 “Yes, Beta. Hopefully it will make the Alpha King feel a bit more like himself“. 

 I just grumble from the front seat and give him the side eye, and he lets us out instantly. 

 We start driving, and when the coast is clear, let both of the guys in the back know they can sit up. I pull out thepass and see it still has the same heading, so Liam drives around until we are on the freeway heading in that direction. 

 “I think we all need to do shifts so we can have one person driving at all times. I will take the first as I’m already driving“. 

 Aalto lets out a dramatic yawn. “Don’t have to tell me twice“. He getsfortable in a corner and pulls his hood down over his eyes. 

 Prince Eli just closes the divider in the van and leaves Liam and me to talk in the front. 

 “You should get some rest too. Figure I can drive about 6 hours before we need to stop“. 

 “You need me awake to work thepass“. 

 “In 6 hours, we’re going to get about 600-650 km. Doubt they kept her that close to home. We’re going to need you closer to the end, so you need to sleep“. 

 “Fine. I’ll try. But not making any promises“. 

 I’ming, Moonlight.

17kNovel

Gloom 156