Reclaimed By The Alpha King
Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Steve clenched his phone so tightly it was a miracle it didn’t crack. His body trembled with shock—panic and rage coursed through him.

He had to stay focused. If not, worry would kill him before he found Shane.

Pacing back and forth, he dialed Shane’s number again. The phone rang endlessly. No answer.

"Come on, Shane... pick up!" he muttered, frustration rising.

Unable to wait, he called Thomas, one of Shane’s men. Thomas picked up immediately, his voice shaky.

"He...hello, boss."

"Where is Shane?" Steve barked.

"We... we don’t know," Thomas stammered.

"What?" Steve’s eyes widened. "How can you not know? You were with him!"

Thomas hesitated. "Boss, after we set the house on fire like Shane ordered, he disappeared. We thought he went home."

"Find him," Steve snapped. "Don’t come back until you do."

He hung up, his chest heaving. His mind raced. Where was Shane? Who dared to touch him?

His cursed eyes—one red, one grey—had made him a recluse most of his life. Hidden away, forced to wear contacts, he’d learned to keep his identity secret, his power even more so.

The phone rang. Steve grabbed it. "Talk."

"Boss, we found Shane’s phone. It was on the ground by his car."

Steve’s heart skipped a beat. "And?"

"There’s... blood. On the ground and on the phone."

A chill crawled down his spine. He gritted his teeth. "Don’t call me until you find him."

Hanging up, he stared at the phone in disbelief. Blood. Shane’s phone. He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply. Whose blood was it?

He needed answers. Now.

Dialing the facility where they held Hannah and Louis, the two werewolves Shane had been chasing, he ordered the guards to bring them to the interrogation chamber.

He watched through the monitor as their unconscious bodies were dragged in. Adjusting the microphone clipped to his shirt, he spoke. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, sir!" the guards responded in unison.

"Wake them up."

A sharp shock jolted both awake. Their eyes darted around in panic.

"Where are we?" Hannah gasped.

"Who are you?" Louis demanded, pulling Hannah close.

The guards remained silent, watching.

"Why aren’t they talking?" Hannah whispered.

Louis muttered, "They can hear us. They’re just pretending not to."

Steve had heard enough. "Listen closely!"

Hannah and Louis flinched.

"Who’s there?" Louis called out.

"I ask the questions," Steve growled. "Where did Shane go?"

Louis frowned. "Shane? We don’t know a Shane."

"Don’t lie to me. You were running from him. Where is he?"

Hannah clung to Louis. "We...we don’t know," she stammered. "Please, we don’t know where Shane is."

Steve clenched his jaw. If they weren’t lying, where the hell was Shane?

He leaned in. "Fine. But mark my words, you’re going to help me find him."

"Who’s saying those words?" Hannah whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

No response. Only silence.

They stood frozen, eyes wide, waiting.

"Do you hear that?" Louis’ voice was shaky.

"Shh." Hannah turned toward a tiny black dot on the ceiling. "Look. It’s a camera. Someone’s been watching us."

Louis swallowed hard. "But who?"

The voice returned, louder. "I saved you from where you should’ve been dead by now."

Louis gasped. "It’s him... the person who helped us escape!"

Hannah’s heart pounded. "I never imagined it would be a man..."

She stepped closer to the camera. "Thank you for helping us," she said. "We don’t know how to repay you, but we’re grateful."

Steve furrowed his brow. What are they talking about? He hadn’t tried to hide his identity when Shane’s team caught them.

He almost laughed at how wrong they were, but his worry over Shane kept him from smiling. He leaned back, fingers tapping the desk.

"You’re not out of danger yet," he said. "Listen closely again. Tomorrow, you’ll be part of an experiment. I need your full cooperation."

"What kind of experiment?" Louis asked warily.

"I need blood samples."

Hannah’s eyes widened. "Why? What are you planning?"

"It’s crucial for my research. I’m giving you a heads-up so there won’t be any surprises."

Louis glared at the camera. "Why should we trust you?"

Steve sighed. "I’m being reasonable. Whether you like it or not, the experiment will happen. You might as well cooperate."

"We won’t!" Hannah shouted. "We’re not selling our blood!"

Steve’s patience thinned. "Your rare blood is precisely why this is important. I’m offering a fortune in return."

"You can take your money and rot in hell!" Hannah spat. "We’re not your lab rats!"

Steve’s calm facade cracked. "Fine. If that’s how you want to play it, I won’t force you... yet. Get them out of here!"

Guards rushed in, dragging them away. Steve turned off the monitor and ripped out the cables.

"Ungrateful fools," he muttered, throwing the remote across the room. His frustration turned to steel-cold determination. He grabbed his phone and dialed.

"Thomas, how close are you to finding Shane?"

"We’ve got a lead," Thomas replied. "A possible location near the abandoned estate. There’s an underground bunker."

Steve tensed. "A bunker? How did you find out?"

"A hunter tipped us off. He’s seen someone going in and out, always in disguise."

Steve’s gut twisted. "Thomas, don’t rush in. It could be a trap. Be cautious."

Thomas hesitated. "Understood, boss."

"Where’s this hunter now?"

"Disappeared after giving us the info."

Steve’s jaw clenched. "Find him. I want to know who he is and what he’s really after."

"Got it. I’ll update you soon."

The call ended. Steve sat back, unease gnawing at him. Something felt terribly wrong.

---

Meanwhile, Thomas gathered his men. As night fell, they spotted a barn in the distance.

"Check the barn," Thomas ordered two of his men.

They ran ahead with flashlights and disappeared inside. Moments later, they came sprinting back, pale with fear.

"There’s a bomb in there!" one of them yelled.

Before they could get far—BOOM!

The explosion lit up the night sky, sending shockwaves through the air.

Back at the building, Steve’s phone suddenly buzzed. His breath hitched as he answered.

"Boss," Thomas gasped. "It was a trap!"