Seize the girl!

"Or an Elf",Caleb said gravely.

"Prepare a dozen of the lycan warriors and ready them to march towards Dave's house",Riven said and walked back towards Layla.

"Yes Alpha",Caleb nodded and exited the room.

"I'm going to leave you for a while my love",Riven told Layla, one hand caressing her hair.

Layla's eyes were filled with questions. There was fear also, fear from the dream she had that night. It wasn't merely a coincidence. Why would she have that dream about Cara the same time Cara escaped? She remembered the whisper, and it further confirmed her suspicions. Something was going to happen today, and she didn't know what. She didn't even know how to convince Riven not to leave.

"Don't be frightened my sweet Layla",Riven said softly. "Caleb and Alex will be here with you until I return".

Layla's eyes widened and Riven understood what she was asking.

"Yes I released Alex",he said and smiled at her. "I told you you only need to ask my love. Anything you want will be done".

Layla wanted to tell him not to go. She wanted him to stay back because she had a strong hunch that something bad would occur. The dream and the whisper kept playing repeatedly in her mind. If only she could talk.

"Stay with Caleb and Alex and make sure you never leave their sight",Riven cautioned her. "I will return to you as soon as possible".

Layla nodded and tried to calm her frayed nerves. As long as Caleb and Alex were with her, maybe whatever was to happen wouldn't happen. Right?

She watched as Riven's eyes fogged and she knew he was using the mind link. The explanation Riven told her about the mind link sounded amazing and she would love to do it someday. But Riven told her it wasn't time for that yet. She wondered what he meant.

The door opened again and Caleb walked in with Alex behind him. Riven kissed her hair softly and turned to them.

"The warriors are ready Alpha",Caleb said.

"Send words to the Ancient Shifters. Alpha Dave has involved himself in treason and he is to be killed on sight".

"Yes Alpha",Caleb said and his eyes lost focus as he passed the message across the minds of the shifters through the mind link.

"What about Cara?",Alex asked.

"Leave her to me. I'm very sure I know what she plans to do".

Riven marched out of the room and slammed the door behind him. A moment later he mind linked the gamma.

[Protect my mate with your lives. I have a feeling Dave has something planned out in my absence]

[Yes Alpha! Luna will be protected]

...

Cara stood behind the cover of the oak tree in the forest, watching as Riven left the mansion and headed in the direction of her home with an army of warriors. Her father had been right. Immediately he found out she had escaped, he would go crazy with fury and march towards her home, leaving his mate behind. She was aware though, that Riven wouldn't leave his mate unprotected.

As soon as the last of the lycan warriors took off after Riven, she turned to the person hiding behind her.

"Father's plan is working",she said in a whisper. "Now he only has to stall Riven for a while and give me enough time to carry out my plan".

"Cara I still wonder why you want to go through with this",Zane said. He was her father's beta and right from the beginning, he strongly disagreed with his Alpha's plan to harm the Supreme Alpha's mate. He knew Cara was so obsessed with becoming the Supreme Luna and now she was taking things personal.

"Don't try to make me change my mind Zane. It would be a waste of time",Cara snapped at him and turned back to watch the mansion.

"If Riven discovers you're responsible for harming his mate, he will do much worse things than he did to you".

"Riven used me for years",Cara said angrily. "He used me, and I foolishly clung to him, thinking he would make me his Luna".

"You knew it would never be possible...",Zane argued.

"I don't care!",Cara snapped. "If I can't have Riven, then no one else will". She turned away and stared at mansion. "When Riven loses his mate, he will be distraught. And he will have no choice but to come back to me".

Zane shook his head in disagreement. He didn't support what Cara was about to do. But he had no choice. He couldn't disobey his Alpha's orders.

"It's time. Let's go",Cara said and began to creep towards the mansion.

...

Riven arrived at Dave's pack house and brought down the front door with a vicious kick.

Alpha Dave jerked up from his seat and stood glaring at Riven defiantly. A cold bead of sweat crawled down the back of his neck and he resisted the urge to shiver. He didn't want to reveal the fear he was feeling.

"Supreme Alpha Riven. What is the meaning of this?",he asked angrily. "This is my home and you must show me some respect".

Riven remained still, his head cocked to one side, his ears straining to catch the slightest sound and his nostrils flaring slightly as he sniffed. The room was silent after Dave's outburst and the atmosphere became thick with unease when Riven remained silent. He seemed to be listening for something.

Suddenly his eyes jerked up and in the next second, he had Dave pinned to the wall in a tight grip. His eyes turned gold and began to flicker.

"Where is she?",he asked in an eerie quiet tone. "Where is Cara?".

Alpha Dave gulped and tried to force out his words through the choking grip around his neck. "I did what a father had to do... I... I couldn't let my daughter... re...remain in prison..."

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU BASTARD!",Riven roared at him. "I can't smell her. WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?",he roared again. He couldn't catch the scent of Cara and that was how he knew she wasn't around the perimeters.

Suddenly it dawned on him and his eyes turned blood red. Layla! The look on Alpha Dave's face confirmed it and he began to tremble with rage. Layla was in danger.

Riven slammed the man into the wall and threw him outside in a fit of rage. Alpha Dave crashed through the windows and landed heavily on the ground, pieces of broken glass falling around him.

"Bring him back to mansion",Riven said to Cade and shifted smoothly into his lycan form. He took off towards the mansion in a blinding speed. The thought of Cara attacking his mate made him mad with fury and his pace increased.

He just found her after so many centuries and her life was already in danger. They wouldn't lay a hand on his mate.

...

Layla sat with Caleb and Alex in Riven's large library. Dressed in one of the numerous fancy dresses Riven got for her, she looked absolutely innocent and enchanting. Her dark hair spilled down her back, reaching her waist and her eyes were alight with awe.

The library was magnificent. Dark mahogany shelves lined the walls, filled with hundreds of books. She had never been in the midst of so many books and she was totally awed.

As she moved past the shelves, a particular book caught her attention. It was dark and larger than the rest. She pulled it out, coughing slightly from the dust that had collected on it. Tiny insects scurried out as she took the book to one of the couches and settled on it.

Annabelle Hale;this is my book of shadows.

"Interesting title",Caleb commented from beside her. She was just about to write on the parchment and show it to him when they heard a loud sound.

Boom!

Like a door was being kicked open.

Layla's head snapped up the same time as Caleb, eyes fixed on the library door. What could have made such sound?

[The mansion is under attack!]

The mind link reached Caleb a second before the library door was blown off its hinges.

Cara marched in with Zane beside her and her furious eyes zeroed in on Layla who moved back in shock.

"Seize the girl!"