Rescuing His Captive Mate: Saving The Future Luna

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Artem

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 The morning had started off exciting, with a lovely view of my mate's naked body. But before I could do anything she reminded me that I had work to do today, though she did tell me that we could always do something later. I was really looking forward to that.

I was also happy when Star asked me if she could be more active in the business of the pack. She wanted to be a real Luna and that made me both happy and proud all at the same time.

During breakfast I noticed that Star looked a little distracted and worried while she was looking at the talisman wearing boys. She was concerned about them, that was plain to see. She was already a caring Luna, she just didn't know it yet.

I took her to my office and she began to explore while I sat behind my large desk. I noticed she was exploring the bookcase and had just picked up one of the two doom books that Chay had thrown at me before.That was not a pleasant memory. Thankfully I survived that night and lived to tell the tale. That fucking book hurt like hell. 

It was surprising though, that Star would feel drawn to that book. Damn my mom's family for coming from Mexico, if my Aunt Criztie hadn't sent us those books I wouldn't have been hit with them. 

I hadn't even been in the office for five minutes by the time that Kent had knocked on the door. I could smell him and only him. But that didn't mean anything since wolves were incapable of smelling a warlock. It did make me wonder though, if that stench that Howard had was from his demon side. That probably was the exact reason but I wouldn't know.

"They're earlier than I expected." I sighed.

"Who? I can only smell Kent out there." I could tell that Star was a little nervous after hearing my words.

"The warlocks. They sent someone to talk to us about the remaining talismans on the others."

"Really? But I don't smell anyone else out there. Are you sure they're here?"

"They're either at the door with Kent or waiting downstairs for me." I got to my feet and explained things to her as I walked. "We wolves can't smell them. It's a pain but that's just how things are."

When I opened the door I saw Kent standing alert and ready. It looked like he was uncomfortable about something. Beside him were the two warlocks dressed in long silver cloaks that had black designs decorating them.

"Alpha Artem, these are the Warlocks that you invited, Henrich Asten and Lionel Fritz." The men were really old and really gray with wrinkles around their eyes.

"Welcome gentlemen." I gave them a friendly smile and stepped to the side to let them into the room. "Won't you please come in and have a seat, I am certain that we have a lot to discuss and share with each other."

Once the men were seated in front of my desk I saw that Kent had slid inside as well, standing guard just behind the warlocks. I walked to Star and saw that she instinctively put the book down before I reached her. When I took her hand I pulled her behind me and sat her on my lap as I sat in my desk chair. There was no seat of honor for Star yet so I would be her seat.

Now that we were all in our proper positions it was time to start the meeting.

"Thank you for coming gentlemen. As you know, my name is Artemis Cooper, you've met my Beta, Kent Hall, and this here is my mate Astraia Westbrook."

"We are honored to be here to assist you. I am Henrich, and this is my associate Lionel." The older of the men was speaking to me now, would men this old be of any use to me at all?

"Why don't you tell us what the issue you're having is. The secretary explained as best as she could but I do not believe that she understood it all completely."

"Yes, she seemed to think that your problem had to do with the most notorious criminal among our kind." Henrich spoke again after Lionel had asked me to explain.

I took a deep breath and looked around the room. The other two wolves in this room with me had suffered the most of those in my inner circle. They were the ones most affected by what had happened aside from the boys who still had the talismans on them. 

"Our issue is that a warlock had long ago visited our quiet little town. Generations ago he came here and convinced the people here that he knew how to determine the max power level that a male wolf would become. The males were the only ones that had been affected at the time."

I closed my eyes and clearly pictured the story that I had been told with vivid detail. I imagined the emotions that Daniel and the others felt at the time: the fear, the heartache, the sorrow, the confusion.

"Long ago the warlock came here and took those boys that were supposedly weak and wouldn't amount to much. He bought them from their families and they were never seen again. There were experiments that would take place in the dead of the night where men and children were heard screaming in pain. After some time the man left but he told the townsfolk that he would be back and he expected them to continue the way of life he had taught them. And that was exactly as they had done.

I felt my voice shake a little as my mind shifted to my own personal memories. To the boys who were still suffering, to Nico, to Lenny. The boys who have been treated that way lately have had things worse in a way. They are being beaten, starved, and imprisoned by their familie. They are dying."

"That's horrible." Henrich sounded appalled by what he was hearing.

"I lost my best friend to the curse of this pack when I was eight years old. My Beta's brother was imprisoned and is now nothing but a feral wolf. I have managed to save half a dozen boys now, but they all still wear the talismans that the warlock gave to this pack."

"Why not remove them? Or are you unable to do that?" Lionel was the most curious apparently.

"We did that once. We removed one the moment we got the boy here. When the talisman was removed the boy shifted into the wolf that had been imprisoned his entire life. The wolf went feral and the boy has been lost to us, at least for now." I saw Kent lower his head, the sorrow that was weighing him down would never leave him, at least not as long as his brother was lost.

"What was the name of the warlock that was here before? Who did this to your pack?"

"His name was Gannon."

Apparently that was a name that neither of these men had been wanting to hear. They both gasped and seemed to pull back, like they wanted to get away from me.

"Gannon?" Henrich sounded very scared as he spoke.

"Yes, that was his name. Even his son called him Gannon."

"SON?!" Both men exclaimed at the exact same moment.

"Yes, he was a half warlock half demon that was posing as a wolf. He seemed to be best at glamour type magics as he was more skilled at illusion than anything else."

"Where is the son now?" Henrich was frightened by this new development."

"I killed him. Almost six weeks ago now." 

"Y-you're positive he is dead?" Lionel was looking just as scared as Henrich.

"I ripped off his wing, horn, both arms, and both legs. After that I crushed his heart. Yeah, I would say that I am pretty certain that he is dead." Both men gulped and looked at me like they were afraid of me now.

"W-well, I would say that the son being dead was a good thing. Especially if he was half demon. I don't even want to think about how that came to happen."

"I couldn't tell you." I shook my head at the thought. "Would you gentlemen like to meet the six boys that I want you to help me save?"

"Yes, let's go."

We all got to our feet and started to leave the room. Just as Kent got to the door so that he could hold it open for the two older men there was a dual cry of surprise and shock. I saw an intense look wash over their faces and a light sheen of sweat break out across their foreheads.

"Is something wrong?" I asked them as I grabbed Henrich's elbow so that I could help him stand.

"There has been a summons from our Queen." Henrich looked scared. "The warlock Gannon has started his next attack. He is traveling now and we are to get home." The moment he finished speaking a cell phone began to ring in Lionel's pocket.

The incoming call was from those at the Warlock headquarters. There had really been a summons, at least that was what it seemed like. The two men apologized frantically and told us they would be back with more help when the issue with their summons had been cleared up. I was angry but there was not much I could do.

The boys would just have to hold on a little longer.

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