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    "Show yourself!" he demanded, his voice cutting through the silence.


    "Noah, don’t—" she started, but one of the kidnappers silenced her with a rough shake.


    Noah’s eyes never left Clara’s. "Let her go. You want me? Fine. But she walks out of here unharmed."


    He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I’ve got this, Clara. Trust me."


    As the kidnappers moved closer, Noah’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing. He had to save Clara—no matter the cost. The air between them crackled with unspoken emotions, their bond stronger than any weapon.


    Clara’s been taken. His chest tightened, a feral growl tearing from his throat as his vision blurred with rage.


    The air around him thickened, suffused with the metallic tang of iron and the sharp, earthy scent of snow-dusted cedars—his *scent*, the mark of his bloodline.


    “Noah, stop!” His second-in-command, Marcus, stepped in front of him, hands raised as if to calm a wild animal. “You’re not thinking straight. We need a plan.”


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    Marcus’s jaw tightened, his tone firm but laced with concern. “You’re not invincible, Noah. If you go in there alone, you’re walking into a trap.”


    The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavy. Marcus exchanged a worried glance with the others, but no one dared to argue further.


    Without another word, Noah turned and stormed out of the room, his boots pounding against the floor. The cold night air hit him like a slap, but it did nothing to quell the fire raging inside him.


    She’s mine, he thought again, the possessive mantra fueling his resolve.


    As he ran through the forest, his senses sharpened, every sound, every scent amplified. He could still smell her faintly, a trace of lavender and honey lingering in the air.


    “Clara,” he whispered her name like a prayer, his voice raw with emotion. “Hold on. I’m coming.”


    He was a predator unleashed, a force of nature driven by love and fury. And nothing—*nothing*—would stop him from bringing her home.


    The question lingered, unanswered, as he stepped into the darkness, ready to face whatever awaited him. For Clara, he’d risk it all. Even his humanity.


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