Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 100: Bring Back Priscilla

In the middle of the night, Damon and the others were preparing to leave the manor.

The hideout was located near Eclipse Bay in Suncreast City, so they had to use several helicopters to get there as quickly as possible.

They had already contacted a friendly pack in Suncreast, one that had good relations with the Crimson Moon Pack. That pack would provide cars for them once they landed, ensuring a smooth transition from air to land.

"Please, be safe," Charlotte said, looking up at Damon.

Deep down, she wished she could go with him, to be there, to help. But she knew better, the only thing she would do on that mission was slow them down, and she refused to be a burden.

Staying behind with Louis and the others was the better choice, no matter how much it hurt.

"I will." Damon tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t worry about me."

Don’t worry?

How could she not worry when he was about to walk straight into the devil’s den?

They still hadn’t found any trace of Julian, but that didn’t mean the hideout wasn’t full of traps waiting for them.

Charlotte swallowed the lump in her throat and hugged him tightly. "Just be careful," she whispered. "I don’t care how fast you come home. I just want you to come home safe."

Damon gently ran his fingers through her hair, patting her head a few times before pulling back. His touch was warm, reassuring, like he was silently telling her not to worry. "Alright, I’m going now."

With that, he turned and walked away, joining Diana and the others as they left the manor.

Charlotte stood there, watching his back as he disappeared into the night. Her chest tightened with every step he took, her fingers instinctively clutching the fabric of her dress.

She wanted to call out to him, to make him promise again that he’d come home safely, but she didn’t.

She just stood in silence, trying to swallow the fear threatening to rise inside her.

"He’ll be fine," Mona said calmly.

Charlotte turned slightly, looking at her. Mona was his mother, yet somehow, Charlotte felt like she was the one worrying more.

Mona let out a small, knowing smile. "My son isn’t someone who can be killed that easily."

She said it with such confidence, like it was an undeniable fact.

Charlotte wished she could believe it as easily as Mona did, but until she saw Damon walk through that door again, safe and sound she wouldn’t be able to breathe.

Charlotte spent the next few hours anxiously waiting for Damon’s return. She tried to distract herself by trying to sit still, tried to read, tried to focus on anything other than letting her worry fill her heart.

But it was useless.

Every few minutes, she found herself glancing at the clock, her heart pounding, wondering if something had gone wrong.

Eventually, the weight of her worry became too much. She needed something to do, so she decided to go into the kitchen and started baking.

It had been what felt like an eternity since the last time she baked anything.

She didn’t even know what she wanted to make or if anything she made would actually taste good. For all she knew, it might turn into something even a rat wouldn’t eat.

But none of that mattered.

She just needed a distraction, anything to keep her from drowning in her own thoughts. Her hands moved on instinct, grabbing flour, sugar, butter, whatever she could find.

She mixed, she measured, she kneaded the dough with more force than necessary, as if trying to push all of her fears into the movement.

By the time the warm scent of vanilla and cinnamon filled the air, she had already lost count of how many batches she had made.

Louis walked into the kitchen, intending to grab a glass of water, but instead, he stopped in his tracks, staring at the sheer number of cookies, cakes, and pastries piling up on the counter.

"... Are we hosting a banquet, or did you just black out and bake for three hours?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Charlotte barely looked up as she continued shaping dough. "I needed to do something."

Louis arched a brow. "Right. And this was the best idea?"

She shrugged. "Would you rather I spend the night pacing around the house like a ghost?"

Louis exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fair point." He grabbed a cookie, turning it over in his hand before taking a bite. A second later, his brows lifted in surprise. "Huh."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Louis chewed for a moment, then casually shrugged. "I guess I should be thankful that your cookies actually taste really good."

Charlotte blinked. "Wait ... seriously?"

She had thrown everything together without a second thought, barely paying attention to what she was doing. She hadn’t even tasted them, partly because she was too anxious and partly because the idea of all that sugar still made her stomach turn.

Meanwhile, Louis was already reaching for another one. "I mean, if you keep baking like this, you might as well open your own bakery."

Charlotte laughed at his comment.

"Do you need some company?" Louis asked as he sat down near the counter. "Haven and Vera are asleep, so ... I don’t have much to do right now." novelbuddy.cσ๓

Charlotte joked. "Are you here to keep me company, or do you just want to steal my cookies?"

Louis smiled as he took another bite of his cookie. "Can’t it be both?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes but let out a small laugh. For a moment, the kitchen felt warm and comforting, like the worry on her chest had lifted just a little, but that moment didn’t last long.

About an hour later, Charlotte heard a rumbling in the air that sounded like helicopters. She froze, her hands gripping the edge of the counter as she listened. The sound grew louder, sending a shiver down her spine.

Louis immediately straightened. "That’s a helicopter."

Charlotte didn’t need to be told twice. She bolted toward the front of the manor, barely aware of Louis following close behind. As soon as she stepped outside, she noticed that the sun was beginning to rise, slowly pushing away the cold of the night.

The helicopters descended rapidly, their powerful blades kicking up wind and dust as they touched the ground. The moment they slowed enough, the doors swung open.

Charlotte held her breath as she saw Damon step out of one of the helicopters.

He looked messy and rough. His hair was disheveled, his clothes torn, especially around his arms, and his gray eyes were clouded with exhaustion.

There were traces of blood on his face, but as Charlotte’s eyes scanned him frantically, she couldn’t find any visible wounds.

Had he already healed? Or was that someone else’s blood? The blood of the werewolves he had fought?

Then, Charlotte lowered her eyes, noticing that Damon was carrying someone in his arms.

It was Priscilla.

Charlotte barely recognized her because her clothes were torn, her face bruised, her body limp against Damon’s chest. Her skin was deathly pale, too pale.

Damon didn’t waste a second. "Louis!" His voice was sharp, commanding, cutting through the hum of the helicopter blades. "Take her. Now."

Louis was already moving, his instincts kicking in as he rushed forward to take Priscilla from Damon’s arms. His brows furrowed the moment he felt how cold she was.

"Shit," Louis muttered, quickly adjusting his grip. "Is she even still alive?"

Charlotte watched as Priscilla’s head lolled against Louis’s shoulder, her breathing shallow and weak.

"Get her inside," Damon ordered, "She needs medical attention immediately."

Without hesitation, Louis carried Priscilla toward the manor, barking orders for the pack’s medics to prepare a room.

Not long after, Diana stepped out of the helicopter, looking even worse than Damon.

Several wounds on her arms and cheeks were still open, the bleeding barely stopping. But instead of worrying about herself, her first concern was her sister.

"Did Louis take Priscilla inside?" she asked, her voice strained.

Damon nodded. "Yeah, he called the pack’s medics to take care of her. You should clean yourself up first before going to see her."

Diana shook her head. "This is nothing."

She tried to push forward, determined to walk on her own, but the moment she took a step, her legs wobbled. She would have lost her balance completely if Damon hadn’t caught her in time.

Damon sighed, tightening his grip to steady her. "You’re as stubborn as ever." Turning toward Theodore, he gave a firm order. "Take her to her room."

Theodore stepped forward without hesitation, wrapping an arm around Diana’s waist to support her. "Come on, stop being stubborn for a second."

Diana clicked her tongue but didn’t argue with him.

After watching them leave, Charlotte turned back to Damon, her heart still pounding in her chest. "And you?" she asked, coming closer. "Are you alright?"