Kat crept silently away from Vitale's office, her heart pounding. She had heard enough of Marco's report to know that Vitale was pursuing a promising lead to find the missing children. A surge of panic washed over Kat as she slipped unseen through the darkened corridors of the pack headquarters. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to let it all come crashing down now. The thought of Vitale discovering those brats, proof that Natalia had borne his heirs, made her blood run cold. She had to stop him, no matter the cost.Reaching an empty conference room, Kat pulled out her phone with trembling hands. She selected a number, took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and hit call. After three rings, a gruff voice answered."Yeah?""It's Kat," she said sharply, all business. "I have a priority task for your team. Vitale is chasing a lead on the missing kids. I need you to intercept and redirect him.""Shouldn't be an issue," Sergei, one of her most trusted spies from her father's
Alessio's fists clenched as he stared out over the cliff's edge. The valley spilled out below him, trees swaying gently in the morning breeze. It did nothing to calm the turmoil roiling inside him. With a roar, Alessio lashed out, his fist connecting with the rock face. Pain splintered up his arm but it barely registered. He struck again and again until his knuckles were raw and blood dripped down his fingers. "Why can't I control this?" he growled, chest heaving.Ever since his failed experiment with Maddox, Alessio could feel his inner wolf straining against its bonds, threatening to break free. He was on edge, quick to anger over the smallest thing. Yesterday, he'd lashed out at Olga when she came for help. The shocked hurt in her eyes had sent him fleeing here, to his favorite thinking spot high in the mountains. Olga, Kat and Roberto were his only allies in the pack. Those that didn't look down him. But now he is losing even those.Alessio scrubbed a hand down his face and winc
Natalia sank down in front of the crude desk in her study, rubbing her tired eyes. The flickering lamp cast dancing shadows over the mess of papers and maps strewn across the worn wooden surface. She had been poring over them for hours, long after the rest of the pack had retired for the night. But sleep eluded her these days. Not when so many lives hung in the balance. Reaching out, Nat reshuffled through the pile of notes and sketches until she found the ones she sought. Photos ripped out of an old pack record book, capturing the faces of the missing Omegas. Young, vibrant wolves who had vanished unexpectedly over the past two moons. Seven in total. No trace of them had been found, despite extensive search parties scouring the territory and beyond. It was as if they had simply been snatched away, their scents dissolved on the wind.Natalia studied each photo, though she had long since memorized every detail. Jana's shy, sweet smile. The mischief glinting in Caleb's eyes. Sophia's k
Vitale paced around his spacious office, feeling restless and impatient. It had been two days since his run-in with Natalia at the restaurant in town. Two days since the uncomfortable tension that still simmered between them. Two days since he had heard anything new about the missing omegas. He was itching for action, for a break in this frustrating case. The waiting and political maneuvering were driving him mad. He needed to be out there searching for clues, hunting down leads, doing something productive.A knock on the door interrupted his brooding thoughts. "Enter," he called out.The door opened and Marco stepped inside. Vitale's trusted friend and spymaster had a thoughtful look on his scarred face. "What is it?" Vitale asked. "Please tell me you have news."Marco nodded. "I do. One of my city contacts came through. He tracked down the rental records for that van from the kidnapping scene. It was leased to a small construction company on the outskirts of town." Vitale felt a
Morning sun filtered weakly through the windows of the pack dining hall as Natalia sat picking at her breakfast. The noise and bustle of the pack felt strangely hollow today. Her investigation into the missing omegas had stalled, leaving her restless and on edge. Not to mention, Lila's words last night. She had vowed to not let emotions cloud her judgement, but seeing the girl only reminded her of her own kids. Natalia was so preoccupied scrolling through her notes that she didn't notice Olga until the she-wolf was standing over her table, smiling brightly."Good morning, Natalia! Mind if I join you?"Natalia blinked up at her in surprise. The petite omega was beaming down at her wearing her nurse badge. Although she rarely sets foot inside the packs clinic, she never failed to flaunt her position everywhere she goes. Olga's voice was friendly, even excited. But her eyes remained cold and calculating. Natalia's instinct instantly screamed distrust."Of course," she replied cautiousl
Roberto stuck to the shadows, slinking along the outer perimeter of the pack's territory. He kept his head low and his steps light as he moved through the underbrush, careful not to make a sound. The drug coursed through his veins, making his skin crawl and his muscles twitch involuntarily. He could feel the changes taking hold, though he couldn't be sure yet what those changes entailed. All he knew was that he had to get away from the others until he had a handle on it. As he crept along, using trees and boulders to hide his form, he thought back to how he had ended up in this position. Desperate times called for desperate measures. If it worked, no one would ever look down on him. If it didn't...well, best not to think about that.A spasm wracked Roberto's body, making him stumble into a tree trunk. He leaned there a moment, panting. The feverish heat under his skin grew more intense, like there was a fire kindling in his very bones. He had to get somewhere safe. Somewhere he could
Alessio trudged wearily through the shadowed forest, head low, shoulders slumped in defeat. He had been wandering aimlessly for over a week now, since fleeing his pack lands in shame. The untamed power burning within him frightened everyone he cared for. He was a threat...a monster. So he had run, hoping to protect them from himself. But now, exhausted and utterly alone, he wondered if leaving had been a coward's choice. The forest seemed endless, and the fury inside him raged on, unchecked. He was no closer to controlling it or finding answers. Only the beasts and trees witnessed his struggle, and they offered no wisdom.Lost in desolation, Alessio did not sense the large wolf trailing him until a voice called out."You look a little lost, friend."Alessio whirled, a snarl instinctively rising in his throat as his inner beast reacted. But he stifled it when he recognized the broad-shouldered stranger leaning casually against a tree trunk. Yes, now he remembered - they had crossed pa
Kat stalked through the dense forest, anger simmering in her veins. Those useless idiots had failed to kill Natalia, again. Just how long would it take to wipe out a single wolf?A twig snapped, jerking Kat from her brooding. She whirled, a snarl on her lips, only to find herself seized from behind by multiple assailants. She thrashed and bit down hard, tasting blood, but their grip was like iron. Within moments they had dragged her past the border markers and dropped her roughly at the feet of a smirking figure leaning against a tree. Kat leaped up and shifted into an attack crouch, lips curled back to expose her fangs. But she faltered at the sight of the man casually cleaning blood from beneath his nails with a knife. Dr. Maddox."Now now, that's no way to greet an old friend," the rogue scientist purred, poisonous gaze locking onto hers. "But given how you've ignored my messages of late, I thought an...intervention...was required."Kat forced her wolf down, though her muscles rem