LUCAS


    Being away from Ava is torture, but the random photo updates from Kellan help ease the ache in my heart. And the wolf snarling in my head.


    He''s pissed that we''re far from her again, logic and reasoning be damned. And if I hear one more word about that damn dog, Selene—I don''t even know what I''ll do.


    I can feel his frustration ease as we stare at the photo Kellan texted me; she''s exhausted, her cheeks red with exertion and her bangs damp against her head.


    She hasn''t been wearing her glasses. Two days after her discharge, she''d complained about them making her vision blurry.


    Vanessa and Dr. Beaumont are certain it''s a sign that her wolf is awakening, but Ava had taken the news in stride, asking no questions.


    Her disinterest worries me; to be wolfless is a curse among our people. To know that her wolf might come? She should be over the moon, praising the Goddess for such a blessing. And yet Ava acts as though it doesn''t involve her.


    Dr. Beaumont says it''s probably a trauma response to her life in the Blackwood Pack, but I can''t shake the feeling that there''s something more to all of this.


    Ultimately, it doesn''t matter. As long as she''s safe and happy, I won''t ask for much more. It was hard to watch her as she lay in her hospital bed, day after day. Hard to watch as the nurses bathed her with gentle hands. Hard to watch as her cheeks thinned, even with the intravenous nutrition they''d started her on after three days.


    Losing her would mean losing everything. I can''t survive in this world knowing she isn''t in it.


    Simple daily activities like basic hygiene were out; no showers, and meals were only taken because Kellan would bring food and stand watch until I ate it. Lisa wouldn''t eat until I did, and I remember thinking that Ava would kill me if her human friend starved to death because I was too sick at the thought of losing her.


    Otherwise? The entire world could burn, as long as I was by her side.


    Not really the best mindset for an alpha. Kellan stepped up for me, but I have a lot to deal with now.


    Which is why I''m back in the Blackwood territory, daydreaming about my fated mate instead of visiting her like I want to.


    "Alpha?"


    Shit.


    A growl rumbles in my chest, my wolf''s fury bleeding into my own. Two lives, gone. Two more families left to mourn, all because of that bastard Renard.


    "How the fuck has he managed to hide so well?" I snarl, slamming my fist on the table. The wood cracks under the force, splinters digging into my skin. I barely feel the sting, too consumed by the inferno of rage, molten in my veins.


    That shit-alpha and his loyal followers have managed to evade us at every turn, slipping through our fingers like smoke. It''s infuriating, knowing they''re out there, plotting and scheming, while we''re left grasping at straws.


    "They''ve likely found powerful allies among the vampires," Vester says, his tone grim. "The Unregistered cities are a labyrinth of secrets and danger. Even our best scouts stand little chance against their defenses."


    Shoving away from the table, I pace the room, my mind racing. Sending more scouts is a death sentence. We need a new strategy, a new approach.


    "What about the other packs?" I ask, turning to face Vester. "Have any of them had any luck?"


    He shakes his head. "None that they''ve reported. The Blackwood situation has everyone on edge. No one wants to risk their own people."


    I can''t blame them. The thought of losing more of my own pack members makes my stomach churn. But we can''t just sit back and do nothing.


    "We need to find a way in," I mutter, more to myself than to Vester. "We need someone on the inside, someone who can gather information without raising suspicion."


    But who? Who could possibly infiltrate the Unregistered city and come out alive?


    "Keep searching," I tell Vester, my voice firm. "Reach out to our allies, call in every favor we''re owed. We won''t rest until we find them."


    Kill them, my wolf whispers, a murderous shadow in my mind.


    Vester nods, his expression resolute. "Yes, Alpha. I''ll send word to our contacts immediately."


    I dismiss him with a wave of my hand, my mind already churning with possibilities. There has to be a way, some weakness we can exploit. We just haven''t found it yet.


    But we will. I won''t stop until Ava is safe, until the threat of the Blackwood pack is nothing more than a distant memory. I''ll tear apart the very foundations of the supernatural world if that''s what it takes.


    I turn back to the reports scattered across my desk, searching for any scrap of information that might lead us to those damned Blackwood mutts.