Acarus holds up his hands. "Calm down, little witch. Your alpha is alive."


    Alive.


    What a weird way to put it.


    Wouldn''t someone normally say, your alpha is fine?


    "What happened?" I ask, sitting back in the chair as I focus my gaze on Acarus.


    "Great change. Rebellion. The end of days."


    I frown. "What do you mean, a great change?"


    The air is heavy, making it hard to breathe. Or maybe it''s just that my chest is tight.


    Acarus leans forward, his eyes intense. "The supernatural communities have risen up against the limitations imposed by human laws. It''s not just the wolf packs. Registered communities, unregistered cities—they''re all involved. War is everywhere."


    Marcus''s brow furrows. "How widespread is this unrest?"


    "It started here," Acarus explains, "but once the media caught wind of it, riots spread to large communities across the country. This anger has been simmering for a long time. Many feel the humans have chained us with their biased laws."


    My heart races. "Just tell me what happened to Lucas," I demand, worry coloring my tone.


    Acarus inclines his head, his expression softening slightly. "He''s recovering in a hospital."


    Relief and consternation flow through me. A hospital? Then that means he was injured. How? Why? By who?


    "Westwood is now under the control of rogue supernaturals. And Blackwood... My apologies, Ava. Alpha Renard has retaken it."


    Lucas has been defeated.


    And my father''s back in power.


    The implications make my head spin.@@@@


    Marcus speaks up, his voice tight with concern. "That doesn''t explain why we haven''t been able to contact anyone from the packs."


    Acarus sighs. "Most modern communication methods have been hijacked. It''s impossible to contact people via phone. I''m not familiar with the technical terms, but it''s some form of hacking. It''s beyond even what humans are capable of. Probably the work of gnomes or Fae."


    "Wait," I interrupt, struggling to comprehend. "How is it even possible to take down an entire country''s infrastructure?"


    "It is limited to most of this side of the country," Acarus clarifies. "That is as much as I understand. Beyond that, you would have to discuss with someone familiar with technology. I am not that person."


    My mind races, trying to make sense of it all. Then, a thought strikes me. "What about Clayton? How''s the Aspen pack doing?"


    Acarus raises an eyebrow, surprise evident in his features. "You still care about the Aspen alpha?"


    "No!" I deny immediately, wondering if I''ll ever outlive that presumption. "It''s just... Clayton''s been in Westwood and Blackwood for so long. I hope he''s okay, and his pack too."


    Acarus nods slowly. "I believe Alpha Shadowpine has returned to his pack, but I''m not certain." He pauses, his gaze intense. "Ava, I don''t think you understand how much the world has changed. Perhaps it is better to show you."


    The moment Acarus suggests showing me what he means, Marcus and Vanessa tense up like coiled springs. I can feel the shift in the air.


    "Yeah, I think so. Let me clean the lens."


    We watch in silence as someone brushes dirt off the lens. We can see again, the reporter''s face illuminated against darkness.


    "An apartment building just collapsed, sending dirt and debris everywhere. We''re safe, but I think the death toll just jumped. Back to you, Adam."


    "Thank you, Kyle—the horrors in New York City aren''t isolated, as riots inundate every major city..." The camera returns to a horrified anchor who speaks with professional detachment, despite the pallor in his face.


    "It came without warning," Acarus says quietly, his voice barely audible over the TV. "Yet it must have been in planning for decades."


    Marcus''s voice is tight with disbelief. "How? How could something this massive go undetected?"


    Acarus turns to him, his expression grim. "That''s the question everyone is asking. How is such a thing possible?"


    I can''t wrap my head around it.


    People can''t keep secrets this big. How did it go undetected?


    We''ve been worrying about the Mad Prince, about Alpha Renard''s desire for power, and vampire attacks.


    We weren''t expecting... this.


    "Lucas," I whisper, my voice trembling. "You said he was in the hospital. Was it because of this?"


    Acarus nods slowly. "He was caught in the crossfire when the riots broke out. From what I understand, he tried to protect both his pack and the humans in the area. It didn''t go well. He saved many, but the cost was high."


    My heart constricts painfully in my chest. Of course Lucas would try to protect everyone. Of course he''d put himself in harm''s way. And now he''s lying in a hospital bed while the world burns around us.


    "And my father?" I ask, dreading the answer. "You said Alpha Renard took Blackwood. Does that mean...?"


    "They are aligned himself with the rebellion," Acarus confirms, his golden eyes fixed on me. "As have many rogues. They see this as an opportunity to reclaim their power, to throw off the shackles of human law. Not all, of course. There are many who side with the humans. But they were not prepared for this.


    Coordinated attacks across the country."


    I feel sick, knowing my home pack is a part of this madness.


    "Did everyone know? Or are they just following Alpha Renard blindly?"


    "I do not know," Acarus says with a sigh. "Mother did her best to infiltrate the Blackwood Pack and gain their confidence, suspecting several families of—Well." He shakes his head. "Our ideas were small. Nothing on this scale, even with Mother''s visions."


    Part of me wants to believe it''s all a mistake, a misunderstanding. But the evidence is right there on the screen, impossible to deny.


    "What about the Aspen Pack?" Vanessa asks, her voice trembling. "You said Alpha Shadowpine returned to them. Is it as bad there?"


    Acarus shakes his head. "The Aspen Pack is fortuitously situated without any Supernatural Communities or any Unregistered Cities near them. While they have had fewer riots that have been easily quelled by the human military and the Aspen Pack''s enforcers, they are already inundated with refugees from neighboring lands. It''s only a matter of time.


    Their communications are down, but they''re in better shape than much of the country."


    The entire world has gone mad.


    "Is it only here? Are other countries having the same problems?"


    He shakes his head. "I don''t know."