Page 5 of Wanted By the Cartel

Zoren

I sat in my private study, surrounded by holographic displays showing everything we'd managed to gather about Lyrian in the past twenty-four hours. The room's darkness was broken only by the blue glow of the screens and the eternal flame burning in the ancient fireplace—a Nightshade tradition meant to represent our unending vigilance.

I could think better when I was in this place.

My fingers traced the rim of my whiskey glass, the same brand I'd ordered at the Howling Pine. The scent brought back vivid memories of him—platinum blonde hair catching the dim light, those deep sapphire eyes that couldn't quite hide their secrets, and most importantly, that peculiar magical signature that had called to both my wolf and the ancient power in my bloodline. He might just be the person I'd been looking for all this time.

"Report," I commanded, and Viktor stepped forward from his position by the door. He knew what I wanted to hear, and he wouldn't waste my time with useless information. Plus, he was only going to tell me the truth.

"The name 'Lyrian' appears in no official databases," Viktor began, pulling up several documents. "No birth certificate, no social security number, no school records. It's as if he didn't exist until eight months ago when he appeared at the Howling Pine. There's a lot he's hiding."

I nodded, having expected as much. "And the facial recognition scans? What do they tell us?"

"That's where it gets interesting." Viktor manipulated the holographic display, bringing up a series of surveillance photos taken from various locations across the continent. "We've found matches, but they're scattered and inconsistent. Different names, different backgrounds, but always in remote locations. Always working service jobs that deal in cash."

The images showed the same delicate features, the same careful pose, but with subtle variations—darker hair here, different clothing there, always just enough changes to avoid being recognized. He was clever, I'd give him that, but not smart enough to avoid my suspicion.

"Show me the timeline," I ordered, standing to better view the massive digital map that materialized before us.

Red dots appeared, marking locations across North America. "The earliest confirmed sighting was three years ago in Alaska," Viktor explained. "Then Montana, Idaho, Wyoming... always moving southeast, staying in each location between six and eight months before vanishing as though he never existed."

"Pattern analysis?" I could see it forming, but I wanted confirmation. Sometimes, I thought better with another person's help.

"He stays just long enough to build a believable presence, but not long enough to form real connections. Always positions himself in establishments that cater to travelers, where faces change every day. And the most important thing," Viktor paused, pulling up energy readings, "each disappearancecoincides with a massive surge of magical energy that despite the power, still has managed to avoid sensors, for the most part."

I leaned closer to examine the energy signatures. They were unlike anything I'd seen before, except... "Compare these readings to the historical records of moon-blessed activity during the Great Pack Wars."

The computer overlaid the patterns, and my breath caught. The match was undeniable. But there was something else, something that made my wolf stir beneath my skin. I didn't think this was going to come up.

"There's more," I said, not quite a question. My enhanced senses had picked up Viktor's slight shift in posture that always preceded his most significant revelations.

"We found this in the oldest archives." He produced a leather-bound journal, its pages brittle with age. "It belonged to your great-great-grandmother, Alpha Selene Nightshade."

The moment my fingers touched the journal, my wolf surged forward with recognition. The book hummed with old magic. Careful not to damage it, I opened it to the marked page and began to read:

"The moon-blessed omega came to us during the winter solstice. His power was unlike anything I'd witnessed—pure lunar magic running through his veins. The crescent mark behind his ear glowed with an inner light that called to the very essence of our kind. But most remarkable was the effect his presence had on true mates..."

Something intensified in the middle of my chest, where an unfamiliar warmth had been building since my encounter with Lyrian. Was that what this was? Not just the recognition of his immense power, but something deeper? Something I didn't want to think was true?

"Pull up the surveillance from the tavern," I commanded, needing to see him again. The holographic display shifted,showing Lyrian moving through his shift with that careful grace I'd noticed. But now, watching with attentive eyes, I could see the subtle signs—the way he avoided direct contact, how he seemed to sense trouble before it started, the faint shimmer in the air around him when his emotions ran high.

How come I didn't notice those things when I was there?

"He's using at least three different types of concealment magic," I noted, watching him interact with someone who shouldn't even be there. "Layer upon layer of protection. But there are moments when it slips... He's good, but not perfect."

I thought back to when I'd grabbed his wrist. The jolt of pure energy that had passed between us wasn't just magical recognition— it was something that ran deeper. The way my wolf had recognized him as ours, the overwhelming urge to claim and protect... The way his magic had reached for mine, even as he tried to pull away. The signs were there all along. My mind was just numb to them, until now.

"Viktor, what do we know about moon-blessed omegas and mate bonds?" I asked, though I suspected I already knew the answer. I just wanted the confirmation.

"Very little survived the purge," he admitted with a hint of disappointment, a feeling I shared. "But there are references to their ability to form powerful mate bonds, especially with alphas of significant magical lineage. The Nightshades have always been..."

"Compatible," I finished for him, remembering passages from my family's histories. The realization hit me like the asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaurs. This wasn't just about finding a powerful moon-blessed omega. This was about claiming my true mate—one whose power could match and complement my own.

My previous omega had never made me feel what Lyrian stirred within me. We had been together because we enjoyedeach other's company, but it wasn’t the same as what I was feeling now.

I pulled up the security feeds from the Howling Pine, watching him in real-time as he worked through another shift. He had no idea I was doing this, which made it the perfect opportunity to uncover who he really was.

Even through the grainy footage, I could sense his power, which was contained but, without a shred of doubt, was there. The way other shifters unconsciously gave him space, how the very air seemed to bend around him... The signs were all there, but only I could perceive them.

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