Then it hits.
A sharp, searing pain rips through me, sudden and undeniable. It's not mine—it'shers.The agony drops me forward, my palms slamming onto the desk as my vision blurs. The bond—our bond—shifts inside me, raw and unrefined but strong enough to bring me to my knees. I don't question it. I don't hesitate. I latch onto it like a lifeline, and suddenly, Iknow.
"She's there." My voice is guttural, barely human. The wolf bleeds through, turning the words into a growl. I shove back from the desk, sending my chair crashing against the wall.
Sawyer and Eli exchange quick glances before Eli nods. "Then let's go."
I grab my phone and call Theo. He picks up on the first ring.
"We found her," I say, already moving. My boots echo against the hardwood floor, each step a countdown to violence.
"We're closing in on the warehouses now," Theo responds, his alpha authority clear even through the line. "We'll be in position by the time you arrive." There's a pause, heavy with unspoken tension. "Blackwell—if they've hurt her—"
"They're already dead," I finish. "They just don't know it yet."
I don't waste time with pleasantries. I hang up and make one more call.
Lucien D'Arcy answers with his usual amused drawl. "Blackwell. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Maya's been taken. Warehouse district." The words burn my throat like acid.
A pause. Then, he hums. "Well, I suppose I could lend a hand. Though I must say, seeing you this... invested in a little wolf is quite entertaining."
I hang up before he can bait me further.
By the time we reach the industrial zone, Theo's pack is already in position. His enforcers blend into the shadows, weapons ready, their eyes reflecting moonlight with predatory focus. The night air carries the scent of rust and diesel, overlaid with the sharp tang of anticipation.
Lucien arrives moments later, stepping out of a sleek black car like he has all the time in the world. His suit is immaculate, his smirk infuriating as he surveys the scene with detached amusement.
"I trust you don't expect me to get my hands dirty," he muses, adjusting his cufflinks. "I'll assist once the mess is cleaned up. Though I must say, Adrian—this protective display is rather telling."
I ignore him, turning to Theo instead. The alpha's eyes are hard, matching my own deadly focus. "We cut the power. Hit them fast, hit them hard. No one gets out."
Theo nods, and for once, there's no friction between us. Just shared purpose, shared rage.
Another spike of pain hits through the bond—duller this time, but enough to make my wolf howl inside me.Mine,it snarls.They dare touch what's mine.
I look at the warehouse, my vision sharpening with predatory clarity. My last thought before we move is a promise written in blood:I will burn this place to the ground if they've harmed her.
"Let's end this."
???
Darkness swallows the warehouse.
The moment the power cuts, silence follows—a tense, waiting breath before the inevitable storm. I don't hesitate. My night vision sharpens, my senses stretching outward, catching every heartbeat, every shift of movement in the pitch-black space. My wolf surges forward, clawing at my control, driven by a single purpose.
Maya.
I move like a shadow, silent, unrelenting. The first hunter doesn't even have time to scream before I grab him from behind, my hand clamping over his mouth. A precise strike to the back of his head, and he crumples unconscious. I lower him to the ground without a sound, my wolf snarling for more.
Gunfire erupts somewhere to my right—muffled curses, the scent of blood thickening in the air. The metallic tang mingles with gunpowder and fear, a heady mix that feeds the rage building in my chest. Theo's enforcers have engaged, their wolves disabling the hunters with calculated force. Somewhere in the chaos, I hear Eli's sharp bark of laughter, followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting concrete.
Sawyer moves ahead of me with ruthless precision, his strikes clean, efficient. One by one, the hunters drop unconscious. But I barely register their defeat.
The bond pulls me forward, insistent, primal. It's not a mating bond—not yet—but it's something deeper than instinct, more consuming than logic. Every cell in my body screams to reach her, to tear through anyone who stands in my way.
I push forward, navigating the maze of corridors, my breath steady despite the fury boiling in my veins. The closer I get, the stronger her scent becomes—lavender and pine, laced with something bitter. Wolfsbane.