MasukThe Council deliberation took three hours, during which Hart sat in a holding cell listening to muffled arguments through stone walls and trying very hard not to think about execution methods.Cole wasn’t allowed in the cell with him because of conflict of interest as Hart’s mate, but through the bond Hart felt his constant presence, a steady anchor of support mixed with barely contained fury at the Council for even considering this.“They’re going to kill me,” Hart said through the bond. “Three allied wolves are dead because of me. That’s not something you just overlook.”“They’re not going to kill you,” Cole said, though Hart felt his uncertainty. “Kade is arguing your case, explaining the circumstances, the fact that you were trying to save lives.”“And the families of the wolves I killed are arguing I’m too dangerous to live,” Hart said. “I can hear them through the walls, Cole. They want justice.”Before Cole could respond, the cell door opened and Magnus entered with an expressi
Hart woke up human again, which was both a relief and deeply concerning because he had no memory of how he’d shifted back or how much time had passed.His body ached everywhere, his hands were covered in dried blood that definitely wasn’t his own, and Cole sat beside him looking like he’d aged ten years in however long Hart had been unconscious.“How many?” Hart asked, his voice raw. “How many did I kill?”Cole’s expression was answer enough before he spoke. “Three allied wolves from Coastal Ridge Pack. You went completely feral, couldn’t distinguish friend from enemy. We had to use five wolves and my Alpha command to subdue you, and even then you kept fighting until you literally passed out from exhaustion.”Hart felt bile rise in his throat. “I killed our own people.”“You were trying to save them and your power overloaded,” Cole said, though his voice carried no judgment, just exhaustion and pain. “The wolves you killed were already dying from silver nitrate exposure. You didn’t mu
Hart was still thirty miles from Veilridge City when Jethro’s phone exploded with emergency alerts from every allied pack territory simultaneously, and the cold dread in his expression told Hart everything before he even spoke.“Operation Silver Dawn just launched,” Jethro said, his voice tight. “Eighteen hours early. Multiple coordinated strikes hitting all twenty-three target territories at once.”Hart’s phone buzzed with incoming reports, and he watched the tactical map light up with red indicators showing active military assaults.River Basin Pack: under attack, heavy casualties reported.Mountain Crest Pack: perimeter breached, requesting immediate backup.Coastal Ridge Pack: evacuating under fire.The list went on, every territory they’d been trying to warn and protect now facing overwhelming military force.“Casualty estimates?” Cole asked, his voice dangerously calm in the way that meant he was barely holding his rage together.“Already at thirty-plus confirmed dead in the fir
Hart stumbled through the darkened facility corridors using the totem’s light to see, his body still burning from the inside but alive in ways that shouldn’t be possible after his heart had stopped.Around him, chaos erupted as the power failure unlocked every cell and security door simultaneously, releasing dozens of detained werewolves and humans into the hallways.“This way!” someone shouted, and Hart recognized one of Kade’s pack members leading a group toward an emergency exit.Hart followed, his legs barely supporting him, and crashed through the exit door into early morning sunlight that hurt his oversensitive eyes.The facility’s parking lot was pure pandemonium, escaped prisoners running in all directions while guards tried to regain control without functioning communication systems or electronic locks.Hart spotted Cole immediately, his mate’s massive black wolf form tearing through security personnel who were stupid enough to get in his way.Their eyes met across the parkin
Hart spent the night planning an escape that probably wouldn’t work but was better than sitting in a cell doing nothing while Marcus experimented on his sister.When the cell door opened at dawn, Hart expected guards coming to drag him to Marcus for another negotiation attempt, but instead he found himself staring at a video monitor being wheeled in by two technicians.Marcus’s face appeared on screen, and Hart could see he was standing in what looked like a command center, probably not even in the same facility.“Good morning, Hart,” Marcus said. “I hope you’ve reconsidered my offer.”“Where’s Mira?” Hart demanded. “I want to see her, confirm she’s okay before we discuss anything.”Marcus gestured off-screen, and the video feed split to show a second camera view of Mira strapped to a medical table, wires and sensors attached to her body, looking pale and terrified.“She’s been very cooperative with our initial tests,” Marcus said. “We’ve learned a lot about how dormant werewolf genet
The apartment door splintered under the battering ram on the third hit, and Hart barely had time to shift Mira behind him before federal agents poured into the room with weapons raised.“Nobody move!” the lead agent shouted, his gun trained on Hart. “Hart Santino, you’re under arrest. Everyone on the ground, hands visible!”Hart raised his hands slowly, very aware that one wrong move would get everyone in this room shot, and through the bond he felt Cole’s barely controlled rage.“We’re complying,” Hart said, keeping his voice calm. “Nobody needs to get hurt here.”“Tell that to the thirty-seven wolves your kind killed at River Basin Pack,” the agent said. “On the ground, now!”They complied, all four of them lying face down on Lewis’s apartment floor while agents zip-tied their wrists behind their backs with plastic restraints that smelled like silver, burning against Hart’s skin.Mira whimpered beside him, still wrapped in the blanket, and Hart could smell her fear mixing with the s
The helicopters were military, which Hart knew because Jethro identified them through binoculars as Apache gunships equipped with thermal imaging and enough firepower to level the entire manor.“We need to evacuate now,” Jethro said, already coordinating pack members through his phone. “They’re pro
The traditional execution grounds were older than most modern cities, all ancient stone and dried blood stains that spoke to three thousand years of werewolf justice, and Hart really wished he could be literally anywhere else right now.But Cole had to deliver the killing blow as the primary victim
Hart watched Silimg dodge another of Cole’s attacks with efficiency that spoke to months of preparation, and realized Jethro was right.This wasn’t just a challenge, it was an assassination attempt disguised as legal combat.Silimg went for Cole’s throat, her jaws snapping closed inches from his ju
Cole’s hands clenched into fists. “She’s not getting you, and she’s not getting my pack.”“Then you know what you have to do,” Hart said.The next two days were a blur of preparation. Cole trained constantly, reviewing combat techniques and strategy with Jethro. Hart continued giving blood for Dr.







