MasukDANIELLE'S POVThis is exactly the kind of fine dining restaurant I love.High ceilings. Glittering chandeliers pouring light across white tablecloths. Servers gliding past with trays balanced like they were born holding them.Everything about it screams luxury, exclusivity, and power.And right now, sitting here in this sumptuous chair with champagne bubbling in my glass and the soft murmur of elite conversation around me, I feel invincible, my wolf practically purring inside me, content and satisfied in a way she hasn’t been in a long time.I can't stop smiling.Actually, I haven't stopped smiling since I walked in here twenty minutes ago, and my cheeks are starting to hurt from it, but I don't care.Because for the first time in months, since Megan Pierce stepped back into Arkon with her self-satisfied face and her annoying brats, I finally have a reason to celebrate.And celebrate I will.I signal the waiter over with a flick of my wrist, a well-groomed young man in a fitted black
MEGAN'S POVI let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head. "You think I'm scared of you? You think tying me to a chair and beating the crap out of me is going to make me cooperate? You've got another thing coming."They exchange a glance, and I can feel their irritation growing.But I don't care.Let them be irritated."Who's paying you to do this?" I demand, leaning forward as much as the restraints allow. "Who's your boss? Tell me!"Silence."Tell me!" I shout again, my voice echoing off the walls.But they just stand there, unmoved, and my anger flares hotter.One of them steps forward slightly with his arms crossed. "You'll find out soon enough."The words send a chill down my spine, but I refuse to let it show."Soon enough?" I repeat with a mocking tone. "What does that mean? Are you bringing them here? Are they coming to gloat? Because let me tell you something. Whoever your boss is, they're going to pay for this. And so are you."The man closest to me lets out a low chuckle. "Big t
MEGAN'S POVThe sound jolts me awake.A loud, metallic bang that rings out through the warehouse like a gunshot, and my eyes snap open before my brain even registers what's happening.For a second, I'm disoriented. My head throbs, my body aches in places I didn't know could ache, and the taste of blood still remains faintly on my tongue.And then it all comes crashing back.The kidnapping. The silver chair. The injection. The beating.I blink slowly, forcing my eyes to adjust, and I realize the darkness from last night has receded slightly.Morning.It's morning.Thin shards of pale light seep in through cracks in the warehouse walls, just enough to illuminate the space in a dull, gray haze.I can see more now. The sprawling concrete floor. The rust-stained beams overhead. The old equipment shoved carelessly into corners like forgotten relics.And the men.Three of them. The same ones from last night, still wearing their black ski masks like they're auditioning for the world's worst h
XARION'S POVThe car barely comes to a full stop before I'm out the door, my feet hitting the pavement hard as I sprint toward the hotel entrance.Every second counts.Every second Megan's out there, alone, possibly hurt, is a second too long.I push through the glass doors, ignoring the receptionist who calls out something I don't hear as I hurry past.My heart's pounding so hard it feels like it's going to break through my ribs, and my wolf is raking at me from the inside, urging me to move faster, urging me to do something, anything, to find her.But right now, the twins come first.They need me.And I need to see them. To make sure they're okay. To tell them I'm going to fix this.I don't wait for the elevator.I take the stairs.Two at a time. Three at a time.I reach the floor, push through the door, and stride down the hallway until I reach Megan's suite.I knock once, hard and urgent, and the door swings open almost immediately.Gwen's face appears, pale and shaken, her eyes r
XARION'S POVThere's a pause. A long one."That's the other thing," Gwen murmurs, her voice breaking. "His line isn't going through either."My blood instantly runs cold.Both of them. Their phones simultaneously unreachable.That's not a coincidence.That's coordination.Before I can respond, before I can even process what that means, I hear footsteps behind me.Fast. Urgent.I spin around, and one of my pack members, a gamma named Lucas, is sprinting across the driveway in my direction, his face pale and his expression frantic.The particular look of someone carrying news they wish they didn't have."Alpha!" he shouts, skidding to a stop in front of me, slightly breathless. "Alpha, I was just about to call you… we've received information… it's about Megan Pierce."My heart stops."What?" I bark, my voice rough. "What information?"He hesitates, his eyes darting nervously, and that hesitation alone makes my wolf snarl inside me."Spit it out, Lucas!""She's been kidnapped," he blurts
XARION'S POVBy the time the car pulls up to my house, it's almost ten o'clock, and I feel like I've been wrung out and left to dry.I'm tired.Not just physically tired, though that too, my body carrying the kind of exhaustion that comes from sitting through hours of meetings I barely absorbed, signing documents I had to read three times because my brain kept skimming past the words. No, it's the other kind of tired. The kind that settles somewhere behind your sternum and doesn't budge no matter how much coffee you drink or how many times you tell yourself to get it together.I couldn't concentrate today.Not even close.Every time I tried to focus on the reports in front of me, on the numbers, on the endless parade of agendas and quarterly figures and strategic proposals, my mind just kept circling back.To this morning.To Megan.I lean my head back against the seat as the car rolls to a stop outside my house, the engine easing to a soft idle, and I stare up at the ceiling for a mo
MEGAN'S POVVance grins, that easy, charming smile of his lighting up his face. "Good morning to you too, Megan."I cross my arms, squinting at him in curiosity. "Seriously. It's eight in the morning. What are you doing here?""I came to see you," he replies simply, holding up the bag. "And I broug
MEGAN'S POVI bite my lip, my chest tightening with a mix of gratitude and frustration.I appreciate what Vance's doing. Really, I do.But I don't want to come off as being dependent on him.I've worked too hard to build my independence, to prove I don't need anyone to take care of me.And lying he
XARION'S POVI've been on the phone for the past two hours.Two. Damn. Hours.Call after call after call, each one more frustrating than the last, and I still don't have the answers I need.I'm sitting at my desk in my pack office, one hand gripping my phone, the other rubbing my temple as I listen
XARION'S POVFor a moment, neither of us speaks. We just stare at each other, the tension heavy and suffocating."Xarion," he greets with a casual tone, like he's just dropped by for a friendly chat.But there's nothing friendly about the way he's looking at me."Dad," I reply cautiously, my guard







