CHAPTER 3

I stood firm, watching Dr. Daniel Harris survey Brandon’s shattered tactical goggles before he turned a glacial gaze toward Mike. The air in the corridor was thick with the scent of ozone and cooling adrenaline.

"Collins’s link is completely dead. We have no way of knowing if he’s been intercepted or worse," Daniel said, his voice tight with a healer’s concern. "I’m heading out to track his scent now. You can either return to the hall and keep the other Alphas from tearing the place apart, or you can join the hunt."

Mike snarled, suppressing the urge to shift right there in the hallway. "I’m coming with you!"

I stepped forward, my shadow looming over them, cutting off their path to the exit. "What happened to Collins?"

"Alpha Carter, we are as blind as you are right now," Daniel replied, meeting my gaze without flinching. "He sent a pulse this morning saying he’d be at the lodge by six for the feast. It’s nearly seven, and there isn't a trace of his scent within three miles."

"It’s the weekend. Why wouldn't he be at the manor?" I asked, my chest tightening with a sudden, sharp dread.

"He isn't there. We’re going to find him, Ethan. If you want a full report, wait until he’s safe," Daniel said, brushing past me with Mike in tow.

I watched them disappear into the stairwell, then turned toward the private lifts. Brandon followed me, his face bruised and his optics ruined. "Sir, Mike was the one who orchestrated this entire gathering. He curated the guest list himself. It wasn't Collins’s choice to leave you out in the cold."

I narrowed my eyes. "And he didn't even review the scrolls himself?"

"The rumors say he’s been obsessed with a private project," Brandon responded.

I glanced at my lieutenant’s battered face. "Don’t follow me. Go to the infirmary and get a new pair of tactical lenses."

"Yes, Alpha."

"And next time, use your tactical training, not your fists, when you're squared up against a rogue who clearly has more mass than you. You’re usually the most rational wolf in the pack; what happened tonight?" I asked, seeing the frustration in his eyes.

Brandon lowered his head. "I’m certain he excluded you purely because of our previous skirmish at the border."

"You’re overthinking it. Even without our history, a rogue like Mike would never invite an Alpha of the North to his den," I said flatly. "Don't let your temper slip again."

I exited the lodge and climbed into the back of my armored sled. "Where to, Alpha?" the driver asked.

"Hold. I need to pull a signal first."

I patched through to the Valeria Telecommunications Hub, demanding the last known coordinates of Collins’s device before the signal went dark. The data arrived seconds later.

"Drive to the Starry River district. Now."

The last recorded ping was near the edge of that territory. As we approached the outskirts, I ordered the driver to cut the engine’s roar. Through the swirling flurries of snow, I spotted a white Rower parked haphazardly against a frost-covered curb.

It was Collins’s vehicle.

"Stop the sled!" I barked. I didn't wait for the door to fully open before I leaped out into the biting wind of early fall.

When I reached the car, my heart stopped. Collins was slumped against the steering wheel, his head lollled to the side, looking completely lifeless.

"Collins!"

My vision pulsed red. I grabbed the door handle and yanked with enough strength to bend the metal, but the locks were engaged. There was only a sheet of reinforced glass between us, and I was clawing at it like a beast.

The bodyguard rushed up with a heavy emergency breaker, shattered the passenger window, and dove inside to pop the locks. I ripped the driver’s door open and pulled Collins into my arms. He was cold, and though there were no marks on him, his breathing was nothing more than a shallow, ragged whisper. He looked like he was trapped in a deep, unnatural coma. Had he been conscious, the sound of the glass shattering would have sent any wolf into a defensive shift.

At the medical wing, after a frantic series of scans, Dr. Daniel Harris stepped out. "He collapsed from acute hypoxia—lack of oxygen. You pulled him from that cabin just in time. He isn’t in immediate danger of crossing the veil, but he needs absolute stillness. He’ll recover when his body decides to wake."

"How does an Alpha end up suffocating in his own transport? Did the scans show a toxin or a breach?" I demanded, pacing the sterile room.

"The blood work shows his vitals are holding... aside from a severe drop in glucose, there’s nothing out of the ordinary," Daniel answered, handing me the report.

"Then why hasn't he opened his eyes? Why is he still under? Does he truly not need a specialized stasis pod?"

Looking at Collins’s gaunt, exhausted face, I felt a gnawing suspicion that this wasn't just a physical collapse. There were no wounds, yet he was shattered.

"He is simply spent, Alpha Carter. He’s fallen into a deep recovery sleep because his system reached its breaking point," Daniel explained. He noticed my disbelief and gently lifted one of Collins's eyelids. "Look at the burst vessels and the dark bruising beneath the skin. He hasn't slept in days."

I finally felt the crushing weight in my chest ease slightly. I realized he must have drifted off while the engine was idling in the cold, his consciousness finally surrendering to the exhaustion on the way to his own feast.

What had he been hunting? Was he truly pushing himself so hard that he’d forgotten to breathe? If I hadn't followed that ping, he would have been claimed by the frost.

An hour later, I made the call to transport him back to the Carter Citadel. Then, I dialed Natalie Brooks to report the situation.

"Why have you taken my pack-mate to your fortress?!" Natalie’s voice came through the line like a whip.

"The healers said he didn't need a hospital ward, so I brought him here to recover in a secure environment," I replied.

"You know exactly where our den is! Why didn't you return him to his own furs?"

I knew Natalie wanted to come for him, but she was bound to the manor to guard Hayden and Layla. She couldn't risk bringing the pups into the heart of the Carter territory.

"You wouldn't be so quick to snap if you understood how close he came to the end tonight."

I had intentionally brought him to my home. I wanted to be the first thing he saw when he woke, and I wanted to know what was draining the life out of him.

"What does that mean? What happened to Collins?!" Natalie’s voice wavered.

"He’s stable. He’s sleeping, and he can return to your den once he’s fit to walk," I said. "If your worry is too great, you are welcome to bring the pups here. I will grant them passage."

"...I'll send Daniel to verify his condition," Natalie said, hanging up.

An hour later, Daniel arrived at the Citadel.

"You’re saying he fell asleep at the wheel?" Daniel asked, his eyes wide. "He locked himself in a cage of his own making?"

I looked at him, my eyes cold and searching. "What is the true nature of your bond with Collins, Dr. Harris?"

"We are brothers in arms," Daniel answered simply.

"Professor Hough had many pupils. You aren't this protective of Chloe Bennett, are you?" I said mockingly. "Do you harbor a mate-bond for Collins?"

Daniel laughed softly, a gentle, knowing smile on his face. "Is Collins not allowed to seek a new partner, Alpha? Has he ever voiced an objection to your arrangement with Dr. Bennett?"

The ice in my gaze deepened. "That is the scent that bothers me. When I tasked you with finding the student the Professor praised on his deathbed, you gave me a scroll of names. Why didn't you just point to Chloe? She claims to know you. You surely know the depth of her skill."

Daniel looked genuinely surprised that I was pulling at that specific thread.

"Of course I know her. But it’s been many moons since she left the Professor’s side. I couldn't vouch for the sharpness of her blade today, which is why I let you hunt for the truth yourself."

I wasn't a pup to be distracted by a shiny stone. "Did the Professor never speak of her? He was too fearful to operate on Shea himself, yet he said he had a student who could master the procedure. That implies a level of respect that borders on reverence... It is impossible that he never mentioned a prodigy of that caliber to you."