CHAPTER 4

I stood my ground, watching the play of emotions on Daniel Harris’s face as I pressed him.

Daniel’s grip on his glass of glacier water tightened. He looked away, and I caught the flicker of uncertainty in his scent.

"You’re shielding something from me, Dr. Harris," I said, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous frequency. "Are you burying the truth to protect Collins?"

"This isn't about Collins," Daniel insisted, though his heart was racing. "The Professor didn't share every detail of his work with me. He never breathed a word about your sister’s case. I’m a cautious wolf; even if I suspected Chloe Bennett’s talent, I wouldn't have staked your sister's life on a hunch until I saw the steel in her hand."

I pinned him with a silent, heavy stare. To claw back his credibility, Daniel finally bared his throat—emotionally speaking.

"Even if my wolf calls for Collins, I would never challenge him. I know he only views me as a brother of the pack."

The frost in my eyes thawed instantly. I wasn't threatened by a wolf who knew his place.

"The night is deep. You should return to your den," I said, effectively ending the audience. "He’ll send a pulse when he wakes."

Once Daniel had vanished into the snow, I prowled toward the master suite. The heavy timber door was ajar. Shea was standing by the bedside, her eyes wide with curiosity as she watched Collins sleep. I walked to her side, noting the lack of fear in her posture.

"Do you find him agreeable, Shea?" I asked softly.

Shea was a solitary creature; she usually retreated from anyone outside our bloodline. She had been cold toward Chloe, yet here she was, drawn to Collins’s aura.

"I do!" she whispered.

The memory of Collins tending to her fever with such focused care had left a mark on her spirit.

"Why him?" I asked, glancing at Collins’s sharp, handsome profile against the furs. "Because he has the look of a high Alpha?"

"He’s much more striking than Dr. Bennett," Shea said, reaching for my hand. She looked at me with an intensity that seemed older than her years. "Don't you see it, Big Brother?"

"I see it," I admitted with a dry, bitter laugh.

"Then why aren't you bonded to him?" she mumbled, looking at me like I was a pup who’d lost the scent.

The question was a jagged blade in my chest. Shea’s mind had cleared significantly since the surgery. If I could keep the treatment going, she might finally live a life free of the fog. That was the only leash Chloe had on me. Until I found another healer, I couldn't break the bond.

"That’s a complex hunt, Shea. Your only job is to remain at peace," I said, stroking her hair.

"Are you at peace, Ethan?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "Your scent is full of thorns."

I vaguely heard the low rumble of voices near the bed. I tried to pull myself out of the deep, dark sleep, but my body felt like it was made of lead. I recognized Ethan’s voice, but who was the other wolf? It was a light, unfamiliar voice... calling him "Big Brother."

Was Ethan flirting with some omega right here in the room while I was incapacitated?

Ha!

I was dead to the world, and he was using my bedside as a courting ground. The audacity. If I could move a single muscle, I’d have kicked them both out of the citadel. The anger flared in my chest, but the exhaustion was a tidal wave, pulling me back under.

Ethan eventually led the girl away. When the room fell silent, I shifted under the heavy pelts, still lost in the frost of my slumber. Ethan returned much later, the scent of the rain-shower clinging to him as he moved through the room.

In her own quarters, Chloe’s vision turned a predatory red when she received word that Ethan had brought me into the heart of his fortress.

Who was his true partner?

She knew Ethan had only accepted her because of Shea’s fragility. Even so, he should have respected the public alliance! Bringing an ex-mate home for the night was a public insult to her status. The shame of her past encounter with Mason Carter felt like a small sting compared to this. She realized with a hollow ache that Ethan wouldn't even care if she had been unfaithful; his heart was elsewhere.

She uncorked a bottle of heavy wine and retreated into the shadows of her room.

Daniel Harris arrived at the Carter Citadel at first light. Ethan, clad in dark loungewear, met him with a frown.

"Natalie Brooks sent me to verify Collins's safety," Daniel explained, his tone apologetic. "He’s worried since his pack-mate hasn't returned to the den."

He knew the hour was early, but Natalie’s frantic pacing was hard to ignore. Ethan led him to the master suite. Daniel’s concern evaporated when he saw how I had claimed the entire bed, leaving absolutely no territory for Ethan.

"Forgive the intrusion, Alpha Carter," Daniel said, retreating.

Ethan went to a guest chamber to salvage some rest. It was only seven in the morning, and he’d been prowling until two. He was in a foul mood.

Daniel signaled Natalie the moment he cleared the gates. "He’s still lost to sleep. Ethan is in another wing. He’s safe. He’ll return to the manor once his strength is restored."

Natalie let out a shaky breath. "Thank the Moon. I couldn't bring the pups there; it’s too high a risk."

"I'll check again at noon if he hasn't returned," Daniel promised.

"I’m going to gather some supplies from the village, Hayden," Natalie said to the boy back at the manor. "Guard your sister until I return."

Hayden nodded, his expression unreadable. But the moment Natalie cleared the perimeter, the yearlings moved. Layla grabbed her survival pack, and Hayden retrieved his tactical terminal.

"We should signal Grandpa Elio, Hayden! He’ll be terrified if we disappear," Layla said, her wide eyes blinking fast.

"Grandpa won't let us infiltrate the Carter Citadel," Hayden said, his voice cold and determined.

"Okay... but we have to find Dad! What if that Dirtbag Alpha is hurting him?"

Hayden tightened his jaw. "I'll go alone. You stay and hold the perimeter. Invent a story if Grandpa returns early."

He slipped out into the snow before she could argue. Layla watched the door close, her heart hammering against her ribs. She couldn't let Hayden face the Carter Alpha alone. What if he was caged?

Tears streaming down her face, she ran to Mike’s room and threw herself onto his bed, yanking at his arm. "Wake up, Uncle Mike! Hayden has gone to the fortress alone! He left me behind!"

Inside the Carter Citadel, a servant gasped as the lights flickered and died. "Why has the glow-stone failed?"

"There was no warning of a grid failure. I’ll engage the backup generators," Patricia Bennett said.

The power surged back, but ten minutes later, the backup system groaned and went dark. When Ethan descended the stone stairs, Patricia met him.

"The grid is dead, Alpha. Even the backups have been suppressed. The utility hub says our sector is fine; this is an internal strike."

Ethan’s expression didn't change. He walked toward the massive front gates just as a sentry approached.

"Sir, this blackout smells like an intentional breach. I’ve doubled the guard."

Ethan nodded and kept walking toward the perimeter. He narrowed his eyes, spotting a small, hooded figure standing in the clearing.

"Bring that pup to me," he ordered.

The guard had seen Hayden but assumed he was just a stray yearling. "The boy, sir?"

When Hayden heard them, he didn't flee. He walked straight toward the Alpha of the North. The guards were stunned into silence. Ethan’s gaze was like ice. Hayden had changed his furs, but I knew those eyes anywhere. He was certain the boy had strangled the power grid. He was here for me.

As Hayden marched past Ethan, he "accidentally" ground his boot into Ethan’s foot.

Ethan didn't make a sound.

"What a feral yearling!" the guard hissed, reaching for the boy. "He’s clearly had no pack discipline. Probably some rogue orphan. I'll drive him back to the woods."

"You’re right," Ethan said, his voice like a winter gale. "He is, in fact, an orphan."

He followed the boy inside. When Hayden entered the grand hall, he didn't hesitate.

"Collins Parker! I have come to reclaim you!" he shouted at the rafters.

Patricia Bennett recognized the boy immediately. "You’re Hayden, aren't you?" She knelt down and tried to guide him toward the hearth. "Your father is still deep in his recovery. Sit, child."

Ethan entered the room just as Patricia was laying out a feast of rare berries and meats for the boy. With a dark face, Ethan snatched Hayden’s pack and pulled out the tactical terminal.

"Did you kill my power? Restore the grid this instant, yearling. Otherwise..."

Hayden looked up, meeting Ethan’s gaze with a defiance that would have broken a lesser wolf. When Ethan saw the boy's face in the light, the threat died in his throat. His heart skipped a beat.

Every time he looked at Hayden, the familiarity was a physical blow. It was like looking into a mirror that reflected his own childhood.

Hayden snarled softly and looked away.

"Did you really take down the Citadel’s grid, Hayden?" Patricia asked, her voice trembling. "How? You’re just a pup."

Hayden tucked his terminal back into his bag without a word. He sat at the base of the stairs, a silent sentinel waiting for me to descend.

Half an hour later, a sentry rushed in. "Alpha, there’s a suspicious golden-haired foreigner prowling the boundary. Should we cage him?"

Mike’s face flashed in Ethan’s mind. He walked to the gate and saw the blonde rogue shouting toward the windows.

"Collins! Are you being held in a silver cage? Howl if you are! I’ll bring the Council enforcers down on this fortress!" Mike bellowed.

Ethan’s face was a mask of fury. Mike was still bruised from last night’s brawl, yet here he was again.

"Seize him," Ethan ordered.

Two bodyguards pinned Mike’s arms. "Hey! I’m a free wolf! You have no right to muzzle me! I’m calling the High Council!" Mike shouted as they dragged him into the hall.

Hayden’s eyes flickered with surprise at Mike’s entrance. Mike shook off the guards and began pacing the hall like he owned the territory.

"Is this your million-gold citadel? You got fleeced on the stone-work," Mike mocked. "Collins’s villa is a palace compared to this cold cave!"

Ethan sipped his tea and ignored the taunt. It was clear Mike wasn't here for a rescue—he was here for a rematch.

Mike flicked a light switch, and nothing happened. He let out a loud, grating laugh. "Is your power out? It’s sweltering in here, Carter! Maybe you should call some real engineers to fix your broken home!"

Ethan’s knuckles turned white as he gripped his cup. Just as he was about to silence the rogue, the massive crystal chandelier hummed to life. The power was back.

The air-cooling system kicked in, and Mike’s laughter died. He sighed, looking at the lights.

"Let’s place a wager, Carter. I’m still sour about the beating you gave me last night. Let’s settle it wolf-to-wolf. If you win, you get another free strike at my face."

Ethan raised a brow. "And if the hunt goes to me?"

"If I lose, I take the yearling and leave your territory forever."

Ethan remained silent, find the bet beneath him.

Then Hayden spoke. "Ethan Carter! Are you a coward in your own den?"

The child’s voice was dripping with pure, unadulterated contempt. Ethan felt the sting of the provocation and set his cup down.

"What is the contest?"

"I saw the ice-rink outside," Mike said. "Let's settle this on the blades. One-on-one."

"Done," Ethan responded.

They left to prepare. Every servant and guard in the Citadel rushed to the rink to howl for their Alpha.

In the chaos, Layla—who had followed Hayden in secret—slipped into the living room. She planned to search the ground floor for me, but the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the kitchens sent her heart into her throat.

She didn't dare breathe as she bolted up the grand staircase. Reaching the second floor, she pressed her back against the wall, gasping for air.

Then she heard it. The footsteps weren't staying below. Someone was ascending the stairs right behind her.