Chapter 30

Tobias's POV

The door bursts open. Alistair and Daemon charge inside. Their eyes sweep the carnage, horror plain on their faces. Thor whips us toward them, chest heaving, fists tight, and whatever is on my face makes them both hesitate.

Alistair looks outraged as he takes in the chaos "What the fuck Tobias?!"

“That’s not Tobias,” Daemon says, his tone low and certain.

“Thor, what’s wrong?” he asks, hands raised, voice careful. “What happened?”

Alistair’s gaze flicks from the destroyed furniture to me, but Daemon does not look away. He knows who he is speaking to.

“Mate,” Thor growls, the sound tearing out of my throat. “Mate’s hurt.”

Alistair’s head snaps toward us, eyes wide. “Your mate? I didn’t think you’d found her yet!” He sounds incredulous, confused.

“It’s complicated,” Daemon mutters over his shoulder. Then, more firmly, “Thor, give Tobias back control. Let us help. If your mate’s in danger, we’ll find a way, but you have to let him back in.”

Thor snarls, pacing, but the promise of help, of a plan, soothes him enough. Slowly, reluctantly, he yields. I shove forward, gasping as I reclaim myself. My vision clears, the colour drains from my eyes, and I sag, trembling with the effort. Daemon and Alistair both exhale as if they have been holding their breath.

“Fuck, man,” Daemon says flatly. “I thought Thor was about to go on a murderous rampage.” There is no humour in his voice. He means it.

“What happened?”

I shake my head, still too raw to explain. My gaze drags over the wreckage instead, the curtains ripped down, splinters scattered, feathers hanging in the air like ash. “I’m sorry, Alistair.”

He studies me, his expression unexpectedly kind. “Why didn’t you say anything?” He means Zahra. Of course, he does.

“Because she’s underage. We didn’t want to paint a target on her back. We recognised her three years ago, when she was only fourteen. It’s been agony being away from her, but we weren’t allowed to see her.” My voice cracks on the words. Alistair frowns, shooting a look at Daemon.

“I’ll fill you in later,” Daemon tells him quietly.

“And now she’s graduating from college,” I choke out. “Her brother and his pack are visiting her for the first time in three years. And they just said…” I drag in a breath through my nose, but it comes out more like a sob, rough and broken. “They said she has a boyfriend.”

Daemon’s inhale is sharp.

“What? I thought you said she was your mate.” Alistair’s voice is sharp with confusion. “Has she rejected you?”

“She is my mate,” I rasp. “She just doesn’t know it. She’s too young to feel the bond like we do. It’s wolf law. The underage one can’t be told. They have to live their lives normally until they turn eighteen.” The words burn, and moisture stings at the back of my eyes.

“That’s hard enough,” I continue, voice fraying, “but I could live with that. I could reconcile it. But then the guys said she’s got broken ribs and a handprint bruise on her arm. apparently, her guard thinks her boyfriend’s been hurting her.”

Daemon’s roar is immediate, feral. His bear flashes in his eyes, fangs lengthening. “Zahra’s boyfriend hurt her?!” His voice shakes with rage, and in him I see my own fury reflected.

I nod slowly, throat raw. The confirmation tastes like blood.

“You knew he had a mate? And you knew about this?” Alistair snaps, gesturing around the wreckage.

“Yes and no. I’ll explain later,” Daemon says quickly, glancing at me in my miserable state. Then to me, more firmly, “Breathe, Tobias. Keep breathing. You need to stay in control.”

The words from that damned message still ricochet in my skull, threatening to choke me. The ache in my chest doubles in size until I can barely draw breath. All I can think about is seeing her. I need to see her.

Daemon steps closer, eyes steady on mine. “I know this is hell, T, but you can’t jeopardise the alliance. You have to calm down. The queen is in the castle. The fae delegation arrives tonight. We have the dinner. You can’t lose control now.”

He’s right. I have to hold it together. I have to keep building these alliances—for her. For Zahra. She will need them. And once this work is done, then we will find the bastard who laid a hand on her.

'Soon,' Thor hisses, venom sharp enough to slice me from the inside out.