"What do you mean that’s all you know?" I leaned against the edge of the conference table, arms crossed as I stared down Fidel. He shifted in his chair, looking uncomfortable. "I already told you, Jake. I didn’t know her that well. We only met a couple of times." "And that didn’t raise any red flags?" I pressed, my voice sharpening. "A woman you barely know just happens to waltz into our lives, only for everything to blow up?" "I didn’t think it was my place to question her," Fidel shot back, his tone defensive. "She was charming, and honestly, I thought she was harmless. If I’d known this would happen, I—" "Save it," I snapped, cutting him off. "You should’ve been more cautious. Now we’re in the middle of a mess, and you’re telling me you don’t have anything useful?" Fidel sighed, running a hand over his face. "I didn’t say that. I still have her phone number. Maybe that’ll help." ---I straightened, the tension in my chest easing slightly. "You still have her number?"
"Are you seriously going to keep pacing all night?" Lucas’s voice cut through the silence, his tone laced with equal parts irritation and exhaustion. "You act like you don’t know me by now," I shot back, not breaking stride. The worn carpet beneath my boots had probably seen better days, but it was a casualty I was willing to accept. Lucas sighed, leaning back against the couch in our hotel room. "Jake, we’ve done all we can for now. Let it go." "Let it go?" I stopped mid-stride and turned to face him. "How can you sit there so calm when the one person who might have all the answers is still out there, and we’re just waiting?" "Because driving myself insane won’t bring her closer," he replied, his voice heavy with resignation. "You think I don’t know that?" I snapped, rubbing a hand over my face. "But waiting feels like a death sentence. Every second we waste, she could be slipping further away." "And calling her will fix everything?" Lucas’s eyebrows rose, his voice sharp
"This is the last of it," I muttered to myself, shoving a worn leather bag into the trunk of the car. The weight of my decision hung heavy in the air, a mix of triumph and exhaustion settling in my bones. The dimly lit room behind me bore the remnants of my chaotic escape—papers scattered across the desk, a half-empty bottle of wine teetering on the edge, and the faint scent of burnt wood lingering from the fireplace. My hands trembled as I reached for the bottle, taking one last sip before collapsing into the chair. "Was it worth it?" The question echoed in my mind, but I pushed it aside. There was no room for doubt. Not now. I leaned back, my head lolling against the chair as the alcohol dulled my senses. The sound of the wind outside whispered promises of freedom, but even that couldn’t silence the restless thoughts clawing at my mind. The room blurred, the edges of reality softening as exhaustion pulled me under. ---In my dream, I was back on the dirt road. The air was
The darkness of the room seemed heavier as the echo of Lucas's voice faded from Lila's mind. She jolted awake, gasping for breath as though she had been pulled from the depths of a raging sea. Her body trembled, drenched in cold sweat, the dream's intensity lingering like a brand seared onto her skin. "What is wrong with me?" she muttered, running a shaky hand through her tangled hair. The emotions coursing through her were raw—fear, longing, guilt—and something deeper, something primal. Her wolf stirred restlessly, clawing at the edges of her consciousness. The connection she had tried so desperately to sever refused to break, tethering her to Lucas with an unyielding force. The memory of his touch in that dream, his voice, haunted her, igniting a heat that burned through her resolve. She pressed a hand to her chest, her heartbeat erratic. The ache was more than emotional; it was physical, a deep yearning that left her hollow and wanting. ---The frustration grew unbearable,
“Lila,” a deep, velvety voice cut through the stillness, catching her off guard. Her fingers froze midair, hovering above her laptop’s keys. “Who is this?” she demanded, her tone sharp, though a faint tremor betrayed her unease. The man on the other end chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers cascading down her spine. “You don’t recognize me? I’m hurt. After all, we’ve been circling each other for weeks, haven’t we?” She gritted her teeth, frustration and wariness flaring. “Stop playing games. Who are you, and what do you want?” There was a pause, long enough for her wolf to stir, its restlessness mirroring her own. Then, with maddening calm, he said, “Let’s just say I’m someone who knows you better than you think.” Her blood ran cold. She glanced at her laptop screen, her instincts screaming at her to move, to act, but curiosity pinned her in place. ---Her fingers resumed their movement, rapidly pulling up the caller ID tracker embedded in her system. Whoever this man
Jake POV “You’re telling me you found her?” Lucas’s voice was a mix of disbelief and hope, cutting through the quiet hum of the car engine.I nodded, keeping my eyes fixed on the road. “The cyber team tracked her last call. It wasn’t easy, but they managed to bypass her blockers for a brief moment before she disappeared again.”Lucas leaned forward, his hands gripping the dashboard. “Where?”I hesitated, knowing how much was riding on this information. “A small cabin on the outskirts of the city. But it’s not just about the location—it’s the fact that she slipped. She’s usually more careful than this.”“That means she’s distracted,” Loren chimed in from the backseat. Her tone was analytical, her fingers flying across her laptop. “It could be the bond messing with her focus. If she’s anything like Lucas was after he left, she’s barely holding it together.”Lucas shot her a sharp look but didn’t argue. “What’s the plan when we get there?”My grip on the wheel tightened. “We observe firs
Lucas reached for the next door , his knuckles rapping against it for the third time, the sound echoing in the stillness of the cabin. Jake watched from his position across the room, his eyes darting between the door and the window, scanning for any movement. The tension had been building for what felt like hours, a slow burn that threatened to consume them. Every inch of the house seemed to hold its breath, like a predator waiting to strike.“Nothing,” Lucas muttered, stepping back from the door with a frustrated sigh. “She’s not in there.”Jake’s gaze flicked over to Loren, who had been systematically checking the other rooms. She gave him a quick shake of the head, signaling that nothing had changed. The cabin remained eerily silent, the thick scent of dust and abandonment lingering in the air. It was as if time had stopped here, frozen in some moment long past.“Should we check the basement?” Loren asked, her voice calm but taut with the same underlying anxiety that Jake was feeli
Lila POV Lila (Flashback Perspective)The moment the call disconnected, I knew I had to move—fast. Time was against me, and I had a sinking feeling that it was already too late. I quickly shoved a few essentials into a bag—clothes, cash, ID—but I didn’t dare look at anything that might tie me to this place any longer. It wasn’t safe. Not anymore. They were coming. I could feel it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and my heart raced as I looked around the room. The place that had been mine—where I thought I was safe—now felt like a trap. “Think, Lila. Think,” I muttered to myself, trying to push the panic back down. I grabbed my backup drive, checking it one last time to make sure my data was secured. “Okay, that’s done. Now get out.”I could feel the weight of the world pressing down on me. Every second mattered. But the thought of leaving this place behind, of leaving everything behind, stung. I didn’t want to go, but I had no choice. I had to keep moving. I couldn’t le
The locket in Arika’s hand glinted one last time in the fading light before she tucked it into the folds of her coat, her fingers twitching as though the cold no longer bothered her—just the past that still clung to her skin.But Lila wasn’t finished.Not yet.She turned slowly, like a predator toying with a rival too confident for her own good. “You know,” she said conversationally, her voice laced with honeyed venom, “for someone who prides herself on good taste, I’m surprised you didn’t notice the warning signs.”Arika’s head tilted. “What signs?”Lila’s smile was all razor-edge charm. “Oh, just that Salicus was riddled with diseases. Biochemical ones. I should know—I left him with a few.”The blow landed with precision. A flicker of something passed through Arika’s expression—a stutter in her breath, a twitch at the corner of her mouth. She masked it quickly, but not quickly enough.“You’re bluffing,” Arika said, voice clipped.“Am I?” Lila stepped closer, letting her words drip.
Lila’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. That sentence—so personal, so venomous—stuck in her like a blade wedged between ribs.Arika didn’t wait for her to recover. She turned and walked slowly toward the edge of the clearing, her fingers brushing the frost-covered rail of a long-abandoned cargo lift. The silence between them thickened.“I had a guest once,” Arika called over her shoulder, too casual. “You might know him. Salicus Grante.”Lila’s body snapped to attention.The name landed like a hammer.“You’re lying.”Arika looked back, one eyebrow raised. “Am I?”“Salicus is dead.”Arika gave a mocking little shrug. “Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night? Or just what you hope is true?”Lila took a shaky step forward. Her pulse thundered in her ears. “Where. Did. You. See. Him.”“Here. There. Doesn’t matter,” Arika said. “He’s a wanderer. A very persistent one. Had a few... interesting stories about you, too. I see where you get your taste in men.”Lila’s hands
Chapter Title: Blood Tides and Buried Truths"You look older than I imagined. The cold's not kind to you, huh?"Lila’s voice cut through the air, sharp as shattered ice.Arika smirked, slow and poisonous. “And you still greet people like you’re handing out ultimatums.”“I only greet the ones who fake their deaths and sell lies for a living.”Arika’s eyes flicked down her nose, unfazed. “Still bitter, I see. At least that hasn’t aged.”The wind between them twisted, biting through cloth and bone alike. They stood ten paces apart in the heart of the abandoned clearing, surrounded by cracked concrete and frost-covered crates. The silence of the ruin only emphasized how violently the past clawed its way into the present.“You died,” Lila said, voice low now. Controlled. “That’s what they told me. What you let them tell me.”“They weren’t wrong,” Arika replied smoothly. “Not entirely.”Lila scoffed. “You faked your death and vanished. What else was I supposed to believe?”“That I had a rea
The cold gnawed at Lila’s exposed cheeks as she emerged from the warehouse’s side exit and stepped into the clearing.A vast, open yard stretched before her.Flat, white, endless.The area must have once been the central cargo bay—a wide slab of cracked concrete now buried beneath ice and powdery snow. Massive tracks were etched faintly beneath the layers, ghost-lines of long-dead machinery. Here, where shipments had once been loaded, goods transferred, and orders barked, now only wind howled and silence ruled.She stepped forward slowly.Her boots sank with every crunching step, leaving deep impressions behind her. The expanse was so open, it felt vulnerable. Naked. No cover. No shadows to slip into. Just the broad chest of the clearing exposed to the grey sky overhead.Lila exhaled through her nose, eyes scanning left to right, then back again.No movement.No signs.And yet her pulse wouldn’t slow.Something didn’t add up.If this was Arika’s meeting point, where the hell was the e
The snow swallowed their steps as they began to move again.None of them spoke.The world had gone eerily still, as if holding its breath. Lila led the way, eyes narrowed against the wind, with Jake close behind her left shoulder and Lucas covering their right flank. Their boots crunched against the crusted snow, the only sound in an otherwise dead landscape.With every step forward, the forest behind them shrank, consumed by the encroaching white.“This is madness,” Jake muttered under his breath, his voice muffled beneath his scarf. “Visibility’s garbage. We’re tracking straight into open ground. Arika wants us blind.”“She wants a meeting,” Lila shot back, not looking over her shoulder. “And I’m not turning back.”Lucas scanned the tree line one last time before sighing. “Yeah, well, if we die out here in the snow, at least it’ll be poetic.”The wind howled in answer.Their pace slowed as the ground sloped downward, snow now knee-deep. Every few steps, one of them stumbled. Lila’s
Lila froze.The crimson dot shimmered against her coat, small but deadly. Her breath caught in her throat, her muscles wound tight. Not a single sound echoed behind her—no footsteps, no shouts, no signs of the guards or her brothers intervening. Just that quiet, icy stillness and the whine of wind over rusted steel.Where are you, Arika? she thought, pulse hammering.She didn’t raise her hands. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she stared up at the ridge. “You’re not going to shoot me,” she said, her voice even despite the cold in her spine. “If you were, you already would have.”A long beat of silence. Then a laugh—faint, hollow, metallic.The laser dot vanished.Lila exhaled slowly. Her hand dropped to her side, fingers brushing the outline of her weapon, but she didn’t draw it. That would only escalate things. She was here for answers, not war. Still, her unease grew by the second. Not because of the target on her chest.But because her wolf was silent.Utterly.Painfully.Silent.Why ar
Through the Snow:"You're seriously doing this now? In this weather?" Jake's voice was low but taut, his breath misting in the cold air.Lila didn’t flinch. "The message said tomorrow. It’s already morning. Waiting is not an option."Lucas glanced toward the gray sky, his jaw flexing. "Visibility’s down to nothing. If this is a trap—""Then I’d rather spring it on my terms," Lila cut in, her arms crossed beneath her coat. The biting wind whipped strands of her dark hair across her face, but she stood her ground at the mouth of the estate garage, eyes fierce beneath the gloom."You’re making a mistake," Jake muttered, zipping up his jacket. "We could wait an hour. Maybe the snow will break."Lila turned to him. "Or maybe Arika will take the servers offline in that hour. We don’t know what she’s capable of anymore. We can’t afford to gamble."The heavy garage doors groaned open behind them, revealing three armed guards preparing the convoy. The steel-blue SUV at the front revved to life
Lila's fingers twitched restlessly against her thigh, the room tightening around her as the conversation spiraled deeper into familiar but no less agonizing territory."If you come," she said, her voice breaking against the lump in her throat, "if either of you are seen—Arika could destroy everything. She won't hesitate, Lucas. You don't know her like I do."Lucas exhaled sharply through his nose, leaning forward, elbows braced on his knees. His gaze cut into her with razor precision, but there was no anger there. Only relentless, painful patience."I know you think she's a monster," Lucas said slowly. "But even monsters hesitate when they have something they value."Jake nodded, standing just behind Lucas like a second pillar of quiet strength. "She won't destroy the servers. She’s desperate for them. She made that clear when she sent you that message.""You’re wrong," Lila whispered, shaking her head. Her heart banged painfully against her ribs, desperate to be heard. "You’re both w
The clock ticked forward, dragging them closer to sunset, closer to whatever fate waited at the abandoned harbor.---"You’re not going alone," Lucas said flatly, his voice sharp enough to slice through steel.Lila flinched at the force of it but said nothing, fingers tightening around the hem of her jacket."I second that," Jake added, stepping in front of her, effectively boxing her between them. His expression was grim, his posture bristling with protective energy. "This isn’t up for negotiation, Lila."She opened her mouth to argue but found no words ready on her tongue. Their eyes burned into her, filled with something fiercer than anger—fear. Not for themselves. For her."I have to go alone," she whispered hoarsely, but it sounded weak even to her own ears.Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, a living wall of defiance. "Over my dead body."Jake didn’t speak this time—he didn’t have to. His glower said it all.Lila bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood, frustr