MasukI pulled out my phone. Texted Marcus: *Hey, status update? How's pack defense going?* The response came immediately: *All quiet. Rogues haven't returned. Nate, where are you? You and Alpha Jeremy disappeared—* *With Rose. Handling mate bond stuff. Be back soon.* *Good. Give Rose my best. Tell
"No." Rose's voice was firm. "We're doing this. We're getting answers. We're—we're ending this so I can go home." Home. She called Crescent Moon Pack home. Despite everything. Despite the threats and attacks and war. That was—that was everything. A car approached. Old. Beaten. Not pack vehicle
"He's right." Dad sighed. "Cas, if Rose is determined—and it sounds like she is—we need to work with that. Make the meeting as secure as possible. Get the information. And if it's a trap, we're prepared to respond." Uncle Cas was quiet for a long moment. Then: "Fine. But we do this my way. Full va
The Rejected Mate Nate pov I stood in my father's office, having just delivered the news about Jessica's contact with Rose. Dad looked furious. Uncle Cas looked—lethal. Both processing the information at vampire and Alpha speed. "Jessica Matthews contacted Rose directly," Dad repeated. "Afte
"Then that's something for pack justice to sort out. Not for my mate to handle personally." His voice softened. "Rose, please. Don't do this. Don't meet Jessica. Don't leave Nightshade security. Don't—don't give extremists another chance to hurt you." "But if she has information that ends the war—
*I'm sending you proof. One piece. Then you decide if you believe me.* A photo appeared. Grainy. Taken from distance. But clear enough. A wolf I recognized. Standing with known rogues. Discussing something. The timestamp showed two days ago—the day before the ultimatum messages started. I zoom
"In exchange for what? Adding to my already massive debt to you?" "No. In exchange for Dr. Chen's cooperation in feeding false intelligence back to the hunters." His eyes gleamed. "Think about it. Right now, the hunters think their spy is still active. They'll be planning their next attack based o
My Cheating Mate Jeremy pov The kitchen was quiet except for the sound of water running and dishes clanking against each other. Emma stood at the sink, her back to us, mechanically washing plates and cups from the meal no one had really eaten. Her shoulders were shaking. She was trying to hi
Dr. Chen's sob of relief was visceral. "They're okay. They're really okay." "They are. And they'll stay that way as long as you cooperate." He pocketed the phone. "Now, the hunters are expecting a check-in from you. What's your normal protocol?" "Daily text message. Just confirming I'm still coo
"It's exactly what you did to us," I said, my voice carrying through the speaker system from the observation room. "You made us vulnerable. Made my daughter vulnerable. Now you get to choose: help fix the damage you caused, or face the consequences of your betrayal." "Emma?" Dr. Chen looked toward







