ANMELDENDare’s povThe earpiece crackled with the sound of Jax’s voice, filtered through the static of the pack’s secure line. I leaned back against the rough brick of the alleyway, my eyes fixed on the monolithic silhouette of the Council building. The gargoyles on the roof looked like they were mocking me."I’m hearing everything on this end, Jax," I whispered into the mic clipped to my tactical vest. "The truth serum worked better than we hoped. Vane is singing like a damn canary. But he’s small fry. I’m staying put right here. If the Council tries to move Maddie or if any of those old fossils decide to make a run for it, I’ll be the last thing they see.""Patience, Dare," Silas’s voice broke through. "We need the Elders to feel secure for a few more hours. Don't go cowboy on us.""I'm not going cowboy," I snapped, my grip tightening on the hilt of my combat knife. "I’m staking the place out. If an anomaly happens—if even one of those bastards sneezes in a way I don't like—I'm going in."A
Jax’s POV The static on the comms line finally cut out, leaving a heavy, suffocating silence in the makeshift command center. I stared at the radio, my knuckles white as I gripped the edge of the table. Every instinct I had as an Alpha screamed at me to tear across the border and rip those Elders’ throats out."Did she just say 'vessels'?" Silas’s voice was strained, his face pale under the flickering fluorescent light of the garage. "Tell me I misheard that. Tell me these holy men aren't running a fucking human trafficking ring under the guise of the Goddess."Rook paced the length of the room, his biker leathers creaking with every agitated movement. "It’s worse than that, Silas. It’s a farm. They’re using the women to fuel their own longevity. No wonder they’ve been backing the Shadow Creek pack against us. We’re too loud, too disruptive. We ask too many questions about why our females go missing during the 'blessings.'""I can't believe this," Silas muttered, slamming a fist into
Maddie’s POV The palm was ice-cold against my skin, smelling of lye and old stone. My heart jackhammered against my ribs, a frantic, trapped bird, and I began to thrash. I slammed my elbow back, trying to catch my captor in the gut, but they were quicker. They shifted, their grip tightening as they hauled me away from the double doors and the sickening sight of the Elders."Stop it," a voice hissed into my ear. It wasn’t a man’s voice. It was soft, feminine, and laced with a desperate kind of terror. I didn't stop. I bit down hard on the hand over my mouth. The person let out a muffled gasp but didn't let go, instead using their weight to pin me into a dark alcove. I managed to twist my head, wrenching my jaw free from their fingers."Get off me!" I wheezed, ready to scream, ready to bring the whole temple down on us if it meant getting away from these monsters."Shhh! Maddie, please!"I froze. I turned my head fully and saw her. She was dressed in the same stark, white uniform as t
Maddie’s povThe air in this wing of the Council’s inner sanctum was thick with the smell of old stone and incense that made my throat itch. I sat on the edge of the velvet-covered cot, watching the two women who had brought me here. They moved with a strange, synchronized grace, their eyes never meeting mine, only flickering toward the door every time a heavy footfall echoed in the hall."Will the Elders be arriving soon?" I asked, my voice echoing in the small, circular room.One of the women, a tall brunette with a sharp jawline, didn’t even blink. "The Elders will speak when they are ready, Maddie. You are to remain here. This is a place of sanctity.""I get that, but I’m not exactly a prisoner, am I?" I pressed, trying to gauge her reaction.She didn't look at me. Instead, she looked at the heavy oak door as it creaked open. Three men in long, slate-grey robes stepped inside. The Elders. They looked ancient, their skin like parchment, but their eyes held a predatory sharpness tha
Jax’s POV The micro-radio in my palm buzzed with Maddie’s voice, a ghost of a sound that made my heart hammer against my ribs. "I’m in," she whispered through the static. "They think I’m their new toy. It’s time to move to phase three.""Copy that," I said, my voice low and lethal as I stood in the center of the command hub. "Stay dark, Maddie. I’m initiating the sweep on this end. Don’t take any risks you don't have to."I cut the feed and looked at Rook, who was already hunched over a terminal, his fingers flying across the keys. The air in the room was thick with the scent of ozone and old coffee."You heard her," I barked. "Phase three. Now."Rook nodded, his eyes reflecting the blue glow of the screens. "Cutting all external comms in three... two... one. Wifi is dead. Cellular is dead. The only thing moving in or out of this pack house is our encrypted radio frequency.""Do it," I said. "I want every single member of Blackwood in the main hall. Now. I’m doing a full roll call."
Maddie’s povThe air in the foyer was ice, but the stares from the pack members were blistering. I stayed on my knees, my fingers digging into the rug, letting my shoulders quake with every ragged breath. I could hear the whispers starting—the low, cruel hum of people who had been waiting for a reason to turn on the outsider."Look at her," a female warrior sneered, her voice carrying over the crowd. "Guess the magic finally wore off, didn't it? The little witch couldn't keep her hooks in the Alphas forever.""Must be the herbs," a scout added, stepping closer to where I huddled. "She had them all dazed, tying them down like dogs. Now that Jax has his head on straight, he sees her for the parasite she is."I looked up, my vision blurred by the fake tears I’d forced to the surface. I looked toward the hallway where Jax had disappeared. "Jax! Please!" I cried out, my voice cracking perfectly. "Don't do this! I have nowhere to go! You promised me I was safe here!"The scout laughed, a ha
Madeleine's POV The walls of this place felt like they were shrinking, inch by inch, every time I took a breath. I spent the morning counting exits. Kitchen door, back mudroom, the heavy reinforced front entrance—three ways out, all of them locked. My pulse hummed in my throat, a rhythmic, frantic
Madeleine's POV The second time I woke, it wasn’t to the damp chill of the forest floor, nor the metallic tang of my own blood. This time, a warm, savory scent filled my nostrils – something cooked, something real. My stomach grumbled, a deep, hollow ache reminding me of the cold, scavenged scraps
“Are you finally awake?”The voice came before my eyes even fully opened, but I did not answer immediately because my mind was still negotiating with the fact that I was lying on something that felt like real comfort, something that did not resemble the ground, the road, or the endless strain of ru
Madeleine POVThe wind kept tearing at my face, flinging grit and dust against my skin until my cheeks burned raw. Every gust felt intentional, like the night itself was trying to keep me awake, trying to make sure I did not escape into darkness. I did not fight it. I refused to close my eyes. If I







