LOGINSeveral guards lay scattered across the floor, groaning in pain. Some of them were already unconscious.“S… someone…” One of the guards caught their attention. They rushed over, and Raven immediately held him up. “Rowan… inside… there…” the guard whispered weakly before his head slumped to the side and he passed out.“Rowan, answer me!” Raven snarled, panic flooding his voice as he tried to reach Rowan through their mental bond.Rushed footsteps echoed as the patrol finally arrived. Everyone froze in horror at the sight of the house engulfed in flames. Dorian stood rigid, disbelief written all over his face.He stepped forward and grabbed Raven. “What have you done?” Dorian accused, his anger barely restrained. “Father told you to find the witch, not burn all the evidence. He gave you one task. One task. Find the witch. And what did you do? You couldn’t even handle something that simple.” His voice trembled with fury and dread.Raven’s jaw tightened, but he ignored him. “Put the fire
“What happened?”Rowan ran toward them the moment Raven ended the call. Raven grabbed Rowan by the shoulders.“Sofia is at the cemetery. Selina and I are going there. Can you stay and watch the house?” Raven asked.Rowan nodded.“Be careful,” Selina whispered, touching Rowan’s arm.“You too,” Rowan replied hoarsely.Raven and Selina jumped into the car and sped off down the road.Minutes later, they ran into the cemetery grounds and heard a deep snarl tear through the silence.Near Henry’s grave, a massive wolf stood in a threatening stance. It was Leon. Not far from Sofia, Kendall was restraining her, forcing her arms behind her back.They rushed closer, and Kendall shoved Sofia upright.“Sofia,” Raven panted as he stopped right in front of her. Doubt was clear on his face. Sofia was one of the healers he trusted the most.“Why are you doing this?” Raven asked.Sofia stared blankly at Henry’s grave. Her eyes were bloodshot, her lips trembling. She refused to answer.“There’s been eno
Raven went down the stone steps first, the guard handing him a flashlight as he did. When he reached the bottom, Raven turned it on. A long silence filled the space.“Raven?” Selina called anxiously from above.“Safe,” Raven answered shortly.Selina followed him down, and the guard said he would keep watch outside.Once her eyes adjusted, Selina froze. The underground room was filled with objects tied to magic. A large shelf against the front wall was lined with glass bottles. Their contents made her stomach churn. Insects, body parts, even human ears and eyes.In the center of the room stood a large table covered in scattered papers, along with small bottles filled with potions.On the opposite wall, photographs were neatly pinned up, each labeled with a location and date. Every photo had been ruined in the same way. The faces of the people in them had been cleanly cut out, leaving behind bodies with no identities. Not a single face could be recognized. Red pins pierced a large map,
The glossy black stone set into the silver ring held Selina’s full attention. Inside it, golden light swirled like a delicate vortex. It was mesmerizing. But Raven had said he felt a strange vibration coming from Henry’s ring.After lunch, Kendall texted them to meet in the lab. Raven, Rowan, and Selina found him there. His gaze was cold and guarded, his expression nearly unreadable.Leon stood a short distance away, silently scrolling through his phone.Kendall shot him a sharp look. Leon met it with a flat stare before finally walking over.“I’ve ordered my trackers to start looking for Sofia,” Leon said.“We should start with Lyra,” Selina said, and Kendall nodded immediately.“There’s a chance we can get some details from her,” Kendall added.They headed to the pack prison, only to be surprised when they found Alaric already there.“Let me see her,” Alaric demanded, his jaw tight. Dorian only shook his head.“Why won’t you let me see Alaric? I already told you I’m not a criminal,”
Silence settled over the room as Selina stared straight ahead without blinking. Beside her, Kendall’s body went rigid. When Selina turned, she saw the same shocked expression frozen on Kendall’s face.For one brief second, Selina caught something strange in Kendall’s eyes as he looked at Leon. The corner of his lips curved ever so slightly, like a faint smile that almost didn’t exist. Then it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by stiff tension.Leon stepped inside, eyes wide, his breath caught in his throat. His gaze locked onto Kendall, as if the rest of the world had disappeared.“Mate?” Kendall said softly. Just one word, but it was enough to confirm the bond between them.Leon sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes for a moment. A heavy exhale left his chest, as if his body had just remembered something long buried.Were they truly fated mates?Rowan clapped his hands, breaking the silence. He stood and walked over to Leon, offering a brief congratulation with a thin s
Alpha Thorne and Dorian had taken Lyra without a word, leaving Raven behind with a promise that he would catch Sofia.“Damn it,” Raven hissed, punching the wall with his fists, eyes dropping to the floor. They were back home, but the usual calm that settled over the house was completely gone.Selina stepped closer. She carefully laid her hand on Raven’s back. His shoulders tensed for a moment before slowly relaxing.She rubbed his back gently, knowing he was restless. “It’s okay. Not everything goes according to plan,” she said softly as Raven pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed.“I promised Alaric I wouldn’t let anything happen to Lyra, and I failed,” Raven said, frustration clear in his voice. He started pacing the room, running his hands over his face.“Lyra’s alive. She’ll be fine. Dorian wouldn’t kill her without Alpha Thorne’s orders, so we can still save her,” Selina tried to reassure him, but Raven shook his head.“I shouldn’t have made such a big promise if I couldn’t







