Eliza’s POV I was in the academy’s computer room, the place that had practically become my second home. The whir of servers and faint hum of cooling fans filled the silence as I sat hunched in front of three monitors, eyes scanning every pixel on the screen. Quin and Tyla were behind me and they were just as on edge as I was. Sheila had sent the video, and I’d wasted no time uploading it into every video verification tool I had at my disposal. If there was something off, I was going to find it. I had to. Quin leaned over my shoulder, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the paused frame of the video on my monitor. “It’s just too realistic,” she muttered. “If it’s fake, it doesn’t have a single flaw. The way she moves, the lighting, even the reflections all lines up. Are we sure it’s not real?” I didn’t look at her. “That’s what we’re still trying to find out.” I’d already run the video through half a dozen detection programs. Tools built for spotting deepfakes, inconsistencies in audi
Priscilla’s POV I stepped out of the room. Can’t stand watching her. I have something real waiting for me . My skin itched with the need to be touched by him. No one would understand what I needed. No one else could handle it. I reached Damon’s room and heard the moans as I opened the door. Sloppy, wet, and rhythmic. His grunts filled the air, sharp and raw like each thrust was an exorcism. Good. He was already deep inside someone else. Her body trembled under him, hands clawing at the sheets, legs spread wide and shaking. She was moaning, saying things I didn’t care to hear. But Damon? He was beautiful. Nails dug into her hips. His abs clenched with every ruthless thrust, cock disappearing into her like he couldn’t get deep enough. His hair was mussed. Eyes half-lidded and wild. Like there was only one thing left in his brain: To get a release. His cock disappeared into her again and again, wet slaps echoing around the room, and her cries grew higher with every thrust.
Priscilla’s POV Her words hit harder than I expected. “Because I know Selena is hiding something for you. A secret… so big… so damning…” I felt Dread. Real, primal dread. I moved before I could stop myself, fury crawling under my skin like fire ants. My footwear collided with Aria’s ribs “Shut up,” I snapped. “You think you know everything? You’re delirious. You don’t know anything. Stop spouting nonsense!” She grunted but didn’t scream. “Make sure she starves,” I barked at the guards. My voice echoed in the room. “I want her weak and useless.” They nodded. I stormed out, but my mind screamed louder. How. How did she know? No one knew about that. Not even Damon. Only Selena. Unless… Unless Selena told her. But no, that’s impossible. Selena wouldn’t. She can’t carelessly tell Aria that. She’s not a blabbermouth. Or was Aria guessing? I bet that’s what she was doing, to get a reaction out of me. And she did. But for what?But I needed to confirm. I needed to see Selena.
Aria’s POV Damon scrambled backward on the floor like a coward, shoving at the ground with his heels as he barked, “Don’t just stand there! Do something! Bring her down!” But I didn’t lower my hand. “Where am I being held?” I demanded, my voice sharp, vibrating with power. Damon hesitated, then spat, “The Shadow Pack’s secret Lair.” My chest rose and fell slowly. So that was it. The Shadow Pack. For me to be here… it meant Selena was connected to them. That made sense. Too much sense. The door flew open with a bang, and a wave of men poured in. At least a dozen, maybe more. They carried strange looking rifles, dark and sleek. they raised them in unison and fired. Pain ripped through me like lightning. I screamed as my knees buckled, the force of it slamming through every nerve ending like I was being electrocuted from the inside out. My limbs twitched uncontrollably, and I collapsed to the floor, choking on my own breath. What the hell was that? My hand spasmed. The purple
Aria’s POV My head throbbed dully as I leaned against the cold, damp wall. The air in the room was thick, heavy with silence and something that smelled like metal. I remembered waking up, barely able to open my eyes. My face had been covered in something rough, maybe a sack or a cloth, cutting off all light and most sound. There were voices and hands that weren’t gentle. I’d been lifted, carried, jostled. Then thrown. Literally thrown into this room like a bag of trash. And now here I was. No windows. Just a door with four walls, gray and blank, pressing in from all sides. Where the hell did Selena take me? This was bad. Very bad. I didn’t need to hear the chaos in the outside world to know what was happening. I could feel it. Like something in my chest had cracked open, like the bond I shared with my mates had been stretched, frayed… silenced. I had no idea what was happening out there. Were the Apex brothers okay? I hugged my knees to my chest, breathing through my nose,
Eliza’s POV I was as shocked as everyone else when Sheila said Aria had left a message for the Apex brothers. Missing? What was happening? I kept glancing at the faces of the Apex brothers, and I could feel the tension rising in the room. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good. Sheila played the video, and as soon as the screen lit up with Aria’s face, I couldn’t breathe. I could see the Apex brothers crowding around the phone, their expressions a mix of disbelief and simmering anger. Aria started speaking. Her voice was eerily calm, but it sent a chill straight to my core. “Hey, boys. I know by now you’re looking for me, but don’t worry, you won’t find me.” I swallowed hard. Her words didn’t feel real. She’s joking, I thought, but the look on the Apex brothers’ faces told me this wasn’t a joke. She continued. “I was too careless to be exposed, and now I’m paying the price. You won’t find me. I’m probably far away by now.” The words hit me like a slap to the face. I didn’t wan