LOGINAlvaro's POV I haven't slept in thirty-six hours.My laptop screen burns my eyes, but I keep scrolling through records, cross-referencing data, building profiles. Coffee cups litter the table around me, evidence of how long I've been at this.If the facility wants war, they're going to get it. But we're not going in blind."You need to sleep," Luciano says from the kitchen. It's 4 AM, and he's making breakfast because apparently none of us are sleeping anymore."I need to finish this." I pull up another file. "Three more faculty members with suspicious backgrounds. Two grad students who appeared out of nowhere. And a maintenance worker who has security clearance that makes no sense for his position.""Send me the list." He slides a plate of eggs in front of me. "Eat first."I do, mechanically, while typing one-handed. The food helps, but my mind is still racing.Amaya's asleep in our bed with Alvaro wrapped around her. She finally crashed around midnight after fighting exhaustion for
Luciano’s POV I look at her—terrified but standing tall. At Alvaro—protective and furious. At Javier—already planning, already three steps ahead."We don't run," I say. "We don't hide. We fight smarter.""How?" Amaya's hands are clenched into fists. "They know where I am. They're watching. It's only a matter of time before—""Before what?" Alvaro interrupts. "Before they try to take you? Good luck with that. They'll have to go through all of us first.""They will," she says desperately. "Don't you see? That's exactly what they'll do. They'll hurt you to get to me.""Then let them try." I move toward her, gripping her shoulders. "You think we're going to just hand you over? Let them take you without a fight?""I think you'll get killed trying to protect me—""Then we die," I say bluntly. "But we die fighting. Because that's what mates do. That's what pack does."Tears are streaming down her face now. "I can't ask you to die for me.""You're not asking. We're choosing." I pull her agai
Luciano's POV I've been running surveillance for three hours.Campus security cameras, parking lot footage, traffic patterns around the school. If the facility is watching Amaya, they're leaving traces. They have to be.My laptop is spread across the dining table, multiple windows open. Javier's beside me with his own computer, cross-referencing student enrollment with social media profiles. Looking for inconsistencies. People who appeared out of nowhere with no digital footprint.Like Amaya did two years ago.Like Cara did this semester.Alvaro's on the couch with Amaya tucked against him, both of them supposedly watching a movie. But I can see him in my peripheral vision—constantly touching her, running his fingers through her hair, pressing his face to her neck to breathe in her scent.The bond is riding him hard. Harder than me or Javier, though we're all feeling the possessive pull."Found something," Javier says quietly.I lean over to look at his screen. He's pulled up a list
Alvaro's POV I can't stop touching her.My hand finds the small of her back as we walk across campus. My fingers brush her arm when she shifts her bag. Every few seconds, I need the contact, need to confirm she's here, she's real, she's mine.The bond is screaming at me. Has been since last night. My mate was hunted. Chased. Terrified. And I wasn't there.My wolf is clawing beneath my skin, demanding I take her somewhere safe, somewhere far away from threats. Demanding I mark her so thoroughly that anyone who looks at her knows she's claimed. Protected. Off limits."You're doing it again," Amaya murmurs as we approach the library."Doing what?""The alpha thing. The possessive hovering thing.""Get used to it." I don't even pretend to apologize. "You're ours now. That means we hover."She glances up at me, and there's something in her eyes. Not quite annoyance. Almost like she doesn't hate it as much as she claims.Good. Because I'm not stopping.Luciano and Javier are flanking us,
Amaya's pov I wake up surrounded by warmth.For a blissful second, I forget everything. Forget Cara, forget the facility, forget the black sedan. There's just the safety of strong arms around me, the steady breathing of my mates, the bond humming contentedly.Then reality crashes back and my eyes snap open.I'm sandwiched between Alvaro and Javier. Alvaro's still asleep, face relaxed in a way it never is when he's awake. Javier's eyes are closed but I can tell from his breathing he's awake. Probably has been for a while.Luciano's in the chair by the window, exactly where he was when I fell asleep. He's watching the parking lot, alert despite the early hour.None of them left. They stayed with me all night.My chest aches with guilt and gratitude in equal measure."What time is it?" I whisper."Six thirty," Javier answers without opening his eyes. "You slept about five hours."Not enough, but better than nothing.I try to extract myself from Alvaro's grip, but his arms tighten immedi
Alvaro's POV She's trembling.I can feel it through every point of contact—my hand on her back, her face pressed against Luciano's chest, Javier's arm around her shoulders. Amaya is shaking like a leaf and it's making my wolf absolutely feral.Someone followed her. Threatened her. Made her afraid.And I wasn't there to stop it."Let's get her inside," Luciano says quietly, but I can hear the rage underneath. He's keeping it controlled for her sake, but barely.We guide her up to the apartment, keeping her surrounded. I scan the parking lot, the walkways, every shadow. Looking for threats. My hands are curled into fists, nails digging into my palms.If that car comes back, I'll rip it apart with my bare hands.Inside, Javier locks the door behind us. Multiple locks—deadbolt, chain, the works. Luciano steers Amaya to the couch and she sits without protest, which tells me how shaken she really is. Our girl always fights, always pushes back.Right now, she's just sitting there. Staring a







