“Get a pack doctor, now!” Calix shouts, holding Amira’s cold and lifeless body in his shaking hands. A servant comes and offers to take her to the pack infirmary, taking her from his arms when he doesn’t react to his words and rushes out of the room. The faint whimper of Myla wakes him from his shock, and he turns toward her in a flash, grabbing her by the throat and crushing her against the wall. “Give me one reason not to end your life right now?” She gasps and claws at his hands, unable to speak. “Calix, please reconsider, she is my sister and someone who has been a dear friend until now. Give her another chance,” Malachi pleads. “Another chance! She tried to kill my mate, she has made it clear from the start she has hated Amira and has now shown she doesn’t hold any respect or care for her Alpha.” Myla shakes her head, her face going red before he finally lets her go. “Please, spare me, Calix

Over the week of Amira’s freedom, she feels she has been transported back to her high school days of sneaking around the school and hooking up. Except she doesn’t remember any of those things involving the teachers, yet here she was stealing kisses after class and the occasional closet hook-up to energize the batteries with her college professor, always leaving her wanting much more. It’s been hard for Amira to come home and keep up the act that she is still upset over not seeing Calix when her cheeks are usually still flushed by the time her parents pick her up. After what feels like a surreal dream of a week, the long-awaited dinner with Evander has come, but rather than sitting alongside him probably eating delicious food, she is sitting at home under the watchful eyes of her parents and the boredom of her bedroom. This leaves her with nothing more to do than work on her weekly assignments and think back on her eventful week with Calix. She pop

It has been two days since Amira was hospitalized and for once Calix is able to feel a fleeting feeling of relief when the mate bond between them finally falls into place. But that relief was quickly taken away when the flood of pain she is suffering despite being unconscious hit him. He could feel every emotion and ounce of pain she experienced while her body healed and adjusted to the mate mark settling into her system. He is amazed she survived in the condition she is currently in, making it all the more agonizing knowing he will never see her again. Regardless of what her mother says, he can’t deny any longer that he is the one who has brought her all this unnecessary suffering. Myla would have never attacked her if he had dealt with her properly the first time, instead of trusting in their childhood bond and leaving her with a firm warning. It was clear who the culprit was after Calix came to his senses. Myla must have snuck back into the pack

It has been an entire 24 hours since Amira has disappeared from her hospital room, with her parents working with the authorities to find her, and Calix working with his pack. He has rented an apartment not far from the city outskirts, the closest he can get to feel the faintest hint of the mate bond, so he knows she is at least okay and no longer suffering pain. He is on his way back to the pack territory, crossing over the large bridge that cuts across the swamp surrounding his territory, when a silver car like a bullet comes out of nowhere and tries to run him off the road. He crashes into the side of the bridge instead, the entire corner of his car on the passenger side denting into the rocks. Calix stumbles out of the car, his right leg getting slightly crushed from the impact and the deployment of the airbags knocking the wind out of him a little. He sees a pair of shoes that look vaguely familiar walking toward him before he is lifted by the shirt and a f

Calix tries multiple times to call out to Amira once more through a mind link, but it only seems to work one time, whatever she does she doesn’t do again. His mind is silent as he awaits the final flow, wondering what she is thinking at this moment if she is crying and fighting to get free, or if she thankfully can’t see the scene unfolding before her. Knowing how psychotic Evander is, he will have her watching until the end. He just hopes she doesn’t feel the pain of the mate bond breaking and his death, and he has given Omega Dunya and her team enough time to flank the people holding Amira hostage. He doesn’t trust Evander to kill her as soon as he kills Calix, but he has to do something to buy time. Neither Malachi nor Isaac have returned with their team, and the fact that Amira is still within Evander’s clutches means they failed to save her. Calix knows they at least found her, or they would have sent word somehow by now, but there has been nothing since t