Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
ZEKES POV
"I could be dangerous. If whoever took Golden realizes we're getting close, they might—"
"They might what? Come after me? Good. Let them try. At least then I'd be doing something instead of drowning in nightmares every night."
The bond flared between us, feeding off her anger and fear. I felt it all, the desperation that drove her words.
The need to take action, any action, rather than sit idle while her child was missing.
"Please," she said more quietly. "I need this. I need to feel like I'm helping find him."
I recognized that look on her face. That set to her jaw. It was the same expression she'd worn years ago when she'd insisted on attending peace negotiations despite my protests.
When she'd stood up to my council members who'd questioned her role as Luna. When she'd refused to be dismissed or sidelined just because she seemed soft spoken and gentle.
Beneath that gentle exterior had always been steel. I'd loved that about her once.
I’d been drawn to the contradiction of her, the way she could be tender one moment and fierce the next.
Looking at her now, I wondered how I'd ever been stupid enough to let her go.
"Fine," I said. "But you stay close to me. No wandering off on your own. No taking risks."
"I'm not an idiot."
"I know. But whoever took Golden is smart and organized. They planned this carefully. I'm not losing you too."
Something flickered in her eyes at those words but she looked away before I could identify it. "Let me get dressed. I'll meet you in the security office."
"I'll wait."
"Zeke—"
"I'll wait," I repeated firmly. "You stay close to me, remember? That starts now."
She disappeared back into the bathroom without arguing. I heard drawers opening and closing, the rustle of clothes.
I forced myself to look anywhere but at that cracked bathroom door, to think about anything but the fact that she was getting dressed just a few feet away.
The bond hummed louder, as if mocking my attempt at restraint.
Cecelia emerged ten minutes later in jeans and a sweater, her damp hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked ready for action, all traces of vulnerability locked away behind her determined expression.
We walked to the security office in silence. The palace staff we passed gave us curious looks but knew better than to ask questions.
News of Cecelia's return had spread through the pack like wildfire. I knew there were rumors flying about what it meant, why she was here, what would happen between us.
Let them wonder. I had more important things to worry about than gossip.
Marcus looked surprised when we entered the security office together. "Luna," he said, then caught himself. "I mean, Cecelia.
"Luna is fine," she said shortly. "Show me what you found."
If Marcus had opinions about her involvement he was smart enough to keep them to himself. He pulled up the footage on the main monitor, walking her through everything they'd discovered. Cecelia watched intently, her eyes tracking every detail.
"Play it again," she said when he finished. "The gas station footage."
Marcus complied. We all watched the grainy video of the SUV pulling up, the tall figure getting out to pump gas.
"There," Cecelia said suddenly. "Stop it there."
Marcus froze the frame. Cecelia moved closer to the screen, studying something.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The way they're standing. The height, the build. It's familiar." She shook her head. "I can't place it but I've seen someone move like that before."
"Could it be someone from Seacreek?" Finn asked.
"No. Everyone there is a fisherman. They move differently, from years of working on boats." She rewound the footage and watched it again. "This person moves like pack. Like someone trained to fight."
She was right. Now that she'd pointed it out, I could see it too. The way the figure held themselves, the controlled movements, the awareness of their surroundings. This was someone with combat training.
"That narrows it down," Sarah said. "Not many civilians have that kind of training."
"Which means it's likely someone from a pack," Marcus finished. "Someone military or security."
My jaw clenched. The list of suspects had just gotten much shorter and much more uncomfortable. If this was someone from my pack, someone I'd trusted with our security, then the betrayal cut deep.
"Pull personnel files," I ordered. "Everyone in our security force and military. Anyone with the build and training to match what we're seeing. Cross reference with the Range Rover owners list."
"On it," Finn said, already typing.
Cecelia and I spent the next two hours reviewing footage frame by frame. We sat side by side at the table, Marcus's laptop between us. Every time we needed to pause or rewind, our hands would brush over the touchpad.
The first few times, we both pulled away quickly. Then gradually, the touches lingered a fraction longer.
The bond sang between us, pleased by the proximity. I tried to ignore it, to focus on the investigation, but I was constantly aware of her. The way she bit her lip when concentrating.
The frustrated sound she made when a video yielded nothing useful. The warmth of her arm against mine when she leaned in to see the screen better.
"Here," she said, pointing to the traffic camera footage. "In the background. Is that another vehicle?"
I squinted at where she indicated. Behind the Range Rover, barely visible, was the front end of another car.
"Can we enhance that?" I asked Marcus.
"Let me try." He took the laptop and worked some technical magic I didn't understand. Slowly, the image sharpened. Not much, but enough to make out a logo on the other vehicle's grille.
"That's a Mercedes," Sarah said. "Expensive one too."
"So we have two luxury vehicles traveling together," Cecelia said. "That's not random. They're coordinating."
She was brilliant. I'd forgotten how sharp her mind was, how quickly she could connect pieces others missed.
We'd made a good team once, before I'd ruined everything.
Chapter 22
ZEKE'S POV
"This was planned by multiple people," I said. "At least two, maybe more. They had the resources to acquire expensive vehicles, remove the plates, and surveil a target."
"This is starting to look less like a kidnapping and more like an operation," Marcus said grimly.
Cecelia's hand found mine under the table, her fingers cold. I squeezed gently, offering what comfort I could. She didn't pull away.
We worked through lunch, existing on coffee and the sandwiches someone brought in. Finn returned with the registration list and personnel files. We started cross referencing, looking for overlap.
"Got something," Sarah said around three in the afternoon. "Commander Brock from your military division. He owns a Range Rover matching this model. And look at his height and build in his personnel file."
She pulled up a photo. Brock was tall, broad shouldered, with the kind of controlled movement that came from decades of military training. He matched the figure from the gas station footage almost perfectly.
"Where was he the day Golden disappeared?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet.
Finn pulled up duty rosters. "On leave. Personal time. He logged it two weeks in advance."
"Convenient," Cecelia said coldly.
"Pull his phone records, financial statements, everything," I ordered. "And I want him brought in for questioning immediately."
"He's not going to come willingly if he's guilty," Marcus warned.
"I don't care if he comes willingly or in chains. Find him."
Teams dispersed to execute the order. Cecelia and I remained at the table, the laptop forgotten between us. Our hands were still linked, though neither of us had consciously decided to keep holding on.
"We're getting close," she said quietly.
"Yes."
"I'm scared." The admission seemed torn from her. "What if we find whoever did this but it's too late? What if Golden is already—"
"Don't." I turned to face her fully, using my free hand to tilt her chin up so she had to meet my eyes. "Don't go there. We have to believe he's alive. We have to keep fighting."
"I'm trying. But the not knowing is killing me."
The bond between us pulsed with her anguish. Without thinking, I pulled her closer, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She stiffened for a moment, then collapsed against my chest, her fingers clutching my shirt.
We stayed like that for a long time. The security office disappeared. The investigation faded. There was only us.
Eventually Marcus cleared his throat from the doorway. We sprang apart, both pretending we hadn't just been wrapped around each other.
"We found Brock," Marcus said. "He's gone. Apartment cleared out, bank accounts emptied yesterday. He ran."
Cecelia's face went pale. I felt rage building in my chest. Brock had my son. He’d been planning this for weeks while I trusted him, while he stood in my military and took my orders and pretended loyalty.
"Find him," I said, my voice dropping into the Alpha command that made even Marcus flinch. "I don't care what it takes. Find him and bring him to me."
"There's more," Marcus said reluctantly. "We pulled his phone records. He made several calls to a number registered to someone in the Brooke Pack."
My blood ran cold. The Brooke Pack bordered my territory to the east. We'd had tensions with them for years, disputes over hunting grounds and trade routes. But I'd never thought they'd escalate to this.
"Who?" Cecelia demanded.
"We're still working on confirming the identity. But if the Brooke Pack is involved, this is bigger than one rogue soldier. This could be an act of war."
I stood abruptly, my wolf snarling under my skin. "Double the guard on all borders. I want patrols increased and every entry point monitored. No one from the Brooke Pack gets into my territory without my knowledge."
"Zeke," Cecelia said urgently. "If this is political, if another pack is involved, they took Golden to use as leverage. Which means—"
"Which means he's valuable to them alive," I finished. "At least for now. They'll want to negotiate, to use him to force concessions."
"Or to start a war," Marcus added quietly.
"Let them try." My voice came out as a growl. "Whoever did this, whatever pack is behind it, they just signed their death warrant."
Cecelia stood and faced me, her expression fierce despite the fear I could feel through our bond. "I'm going with you. When you find them, when you go to get Golden back, I'm coming with you."
"Absolutely not. If this is a trap—"
"I don't care if it's a trap. He's my son and I'm not staying behind."
We stared at each other, neither willing to back down. I saw her strength, her determination, the mother's love that would drive her into any danger for her child. I saw something else too, something I'd seen years ago before I'd been too blind and stupid to appreciate it.
I saw my mate.
"Fine," I said. "But you stay close to me at all times. And I'm assigning you a personal guard starting immediately."
"I don't need—"
"This isn't up for debate, Cecelia. Whoever took Golden knew exactly who he was. They knew about you, about me, about our history. Which means they might come for you next." I stepped closer, close enough to smell the lavender in her hair. "I can't protect you every moment of the day. So you're getting a guard whether you like it or not."
"You mean you can't control me every moment of the day," she shot back.
"I mean I can't lose you too." The words came out rougher than I intended, weighted with too much emotion. "Golden needs his mother. And I need you to stay alive long enough for me to fix what I broke between us."
Her breath caught. For a moment we just stood there, inches apart, the bond screaming at us to close the distance. I could feel her heart racing, could smell the mix of fear and something else, something that made my wolf howl with want.
Marcus cleared his throat again. "I'll just go coordinate the border patrols then."
He left quickly. Cecelia and I remained frozen, caught in the pull of something neither of us was ready to name.
"Who do you want to assign?" she asked finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Drew. He's one of my best. Former special forces, completely loyal, and most importantly, he doesn't take orders from anyone but me."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
She nodded. "You're right. If whoever did this comes for me, I need to be able to defend myself or at least have someone who can." She paused. "But I meant what I said, Zeke. When we find Golden, I'm going to be there."
"I know." I reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger against her cheek. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
The protectiveness in my voice was undeniable. I heard it, she heard it, and from the way her eyes darkened, she understood exactly what it meant.
Chapter 23
Layla's POV
The underground lab smelled like chemicals when I stepped through the reinforced door. Brock spun around the moment he heard my footsteps, his hand going to the gun at his hip before he recognized me in the dim fluorescent lighting.
"Were you followed?" His voice came out aggressive.
I rolled my eyes while pulling off my jacket because honestly his paranoia was getting old fast. "I cleared my tracks three times on the way here and Zeke thinks I'm at a tea party with some of the Luna's from neighboring packs so unless he's developed psychic abilities overnight I'm pretty sure we're safe."
"You better be right about that because if he finds this place we're all dead." Brock moved away from the door but his hand stayed near his weapon like he expected Zeke to burst through the walls at any moment.
"You're one to talk about being careful," I snapped while crossing the concrete floor toward where Golden lay on a medical bed in the corner. "Running away like that was the stupidest thing you could have done because now you'll forever be a suspect and you'll forever be on the run instead of being able to return to your normal life once this is all over."
"I didn't have a choice after they started pulling vehicle registrations and cross referencing with personnel files." Brock's jaw clenched tight enough that I could see the muscle jumping. "It was only a matter of time before they connected me to the SUV."
"You could have played dumb and acted surprised when they questioned you but instead you ran and confirmed their suspicions." I reached the bedside where Golden lay motionless except for the shallow rise and fall of his chest. His skin looked too pale under the harsh lights, almost translucent like I could see the veins beneath if I looked close enough. "How long has he been like this?"
"Since yesterday morning." The new voice made me jump because I hadn't heard anyone approach. Fatima emerged from behind one of the makeshift partition walls that divided the lab into sections, her dark hair pulled back severe from her face. She wore a white coat over her clothes like she was some kind of legitimate doctor instead of a traitor helping us kidnap her best friend's child.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded while turning to face her fully. "I thought you were supposed to stay in Seacreek and keep Cecelia from getting suspicious."
"Cecelia already left Seacreek to go to Zeke's territory so there's nothing for me to do there anymore." Fatima moved to the opposite side of Golden's bed and checked the IV line running into his small arm. "Besides, someone needs to monitor his condition because none of you have any medical training and this child is deteriorating faster than we anticipated."
"Don't worry that Cecelia will never suspect you?" I asked though I already knew the answer because Fatima had been playing the concerned friend role perfectly from what I'd heard.
"She trusts me completely and why wouldn't she when I've been her only friend for three years." Fatima's voice held no remorse whatsoever like betraying someone who considered you family meant absolutely nothing. "As far as she knows I'm just as devastated about Golden's disappearance as she is."
I looked back down at the boy on the bed while trying to ignore the small twinge of something that might have been guilt. He looked so much like Zeke that it hurt to see, the same bone structure and the same dark hair though his was curled while Zeke's stayed straight. His little chest moved up and down too fast like he couldn't get enough air no matter how hard he tried.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked though part of me didn't want to know the answer. "Why does he look like this?"
Fatima sighed while adjusting something on the medical monitor beside the bed. "The problem with removing the magic from someone this young is that his body wasn't developed enough to handle the extraction process and the separation is causing his system to go into shock because the magic has been part of him since before he was born."
"Can you fix it?" Brock moved closer to the bed now, his earlier aggression replaced with something that looked almost like concern though I doubted he actually cared about the child beyond what Golden could give us.
"That depends on what you mean by fix." Fatima pulled out a small flashlight and checked Golden's pupils which didn't react the way they should have to the bright light. "If you mean can I keep him alive then yes for now but there are complications we didn't anticipate."
"What kind of complications?" I crossed my arms over my chest while watching her work because something in her tone suggested this was worse than she was letting on.
"He's an Alpha wolf which means his genetics are different from a normal pack member and his body is trying to compensate for the missing magic by triggering an early wolf emergence." Fatima straightened up and faced us both with an expression that said she was about to deliver bad news. "If that happens before his body is ready it will kill him because children his age aren't physically capable of surviving their first shift."
The words hung in the air between us like a death sentence. Brock cursed under his breath while running his hand through his hair, pacing away from the bed then back again like movement would somehow help him think better.
"How do we stop that from happening?" I asked though I suspected I wouldn't like the answer based on how Fatima's expression tightened.
"The only way to stabilize an Alpha child going through premature emergence is to have their father present constantly to give them Alpha essence through proximity and the parental bond." Fatima gestured to Golden's small form. "Without Zeke here to anchor him, this child's body will continue to deteriorate until either the magic extraction completes or his wolf tries to emerge and kills him in the process."
"We can't bring Zeke here," Brock said immediately like that was even a possibility we'd consider. "That defeats the entire purpose of taking the kid in the first place."
"I'm aware of that but I'm telling you what the medical reality is." Fatima's voice stayed clinical and detached like she was discussing a stranger instead of a child she'd known since birth. "Without intervention, Golden has maybe three days before his body gives out completely."
The door at the far end of the lab opened and Theseus walked in with that confident stride that Alpha's always had like they owned every room they entered. He was older than Zeke by at least fifteen years with gray threading through his dark hair and lines around his eyes.
"How's our little prize doing?" He moved to the bed and looked down at Golden with the same expression someone might use when inspecting a particularly valuable piece of property.
"Not well," Fatima said bluntly. "He's declining faster than expected and unless we make some decisions soon we're going to lose him entirely."
Theseus frowned while studying Golden's pale face. "That's unfortunate but perhaps it's time we cut our losses and move to plan B."
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