bChapter /bb68 /b

bAdrian’s /bbPOV /b

bMy /bbblood /bran cold. “Kaneb./bb” /b

Ryder’s head snapped toward me, his body tensing at the name.

‘I presume you’re in Boring by now,” Kane continued, sounding infuriatingly pleased with himself. “Finding a distinctck of information about your missing pack membersb?/b”

“What have you done with them?” I demanded, my bvoice /bdropping to a dangerous bgrowl/b.

“Done with them?” Kane chuckled, the sound grating against my eardrumsb. /bb“/bI’ve merely invited two lovely neighbors to visit bmy /bterritory. One bcan /bhardly bcall /bthat abduction.”

The pieces clicked into ce. The memory gaps, the inconsistent stories – it all pointed to Alpha influence.

bAs /bthe leader of his pack, Kane could mentally control all the bwolves /bunder him, and being an exceptionally powerful Alphab, /bhe could also balter /bshort–bterm /bmemories of humans. This ability was precisely why werewolvesb, /bdespite being vastly outnumbered by humans, had managed bto /blive alongside bthem /bundetected for centuriesb. /b

Kane had taken Skye and Nadia, then systematically erased all evidence of the confrontation from the humansb‘ /bminds.

“What do byou /bwant?” I asked, forcing control into my voiceb. /b

“Straight to businessb. /bI’ve always appreciated that about you, Adrian.” Kane’s tone shiftedb, /bhardening into something colder. “What bI /bbwant /bis bsimple/bb: /bOasisborn territory. All of it. You and your pack of broken misfits will evacuate bTexas /bentirely, leaving behind all infrastructureb, /bbresources/bb, /bband /bbthat /bparticrly lovely water bsource/bb./bb” /b

“bYou’re /binsane, I hissed. “You seriously expect me to surrender our territory for-”

“For your loyal Beta?” Kane interrupted. “For the silver–haired beauty who clearly means bso /bmuch more to you than byou’re /bwilling to admit? bYes/bb, /bbI /brather think I do.”

His voice dropped lower, taking on a disturbing, lewd quality that made my skin crawlb. /b“And bif /byou don’t bagree/b, well… I’m afraid you’ll never see those btwo /blovelydies again. My warriors and I are quite eager to… sample their vors.” bHe /bchuckledb, /bthe sound oily and repulsiveb. /b“They’re both rather bexquisite /bspecimens, wouldn’t you agree?”

My vision blurred with rage, a low growl building in my chest. It took bevery /bounce of bmy /bcontrol not to shift right there.

My free hand clenched into a bfist /bso tight my nails bit into my palm, drawing blood. “I want proof they’re balive/bb./bb” /b

“Of courseb,/b” Kane replied smoothly. “Check your messages in thirty secondsb./bb” /b

The call ended abruptly. I stood frozenb, /bcounting the bseconds /buntil my phone bvibrated /bwith an iing message. Ryder was instantly at bmy /bside as bI /bopened the image.

bThe /bphotograph showed Skye and Nadia in what appeared to bbe /bba /bstone bcell/b. Their wedding attire bwas /btorn and dirtyb, /bSkye’s silver hair btangled /baround her pale bface/bb. /bbA /bsmear of dried blood marked her left cheek, and though her beyes /bzed with defianceb, /bI could see bthe /bfear beneath it.

Nadia stood beside her, one arm positioned protectively in front of Skyeb, /bher expression a mask of bbarely /bcontrolled bfury/b.

I’ll kill him,” Ryder whispered, his youthful bface/bb//bhardening with a rage I’d bnever /bbseen /bin him bbefore/bb, /b

bMy /bphone rang again – Kaneb, /bcalling bback /bfor my answerb. /b

b“/bWell?” he basked /bwhen bI /banswered, his bvoice /bsmug.

I bneed /bbtime/bb, /bI breplied/bb, /bfighting to keep bmy /bvoice bsteady/b.

bTime/bb? Kane /bbscoffed/bb. /bb“/bbDo /bbI /bstrike you bas /ba patient man?

bTwenty/bb–/bbfour /bhoursb,/bb” /bI countered. “I need bto /bconsult with bmy /bpack.”

bThere /bbwas /ba long pause, then a thoughtful hum. “Very well. Twenty–four hours to make the only rational decision. But be warned, Adrian – bafter /bbthat/b, bthe /bbprice /bbof /btheir return increases substantially.”

bIf /byou harm either of them-” I began.

b“/bYou’ll bwhat/b?” Kane’s voice dripped with contempt. “Attack me on my own territory? With what armyb? /bYour collection of cripples and castoffsb?/bb” /bHeughed, bthe /bsound chilling. “Twentyb–/bfour hours, Adrian. Choose wisely.”

The call disconnected, leaving me staring at my phone, rage boiling through bmy /bveins. I looked down to find my ws had extended, bpiercing /bthe side bof /bbthe /bdevice. With effort, I retracted them, turning to find both Ryder and Buck watching me with varying degrees of rm.

“Son,‘ Buck said carefully, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever trouble Skye’s bin/b, byou /blook about ready to tear someone apartb. /bAnd something tells me you could actually do it.”

I forced myself to take ba /bdeep breath, to push back the wolf that was wing at my control, demanding blood for this vition.

“We need to go,” I told Ryder, already heading for the door. “Now.”

“Wait, Buck called after bus/bb. /b“If Skye’s in real danger, let me help.”

I paused, turning back to meet the old man’s determined gaze. “The best thing byou /bcan do for Skye is forget we bwere /bbever /bhereb. /bbTrust /bmeb, /bbBuck /bb– /bbthis /bbisn’t /bsomething the local police can handle.b” /bfn46d3 Follow current nov?ls on ?ovelFind/fn46d3

Without waiting for his responseb, /bI pushed through the door into the harsh daylight, Ryder close behind me. My mind was already racingb, /bformting band /bdiscarding ns as we walked briskly to my SUV.

“What are we going to do?” Ryder asked as bwe /bclimbed in.

bI /bstarted the engineb, /bmy grip white–knuckled on the steering wheel. “bWe’re /bgoing to get them back,” I said, my voice deadly calm. “And then I’m going to tear Kane’s pack apart bpiece /bby piece.”