CLAYTON

Lucas''s voice booms through the room, frustration palpable in every syllable. The scouts cower under his scrutiny, and I can''t blame them. The Blackwood leaders have proven more elusive than any of us anticipated.

I should be focused on the task at hand, strategizing our next move, but my mind drifts to Ava. Is she healing well? Has she found any measure of peace after the trauma she''s endured?

Even though the mating bond didn''t take, my wolf and I feel bonded toward her. It''s one-sided and fragile, but it consumes my thoughts. I long to see her, to offer comfort and support. But Lucas guards any information about her whereabouts with a possessiveness that borders on obsession.

I don''t blame him, but after a week of knowing nothing, the frustration is getting to me.

As the meeting concludes, Lucas and I make our way back to the alpha''s house. The promise of paperwork and hacked computer files looms ahead, a necessary evil in our quest for answers. Yet, even as I try to center my thoughts on the investigation, Ava''s face flickers through my mind.

I glance at Lucas, wondering how to broach the subject of contacting her. His jaw is set, eyes hard with determination. I know he sees me as a threat, a rival for Ava''s affections. And perhaps I am. Everything I feel toward her is undeniable, something I''ve never felt toward a woman before. It''s like a whisper of fate that I can''t ignore.

And yet I''m not the one she''s fated for.

I don''t want to come between them, not if Ava has truly chosen Lucas. I respect her choices, her autonomy.

Still, the fact that she hasn''t fully committed to him, that she hasn''t borne his mark, and that he doesn''t have hers, gives me a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there''s still a chance for us.

I take a breath, preparing to voice my request, but the words die on my tongue. Lucas''s posture is rigid, his eyes fixed ahead.

Now isn''t the time. I need to tread carefully, to find the right moment to express my desire to see Ava without igniting Lucas''s ire.@@@@

"So, what''s our next move?" Lucas''s voice cuts through my reverie, his gaze piercing.

I hesitate, knowing my answer could be the spark that ignites the powder keg. But I can''t lie, not about this. "I tried to mark her," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But it didn''t take."

Lucas''s reaction is instantaneous. He lunges at me, a snarl ripping from his throat as his wolf takes over. I barely have time to brace myself before he collides with me mid-shift, all fury and feral possessiveness.

My own wolf surges to the surface, forcing a shift, a roar tearing from our throat as we tumble across the ground in a tangle of fur and fury.

Claws rake against my flank, drawing blood. I retaliate with a vicious bite, my jaws clamping down on his foreleg. The taste of copper floods my mouth.

Distantly, I hear shouts of alarm, the pounding of footsteps. But no one dares to intervene. They know better than to get between two alphas locked in battle.

We clash again and again, a whirlwind of snarls and snapping teeth. The world narrows to this moment, to the primal need to assert dominance, to prove my worth.

To lay our claim.

Vester''s shout cuts through the haze of rage and bloodlust. "Ava''s on the phone!"

Those simple words are enough to bring us back to ourselves. In an instant, fur recedes, bones shift, and we stand as men once more, chests heaving, blood dripping from our wounds.

But the physical pain is nothing compared to the ache in my heart. Ava. The thought of her, reaching out after days of silence, is enough to bring me to my knees.

I meet Lucas''s gaze, seeing my own desperation mirrored there. In this moment, we are not rivals, but two men bound by our love for the same woman.

Vester approaches us cautiously, holding out the phone like a peace offering. I reach for it, my hand trembling, and Lucas lets me.

Right. She''d asked for space; he won''t reach out, because he''s scared of hurting her.

"Ava?" My voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper.