That’s when I felt it.

A shift in the air. A sudden breeze where there should’ve been

none.

And then-

Pain.

A sharp, electric surge bloomed at the base of my neck. My

phone ttered to the floor, and Ava’s voice shouted something

from the speaker.

I couldn’t hear her anymore.

The world spun sideways.

My knees buckled.

I fell.

Darkness swallowed everything.

And I didn’t feel a thing.

Alexander’s POV

I stood before the long mahogany table in my parents‘ living room, staring at an array of glossy photographsid out like a carefully curated gallery of eligible women. Profiles, lineage, aplishments–each smiling face chosen for political

advantage or business merger. I had barely nced at them

when my phone buzzed on the side table.

Unknown number.

I debated ignoring it, but instinct made me reach for it anyway.

“Alexander speaking.”

“Alpha Alexander?” A breathless voice rushed through the line.

“It’s Ava.”

I straightened slightly, gaze flickering toward the doorway.

“Yes?”

“I–I think something’s wrong. Olivia called me ten minutes ago.

We were on a call. Then the call suddenly disconnected with a

thud. It happened right outside her house. She said she lost a

stalker earlier on the highway. She didn’t seem too shaken, but I

“Slow down,” I said calmly, already walking toward the

hallway. “When exactly did this happen?”

“Just now. I tried calling her again–no answer. Her phone’s off.””

I stood before the long mahogany table in my parents‘ living room, staring at an array of glossy photographsid out like a carefully curated gallery of eligible women. Profiles, lineage, aplishments–each smiling face chosen for political advantage or business merger. I had barely nced at them when my phone buzzed on the side table.

Unknown number.

I debated ignoring it, but instinct made me reach for it anyway.

“Alexander speaking.”

“Alpha Alexander?” A breathless voice rushed through the line.

“It’s Ava.”

I straightened slightly, gaze flickering toward the doorway.

“Yes?”

“I–I think something’s wrong. Olivia called me ten minutes ago.

We were on a call. Then the call suddenly disconnected with a

thud. It happened right outside her house. She said she lost a

stalker earlier on the highway. She didn’t seem too shaken, but I

“Slow down,” I said calmly, already walking toward the

hallway. “When exactly did this happen?”

“Just now. I tried calling her again–no answer. Her phone’s off.”

“Where are you right now?”

“I’m on my way to Duskhollow Pines. I’m ten minutes awayb!/bb” /b

b“/bI’ll handle it.” I ended the call and turned back toward the table.

My mother raised an expectant eyebrow. “Leaving already?”

“There’s an urgent matter to attend to.” I offered a faint smile.

“I’ll review the profilester.”

Before she could object, I’d already stepped outside, dialing property management as I moved. “This is Alpha Alexander. I want ess to the security feeds at Duskhollow Pines- immediately. Last thirty minutes. Garage area and perimeter

gates!”‘

While I waited, I called Gai.

“Did you locate Olivia?”

Gai answered, his tone brisk. “We tracked her phone entering Duskhollow Pines twenty–five minutes ago. She drove in alone, no sign of forced entry. Her car pulled into the underground

garage–then nothing.”

“And the tail?b” /b

“We spotted a ck Chevrolet Malibu outside the convenience store three days ago–the same one was seen trailing her again

today. But it didn’t enter the neighborhood. It waited outside,

then circled around.

“License te?”

“Fake. Swappedst night. Our guy’s on it”

I looked out the car window, fingers tapping against the steering wheel. “If the stalker didn’t enter, someone else inside

the Pines may have done it. Or they had ess. Find out who’s

in that car. Pull property entry logs–any pass holder who

entered in thest two hours. g any with previous

employment ties to the Windsors or Hawthorne“”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“And Gai.”

“Yeah?”

“If they’ve taken her, we don’t call the police yet. Whoever did

this is clean. bI /bwant names.”

As I hung up, Ava called again.

“Anything?” she asked, this time moreposed.

“No response from the property office yet,” I said. “But we

caught movement. A suspicious vehicle left Olivia’s garage

within thest fifteen minutes. My team’s tracking it now.”

“She told me about the stalker before she got home,” Ava said,

voice low now, “She said he’d been following her since the

service station. You think… Ethan sent him?”

I exhaled slowly. “We can’t be so sure yet. Although, I admit that

he is the most suspicious guy right now!”

There was silence on the line.

“Ava.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t panic yet. She may have just turned off her phone.””

“She was mid–sentence.”

That didn’t sit well. I knew Olivia’s tone. She wasn’t easily

shaken, and if she said she was being followed, she was

probably right.

“Then we assume worst–case until proven otherwise,” I said. “I’ll

speak to security again once I reach. In the meantime, let me

know the moment you arrive at the neighborhood. Don’t

approach the house alone.”

Ava murmured her agreement, and the call ended.

Back in my vehicle, I nced once more at the now–dark screen

of my phone. The women on the table, the matchmaking talks,

the diplomatic smiles–irrelevant. I had something else to bsettle /b

now. Someone had followed Olivia across counties. And

someone else had helped them get through the gates.

This wasn’t random.

I knew that much.

Ethan’s name lingered in the air, but my instincts said it wasn’t

just him.

This was messier than it seemed.

And far more calcted.

A whileter, I stepped out of my car. My phone tucked

between my shoulder and ear. In one hand, I held Ava’s frantic

voice; in the other, the glow of my screen showed the GPS trail

of ia /ick Chevrolet Malibu trailing Olivia’s car earlier. Gai

stood beside me,ptop open, scanning data.

Chapter