Lila's fingers twitched restlessly against her thigh, the room tightening around her as the conversation spiraled deeper into familiar but no less agonizing territory."If you come," she said, her voice breaking against the lump in her throat, "if either of you are seen—Arika could destroy everything. She won't hesitate, Lucas. You don't know her like I do."Lucas exhaled sharply through his nose, leaning forward, elbows braced on his knees. His gaze cut into her with razor precision, but there was no anger there. Only relentless, painful patience."I know you think she's a monster," Lucas said slowly. "But even monsters hesitate when they have something they value."Jake nodded, standing just behind Lucas like a second pillar of quiet strength. "She won't destroy the servers. She’s desperate for them. She made that clear when she sent you that message.""You’re wrong," Lila whispered, shaking her head. Her heart banged painfully against her ribs, desperate to be heard. "You’re both w
Through the Snow:"You're seriously doing this now? In this weather?" Jake's voice was low but taut, his breath misting in the cold air.Lila didn’t flinch. "The message said tomorrow. It’s already morning. Waiting is not an option."Lucas glanced toward the gray sky, his jaw flexing. "Visibility’s down to nothing. If this is a trap—""Then I’d rather spring it on my terms," Lila cut in, her arms crossed beneath her coat. The biting wind whipped strands of her dark hair across her face, but she stood her ground at the mouth of the estate garage, eyes fierce beneath the gloom."You’re making a mistake," Jake muttered, zipping up his jacket. "We could wait an hour. Maybe the snow will break."Lila turned to him. "Or maybe Arika will take the servers offline in that hour. We don’t know what she’s capable of anymore. We can’t afford to gamble."The heavy garage doors groaned open behind them, revealing three armed guards preparing the convoy. The steel-blue SUV at the front revved to life
Lila froze.The crimson dot shimmered against her coat, small but deadly. Her breath caught in her throat, her muscles wound tight. Not a single sound echoed behind her—no footsteps, no shouts, no signs of the guards or her brothers intervening. Just that quiet, icy stillness and the whine of wind over rusted steel.Where are you, Arika? she thought, pulse hammering.She didn’t raise her hands. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she stared up at the ridge. “You’re not going to shoot me,” she said, her voice even despite the cold in her spine. “If you were, you already would have.”A long beat of silence. Then a laugh—faint, hollow, metallic.The laser dot vanished.Lila exhaled slowly. Her hand dropped to her side, fingers brushing the outline of her weapon, but she didn’t draw it. That would only escalate things. She was here for answers, not war. Still, her unease grew by the second. Not because of the target on her chest.But because her wolf was silent.Utterly.Painfully.Silent.Why ar
Lila POV Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the ancient, crumbling temple ruins, my senses on high alert. The sun was dipping lower, casting shadows as darkness slowly crept in. As I listened carefully and sniffed the air, I could tell I was the only one here in this secluded part of the forest.The timing couldn’t have been better.I treaded softly over the scattered debris, carefully placing each step. I moved through the ruins until I reached the heart of the old temple, where two towering pillars stood, untouched by time. Most of the temple had fallen and been worn down by years of neglect, but these pillars remained steady. If I had arrived at sunrise, I would have seen the sun peeking through them from the east—a sight I planned to enjoy some other time.Despite the ruins’ decay, the carvings on the pillars were astonishingly clear, making me wonder about the materials that kept them intact. But tonight, my mind was elsewhere, focused on a much greater purpose.Standing betwe
Lucas POV I glared at the screen, skimming over the email from my cyber team. It had happened again – someone had breached our systems and messed up everything. My jaw tightened as I read through the detailed report. This wasn’t the first time; it had become an ongoing problem. No matter how many defenses we set up, someone kept breaking through, testing my patience to its limit.Our list of suspects had three names. I was determined to hunt down each one, ensuring they would regret ever crossing me. They’d face the most excruciating end, begging for a quick release, which I would never give them.I was pulled from my fury when my phone rang. I answered with a scowl.“Cross Jeremy off the list,” my brother Jake said right away. Leaning back in my chair, I raised an eyebrow.“You took care of him?” I asked, intrigued. Jeremy had been one of our main suspects.“No, he did that himself,” Jake replied, sounding amused. I wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “Before he went, he gave us a clue.”
Jake POV It took us quite a while to wrap things up at Jeremy’s place. We uncovered loads of hard drives filled with data, which we’ll hand over to Blake, our cyber team leader, to examine for more information on Riley. I also found some notes Jeremy had written about Riley’s previous actions. I made sure to keep those, too.By the time we finally left, night had fallen. A whole day had passed on this task, which frustrated me because I had other plans for the day, but raiding Jeremy’s home took priority. Even so, we’d gained an advantage – we had fresh leads.We’d discovered Riley was a female wolf, living somewhere along the southern coast. Interesting. Out of all possibilities, it turned out she was a she-wolf. Who would have guessed?This new detail made things a bit trickier. Usually, we knew our enemies, most of whom were men. A few female wolves made our list too, but none had the courage to do what Riley had done. She was different. I could tell my brother felt the same curio
Lila POV I stayed hidden in the shadows for a while, patiently waiting. The distant crash of waves hitting rocks filled the silence, accompanied by the rustling sounds of the forest around me. This part of the Danielss was dense and difficult to reach, which made it the perfect spot for my secret meetings. It felt right to claim this area as my own.Suddenly, I heard a faint noise nearby. I perked up, alert, with my wolf instincts kicking in. I listened carefully to identify who it might be.I didn’t step out from the cover of the trees until a familiar figure appeared in the clearing, walking toward the cliff’s edge. Even then, I waited, observing him.Recently, something had been unsettling me, clouding my usually sharp instincts. The figure scanned the area, failing to spot me, though I was partially visible.I smirked to myself. The person was Alex, one of the deadliest assassins around, yet he didn’t notice me even though I wasn’t fully hidden. I guess all my practice with blen
Lucas POV "Why on earth is Fidel running so late?" I snarled, feeling my patience thin. Rory shrugged, his fingers busy on his phone, probably messaging others to check in on Fidel. “And where’s my brother?” I demanded, still waiting.“He’s not here either,” Rory replied. “Jax said Fidel’s on his way. Seems he’s been spending the day with a girl at the beach.”“Did he think this mission was just a chance to flirt around? We’re here to track down Riley,” I snapped. Rory let out a sigh, replying, “He’ll be here soon.”“If he doesn’t bring anything useful about Riley, he’s in trouble,” I growled. Fidel was usually dependable as my right-hand man, and I gave him a fair amount of freedom, but he’d been pushing his luck lately. Perhaps it was time to remind him who he was dealing with—he was getting a bit too comfortable.“And where’s Jake?” I asked, cracking my knuckles. It seemed like I was carrying the weight of this mission alone, while the others treated it like a vacation. My patienc
Lila froze.The crimson dot shimmered against her coat, small but deadly. Her breath caught in her throat, her muscles wound tight. Not a single sound echoed behind her—no footsteps, no shouts, no signs of the guards or her brothers intervening. Just that quiet, icy stillness and the whine of wind over rusted steel.Where are you, Arika? she thought, pulse hammering.She didn’t raise her hands. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she stared up at the ridge. “You’re not going to shoot me,” she said, her voice even despite the cold in her spine. “If you were, you already would have.”A long beat of silence. Then a laugh—faint, hollow, metallic.The laser dot vanished.Lila exhaled slowly. Her hand dropped to her side, fingers brushing the outline of her weapon, but she didn’t draw it. That would only escalate things. She was here for answers, not war. Still, her unease grew by the second. Not because of the target on her chest.But because her wolf was silent.Utterly.Painfully.Silent.Why ar
Through the Snow:"You're seriously doing this now? In this weather?" Jake's voice was low but taut, his breath misting in the cold air.Lila didn’t flinch. "The message said tomorrow. It’s already morning. Waiting is not an option."Lucas glanced toward the gray sky, his jaw flexing. "Visibility’s down to nothing. If this is a trap—""Then I’d rather spring it on my terms," Lila cut in, her arms crossed beneath her coat. The biting wind whipped strands of her dark hair across her face, but she stood her ground at the mouth of the estate garage, eyes fierce beneath the gloom."You’re making a mistake," Jake muttered, zipping up his jacket. "We could wait an hour. Maybe the snow will break."Lila turned to him. "Or maybe Arika will take the servers offline in that hour. We don’t know what she’s capable of anymore. We can’t afford to gamble."The heavy garage doors groaned open behind them, revealing three armed guards preparing the convoy. The steel-blue SUV at the front revved to life
Lila's fingers twitched restlessly against her thigh, the room tightening around her as the conversation spiraled deeper into familiar but no less agonizing territory."If you come," she said, her voice breaking against the lump in her throat, "if either of you are seen—Arika could destroy everything. She won't hesitate, Lucas. You don't know her like I do."Lucas exhaled sharply through his nose, leaning forward, elbows braced on his knees. His gaze cut into her with razor precision, but there was no anger there. Only relentless, painful patience."I know you think she's a monster," Lucas said slowly. "But even monsters hesitate when they have something they value."Jake nodded, standing just behind Lucas like a second pillar of quiet strength. "She won't destroy the servers. She’s desperate for them. She made that clear when she sent you that message.""You’re wrong," Lila whispered, shaking her head. Her heart banged painfully against her ribs, desperate to be heard. "You’re both w
The clock ticked forward, dragging them closer to sunset, closer to whatever fate waited at the abandoned harbor.---"You’re not going alone," Lucas said flatly, his voice sharp enough to slice through steel.Lila flinched at the force of it but said nothing, fingers tightening around the hem of her jacket."I second that," Jake added, stepping in front of her, effectively boxing her between them. His expression was grim, his posture bristling with protective energy. "This isn’t up for negotiation, Lila."She opened her mouth to argue but found no words ready on her tongue. Their eyes burned into her, filled with something fiercer than anger—fear. Not for themselves. For her."I have to go alone," she whispered hoarsely, but it sounded weak even to her own ears.Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, a living wall of defiance. "Over my dead body."Jake didn’t speak this time—he didn’t have to. His glower said it all.Lila bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood, frustr
The trap was set.Whether it was theirs—or Arika’s—only time would tell.---"Show us the message," Lucas said sharply, cutting through the heavy silence as they trudged through the abandoned streets.Lila hesitated, her hand instinctively brushing over the inside pocket where the device lay warm against her chest. She could feel their eyes on her—Jake’s heavy with concern, Lucas’s sharp with suspicion. The instinct to protect her secret, to keep the message to herself just a little longer, clawed at her gut.But they deserved to know.They were risking everything with her.With a reluctant sigh, Lila pulled out the device and held it between them. The cracked screen flickered to life under her thumbprint, revealing the first part of Arika’s reply.A simple map blinked into view—a set of old coordinates plotted across a gray, frozen landscape.Lucas leaned in immediately, his eyes narrowing. "That’s... north of the city," he muttered. "Past the trainyard."Jake scowled. "Way past. Tha
A Trap or A Chance:"She answered too fast," Lila muttered, pacing the room in tight circles."You’re thinking it’s a trap," Jake said, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, watching her.Lucas frowned. "Could just mean she’s desperate, like you.""No," Lila shook her head firmly. "Desperation doesn't smell like this. This… this feels rehearsed."Jake pushed off the wall. "You set the bait. You knew this could happen.""I know," Lila snapped, then immediately softened. "I just didn’t expect her to bite so easily. Not after all these years."Lucas exchanged a look with Jake. "Maybe she’s been waiting too," he said carefully. "Maybe you’re not the only one who's been playing a long game."Lila’s hands curled into fists at her sides. "Or maybe I've been outplayed before the game even started."Jake’s voice dropped, serious now. "So what’s the move?"Lila stilled, her eyes distant. "We go. We see it through. But we don’t walk in blind."Lucas gave a sharp nod. "Backup plans?""Sever
Lila’s words lingered in the air like a challenge.“Let’s make a new plan. Because something tells me Rikkard isn’t the only ghost who’ll be showing up.”Jake gave her a cautious look, sensing something unspoken underneath her defiance. “You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you?”She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she walked back toward the small table near the window where her satchel lay. She reached inside slowly, fingers brushing past the notebook she’d been scribbling in since they arrived in Venut. But it wasn’t the notebook she was after.It was the small, battered silver device hidden beneath it—no bigger than a deck of cards. It hummed faintly in her palm, the casing warm to the touch.Jake’s brow furrowed the moment he saw it. “What is that?”Lila looked at him, then at Lucas, her eyes steady. “I wasn’t just sitting here waiting for you two to come back. While you were keeping Rikkard busy, I was busy too.”Jake crossed the room in two strides. “Lila—what
Jake didn’t move until the elevator doors slid closed behind Rikkard.Lucas let out a breath that was more of a growl. “He’s gone. For now.”Jake ran a hand down his face. “That was too close.”Lucas turned to him, voice sharp. “We need a plan, Jake. If he gets even a hint of the truth—about her—he won’t stop until he finds her.”“I know,” Jake muttered. “That’s why we’re going to give him something else to chase.”Lucas raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”“A misdirection,” Jake said, already walking toward the lounge bar where a bottle of aged scotch was quietly calling his name. “He’s desperate. He wants answers. We give him just enough to feel like he’s getting somewhere, but not enough to lead him to Lila.”Lucas followed him warily. “You want to lie to him.”Jake poured a finger of scotch and downed it. “Yes. I want to lie so well that he doesn’t think to look any closer.”Ten minutes later, they found Rikkard leaning against a column in the hotel lobby, like a man half-expect
“You’re joking, right? Please tell me this is some twisted prank,” Lucas muttered under his breath, his eyes never leaving the figure lounging by the fireplace.“I wish it were,” Jake replied quietly, jaw clenched. “But that’s him. That’s Rikkard.”Lucas swore under his breath. “Of all the days… why the hell would he show up in Venut?”“I don’t know,” Jake admitted, hands fisted in his jacket pockets. “But we need to play this smart. We can’t let him know about Lila.”Lucas inhaled sharply and nodded. “You sure he hasn’t seen her?”“Positive. He only saw us. Let’s keep it that way.”The plush lounge of the hotel was dimly lit, scented with expensive cologne, polished leather, and cigar smoke. Rikkard was seated casually on a velvet couch, legs crossed, swirling amber liquid in a crystal tumbler. His demeanor was relaxed, almost amused—but Jake could see it. The glint of calculated menace in his eyes.Jake took a breath and approached with Lucas, every step deliberate. They stopped jus