Chapter 3

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 curiosity about her. For years, she’d been a thorn in our side. Last year, she stole ten million from us, setting Lucas off.

That theft marked a turning point. It was one thing to be a nuisance, but swiping such a huge sum crossed a line. Ever since, I’ve been on the ground tracking Riley myself. Before, I had a separate team handling her, but after things escalated, I took control.

Now, we finally had a lead, and it stirred a strange excitement in me. Riley had been a puzzle for us, and now we had a clue. We could finally start moving in the right direction to stop her before she caused us further damage.

Whoever she was, there was no doubt she was highly skilled, strong enough to threaten us. We couldn’t allow that.

As I stepped out of Jeremy’s house, a cool breeze ruffled my hair, bringing a moment of calm. Standing on his driveway, I took a deep breath of fresh night air, which immediately awakened my wolf.

It had been a while since I’d gone for a proper run. Tonight, the atmosphere seemed to call to me, urging me to shift into my wolf form and roam the Danielss, feeling free. Free from what, though?

Lately, I’d been feeling strangely off. It’s hard to explain, but it bothered me, especially at night. I couldn’t sleep. Most nights, I’d end up in the training room, pushing my body until exhaustion set in, hoping it would ease this feeling. Yet, it lingered.

This feeling gnawed at me during the day, distracting me from my work. It was as if a part of me was slipping into darkness. I felt like I was losing a piece of myself, which scared me deeply.

Why was this happening? Was it some sort of illness affecting my wolf?

I stood there, lost in thought, letting the night wind soothe me. The journey back to our pack would be far, but I craved the release a run could bring. Maybe it would calm my mind so I could think clearly again.

I decided to go for it. I told one of my men and went around to Jeremy’s backyard, where the Danielss began. After carefully removing my clothes, I shifted into my wolf form, took my clothes in my mouth, and dashed into the forest.

I ran through the shadowy Danielss, the chilly night air streaming through my fur. It felt exhilarating, and for a while, I forgot all my troubles. But even this run couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling. It clung to me, refusing to fade.

Instead of letting it ruin my run, I tried to enjoy the night, savoring the freedom of the Danielss. I kept running without stopping. My wolf was bursting with energy since it hadn’t been out for a while, and even after miles, he didn’t seem the least bit tired.

Eventually, I reached the pack’s territory and stopped right at the doorstep of the house I shared with Lucas. I shifted back, holding my clothes in hand, not bothering about my nudity. Among our pack, we were used to it; there was no embarrassment.

Entering the house, I found Lucas in the living room, focused on his laptop. He looked up as I walked in.

“You went for a run?” he asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. Guess I was late.

“Yes, I ran here,” I replied, running a hand through my hair. That uneasy feeling was back, even stronger. The harder I tried to ignore it, the more intense it became.

Lucas seemed to pick up on my mood and asked, “Something wrong?”

“Nothing,” I brushed it off, heading upstairs for a quick shower. When I came back down, dinner was already served, and Lucas waited at the table under the chandelier. I frowned at the meal choices but decided to eat without complaining.

“You know I’m supposed to be the grumpy one,” Lucas joked. I gave him a look.

“I’m just tired,” I replied, piling my plate with ribs. Silence settled over us as we ate. I felt Lucas’s eyes on me, observing. He noticed things. Nothing got past him, sometimes more than I wanted.

“I…” I began, searching for the words to describe the unsettling feeling, knowing Lucas wouldn’t stop until I opened up. “I’ve been feeling restless lately. My wolf is acting strange, like he’s developed his own mind and doesn’t want to listen to me anymore.”

Lucas’s eyes widened.

“You’ve been feeling that too?”