Kat crept silently away from Vitale's office, her heart pounding. She had heard enough of Marco's report to know that Vitale was pursuing a promising lead to find the missing children. A surge of panic washed over Kat as she slipped unseen through the darkened corridors of the pack headquarters. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to let it all come crashing down now. The thought of Vitale discovering those brats, proof that Natalia had borne his heirs, made her blood run cold. She had to stop him, no matter the cost.Reaching an empty conference room, Kat pulled out her phone with trembling hands. She selected a number, took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and hit call. After three rings, a gruff voice answered."Yeah?""It's Kat," she said sharply, all business. "I have a priority task for your team. Vitale is chasing a lead on the missing kids. I need you to intercept and redirect him.""Shouldn't be an issue," Sergei, one of her most trusted spies from her father's
Alessio's fists clenched as he stared out over the cliff's edge. The valley spilled out below him, trees swaying gently in the morning breeze. It did nothing to calm the turmoil roiling inside him. With a roar, Alessio lashed out, his fist connecting with the rock face. Pain splintered up his arm but it barely registered. He struck again and again until his knuckles were raw and blood dripped down his fingers. "Why can't I control this?" he growled, chest heaving.Ever since his failed experiment with Maddox, Alessio could feel his inner wolf straining against its bonds, threatening to break free. He was on edge, quick to anger over the smallest thing. Yesterday, he'd lashed out at Olga when she came for help. The shocked hurt in her eyes had sent him fleeing here, to his favorite thinking spot high in the mountains. Olga, Kat and Roberto were his only allies in the pack. Those that didn't look down him. But now he is losing even those.Alessio scrubbed a hand down his face and winc
Natalia sank down in front of the crude desk in her study, rubbing her tired eyes. The flickering lamp cast dancing shadows over the mess of papers and maps strewn across the worn wooden surface. She had been poring over them for hours, long after the rest of the pack had retired for the night. But sleep eluded her these days. Not when so many lives hung in the balance. Reaching out, Nat reshuffled through the pile of notes and sketches until she found the ones she sought. Photos ripped out of an old pack record book, capturing the faces of the missing Omegas. Young, vibrant wolves who had vanished unexpectedly over the past two moons. Seven in total. No trace of them had been found, despite extensive search parties scouring the territory and beyond. It was as if they had simply been snatched away, their scents dissolved on the wind.Natalia studied each photo, though she had long since memorized every detail. Jana's shy, sweet smile. The mischief glinting in Caleb's eyes. Sophia's k
Vitale paced around his spacious office, feeling restless and impatient. It had been two days since his run-in with Natalia at the restaurant in town. Two days since the uncomfortable tension that still simmered between them. Two days since he had heard anything new about the missing omegas. He was itching for action, for a break in this frustrating case. The waiting and political maneuvering were driving him mad. He needed to be out there searching for clues, hunting down leads, doing something productive.A knock on the door interrupted his brooding thoughts. "Enter," he called out.The door opened and Marco stepped inside. Vitale's trusted friend and spymaster had a thoughtful look on his scarred face. "What is it?" Vitale asked. "Please tell me you have news."Marco nodded. "I do. One of my city contacts came through. He tracked down the rental records for that van from the kidnapping scene. It was leased to a small construction company on the outskirts of town." Vitale felt a
Morning sun filtered weakly through the windows of the pack dining hall as Natalia sat picking at her breakfast. The noise and bustle of the pack felt strangely hollow today. Her investigation into the missing omegas had stalled, leaving her restless and on edge. Not to mention, Lila's words last night. She had vowed to not let emotions cloud her judgement, but seeing the girl only reminded her of her own kids. Natalia was so preoccupied scrolling through her notes that she didn't notice Olga until the she-wolf was standing over her table, smiling brightly."Good morning, Natalia! Mind if I join you?"Natalia blinked up at her in surprise. The petite omega was beaming down at her wearing her nurse badge. Although she rarely sets foot inside the packs clinic, she never failed to flaunt her position everywhere she goes. Olga's voice was friendly, even excited. But her eyes remained cold and calculating. Natalia's instinct instantly screamed distrust."Of course," she replied cautiousl
Roberto stuck to the shadows, slinking along the outer perimeter of the pack's territory. He kept his head low and his steps light as he moved through the underbrush, careful not to make a sound. The drug coursed through his veins, making his skin crawl and his muscles twitch involuntarily. He could feel the changes taking hold, though he couldn't be sure yet what those changes entailed. All he knew was that he had to get away from the others until he had a handle on it. As he crept along, using trees and boulders to hide his form, he thought back to how he had ended up in this position. Desperate times called for desperate measures. If it worked, no one would ever look down on him. If it didn't...well, best not to think about that.A spasm wracked Roberto's body, making him stumble into a tree trunk. He leaned there a moment, panting. The feverish heat under his skin grew more intense, like there was a fire kindling in his very bones. He had to get somewhere safe. Somewhere he could
Alessio trudged wearily through the shadowed forest, head low, shoulders slumped in defeat. He had been wandering aimlessly for over a week now, since fleeing his pack lands in shame. The untamed power burning within him frightened everyone he cared for. He was a threat...a monster. So he had run, hoping to protect them from himself. But now, exhausted and utterly alone, he wondered if leaving had been a coward's choice. The forest seemed endless, and the fury inside him raged on, unchecked. He was no closer to controlling it or finding answers. Only the beasts and trees witnessed his struggle, and they offered no wisdom.Lost in desolation, Alessio did not sense the large wolf trailing him until a voice called out."You look a little lost, friend."Alessio whirled, a snarl instinctively rising in his throat as his inner beast reacted. But he stifled it when he recognized the broad-shouldered stranger leaning casually against a tree trunk. Yes, now he remembered - they had crossed pa
Kat stalked through the dense forest, anger simmering in her veins. Those useless idiots had failed to kill Natalia, again. Just how long would it take to wipe out a single wolf?A twig snapped, jerking Kat from her brooding. She whirled, a snarl on her lips, only to find herself seized from behind by multiple assailants. She thrashed and bit down hard, tasting blood, but their grip was like iron. Within moments they had dragged her past the border markers and dropped her roughly at the feet of a smirking figure leaning against a tree. Kat leaped up and shifted into an attack crouch, lips curled back to expose her fangs. But she faltered at the sight of the man casually cleaning blood from beneath his nails with a knife. Dr. Maddox."Now now, that's no way to greet an old friend," the rogue scientist purred, poisonous gaze locking onto hers. "But given how you've ignored my messages of late, I thought an...intervention...was required."Kat forced her wolf down, though her muscles rem
Kat grinned as she looked over her shoulder at the line of omegas trailing behind her, their heads lowered submissively. Ten omegas to bring back to the pack, more than she had hoped for. She would have more than enough to pay Maddox and even request more drugs if the need arises. The forest was quiet as they made their way through the dense trees, the only sounds being the crunch of leaves under their feet and the occasional bird call overhead. Kat's ears swiveled, alert for any signs of danger, but all seemed peaceful.Too peaceful, she realized with a start. The woods were never this quiet unless..."Ambush!" Kat yelled, whirling around, but it was too late. The enemy warriors dropped down from the trees, landing lightly on their feet to surround Kat's small group. She counted at least twelve of them, all heavily armed and staring at her with hatred in their eyes."Well, well," one of them drawled, flipping a knife casually in his hand. "Look what we have here. Poaching our omegas
Vitale crept through the dense forest, ears pricked and senses on high alert. He did not know if this mysterious lead would yield answers or simply danger, but he was prepared either way.Behind him, his four most trusted guards kept pace, watchful for any signs of deception. But the path ahead remained undisturbed. Perhaps this would be nothing but a fruitless detour. Yet something deep within compelled Vitale onward. He had to know if truth awaited at the end of this trail.As the trees thinned ahead, the brush giving way to a rocky clearing, Vitale felt the fine hairs on his neck stand on end. He slowed, holding up a hand to halt his guards. The space appeared empty, but his instincts screamed that eyes were watching them even now. It was an ideal spot for an ambush.Vitale turned sharply to retreat back under the trees' protective cover. But too late. The faint hiss reached his ears seconds before the canisters hit the ground around them, spewing forth cloying white smoke. Vitale
Leo strode purposefully through the dense forest outside the Sanguinari wolf pack's borders, Vincent trailing at his back. The flickering leaves and branches prevent the rays from reaching the forest grounds . But Leo did not slow. He had tread this path enough times lately to know its twists and turns by heart.At the final iron-barred door, Leo cleared his throat. "Remind me again why we waste our time down here with this mad doctor and his monsters?"Vincent glanced back, lips quirking wryly. "Come now, Alpha. Where's your curiosity? Maddox is clearly on the brink of a breakthrough with his experiments on the wolves. One that could aid our pack greatly.""Or doom us all," Leo muttered under his breath. But he stood guard obediently as Vincent unlocked the door and entered the sprawling laboratory beyond. As always, the cavernous room unsettled Vincent on some primal level. Cages and glass cells lined the walls, housing Maddox's less than willing test subjects in various states of
Vitale paced restlessly around the makeshift camp, his mind churning with questions. It had been two days since discovering the ominous clues at the abandoned office site, but they were no closer to uncovering the truth. Marco had extracted some data from the cryptic flashdrive, but it was all heavily encrypted. He was still working to break through the protections and access the files. In the meantime, Vitale had dispatched trusted allies to dig deeper into the shadowy rental company's records and affiliations. But so far, they had turned up nothing useful.Whoever was behind this had covered their tracks exceptionally well. But Vitale knew there had to be some thread they could follow, some mistake the culprits had made. And he had no intention of leaving until he found it. For now, the team remained camped a cautious distance from the derelict office park, maintaining a discreet watch over the site. The shred of clothing with Natalia's scent tied her to this place somehow, Vitale
Pale dawn light filtered weakly through the dense forest surrounding the sprawling Krovavyy Krest pack grounds. Nestled deep within the remote Siberian wilderness, it was the largest and most formidable werewolf clan in Russia.In the training grounds, Alessio crouched across from Vincent, eyes narrowed in concentration. His muscles coiled tightly as he watched his mentor circle slowly. Vincent's scarred face gave nothing away, completely unreadable. They had been sparring since dawn, neither gaining advantage over the other for more than a moment. But Alessio could feel his strength starting to flag. The grueling daily training here at the Krovavyy Krest pack sanctuary was taking its toll.Vincent lunged without warning, aiming a vicious kick at Alessio's midsection. With reflexes honed over weeks of practice, Alessio spun away, using his opponent's momentum against him to flip Vincent over onto his back.Before he could press his counterattack, Vincent had rolled swiftly back to hi
Dawn's first light filtered weakly through the dense forest canopy as Natalia and Olga set out on patrol together. Since extending her offer of friendship, Olga had made a point of volunteering for duties alongside Natalia as often as possible. To Natalia, the she-wolf's presence now felt less like camaraderie and more like the smothering watch of a prison guard. "What a lovely morning!" Olga exclaimed, breaking the tense silence between them. "Don't you just adore the springtime, Natalia? Everything feels so alive and renewed.""I suppose so," Natalia replied halfheartedly, scanning their surroundings. She was anxious to finish this patrol and pursue a new anonymous tip regarding the omegas' whereabouts. The scrap of paper had contained only an address and dire warning - "Cabin east of canyon, leave now. Evidence inside."Natalia wasn't foolish enough to fully trust such a conveniently timed message. More likely it was a trap set by the kidnappers to lure her out alone where she wou
Natalia sank into the steaming water of the women's bath with a contented sigh, letting the heat relax her sore muscles. It had been an exhausting day of leading martial training for the pack's youth. As much as she loved passing on her skills, keeping up with the pups' boundless energy left her drained. She leaned back and closed her eyes, appreciating this chance to unwind in solitude.Her blissful soak was interrupted by the creak of the door and murmured voices. Natalia opened her eyes to see Olga entering with two other pack women, laughing brightly at something one said. Natalia suppressed a frown. Since the trial two weeks ago, Olga had been nothing but a nuisance, following Natalia around and ALWAYS showing up wherever she happened to be. Natalia did her best to remain civil, but Olga's overly familiar attitude grated on her.Oblivious to her irritation, Olga waved cheerfully. "Natalia! What a happy coincidence running into you here." The other women greeted Natalia politely
Kat met her squad of hand-picked warriors just outside her territory's border as the moon rose high overhead. Only her most savage and unquestioningly loyal fighters had been recruited for this distasteful but necessary task. They stood restlessly in the shadows of the trees, awaiting her signal.Kat stepped into their midst, her expression grim. "You know our purpose. This is not a sanctioned raid, so speak of it to no one upon our return." Her eyes glinted dangerously in the moonlight. "Am I clear?"The warriors rumbled their assent. They cared not about the whys, only the promise of a good fight their Alpha provided. Kat curled her lip slightly. Foolish brutes. But they would serve her aims well enough tonight. "Then let's be off. We've a two day's hard journey ahead." She inclined her head toward the border. "Time and secrecy are of the essence." Without another word, she leaped forward, shifting mid-air into her wolf form. Powerful limbs ate up the distance as she surged into t
Kat stalked through the dense forest, anger simmering in her veins. Those useless idiots had failed to kill Natalia, again. Just how long would it take to wipe out a single wolf?A twig snapped, jerking Kat from her brooding. She whirled, a snarl on her lips, only to find herself seized from behind by multiple assailants. She thrashed and bit down hard, tasting blood, but their grip was like iron. Within moments they had dragged her past the border markers and dropped her roughly at the feet of a smirking figure leaning against a tree. Kat leaped up and shifted into an attack crouch, lips curled back to expose her fangs. But she faltered at the sight of the man casually cleaning blood from beneath his nails with a knife. Dr. Maddox."Now now, that's no way to greet an old friend," the rogue scientist purred, poisonous gaze locking onto hers. "But given how you've ignored my messages of late, I thought an...intervention...was required."Kat forced her wolf down, though her muscles rem