ARIA POV
"He’s not dead," I scread, lunging forward. Lucien caught around the waist, dragging back into the dark.
"You’ll get yourself killed," he hissed in my ear.
I fought against his grip, tears running down my face. Jaxon couldn’t be dead. I refused to believe it. Even though I couldn’t feel our bond anymore, sothing deeper told he was still living.
"We need to get Kael first," Lucien whispered. "Then we can save Jaxon—if he can be saved."
The fake queen and her human guards were busy doing sothing with the stone wolf statue. They had left Kael in his cage, barely aware, while Jaxon’s body lay forgotten on the ground.
"Cover ," I whispered, slipping from Lucien’s grasp before he could stop .
Using every bit of stealth I’d learned as an ignored oga, I moved through the shadows toward Kael’s cage. The humans were distracted, arguing among themselves about how to open the stone wolf’s secret compartnt.
I reached the cage and pressed my fingers against the cold tal. "Kael," I whispered.
His eyes fluttered open, surprise flashing across his face. "Aria? Get out of here," he rasped.
"Not without you and Jaxon," I said, studying the lock on his cage. It was electronic—no key to steal.
Kael’s gaze darted to where Jaxon lay lifeless. "He tried to save ," he whispered. "They did sothing to him—a special weapon that targets pack bonds."
Hope flared in my chest. "So he’s not dead?"
"I don’t know. They shot him with sothing that made him scream like his soul was being ripped out. Then he just... stopped."
I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. That explained why our link had broken. But maybe—just maybe—it wasn’t forever.
"We need the code for this lock," I said, focused on the problem at hand.
Kael nodded toward a human woman standing near the false queen. "The one with red hair. She has a card."
I slipped back into the darkness, mind racing. How could I get that card without being seen? As if in answer, a howl pierced the night—Lucien’s signal that he was making a distraction.
Seconds later, an explosion bood from the opposite side of the area. The humans scattered in fear, shouting and pointing their weapons.
"Find them!" the false queen ordered, her face—my face—twisted with rage.
In the chaos, I darted forward, grabbed the keycard that had dropped from the red-haired woman’s pocket, and raced back to Kael’s cage. The lock clicked open, and Kael stumbled out, weak but determined.
"Get Jaxon," he ordered. "I’ll cover you."
Despite his injuries, Kael shifted into his massive black wolf form and leapt into the fight, tearing through the humans blocking our escape path.
I ran to Jaxon, falling to my knees beside him. His skin was ice cold, but when I pressed my fingers to his neck, I felt it—a faint, fighting pulse.
"Jaxon," I whispered, putting my hand to his heart. "Co back to ."
Nothing.
The fake queen spotted and let out a furious shriek. "Stop them!"
Lucien appeared at my side, already lifting Jaxon’s limp body. "Run!"
Together, we fled into the forest, Kael offering cover as bullets whistled past us. The babies kicked wildly inside , feeling my fear and exhaustion. But I pushed on, refusing to slow down until we reached the abandoned hunter’s cabin Lucien had noticed earlier.
Once inside, we blocked the door and laid Jaxon on the dusty floor. His chest rose and fell in weak breaths, but his eyes remained closed.
"Why can’t I feel him?" I demanded, putting my hands to my chest where our bond should be.
Kael changed back to human form, grimacing in pain. "They’ve been developing weapons especially to use against us. Sothing that attacks pack bonds."
"Why would they do that?"
"To weaken us," he said sadly. "A pack without bonds is just a bunch of scared animals."
"The false queen," I said. "She looks exactly like . Even big. How is that possible?"
Kael and Lucien exchanged looks.
"Tell ," I pressed.
"While they had captive, I overheard them talking," Kael said. "She’s not a chaleon like we thought. She’s... she claims to be your twin sister."
The room seed to spin around . "That’s impossible. I’m a child. I don’t have any family."
"Everyone has family," Lucien said softly. "Yours was just hidden from you."
I shook my head, trying to focus. "It doesn’t matter right now. We need to save Jaxon."
Kael knelt beside Jaxon’s body and inspected him with careful fingers. "This is beyond our healing skills. We need answers."
"From who?" I asked. "The humans are trying to kill us."
"Not all of them," Kael said, startling . "While captive, I learned there are factions among them. The ones working with the false queen are a secret group acting without official permission."
"You an Emma’s people don’t know about this?"
"Emma is caught in the middle," Kael stated. "She works for the official human agency, but the false queen blackmailed her into helping."
Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. "That’s why the spirits said Emma wasn’t our enemy."
Lucien looked skeptical. "Even if that’s true, we can’t just walk up to the humans and ask for help."
"Actually," Kael said, "there’s soone we can talk to. A human doctor who helped when I was caught. She didn’t agree with what they were doing."
Hope fluttered in my chest. "Will she help us save Jaxon?"
"Maybe," Kael admitted. "But it’s dangerous. We’d be walking right into human land."
"I’ll go," I said instantly.
"Absolutely not," both my friends said together.
"I’m not asking permission," I told them, my voice hard. "Jaxon is dying because of . Because the false queen—my supposed sister—wants my kids. This is my fight."
"And we’re your mates," Lucien argued. "We protect you."
"Look how well that’s worked so far," I snapped, instantly hating my words when pain flashed across their faces.
"I’m sorry," I said more gently. "But I need to do this. The fake queen wants anyway. Maybe I can use that."
A knock at the door made us all freeze. Kael instantly moved in front of while Lucien grabbed a makeshift weapon.
"Who’s there?" Kael called.
"Soone who can help your brother," a woman’s voice responded. "I’m alone and unard."
Kael’s eyes widened with recognition. "It’s her—the doctor."
Cautiously, Lucien opened the door. A middle-aged woman with kind eyes and gray-streaked hair stepped inside. When she saw Jaxon on the floor, she ran to him without hesitation.
"How did you find us?" I asked.
"Emma told ," she said, checking Jaxon’s pulse. "She’s been feeding false information to the Shadow Division—that’s what we call the secret group. She’s the reason you got away from the stone wolf shrine."
"So she really is on our side?" I asked.
"She’s on the side of peace," the doctor responded. "Unlike the Shadow Division, which wants to weaponize werewolves."
She pulled a small case from her pocket and removed a needle filled with blue liquid. "This will neutralize the bond suppressor they used on him. But I’m telling you—it’s going to be painful for all of you when the bond snaps back."
"Do it," I said without doubt.
The doctor inserted the blue liquid into Jaxon’s arm. For a mont, nothing happened. Then his back arched as he gasped for air.
Pain burst in my chest—like a door being blown open. I fell to my knees, hearing Kael and Lucien cry out as well. The mate bond rushed back with such force it took my breath away.
Jaxon’s eyes flew open, wild with pain and confusion. "Aria?"
Relief flooded through . "I’m here," I said, grabbing his hand.
The doctor stood up, watching us with scientific curiosity. "Fascinating. The bond actually has physical features."
"Thank you for helping him," I said, still holding Jaxon’s hand.
"Don’t thank yet," she said grimly. "The Shadow Division is still hunting you. And with what they took from the stone wolf shrine, they’re more dangerous than ever."
"What did they take?" Lucien asked.
"An old artifact—a small stone carving of a wolf pup. They believe it holds the genetic code for sothing they call ’Pure Wolves’—werewolves with abilities far beyond normal."
Jaxon struggled to sit up. "That’s what the false queen wants. She thinks Aria’s kids will be Pure Wolves."
"And she’s right," the doctor said, looking straight at . "Your twin sister wants to use your babies to build an army of super-soldiers. Half-human, half-werewolf, fully under her control."
"My sister," I whispered, the truth of it sinking in. "Why? Why would she do this?"
"Because she believes she was the one who should have had the power," the doctor explained. "According to the files I’ve seen, you were separated at birth. You were hidden with the wolves while she was raised by humans who tested on her. She’s spent her life planning for revenge."
The news hit like a physical blow. My sister—soone who shared my blood—wanted to steal my babies for her twisted plans.
"What do we do now?" I asked.
The doctor’s face turned grave. "There’s a diplomatic eting tomorrow between the official human agency and reps from several werewolf packs. Emma arranged it as a last try at peace. If you could speak there, show them you’re not monsters..."
"It’s a trap," Kael said instantly.
"Maybe," the doctor agreed. "But it might be your only chance to stop this war before it begins."
I looked at my three mates—Kael still wounded but fierce, Lucien watchful and protective, Jaxon barely conscious but alive—and made my choice.
"I’ll go," I said. "I’ll speak for our kind."
The doctor nodded and gave a small device. "This will get you into the building. Co alone or they’ll think it’s an attack."
After she left, my friends erupted in protests.
"You can’t go alone!"
"It’s too dangerous!"
"They’ll kill you on sight!"
I stopped them with a raised hand. "I’ve made my decision as Luna."
Later that night, while my friends slept, I slipped out of the cabin. The small gadget in my pocket would lead to the eting place—and possibly to my death. But I had no choice.
I was halfway to the road when a hand grabbed my arm. I whirled around, ready to fight, only to find myself looking into familiar purple eyes.
"Emma," I gasped.
"Going sowhere?" she asked.
"To the peace eting," I said. "The doctor told —"
Emma’s look stopped cold.
"There is no peace eting, Aria," she said quietly. "The doctor works for your sister. She’s been tracking you with that device."
Ice shot through my blood as I realized the truth. "Everything she told us was a lie."
"Not everything," Emma said. "Your sister does want your kids. But not to create soldiers."
"Then what?" I asked.
Emma’s face paled in the moonlight. "To sacrifice them. The ritual needs the blood of twin wolves born to a Pure Wolf mother."
"No," I whispered, hands flying to protect my belly.
"The doctor didn’t lie about one thing," Emma continued. "I am trying to help you. That’s why I’m here."
"Why should I trust you now?"
"Because I know where your sister is taking the stone carving," Emma said. "And I know how to stop her."
She held out her hand. "Co with . But understand this—if we fail, your sister will finish the ritual at tomorrow night’s blood moon."
"And if she succeeds?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Emma’s face was grim. "Then every monster on earth will beco her slave. Starting with your mates."
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