"I did." Kade folded his arms across his chest. "It was the only way to get you out here."
Leon’s pulse quickened. He didn’t like this. The secrecy. The tension in Kade’s stance. The fact that Kade was even here at all.
Kade had sent word, requesting this eting at the exact ti and location, claiming it was the only way to protect Crimson Pack from Raventhorn’s impending attack.
Which ant Kade knew sothing.
"What’s going on?" Leon demanded.
"I couldn’t risk being seen by anyone else." His expression hardened. "Soone sent Ava so docunts detailing how her father died."
Leon stiffened. Kade t his gaze. "The docunts carried your father’s seal and signature."
Leon felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath him.
His father’s seal? His father’s signature?
That was impossible.
"I need to know how those docunts got to her," Kade said.
Leon swallowed, his mind racing. "I don’t know," he admitted. "Can you explain further? What exactly happened?"
Kade exhaled, rubbing his temple. "You already know what happened after she found out," he muttered. "But she was set up using that information."
Leon’s chest tightened.
"She was set up?"
Kade nodded grimly. "I believe those docunts ca from your pack, which ans soone inside Crimson Pack is feeding the traitor information."
Leon’s fists tightened.
The only place those docunts could be found was in the pack archive. And the archive was heavily guarded. Not just anyone could go in there.
And yet, sohow, soone had.
His mind spun, trying to piece it together. Who? How?
"The pack archive."
"Soone must have been in there," Kade pressed. "I need you to find out who it was." His voice lowered. "I’ll et you here at this exact ti next week."
Leon’s head snapped up.
"Hold on." He took a step closer. "Why can’t you be seen?"
Kade hesitated. Then he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"The Alpha faked my death," he admitted. "He sent to get him anything that could exonerate Ava. Until then... no one can know I’m still alive."
Leon stared at him. "How is Ava?"
"She’s fine, She’s in hiding. But not for long."
"Do you need anything?" Leon asked. "Sothing to keep you going until this is done?"
"Just work fast," Kade muttered.
"I will."
Then, without another word, Kade pulled his hoodie back over his head and lted into the darkness once more.
Leon stood there, watching as his form disappeared into the night.
*****
Lucas was going crazy.
There was no other way to describe it. His mind was a battlefield, a brutal war between himself and Manic, the feral part of him that refused to stay buried.
He had been fighting his darker instincts for days, but the struggle was like trying to hold back an avalanche with his bare hands.
He felt trapped. The walls felt like they were shrinking, inch by inch, boxing him in.
He couldn’t breathe.
The scent of her still lingered in the room, tornting him.
With a frustrated growl, he bolted upright, his body tense with unspent energy. He grabbed a shirt from the floor, yanking it over his head.
The walls continued to close in, threatening to crush him.
He needed out.
Slipping silently out of the building, Lucas moved on instinct. His legs carried him through the cool night air, his feet barely making a sound against the dirt path. The wind was crisp, sharp against his skin, but he barely noticed.
He kept walking, each step feeling both aimless and urgent, until he reached the top of the hill overlooking Dennis’s territory.
And then he stopped.
Just beyond the river was his heart.
The river below shimred in the darkness, an easy path to her if he wanted to take it.
And he did.
So badly, it hurt.
Getting to her was easy.
Getting back? That was another story.
The only way out of Dennis’s town was through the main gate, which led straight into town, into his own territory.
Dennis didn’t have real security, but there were still risks. If anyone saw him, it could ruin everything.
But the need to see Ava gnawed at him.
His mind conjured up a thousand scenarios of what could be happening.
Was she safe?
Was she comfortable?
Was she thinking about him?
He needed to know. Needed to see her.
But he couldn’t.
So instead, he lay down on the ground, hidden by the bushes, the cool earth pressing against his back.
That was as close as he could get to her.
That was the only way he would be able to get any sleep.
Not that sleep ever really ca.
Instead, he closed his eyes and imagined her beside him.
He thought about the way she would tease him, that mischievous glint in her eye when she was up to no good.
The way her lips would twitch into a smirk, her voice dripping with mockery.
God, he missed her.
He missed the way she would look at him, as if he was the only person in the world.
The way she would touch him, her fingers tracing patterns over his skin, sending shivers down his spine.
The way she would gasp when he pulled her close, when he buried himself inside her, when she shattered beneath him.
He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this charade with Sarah up. Every ti she opened her mouth, he wanted to strangle her. He begged Manic for control. He had to let him handle this one
*****
Zari was shaking.
Whenever the Alpha sends for her, she felt like she was walking toward her doom.
Especially now. Ever since Ava had escaped, Lucas had been on a rampage.
Zari had seen him lose it, walk around half shifted, flipping tables, growling at warriors, sending powerful n running for cover.
And now he wanted to see her.
Her. A re maid.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that whatever this was about, it wasn’t good.
As she walked toward his office, her heartbeat was loud and frantic in her ears. She half-wondered if the guards stationed outside could hear it too.
By the ti she reached the doors, her hands were clammy.
She knocked lightly, hoping he wouldn’t hear.
"Enter." Damn. She swallowed hard, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.
Lucas was already standing.
Zari resisted the urge to run.
"I..." she began but the words got stuck. She quickly cleared her throat. "I was told you wanted to see , Alpha."
He didn’t respond.
Instead, he moved.
Zari tensed as he stalked toward her. For a terrifying second, she thought this was it, her last day breathing.
Would he strangle her? Snap her neck?
But then, he walked right past her.
What? She barely had ti to process the confusion before he stopped at the door, stood there listening for sothing, then finally turned back to face her.
What the hell was that?
"Ava was fond of you."
Zari nearly choked.
She schooled her face into a neutral expression and said, "I believe so, Alpha."
"Whatever I tell you here cannot leave this office. I will kill you without blinking if it does."
"Yes, Alpha."
He leaned forward as he sat at his desk. "I need you to smuggle so supplies to Dennis’s territory. Food, drinks, clothes just essential stuff."
Huh? Zari blinked, sure she’d misheard.
"No one can know it’s you," Lucas continued. "Not even those at the pack."
Zari stared. Her brain lagged for a second.
She was being asked to smuggle food and drinks to the enemy.
Unless... realisation dawned on her.
"I will assign Nolan to drive you wherever you need to go," Lucas went on, completely unfazed by the absurdity of what he was saying. "I will inform Nelly to assign you as kitchen manager to avoid questions."
So, that’s where Ava was hiding.
Zari was done trying to make sense of all what was going on.
One minute, she was a simple maid to the future Luna. The next, said future Luna is sentenced to death. Then she escapes, and suddenly, Lucas wanted her to supply food to his enemy brother’s camp?
"Yes, Alpha." Was all she said.
A knock at the door nearly sent her leaping out of her skin.
Lucas moved instantly, stepping closer.
Zari barely had ti to react before his palm connected with her face.
Pain exploded across her cheek.
She staggered, her head whipping to the side, stars bursting in her vision.
What the hell?!
All she could do was clutch her face, trying to process what just happened.
"Enter!" Lucas barked.
Zari blinked through the sting just in ti to see Dorian step in.
He looked between her and Lucas. "Is everything okay, Alpha?"
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