Third POV
The sleek black SUV rolled to a stop at the edge of a dense forest on the outskirts of Ironhound territory. Lucas cut the engine and peered through the windshield at the rocky terrain ahead of them.
“This is it?” Percival asked, his weathered face creased with skepticism.
Lucas nodded. “According to the coordinates Felix gave us.”
The drive through Ironhound Pack lands had been faster than expected. Alpha Joseph had granted them special permission to cross directly through their territory—a rare courtesy that saved them valuable ti. Now they faced what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary hillside with scattered cave openings.
“Hard to believe this is where they’d keep a research facility,” Percival muttered, opening the passenger door.
Lucas stepped out into the crisp air. “The best hideouts are the ones that don’t look like one.”
They approached the hillside cautiously. Lucas’s eyes scanned the area, noting the lack of footprints or signs of recent activity.
The silence was unsettling. There were no birds chirping, no small animals scurrying about. It didn’t seem like an ordinary part of the forest.
“Sothing’s not right,” Lucas said, his voice low. “I thought this place was supposed to be crawling with rogues.”
Percival’s hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his jacket. “Maybe the Vox Solis had them all removed from the grounds.”
Lucas sniffed the air. Instead of the sll of wet grass and mildew, there was a strange mixture of antiseptic and alcohol drifting from one of the cave openings. It was subtle but distinct, especially out here in the middle of nature where such scents didn’t belong.
“This way,” he gestured, leading Percival toward the opening.
As they approached, the unnatural scent grew stronger. Lucas was about to step inside when a voice pierced through his mind.
‘Uh... Lucas, I’m afraid that we might have a new problem.’
Lucas halted, raising his hand to signal Percival to wait. Levi sounded troubled.
‘What is it?’ Lucas responded ntally.
‘We ran into a situation. Turns out, we might have to start a club soon. Callum has a second mate.’
Lucas frowned. ‘What do you an a second mate? Does Cassandra have a twin?’
‘Not likely. Her na’s Kendra. She claims she’s from the Redhowl Pack. So rogues were chasing her when we found her. But here’s the weird part—Callum says he feels the mate bond with her just like he does with Cassandra.’
There was a pause before Levi continued to speak.
‘I swear, man. They look nothing alike.’
Lucas’s jaw clenched. ‘That’s not possible. Unless...’
‘Unless what?’
‘Unless one of them isn’t his real mate.’
There was a brief pause before Levi responded. ‘You’re thinking what I’m thinking, aren’t you? The Vox Solis.’
‘If they’re researching how to break and create mate bonds...’ Lucas’s thoughts trailed off.
“What’s wrong?” Percival asked, noticing Lucas’s distant expression.
Lucas held up a finger, asking for one more mont of silence.
‘Where are you now?’ he asked Levi.
‘On our way to you. We’re bringing Kendra with us. Not sure if we can trust her, but leaving her behind seed riskier.’
‘Good call. How far out are you?’
‘About forty minutes if I push it.’
‘Be careful. We don’t know what we’re walking into here.’
‘Will do. See you soon.’
The mind link closed, and Lucas turned to Percival.
“We might have a complication,” he explained briefly about Callum’s situation with the two supposed mates.
Percival’s eyes widened. “If the Vox Solis can manipulate mate bonds...”
“Exactly,” Lucas nodded. “One or both of these won could be working for them.”
“Or worse,” Percival added grimly, “they’re perfecting their techniques.”
Lucas’s face hardened. “Let’s keep moving. Levi and the others will catch up.”
They approached the cave entrance again. The antiseptic sll was stronger now, almost burning Lucas’s sensitive nose. As they ventured deeper, the natural rock walls gradually beca reinforced walls and a tallic floor.
“Silver,” Lucas muttered as a wave of dizziness hit him. “The bunker’s lined with it.”
Percival reached out to steady himself against the wall but quickly pulled back his hand, wincing at the burn.
“Wait here,” Lucas commanded, rushing back to the car.
He returned monts later with a pair of thick rubber gloves. He handed one to Percival and kept the other for himself.
“These won’t block it completely, but they’ll help,” he explained.
Even with the gloves, the silver’s effect was imdiate. It felt like he was holding a hot mug through a thin cloth.
Lucas gritted his teeth and pushed forward. He would be damned if he let this little bit of discomfort stop him from finding Hazel.
The hallway opened into a larger space. The clinical sll was overwhelming now. Lucas flicked on his flashlight, revealing what looked like a research facility. Computer terminals lined one wall, and various dical equipnt sat on stainless steel tables.
“Looks like they cleared out in a hurry,” Percival observed, pointing to fallen chairs and scattered papers.
Lucas knelt to examine so of the docunts on the floor. Most were aningless to him—charts and graphs with scientific terminology he didn’t understand. But one paper caught his eye. He picked it up, and his blood ran cold.
It was Hazel’s dical chart. Her na, vital statistics, and several notes about her “compatibility” with various treatnts.
“Those bastards,” Lucas growled, his grip tightening on the paper.
They were testing her. Judging from what this cult researched on, there could only be one reason.
They were planning to change Hazel’s fated mate. Just the thought of it had Lucas’s blood boiling with anger.
A call from another room interrupted his thoughts.
“Lucas! You need to see this,” Percival’s voice echoed from down a hallway.
Lucas tucked the paper into his pocket and headed toward Percival’s voice. As he walked, sothing else caught his attention—a familiar scent cutting through the antiseptic.
It was sweet. There were even lingering hints of her favorite shampoo. Lucas would recognize this scent even if he was in the grave.
Hazel.
Lucas froze mid-step, his heart hamring in his chest. The scent was faint but unmistakable.
He followed the scent trail, his pace quickening with each step. It led away from Percival’s voice, down a different corridor. The silver lining in the walls made his head spin, but he pushed through the discomfort.
The corridor ended near a flight of stairs and a heavy tal door. Lucas placed his gloved hand on the handle and pushed. It swung open with a tallic groan, revealing a small room.
There was a small bed, a folded table, and a chair. In the corner was a small bathroom attached. Hazel’s scent was strong here.
“Lucas?” Percival called out, coming up behind him. “What did you find?”
Lucas didn’t reply. Instead, his eyes landed on a small object on the floor. He quickly crossed the room and picked it up, his eyes widening with recognition.
A pregnancy test!
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