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“Where were your positions during those hours?” My voice exploded from me, causing several guards to flinch backward. “I gave éxplicit orders! Maximum security protocols! No entry, no exit! That was the singular directive! How does an intruder penetrate our territory, butcher a senior official, and vanish without triggering a single alert?” 1
When I finally managed to straighten, the forest spun around me in nauseating circles. Every guard present wore the same expression of horror. These were seasoned warriors, yet they looked like terrified children confronted with their worst nightmare.
Despair crashed over me in waves. Complete powerlessness.
“Her condition, Doctor?” I demanded, grasping his sleeve.
The revelation struck me like lightning. She was alone and vulnerable? After everything that occurred last night, she understood the dangers we faced.
My lungs seized as I tried to draw breath. The air itself seemed contaminated
with death.
I abandoned any thought of shifting. Pure adrenaline propelled me forward at inhuman speed, crashing through underbrush and leaping fallen logs until I burst through the hospital’s main doors.
“Alpha, her abilities are overwhelming her physical form,” Dr. Neville began. “She’s utilizing her power continuously, even unconsciously, despite her body’s inability to cope. Her defensive mechanisms are too powerful. Her human form cannot contain such intense energy in her current state.”
“Dorian orchestrated this,” I snarled. “But he didn’t act alone.”
The smell overwhelmed me completely. I staggered backward, my stomach rebelling violently, and found myself doubled over beside an ancient oak, retching until nothing remained. The sounds that escaped me were animalistic, raw with revulsion.
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He exhaled heavily and guided me toward his private office.
I redirected my focus to Penelope, who should be at the house caring for
Theo.
Collapsed. Two episodes in as many days.
This transcended murder. This was psychological warfare, written in blood and entrails.
Only one person possessed knowledge I lacked. The Seer who had previously provided guidance.
‘Seraphina’s location. I can’t reach her!’
The implications crashed over me like ice water. This wasn’t random violence. This was a declaration of war.
Roxanne remained secured in custody, physically incapable of this level of destruction. Dorian had accomplices. Someone from within our ranks had granted him access, possibly even participated in this barbaric execution.
I seized it with trembling fingers and smoothed out the creases.
The words felt like physical blows. Permanent unconsciousness.
I prepared to sprint away, but Caleb’s urgent voice crashed into my mind.
Terror replaced rage in an instant. Not my children. I could accept paying for my father’s mistakes, because his actions were inexcusable. But my children bore no responsibility for this conflict. They could never become acceptable
casualties.
Rage flooded my vision. My wolf demanded destruction, demanded I tear apart everything in sight until this was fixed.
Dr. Neville’s expression filled with genuine sorrow. “You understand that’s impossible. No pharmaceutical intervention can control a White Wolf’s power. But it’s literally consuming her from within.”
I forced myself to breathe deeply, pushing down my wolf’s violent demands.
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Seraphina needed my clarity, not my fury.
My chest constricted painfully. “Medication options? Something to suppress the wolf temporarily? Anything to prevent her from accessing her abilities until she recovers?”
The metallic stench of blood saturated the air, creating a crimson pool that stretched far beyond what any single body should contain. I’d witnessed the aftermath of the children’s murders, but this exceeded even that brutality.
“There’s an additional element, Alpha,” he announced, extending a folded sheet of expensive paper.
My fingers shook as I retrieved my phone. I dialed her number. One ring.
“Holden!” I barked, thrusting the threatening message toward him. “Handle this crime scene. I’ll contact Miller’ family later. Determine which guards were assigned, identify Dorian’s accomplices. I’m leaving now.”
My stomach dropped. “Bad news then.”
What lay before me wasn’t a corpse. It was carnage.
‘Seraphina! Respond immediately!’ I projected through our mental
connection.
Julian’s POV
Holden approached cautiously, clearing his throat to capture my attention. His complexion had drained of all color.
White Wolves were nearly extinct, most originating from the Ruined Fang. Seeking someone capable of helping her, someone who truly comprehended this type of gift, risked that information reaching Dorian before finding legitimate assistance for Seraphina.
I pressed my eyes shut. “Explain that! Tell me what action to take!”
The truth burned through me like poison.
The silence that followed was deafening. Fear glazed every pair of eyes that
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met mine, but no explanations emerged. Only helpless head shakes and trembling lips.
“Julian,” her voice carried ancient wisdom and unshakeable calm. “I
anticipated this call.”
“Alpha, what’s happening?” Penelope’s mental voice carried obvious anxiety.
“Identify the victim,” I commanded, though my voice emerged as barely a
rasp.
“Unfortunately,” she replied, her words heavy with regret, “I bring no comfort. The war is no longer approaching, Alpha Julian. It has arrived at your gates. And the sole individual capable of saving you is equally capable of destroying everything you hold dear.”
The words blurred momentarily before coming into sharp focus.
Holden’s jaw worked tensely, the muscles standing out like cords. “Based on the condition of the remains, Alpha, death occurred in the early morning hours. Between two and three.”
The remains were scattered across the forest floor like discarded refuse. Limbs torn from their sockets, torso split wide, organs spilling into the earth. Every piece of what had once been a man now decorated the ground in a grotesque display of violence.
‘Alpha, the Luna collapsed outside our perimeter. I’ve transported her to the Fang Hospital.
Dr. Neville intercepted me in the corridor outside Seraphina’s room. His carefully neutral expression terrified me more than obvious panic would
have.
Ice-cold panic consumed the anger entirely. Why couldn’t I establish contact?
“I am en route,” she stated simply. “I knew this moment would come. But understand this clearly: for your mate to master her wolf, she must discover
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her true identity and purpose. For that revelation to occur, she must learn the truth about her biological parents. And that truth will unleash
consequences, Julian. Consequences that no one, not even you, possesses the power to prevent.”
Two and three in the morning.
Nothing. Complete void.
Penelope’s hesitation stretched for an eternity. “She departed shortly after my arrival. I’m concerned about her condition, Alpha. She appeared ready to collapse. Unsteady movement, unfocused eyes.”
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to an urgent whisper. “Time is critical, Alpha. Her deterioration is accelerating. If this pattern continues, if she keeps experiencing these episodes, she might lose consciousness permanently.””
“You may have reclaimed your daughter, but your time grows short. The father’s transgressions will be answered by his offspring. This includes both you and your children.”
Suddenly, a sharp tug at my consciousness made me gasp. Something was wrong with Seraphina. The bond between us pulsed with distress.
A young guard’s voice trembled as he responded, “Alpha, that’s Mr. Miller.
Senior council member.”
