“We pick up Blake first,” he said, his voice steadier now. “Then the twins. Then we bring everyone back here to the panic room. I’ll contact Ryder and Noah, organize a search party. The trackers might have found something by now. We can coordinate from here once everyone is safe.”
“Okay. Okay.” I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. “Let’s go.”
We ran.
Up the stairs, two at a time, my lungs already burning from the pace. Through the tunnel, the LED lights blurring past us as we sprinted. The ten minutes it had taken to walk down here felt like an eternity now, every second stretching into an unbearable wait.
Knox pulled down the red lever and we burst through into the kitchen. The counter sealed behind us with a soft click that felt like a gunshot in the silence.
We didn’t stop. Didn’t slow down. Just sprinted out of the house and toward Sarah’s place.
The streets of Ravenshollow blurred around me. My feet pounded against the pavement, each step jarring through my body. I could barely feel my legs anymore, couldn’t tell if the burning in my chest was from exertion or terror.
What if we were too late?
The thought kept circling in my head, a vulture waiting to feast on my hope. What if Lucio had already done something? What if Blake was hurt? What if everyone was-
No. I couldn’t think like that. I had to focus. Had to keep moving.
Guards saw us running and snapped to attention, their expressions shifting from surprise to alarm. Some of them fell into step behind us without being asked, their training kicking in automatically. By the time we reached Sarah’s house, we had a small entourage of wolves, all of them sensing something was very wrong.
Knox pounded on the door.
No answer.
My heart dropped into my stomach. Sarah always answered quickly. She was always there, always ready, always-
Knox tried the handle. Unlocked. We burst inside, calling out.
“Sarah?”
“Blake?”
The house was empty. Quiet. No baby crying. No elderly woman puttering around the kitchen. No sounds of life at all except for the ticking of a clock on the mantle and the hum of the refrigerator.
I spun in a circle, my eyes scanning every corner. Blake’s bassinet was in the living room, exactly where Sarah always kept it. But it was empty. The blankets were neatly folded. No sign of struggle. No sign of anything wrong except for the absence of everyone who should have been here.
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
Knox whirled on the guards stationed outside. “Where is she?” he demanded, his voice barely human. His wolf was right at the surface, ready to break through, ready to tear apart anyone who stood between him and his daughter.
“She went out with Serena and their assigned guards,” one of the guards said, his face pale with dawning realization that something had gone terribly wrong. “They haven’t returned yet.”
“Who were the guards assigned?”
The guard swallowed hard, consulting some internal list. “Theo, Jack, a man from Moonfang named Patrick, and Lucio.”
My world stopped.
The sound around me faded to nothing. The guard’s mouth was still moving, but I couldn’t hear the words anymore. Everything had narrowed down to that one name, echoing in my skull like a death knell.
Lucio.
Lucio was with them. Lucio, who I had suspected. Lucio, who Hunt had seen meeting with Mira. Lucio, who had been embedded in our pack for weeks, learning our routines, our weaknesses, our secrets.
Lucio was with my baby.
I felt the blood drain from my face. Felt my knees threaten to buckle. The world tilted dangerously and I might have fallen if Knox hadn’t grabbed my arm, steadying me.
