Page 41 of Bite for Sore Eyes

"Because of security failures we didn't cause," Torren growled, his own bear stirring with indignation. "Failures that Jace and Vaughn are working around the clock to solve."

"Doesn't matter to them. All they see are problems happening on our watch." Rath's green eyes flashed with barely contained fury. "Fifteen years, Torren. Fifteen years of prosperity, stability, and growth. But a few system glitches and suddenly⁠—"

Pain exploded through Torren's chest like lightning striking bone. Not his own pain—something flooded through the mate bond with violent intensity. Beside him, Rath doubled over with a sharp gasp, one hand clutching his ribs.

"What the hell?" Rath's voice came out strained.

Through the bond, Torren felt terror, panic, and the desperate need for help that could only belong to one person.

"Lana's in trouble," he said, already moving toward the narrow staircase that led down from their shared workspace.

"Again?" Rath was right behind him, their earlier frustration forgotten in the face of their mate's distress. "Is she having another episode?"

They thundered down the stairs two at a time, then across the second-floor landing, and down the grand staircase, their bears driving them forward with single-minded purpose. The front doors of the castle burst open under Rath's hands, and there—down the stone pathway that led toward the main part of Varkesh Hollow—was a scene that made Torren's blood turn to ice.

Lana stood frozen in the middle of the pathway, her face pale with terror and something else—the glassy-eyed look that meant her illness was misfiring again. Jace was beside her, his body already beginning the telltale shimmer that preceded a shift to bear form. And circling them like predators were two massive bears Torren had never seen before. Rogue bears. On Varkesh territory. Threatening his mate.

The world narrowed to a single point of crystalline focus. Torren didn't think—couldn't think beyond the primal roar of his bear demanding blood. The shift took him mid-stride, bones reshaping and muscles expanding as his human form dissolved into something far more dangerous. Rath's transformation was equally violent and swift, and within seconds, two Alpha bears were racing down the pathway with vengeance in their hearts.

The first rogue bear—scarred and lean with matted dark fur—turned toward them with yellow eyes full of malice. Torren launched himself through the air, his massive form colliding with the intruder's flank with bone-crushing force, and claws raked across his shoulder, drawing blood that only fueled his rage. This creature had dared to threaten Lana. Had dared to set foot on Varkesh territory with violence in mind.

Protect what's mine, his bear snarled.

Torren's jaws clamped down on the rogue's neck, tasting blood and feeling the satisfying give of flesh beneath his teeth. He could end this. Could crush the life from this threat in seconds. But through the haze of battle fury, he caught sight of Lana—still frozen, still struggling with whatever episode was ravaging her system. Her wide brown eyes were fixed on the violence with a mixture of fear and concern, and something in her expression made him hesitate. She'd come here for adventure, not bloodshed. She'd come here to live, not to watch him become a killer.

The rogue beneath him went limp in submission, recognizing the superior predator. Torren held his grip for one more heartbeat—a clear message about what would happen if this bear ever returned—then released him. The scarred bear scrambled away, limping but alive. A few feet away, Rath's own opponent was making similar calculations. The second rogue—larger but clearly outmatched by Rath's Alpha fury—dropped to the ground in surrender before bounding after his companion into the purple forest.

The transformation back to human form left Torren naked and bleeding, but he barely noticed. His attention was entirely focused on Lana, who swayed dangerously on her feet.

"Lana?" Rath's voice was rough with concern as he moved toward her.

Then her knees buckled. Rath caught her before she could hit the stone pathway, gathering her against his chest with infinite care. Her head lolled against his shoulder, and Torren's heart clenched at how fragile she looked.

"Is this it?" The words escaped him. "Is this the catastrophic misfire?"

Panic clawed at his throat. They'd just found her. Just discovered what it meant to be happy. They couldn't lose her now—not when he was finally learning what it felt like to be loved for himself rather than for what he could provide others.

"Jace," he called out, his deep voice carrying the unmistakable authority of an Alpha. "Go notify Kelly and Emry. Tell them to get to the castle immediately."

Jace—who had shifted back to human form and was looking shaken by the encounter—nodded once before sprinting toward the medical facility.

Rath was already moving, carrying Lana's limp form toward the castle with swift, determined strides. Torren fell into step beside them, his mind racing through possibilities, none of them good. Minutes later, the grand staircase of Varkesh Castle blurred past as Torren took the steps three at a time, his mate's limp form cradled against Rath's chest like something infinitely precious and terrifyingly fragile. Through the mate bond, Torren felt the chaotic storm of her failing neural pathways—sparks misfiring, connections dissolving, her brilliant mind trapped inside a body that had declared war on itself.

Rath's jaw was set in that granite expression he wore during the worst crises, but Torren caught the tremor in his hands as he shifted Lana's weight to push open her guest room door. The massive four-poster bed dominated the space, its deep burgundy coverlet turned down from their morning together—a lifetime ago, when the worst thing they'd faced was council politics and security glitches. Now Torren was watching his mate's consciousness flicker like a candle in a hurricane.

"Easy," Rath murmured, settling Lana onto the bed. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment—those warm brown depths he'd already memorized—before sliding shut again.

Torren rounded the bed in two strides, his fingers finding her wrist to check her pulse. Too fast. Too irregular. Her skin felt clammy despite the warmth radiating from her body, and when he pressed his palm to her forehead, she leaned into the touch like she was seeking an anchor.

"Stay with us," he said softly. "Lana, look at me."

Her eyelids parted with obvious effort, her pupils dilated and struggling to focus. "I just feel so dizzy and heavy," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "This has never happened before."

What if this is it?

The thought clawed at his chest with vicious intensity. What if they were about to lose her before they'd even had the chance to complete their triad bond? Before they could show her all the wonders Nova Aurora had to offer, before they could take her hiking through the crystal caves or swimming in the thermal springs, before they could build the life together that had started feeling inevitable the moment she'd stepped through their front door?

"Lana, just try to breathe," Rath said, claiming her other hand. "Focus on us. We've got you."