My fingers stopped above the crystal lens. The glass glowed faintly, copying the map in silence.
Kael froze beside me. I could feel his breath stop.
The air turned thick and cold.
I started counting in my head, just like Mom taught me when danger came: one… two… three… don't move. Don't breathe.
Footsteps. Getting closer.
"Hide," Kael mouthed silently.
Marcus was already moving, slipping behind the heavy curtains by the window.
I grabbed the crystal lens and dove under Leighton's massive oak desk, pressing myself into the shadowy corner.
Kael melted into the darkness by the bookshelf, so still he could've been a statue.
The doorhandle turned.
My heart hammered so loudly.
The door opened.
Through the gap under the desk, I saw the boots I used to buy.
The leather.
Polished to a shine.
Leighton.
"You think my study is a place for thieves? Come on, little wolf. Show me your face."
His voice cut through the silence.
"I can smell you."
He walked deeper into the room, boots clicking on the stone floor.
I pressed harder against the desk, making myself as small as possible.
The crystal lens dug into my ribs, but I didn't dare move.
Leighton stopped right in front of the desk.
He crouched down.
For one terrifying moment, I thought he'd look under the desk. Our eyes would meet. Everything would be over.
But then a voice called from the hallway. "My lord! The patrol found something at the east border!"
Leighton stood up quickly. "What is it?"
"Tracks. Fresh ones. Heading toward the forest."
"Show me."
The boots turned and walked away. The door slammed shut.
I stayed frozen for a full minute, not believing our luck.
"Clear," Kael whispered.
I crawled out from under the desk, legs shaking.
Marcus emerged from the curtains, his face pale.
"That was too close," Marcus breathed.
"We need to go. Now." Kael grabbed my arm. "Did you get the map?"
I held up the crystal lens. "Every detail."
"Then let's move before he comes back."
We slipped out of the study, moving like shadows through the familiar halls.
Every corner felt like a trap. Every sound made my heart jump crazy.
The air was stale and thick with dust.
"How much farther?" Marcus asked.
"Almost there. There is a servants' exit that leads to the kitchen garden."
We rounded a corner and nearly crashed into two guards.
"Hey! Stop!"
Kael moved before I could blink. His fist connected with the first guard's jaw. The man dropped like a stone.
The second guard reached for his sword, but Marcus was faster. He swept the guard's legs out from under him and knocked him unconscious with a quick strike to the temple.
"Run!" Kael hissed.
We sprinted down the corridor. Behind us, I heard shouting. More guards. The alarm had been raised.
We burst out of the servants' exit into the cold night air. The kitchen garden stretched before us, then the forest beyond.
"There!" A guard shouted from somewhere behind us. "They're escaping!"
We ran through the creek, cold water biting at my ankles.
Kael's shadow leaped ahead of me, light and fast.
Behind us, boots crashed through the mud—but the river cut our scent.
"Keep going!" Kael hissed.
Branches whipped my face; vines brushed my arms like fingers trying to pull me back.
We hit the treeline at a dead run. Branches whipped at our faces. Roots tried to trip us. But we didn't slow down.
Behind us, wolves howled. They were shifting to chase us.
"We need to split up," Marcus panted. "Confuse them."
"No," Kael said firmly. "We stay together."
"They'll catch us!"
"I said no!" Kael's voice left no room for argument. "We're stronger together."
We pushed deeper into the forest, using every trick we knew. Crossing streams to hide our scent. Climbing trees and dropping in different directions. Doubling back on our trail.
Slowly, the sounds of pursuit faded.
After what felt like hours, Kael finally slowed. "I think we lost them."
I collapsed against a tree trunk, chest heaving.
Blood soaked my sleeve where the arrow had cut me.
Kael saw it immediately. "You're hurt."
"It's just a scratch."
"Let me see."
He kneeled next to me and rolled up my sleeve. The cut wasn't deep, but the blood kept running—bright against the dirt.
"This needs to be cleaned," he said.
He ripped a piece from his shirt and pressed it against my skin.
His hands were rough soldiers' hands, but his touch was soft careful.
For a second, I forgot we were running for our lives.
The mate bond hummed between us, warm and steady. I could feel his concern, his relief that I was okay, and his lingering adrenaline from the fight.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He looked up, our faces inches apart. "For what?"
"For not leaving me. For keeping us together."
His silver-blue eyes caught the moonlight. Never leave you, Sophia," he said. His voice was soft but steady, like the moon's pull on the tide.
I wanted to believe him—even if the world burned down tomorrow.
"You're my home, no matter how dark the night gets."
The words hit me harder than I expected. In that moment, with danger still close and my arm throbbing with pain, I realized how much I needed him.
How much I wanted him.
"Kael…" I breathed.
He looked at me, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that was both tender and desperate.
The mate bond exploded with sensation—his fear for me, his need, his love.
I kissed him back, pouring everything I felt into it. All the terror and relief and wanting.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
"We should keep moving," Marcus said awkwardly from a few feet away. "They might still be searching."
Right. We weren't safe yet.
Kael helped me to my feet, his hand lingering on my waist. "Can you run?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
We continued through the forest at a steadier pace. The wound in my arm ached, but I ignored it. We had what we came for. That was all that mattered.
After another hour, we finally crossed back into Black River territory.
The moment we passed the border markers, I felt the tension drain from my body.
Safe. We were safe.
Garrett met us at the pack house, face tight with worry. "Did you get it?"
I held up the crystal lens. "Everything. The map, the dates, all of it."
"Good job." He looked at my bloody sleeve. "Get that treated. Then we need to see what you found."
Helena took me to the healing room while Kael and Marcus went with Garrett to examine the map evidence.
"You took a big risk tonight," Helena said as she cleaned my wound. "That arrow could've hit something vital."
"But it didn't."
"This time." She wrapped fresh bandages around my arm. "Sophia, I know you're brave. But you also have a daughter who needs you."
Guilt twisted in my stomach. "Where is Erica?"
"Still at the sleepover. She doesn't know you left." Helena tied off the bandage. "Try to keep it that way. She worries enough."
"I will."
After Helena finished, I found Kael and the others in Garrett's office.
The map was projected on the wall—a large, detailed chart of werewolf territories with seven red X marks.
"This is worse than we thought," Garrett was saying. "These aren't just random packs. These are the seven most powerful territories. If they all fall at once…"
"Total chaos," Marcus finished. "Every pack would scramble for power. It would be civil war."
"And the Blood Moon Cult would rise from the ashes to take control," Kael added. "It's a perfect plan."
"Except we know about it now." I stepped into the room. "We can warn the other Alphas."
Garrett shook his head. "They still won't believe us without more proof. They'll say the map could be fake, that we're making this up to gain power ourselves."
"Then what do we do?"
"We need to find out more about the cult itself," Kael said. "Who leads them?. Where they're hiding. What their ultimate goal is."
"And how to stop them," I added.
Marcus pointed to a symbol in the corner of the map—a crescent moon dripping blood. "This is their mark. I've seen it before, years ago. There are rumors of a cult stronghold in the northern mountains."
"How far north?" Garrett asked.
"Three days' travel. Maybe four."
"That's unclaimed territory," Helena said. "Dangerous. Full of rogues and worse things."
"Then we'll be careful." Kael looked at me. "But we need to go. It's our best chance of finding real evidence."
I knew he was right. But the thought of leaving Erica again made my chest tight.
As if reading my mind, Garrett said, "The girl will be safe here. I'll assign personal guards. Nothing will happen to her."
"You promise?" I asked.
"On my life."
I nodded slowly. "Okay. We go north."
The meeting ended near dawn. Everyone was exhausted, running on adrenaline and determination.
Kael walked me back to my room. The hallways were quiet.
"You should rest," he said. "We have a long journey ahead."
"I will. But first…" I touched his face, fingers tracing the scar on his cheekbone. "Thank you. For tonight. For everything."
He caught my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm. "You don't need to thank me. Protecting you isn't a duty. It's… it's everything."
The mate bond pulsed with emotion—his and mine tangled together until I couldn't tell where he ended and I began.
"Stay with me," I whispered. "Just for tonight. I would rather not be alone."
His eyes darkened. "Sophia…"
"Please."
He nodded slowly. "Okay."
We went into my room together. I expected awkwardness, but instead there was only comfort. We lay down on the bed fully clothed, his arms wrapped around me.
I pressed my face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Strong. Steady. Real.
"Sleep," he murmured. "I'll keep watch."
"You need rest too."
"I'll rest when you do."
Within minutes, exhaustion dragged me under. My last thought before sleep took me was how safe I felt in his arms.
How right.
I woke to sunlight streaming through the window and Erica's voice.
"Mom! You're back!"
I sat up quickly, disoriented. Kael was gone—probably slipped out before anyone saw him. Erica stood in the doorway, her face bright with excitement.
"When did you get back?" she asked, climbing onto the bed.
"Late last night." I hugged her tight. "Did you have fun at the sleepover?"
"It was great! We stayed up so late telling stories. And Mira taught me a new fighting move." She pulled back, eyes sparkling. "Can we practice today?"
"Maybe later. I'm pretty tired."
Her gaze caught on my bandaged arm. "Mom, you're hurt."
"Just a small cut. Nothing serious."
"How did it happen?"
I hesitated. How much should I tell her?
"I had to do something dangerous," I said carefully. "To help keep us safe."
Her expression grew serious. "Was it because of… him? Leighton? "
Hearing her refuse to call him "father" anymore hurt my heart. "Yes. But we got what we needed. We're one step closer to stopping him."
"Good." Her youthful face hardened with determination. "I hope you make him pay for everything he did."
"Erica…"
"I mean it, Mom. He tried to kill us. He deserves whatever happens to him."
I pulled her close again. "You're right. He does. But let's not talk about him today. Tell me more about the sleepover."
She launched into a detailed story about some prank they'd pulled on the boys' cabin. I listened, grateful for her laughter, her innocence still shining through despite everything.
But in the back of my mind, I was already planning.
Three days to the north. Three days to find the cult's stronghold. Three days to gather the proof we required.
And then we'd bring the whole corrupt system down.
Leighton. The Cult. All of them.
They'd taken everything from my mother. Tried to take everything from me.
But I wasn't running anymore.
And I wouldn't stop until every last one of them paid for what they'd done.
That afternoon, we gathered in Garrett's war room.
The map we'd stolen was projected on the wall again, but this time we studied it carefully. Every mark, every symbol, every detail.
"Look here," Marcus pointed to a cluster of symbols near the northern mountains.