Liam Blackwood woke with a scream clawing its way out of his chest.
He bolted upright in bed, breathing ragged, heart slamming so hard it felt like it might shatter his ribs. Sweat soaked the sheets. His vision swam as pain tore through him again, sharp and unforgiving, like something inside him was being ripped away piece by piece.
His wolf howled.
Not in rage.
In agony.
"No," Liam rasped, clutching his chest. "No, no—"
The bond burned.
It wasn't the slow ache he'd grown used to since rejecting Aria. It wasn't the dull, constant reminder he tried to drown in wine and distraction. This was violent. Sudden. Alive.
Like the bond itself was screaming.
He staggered out of bed and barely made it to the window before collapsing to his knees. Outside, the pack grounds lay eerily silent. No dawn calls. No patrol shifts. No rhythm.
Something was wrong.
Deeply wrong.
The door burst open.
"Alpha!"
