Evaline:

By the time breakfast ended, tension had already settled thick in my bones.

I didn't speak. My mates didn't speak.

We didn't need to.

We all knew where we were going.

We were going to face the mole.

After clearing the dishes and handing Lioren to Madam Elira, we headed outside. The cars were already waiting for us.

Oscar and Kieran got into one.

River jerked his chin at the second car.

"You are with me."

I slipped into the passenger seat while River settled into the seat beside me. A moment later, the engine came alive beneath his hands, and the car smoothly pulled away from the estate.

I watched as he drove us out of the estate and onto the road leading away from the mansion.

He noticed.

"What," he asked dryly, "is that look on your face?"

I didn't hide it. "I just haven't seen you driving often. This is... the second time."

One dark brow rose slowly. "And?"

"And I think you look absolutely stunning while driving." I answered, completely unashamed.

For a few seconds, he looked genuinely stunned.

Not the usual blank River-stun.

A real, human, what is wrong with this woman stun.

Then he exhaled through his nose and shook his head.

"You are impossible."

I grinned. "Thank you."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"Mmhmm."

He shot me a side-eye so sharp it could have sliced stone.

But his lips twitched at the corner.

I saw it.

And yes, I took that as a win.

- - -

We drove for nearly twenty minutes, gradually moving deeper into the forested mountain trails. Oscar and Kieran's car stayed ahead of us, navigating the rough, unpaved path like they had done it a hundred times.

Which, knowing them… they probably had.

Eventually, the trees thinned out and a two-story building came into view. It was a harsh structure of stone, steel, and reinforced walls.

My steps halted the second I stepped out of the car.

I had seen safe houses before. Secret tunnels. Hidden doors.

But this place?

This wasn't a safe house.

This looked more like a... prison.

"Why does this look like-"

"A prison?" Oscar finished, stepping up beside me. "Because it is."

I blinked at him.

"…You have a prison."

"Several," he corrected casually.

"Several?!"

"It's a big mountain," he said with a shrug.

I looked between the brothers, and finally asked what I had been wondering for a while now.

"What is going on with all these random buildings you have built all over the mountains?"

Oscar answered easily, falling into explanation mode.

"The Rogue pack is located at the western foot of the mountain. Our estate is on the north side. The Academy's in the middle."

He gestured vaguely to the vast scenery around us.

"But the rest of the mountain and surrounding valley fall under our territory. So…"

"So you built an entire country's worth of hidden facilities," I deadpanned.

"Essentially, yes."

I stared at him.

He looked proud.

God help me.

River placed a hand on my back. "Come on, Angel. Time is ticking."

Inside, the air was cold, quiet, and thick with the lingering metallic sting of blood.

I noticed there were a few warriors stationed around the building, each one armed and alert.

We walked to the end of the main hallway when Jasper appeared, bowing his head respectfully.

"Alphas, My Lady," he said. "Follow me."

We took stairs heading to the basement, then walked down a long hallway, deeper into the belly of the building.

My instincts sharpened long before the scent hit me.

Blood.

Pain.

Fear.

The moment Jasper opened the final door, Oscar moved quickly, stepping directly in front of me.

Blocking my view of the cell.

"Stay out here," he said softly. "You'll still hear everything."

His tone was careful. Protective.

Which only confirmed one thing...

It was bad inside.

I inhaled slowly.

"Oscar," I said quietly, "I want to go in."

He hesitated.

I didn't.

"I need to," I added, firmer this time. "Let me."

There was a pause, then a small exhale.

And he nodded.

When I stepped past him and into the dim cell, both River and Kieran turned sharply at the sound.

Their shock lasted a heartbeat.

Their glare at Oscar lasted longer.

River's voice was sharp. "Why is she in here?"

"She wanted to come in," Oscar replied with a shrug. "And I'm not one to stop her."

Neither River, nor Kieran looked happy. But before either of them could speak again, I raised a hand.

"I can handle this," I said quietly. "You keep forgetting… I wasn't raised in warmth and safety. I have seen uglier things than this."

A heavy silence followed.

River was the one who finally nodded.

"Stay behind us," he said simply.

I stepped closer.

And the sight inside the cell came into full view.

The warrior was tied to a reinforced chair, wrists bound with silver cuffs. His face was bruised, split in several places. Blood ran down from a cut at his brow. His breathing was shallow... strained... but alert.

Jasper had clearly interrogated him already.

And my mates… were about to finish what Jasper started.

River stood before the prisoner, expression empty, voice low and cold.

"Last chance. Who are you working for?"

No answer.

Kieran stepped forward next, his fingers curling around the man's chin, forcing him to look up.

"Who told you to tamper with the reports?"

Silence.

Oscar leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, voice deceptively light.

"The one you are protecting won't protect you."

Still nothing.

Kieran's voice dropped lower.

"We know you removed the page about the black veins. Why?"

The warrior's mouth twitched.

Not in pain.

Not in fear.

In something disturbingly close to satisfaction.

Kieran's jaw clenched.

River grabbed the man by his hair and jerked his head back. "Talk."

The man didn't.

And that's when River switched methods.

The next half hour blurred into a haze of harsh words, sharper threats, and painful consequences.

My mates didn't hold back.

Not when Draven's life was on the line.

Not when several others were still out cold.

Not when someone dared betray them from within.

But no matter what they did... the warrior remained silent.

Completely.

Perfectly.

Unnaturally silent.

His eyes, however… they weren't emotionless.

They were empty.

Like something inside him had been scraped out, leaving only obedience behind.

Then finally... after what felt like forever... he spoke.

Not in fear.

Not in pain.

But in a hollow whisper that made my skin crawl.

"You can't stop it."

We all froze.

The warrior lifted his head slowly, his eyes unfocused but burning with some strange conviction.

"No one can."

That was it.

No other answers.

No name.

No motive.

No explanation.

Just that one warning spoken with bone-deep certainty.

"You can't stop it."

And then, he threw his head back, screamed so loud I had to cover my ears. Oscar immediately wrapped his arms around me.

And then... the man went silent.

Dead silent.

Familiar, black veins covered his face to point they were visible in his eyes... dead eyes.

He was... dead.