Over the next two days, my life resembled the masked imprisonment I lived within my father's island packhouse. Confined to my guest room, I was placed on a regulated schedule and never left my room without Western pack security guards. Even if Rose or Elena visited me in my room, guards stood outside my door twenty-four seven.

After what happened in the lab, I didn't see much of Rose. She put in extra hours volunteering and shadowing Dr. Edwards. Under watchful eyes of her own security detail, she worked under the same urgency that led Elena to pack up our belongings and store them in her closet.

Elena wasn't restrained to her bedroom but she wasn't allowed out of it without escorts. She collected her meals, ate them in her room, and coordinated with Cole on an exit strategy. Because we all were under constant watch, she kept the plans to herself.

I was permitted to train but, with Raina and Cole gone, I spent my time at the gun range with Ethan. He was an odd personality but refused to allow the security guys inside the shooting range area, offering me peace and solitude there. I shot round after round with the Silencer, until a large hand lowered my aim.

"Zara." Ethan's brown eyes studied mine closely, like he guarded a secret and wasn't sure if he trusted me with it. "Why are you here?"

I slipped off my noise canceling headphones and lowered the gun. "Ethan, I want to ask you something."

"It's not for sale." His eyes darted down to the Silencer I laid down on the table. "At least not for how much you think."

"How much?" Unsure of what he referred to, I knew everyone had a price.

His weighted gaze locked on mine and held it for what felt like hours. "I'll give you that." He broke off our silent staring contest and looked down at the gun again, whose outline my fingertips now traced. "And a full clip."

"How much," I repeated.

Ethan's low voice held no hesitation, "You put one of those bullets between your father's eyes, then it's yours."

With a brush over cool metal, my index finger snaked around the safety and locked it. Without a blink, I grasped the handle of my new treasured possession. "Deal."

I didn't know why Ethan made that request and didn't care. Selfishly, all I knew was that without Lumi's form, I felt defenseless. That gun in my hands brought me both security and peace of mind. And once Ethan fitted me for a lightweight holster, he offered me nothing more than a nod.

My meals were eaten with Alpha Fenris and his family. I sat stone silent and their conversations were quiet and strained at best. Meredith and Tobias glanced at me but the most sounds were our silverware clinks against the plates.

The hatred I felt for Alpha Fenris, sitting passive and acting as if he'd done no wrong rose bile up the back of my throat. My teeth clamped, I never ate my food. Instead, I glared down at my food and pushed it around my plate. Once excused, I retreated to my room and ate leftovers of what Elena brought me after her meals.

Luna Diana attempted to fill the empty air space with updates on the upcoming outdoor ceremony. Apparently, it was a dedication to the silver mining operations but it was nothing more than a dog and pony show. The silver miners themselves were not included.

Since Lumi was still nonexistent and I was left unable to shift into her form, my options were pretty limited. Fortunately, I was still able to mindlink Elena, but the hasty travel arrangements fell on her in Cole's absence. By the end of each day, she brought me food and crashed into sleep.

For once, I didn't mind how she kept the details from me. At this point, I knew that the less I knew, the less Alpha Fenris could find out and inevitably shared with my father.

I hate them both. With every fiber of my being.

Once I no longer visited Ethan at the gun range, I walked around the inside of the enormous Western packhouse. I wasn't allowed outside on the grounds or near the hospital or research lab.

The majority of my time was spent trapped in my own obsessive thoughts about Solomon. Without Lumi's presence, my mind felt half-empty and alone, while my thoughts bounced around like echoes off like shouting against dark cavern walls. The isolation drifted my thoughts in random directions, like wondering if he walked similar footsteps around the house.

Or if he lived most of his life in house arrest surrounded by power and wealth.

Ever since Alpha Fenris woke me up within the lab, every time my eyes slid closed, I became haunted by the same dream. A tall man carried the weight of the world on a strong but slim build. Clear aquamarine blue-green eyes and pale blonde hair blunt at his shoulders sharpened into definition.

He looked like the same vision I had in the Eastern territory. Every night, I called for him.

"S-solomon," I sputtered a name so unfamiliar and foreign that when I spoke it, my voice broke.

When his name left my lips, he disappeared like he never existed. Jolting, I woke up with a start, my locked up muscles convulsing. Silent gasps gripped my throat, choked breaths strangled my lungs, my skin drenched in sweat, and my mind was... blank and empty.

The few times I slipped back into sleep, the dream reappeared, over and over until I started to question my sanity.

Six months ago... my brother was alive and here.

The thought, along with where I wondered his presence lived, haunted me as much as the nightmare.

Since my mind had plenty of time to think, I became borderline obsessed with my father's intentions. Suppression of the other territories' packs was a sinister but obvious move for power and control. Why he sent me on a fake mate selection tour of each pack still escaped me.

Why was one rogue so important that my father himself ventured out to collect him, after he left me beaten and bleeding out within his own territory?

The only conclusion my mind grasped at was that the entire journey had nothing to do with me and everything to do with Solomon. Simon informed me that they had ten year's worth of my DNA samples from Anna's blood draws. Frozen in storage, it stayed within the half of the pathology department Lumi hadn't destroyed.

With no better guess, I assumed that the suspended manufacturing lines meant that the other necessary DNA component was missing.

Six months. The start of this crazy mate selection tour. Are they... looking for Solomon?

This entire time... Am I just... bait?

A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. My spine stiffened when the door opened and Simon entered, dressed in his lab coat and hands clasped around a silver tray. Soft rattling sounds drew my eyebrows together. I clenched my teeth seeing the tray full of syringes and alcohol wipes.

In another chilling, familiar routine, he came to my room for blood draws. He told me it was for monitoring the injection levels, after which he injected what I assumed was another dosage of the wolfsbane and silver nitrate suppression. He assured me with a hushed whisper that he switched it with a dyed placebo and Lumi would be back within a few days, but Rose and Elena were the only ones under this roof that I trusted.

In a few whispered conversations, Simon offered theories on Lumi's delayed speech. They ranged from temporary displacement like she was held in a mental cryostasis state to permanent damage because of suppression.

At this point all he had was theories. I entertained them with nothing more than a hum.

On the afternoon of the second day, he rushed through the injections, then stepped back and paced back and forth. His averted eyes and twitch in his fingers drew my attention.

"What is it?" Even for a whisper, my voice was meek and hollow.

He stepped to the edge of the bed where I sat, then knelt at my feet. In a surprising move, he whispered, "Tonight is the outdoor ceremony. Tomorrow Meredith and Tobias will take you to the Western territory border."

"Oh." My shoulders and face sagged, along with whatever shred of sanity I held onto the past two days.

"I'd like to ask for a..." He paused while his hands squeezed mine tightly. "An agreement."

"What?" I blinked at him. His eyes, though dark and serious, held no negative emotions in them. The crease lines around his eyes and mouth, the hitch in his jaw, and deep, dark circles around his eyes reinforced the wild look in his eyes.

He looks... desperate.

"My family," he whispered. "Take us."

"What? Take who? Where?" My eyebrows drew together.

"My mate and son." His hands choked around mine until my fingertips tingled. "And me. Take us with you, and I'll tell you everything that I know. About you, your mother, Solomon. Lumi."

"I..." My lower lip rolled under and I held it with my teeth. Leaning over, I whispered in his ear, "I'd take you without the bargain, but you need to ask Elena. I'm in no place to coordinate anything from here. You have to go South, with us. That's all I can offer."

At least, after what Cole had shared, that's where I assumed he would go with Elena.

To his home. His pack. His family.

"Tobias is driving me to the Central territory border right after breakfast tomorrow," I released his hands' grasp on mine. "That's all I can provide but Elena's room is down the hall. Tell her what I said."

A storm of emotions swirled in Simon's eyes, and he nodded. A lone tear beaded up over the rim of his left eye, then silently streaked over his cheek. Within a blink, he brushed it aside then mouthed, 'Thank you.'

"Ready Zara?" Elena knocked on my doorway. She entered dressed formally, in a black sweater hanging loose off her waist. Her long, flowy, gray maxi skirt fluttered around her ankles as she walked in.

"I am." My fingers finished the end of my long braid and secured it with a ponytail holder.

At the request of Luna Diana, I also dressed up. My black, long-sleeved, fitted dress hung below my knees. I slid my feet into a pair of black kitten-heel pumps and gave one final inspection in the mirror. My light application of foundation was heavy enough to hide the evidence of my isolation.

'Have you heard from Cole?' I shut my door and we stepped behind the two security escorts.

Her eyebrows drew together but eyes steadied forward. 'No direct contact. They're out of reach for satellite phones but I have a feeling that he's fine.'

My eyes darted sideways to her face profile. 'Ready for tomorrow?'

Her lips pulled into a shy smile and her palm rested over her lower abdomen. 'Yes. I saw Dr. Edwards this morning, he gave me more than enough medicine for the duration of the pregnancy.'

When my lips parted to ask for further exit strategy details, she added, 'Zara, it's best if I share as little as possible. Tomorrow, I need you to ride in the car with Tobias. Rose and I will take the other car with Meredith. Understand?'

'Of course.' While the guards walked ahead of us, I fought the urge to nod my head.

Our minds fell silent and hands swung at our sides. Or heels sounded, clicking over the pristine marble floors. Our dark clothing stood out against the bright, crisp white walls, illuminated by crystal chandelier after crystal chandelier.

The outdoor celebration was held in the packhouse's backyard. Normally an expansive, emerald-green grassy area stood dotted with mature trees. Tonight, a large, white, wedding-like tent stood out against the dark gray mountains. Small, round tables surrounded an open space in the middle.

Off to one side sat a longer, rectangular table. By the Western territory crest on the cloth that hung over the front, I knew that was Alpha Fenris' table.

"This is beautiful." I gaped at the intimate space.

A network of fairy lights wove over the pitched ceiling, casting a soft, romantic glow. The same glow warmed the tables, where crystal centerpieces contained floating white candles and blood red roses. Polished silverware and plates were displayed in perfect precision over the crisp, white tablecloths. Waiters in black suits whisked silver trays filled with fluted crystal stemware.

"Looks like a wedding reception," Elena murmured the similar thought to me. "Fancier than any one I've been to."

In an odd moment, a sense of giddy excitement flooded through me. I smiled so widely that my cheeks pinched. "Werewolves... have weddings?"

"Of course." She offered a smile. "We -"

My eyes shifted to Tobias' outstretched elbow.

"Future Alpha Tobias." I fitted a tight smile on my lips, then slid my palm inside his arm and grasped the black coat sleeve over his bicep.

This was the closest physical proximity we shared, and I caught the scent of his cologne, like sandalwood, when his eyes widened at my formality. His short black hair was gelled back, offering a glowing view of his chiseled facial features.

He isn't bad-looking, if he smiled for once. I bet he's adorable if he smiles.

For the first time, I missed the absence of 'Not mate,' from Lumi. I felt nothing but occasional headaches since her suppression. A stupid part of my brain hoped it was from her trying to break out, but only silence remained.

Tobias escorted me away from Elena, leading us to Meredith and Diana. Both looked stunning and sophisticated, like beautiful ivory statues adorned in black satin evening gowns. They stood stiff enough to be statues, their lifted up hairstyles highlighted their porcelain-like necks.

"Luna Diana." I squeezed her outstretched hand, forcing a toothy smile, then nodded at Meredith. "Everything looks beautiful."

"Thank you." Her chill tone remained formal, her shoulders sliding back and her spine straightening.

Diana's dark eyes shifted over my shoulder, and her lips pulled into a tight smile. Tobias steered me in the same direction, where Alpha Fenris approached. Twitching, I struggled not to glare even as discomfort wound its way into my stomach.

"Miss Zara." He leaned over and placed a kiss on my cheek that I knew was for looks only. My skin tingled on contact and I fought the urge to wipe it.

"Alpha Fenris." I forced out a smile as wide as my lips stretched. "I was telling Luna Diana how impressive everything looks tonight."

"She has outdone herself." He leaned over and brushed his lips against her cheek, widening her smile.

At our close physical proximity, Alpha Fenris turned to the tables like a formal speech was coming. Distracted by our reintroduction, I hadn't noticed that every seat was now filled, with people I'd never seen. None of the workers, including Vincent the site manager, were present.

Waves of sympathy rolled over me as my eyes traveled over the room full of strangers. My visit here was cut two weeks short and I knew next to nothing about the Western territory pack. I interacted with select individuals but outside Alpha Fenris' family, Beta Niran, and Gamma Silas, I only recognized Elena. Rose and Dr. Edwards weren't present.

I feel so alone.

The hierarchy within the pack made it feel less like a close knit family and more like a... monarchy.

And I'm up here like the face of it.

I wasn't sure why, but the thought put an uncomfortable, unsettled feeling in my stomach.

"Our biggest welcome to the Western territory's most influential families," Alpha Fenris' voice cut through my thoughts. My eyes shifted to his wide smile. "As private investors in our research and production activities, our success is on your behalf."

His smile never wavered as his weighted gaze shifted to me. His arm extended and his hand clasped around my upper arm until I stepped closer and stood near his shoulder.

"We're honored to welcome Miss Zara Lykaios. Her father, Alpha Cassius, has been paramount and instrumental in guiding the success of the Western territory's prosperity. We've enjoyed quite a benchmark year. I hope to speak for everyone in saying that we stand committed to a future moving forward with the Central territory's support."

His words chilled the blood within my body. Tremors threatened to wreak havoc on my spine. I breathed, filling my lungs until they stretched full, hoping to press back against them. My heartbeat thumped in my ear drums while my dry lips parted, and I ran my tongue over them.

"Thank you for the hospitality," I echoed his icy tone with my best attempt. "I can't express in words how I feel being here. Hopefully, someday I'll be able to return the... favor."

Alpha Fenris' mouth parted a crack but before any sound exited, his eyes glossed over. His mouth gaped and a flurry of activity erupted around us. His pack members' patrons jumped out of their seats and rushed away from the tables, leaving Elena and I frozen.

Like a snap into awareness, a round of loud growls run out. Violent sounds of far-away struggles and fighting broke out. The rushed sounds of existing panic increased, as the reception area attendees scattered like discovered cockroaches.

'Zara!'

A flash of curly brown hair weaved through the rush of fancy dresses, dropped heels, and polished suits as Elena pawed her way through the rushed crowd. A quick glance on either side of me showed that both Alpha Fenris and Luna Diana disappeared. Tobias and Meredith remained close, like some odd, unwanted personal bodyguards.

As my right foot stepped to Elena, a set of hands clamped around my upper arms.

"Rogue attack," Tobias mumbled in my ear. "You need to come with me now."

"But I -" I started when a large, brown wolf tumbled into the reception space. 

Snarling, he rolled into a nearby table with a crash of glass and plates. A multi-toned gray wolf lunged, tackling him in growls, snaps of teeth, and strikes of claws. Similar sounds around us indicated more fighting wolves approached.

'Meet back at the packhouse,' Elena's hazel eyes flashed from the back of the reception area. Before I blinked, she tore through her clothes and shifted into Sand's form.

'Be careful!'

'I'm eight weeks pregnant. I'd like to see anyone try to mess with Sand's mamma bear personality. You be careful.'

My feet remained frozen until the blondish-brown tip of Sand's tail disappeared into the darkness outside the tent. The brown and gray skirmish continued, but the sounds of their struggle washed away into the background from the low, familiar male voice that rang out behind us.

"Not very neighborly," he gritted out in a half-sullen, half-cocky tone.

My head turned over my shoulder in his voice's direction. Moving on their own, my lips parted at the werewolf whose smirk was ingrained in my memory. His brown hair was shorter and a shade darker near his brownline from the sweat dotting his forehead. His brown eyes narrowed, traced lines of heat over my formal appearance, then softened when they reached my gaze.

In a slow and fluid motion, he lifted one arm to me, his palm up like a casual reach for my hand. Splashes of blood red and gray mud smattered across his forearm like a haphazard abstract paint design thrown over the black ink of his tattoo.

With a twitch in my fingers, my hand lifted.

A low growl rumbled on my right, echoed by wolf calls erupting all around us. After the cracking sounds of a shift, Meredith's small-framed wolf leapt at the rogue. With the snap of her jaws, she sprung at him, who remained in human form.

His torso shifted and his legs tensed for impact. Despite how a wolf charged at him, his eyes locked onto mine, searing mine with an intensity that stole the breath out of my lungs.

Right as Meredith's wolf closed in on him, his opposite arm lifted and caught her by the throat. Despite how she snarled and wiggled in his grasp, his eyes trained on mine. With a slight grunt, he tossed her wolf aside like a ragdoll. While she yelped, he stepped closer to me and extended his palm again.

Last time I saw him was a mirage. A figment from my buzzed out mind in the East.

Is he... really here?

My eyes blinked and blinked, yet here he stood.

"Running out of patience here, Princess." Irritation soaked his deep voice. He curled his fingers inward.

In an odd reaction, a calmness spread through the nerves inside me when my brain registered the word 'Princess.' My left arm lifted in his direction, flinching a smile on my lips. At my willingness, the hardness in his gaze softened.

When our fingers were inches apart, a strong arm clamped down on my forearm.

"Zara, you have to trust me!" Tobias yelled in my ear.

Yeah, that's not going to - ouch!

As my head turned in his direction, a sting pinched my bicep. I grunted at the heated burn that radiated from the contact point. My other hand's fingers clasped around a syringe plunged deep into my skin and removed it slowly.

The sound of shattered glass erupted as my knees hit the ground, followed by my shoulder. I sagged sideways under my own body weight. A pair of hands caught my shoulders and lowered me the rest of the way down.

"You have to trust me."

The chaos around me blurred and all sounds were muffled. My brain barely registered Tobias' words, then a soft, defeated exhale escaped my lips before his scowling face faded into blackness.