The chamber floor lurched beneath me.
Not a tremor this time.
A full jolt.
Like something had slammed into the power core outside.
The lights sputtered—
flashing in frantic, uneven bursts—
the overhead restraint hung frozen mid-air, twitching like a dying insect.
Then—
a deafening clang echoed through the walls.
My heartbeat skidded.
That wasn't from the chamber.
That was from outside.
A door sealing.
Or unsealing.
The voice overhead—usually cold and calm—glitched so badly it sounded almost human:
"Isolation Wing—lock—lock—lockdown—initiated."
Lockdown.
My breath stuttered.
"Oh no…"
That meant the entire sub-level was sealed off from the Academy.
No doors.
No elevators.
No access.
Unless Lucian was already inside—
Or unless someone broke in manually.
A sharp, aching pulse spiraled down my spine—
instinct twisting under suppression like a knife in my gut.
I pressed a hand to my sternum.
It hurt.
It physically hurt now.
Not sharp pain.
Not brief pain.
A deep, spreading ache.
Heat reaching Stage-3.
I bit down on a small cry.
"No—no—please—don't—"
The vents hissed loudly—
panicked—
as if the system recognized the danger and scrambled to compensate.
A violent blast of suppressant crashed over me.
My head snapped back from the force.
I folded forward, gagging.
"STOP—!"
My voice cracked on the last note.
The cold rushed into my lungs until the ache turned into stabbing numbness.
My arms trembled, fingers twitching uncontrollably as sensation drained.
But the heat inside me only thrashed harder.
Like instinct itself was clawing through the suppression.
The glass wall behind me vibrated.
My skin pressed against it, cold spreading across my back while heat flared across my abdomen.
It was excruciating.
Not sexual.
Not lustful.
Instinctual.
Biological.
A pressure building in my bones, threatening to consume everything in its path.
I squeezed my eyes shut and whispered into the bend of my arm:
"Please… someone… please hear me…"
CUT TO — SUB-LEVEL CORRIDOR: ROWAN DETERIORATES
Rowan's head lolled against Chandler's shoulder.
His lips were pale.
His breathing shallow.
His pulse thready.
Lucian sprinted ahead, typing on a portable datapad as they ran.
"Hurry—Chandler—Rowan's collapse is progressing faster than I calculated—"
Chandler almost snarled.
"I'm right behind you."
Rowan's fingers twitched against Chandler's collar, clutching weakly.
"Ch-chan…der…"
Chandler looked down quickly.
Rowan's eyes fluttered open—
barely—
just enough to meet his.
"I'm… scared…"
Chandler swallowed hard.
He pressed a trembling kiss against Rowan's temple.
"I know. But you're safe with me. I swear it."
Rowan whimpered softly.
"She's—she's hurting—Chandler I feel—everything—"
Chandler tightened his grip.
"I know. I know. I've got you. Just hold on."
But Rowan's eyes slipped shut again—
too fast.
Too deep.
Lucian looked back, panic streaking across his face.
"Chandler—if he goes fully unresponsive—his glands could permanently shut. We are running out of time—"
Chandler's steps faltered.
"I don't care what I have to do. You're going to keep him alive."
Lucian opened his mouth to argue—
But the floor shook beneath them.
Hard.
All the lights down the corridor flicked red.
"FULL LOCKDOWN — INITIATED."
Lucian cursed under his breath.
"Dammit—someone triggered the emergency lockdown!"
"Could it be her chamber?" Chandler demanded.
Lucian's face paled.
"If her heat spiked to Stage-3 under suppression? Yes.
Yes, it could."
Rowan whimpered—a tiny, pained sound.
Chandler's voice shook.
"Move. NOW."
CUT TO — HORACE: BREAKING THE SUB-LEVEL BARRIER
The elevator door opened sluggishly—
as if even the metal was struggling to keep up with Horace's determination.
He stumbled out into the sub-level hall.
His breath shuddered.
His pulse hammered.
His vision blurred.
But he didn't stop.
He used the wall to keep himself upright and dragged his body forward.
Every few steps his knees buckled.
But Horace kept forcing himself up again.
He breathed through clutching pain low in his ribs and the overwhelming pressure from the bond pulling at him—
Elle…
She felt closer now.
As if something between them had cracked open.
Horace's hand pressed to the wall.
His fingers trembled.
His voice was a broken whisper.
"…I can feel you.
Elle… don't break.
I'm coming…"
He reached a sealed steel door.
Red lights flashed above it.
LOCKDOWN.
BARRIER ACTIVATED.
Horace pressed his palm against it.
The metal throbbed with energy—dangerous to touch.
He didn't care.
He pushed.
Electric pain shot up his arm and into his chest.
He gritted his teeth until they nearly cracked.
"Open—"
The door didn't move.
"Open."
Nothing.
He pressed harder.
"OPEN—!"
A blast of electricity surged through him—knocking him to the ground.
Horace sprawled across the cold tile, gasping.
But he forced himself to push up again.
To kneel.
Then to stand.
His legs shook.
His lungs burned.
Every breath tasted like blood.
But he whispered stubbornly:
"You won't keep me from her."
CUT TO — LUCIA'S GRIT: THE CORE GRID
Lucian shoved open a maintenance hatch and ducked inside—
Chandler right on his heels, carrying Rowan, careful and frantic all at once.
Inside the core grid room, dozens of glowing panels lined the walls—
all flashing red error codes.
Lucian's stomach dropped.
"This is bad. The system is panicking."
Chandler spread a soft cloth on the floor and laid Rowan down gently, supporting his head and wiping sweat from his face.
Rowan's body curled instinctively toward Chandler's warmth—
seeking scent
anchor
comfort.
Chandler stroked his hair gently.
"Stay with me. Please, Rowan…"
Lucian took a deep breath.
"I'm attempting the illegal override."
Chandler didn't look away from Rowan.
"Do it."
Lucian cracked his knuckles, placed both hands on the central console, and typed so fast his fingers blurred.
The grid resisted.
Hissed.
Locked him out.
But he forced the override.
Line after line.
He muttered to himself, frantic:
"Come on—come on—just need one breach—just one—"
The console buzzed.
Red lights flickered.
Amber replaced them.
The screen flashed:
"GRID OVERRIDE — PARTIAL."
Lucian sagged in relief.
Chandler lifted Rowan's hand.
Rowan was trembling.
Chandler's voice broke.
"How much longer?"
Lucian's voice cracked:
"Minutes. Maybe less before the system pushes back."
Chandler kissed Rowan's forehead again.
"We'll make minutes enough."
BACK IN ISOLATION — STAGE-3 HEAT UNDER SUPPRESSION
The floor pulsed beneath me again.
I pressed my palm flat to it as pain crawled up my abdomen—
hot
sharp
twisting.
Not agony.
Not quite.
Not yet.
Just so much instinct all at once, my lungs couldn't keep up.
My body curled forward involuntarily.
My breath shuddered.
A whisper slipped out—unintended:
"Somebody… please…"
Heat rolled through me again—
thicker—
heavier—
coiling low in my pelvis and rising up my spine like molten metal.
My hands shook.
My thighs trembled.
I pressed my forehead to the floor.
The vents tried to counter it again—
blast—
blast—
blast—
each burst colder
sharper
crueler.
But the suppression mist didn't sink in this time.
My instincts rejected it—
fought it—
burned through it.
A small cry forced its way past my lips.
"Horace…"
The glass wall vibrated.
The lights flickered violently overhead.
Then—
the room snapped.
Alarms blared.
"PRIME INSTABILITY—CRITICAL."
"SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT—"
"LOCKDOWN ESCALATION—ACTIVATED."
The entire floor jolted again—
hard enough to rattle my teeth.
The overhead restraint fell another inch before jerking sideways.
I pressed myself against the wall, shaking.
Heat crashed over me again—
merciless—
a tidal wave of instinct.
My voice broke.
"Please…"
I didn't know who I was begging.
Lucian.
Rowan.
Chandler.
Horace.
Anyone.
Just someone.
The blue light under the table pulsed again.
Rapid.
Desperate.
Hold on.
Hold on.
Hold on.
I dug my nails into the floor.
"I'm trying—
I'm trying—
I—"
My breath caught on a sharp sob as the chamber buckled around me.
Everything was about to break.
The Breaking Point of All Things
My throat burned.
Every breath scraped.
Heat twisted inside me with a sharp, primal ache I had no defense against. My spine tingled, my chest rose in ragged, uneven pulls, and pressure built low in my abdomen—instinctual, heavy, impossible to ignore.
I pressed my forehead to the floor.
My palms shook.
"Please… stop…"
The suppressant vents stuttered.
Sparked.
Flickered.
The system tried to respond, but it was failing as fast as my body was escalating.
The chamber lights flickered violently.
The restraint overhead jerked again, bolts snapping, sparks falling like bright flakes.
Then—
a loud metallic crack split across the ceiling.
Half the restraint ripped from its mount and slammed sideways, embedding into the wall.
I flinched back, heart hammering against my ribs.
The room's artificial voice glitched beyond recognition:
"Sys—FAIL—Prime—heat—crit—LOCKDOWN—fail—fail—fail—"
It was coming undone.
So was I.
My body pulled tight in on itself as another wave crashed through me—
heat coiling deep, instinct surging with raw, unfiltered urgency.
I grabbed the cot frame so hard my knuckles turned white.
A whimper tore out of my throat before I could stop it.
"Horace… please…"
CUT TO — SUB-LEVEL GRID ROOM: ROWAN COLLAPSES FULLY
Rowan made a tiny, choking sound and then—
he went completely still.
Lucian's head whipped around just in time to see Rowan's eyes roll back.
"Chandler—! He's crashing—NOW!"
Chandler almost dropped to his knees beside Rowan.
He cupped Rowan's face between both palms, voice cracking:
"Rowan! Hey—Rowan—open your eyes—LOOK at me—"
Rowan didn't move.
His chest barely rose.
His scent—usually soft citrus—
guttered into nothing.
Lucian slapped a sensor patch on Rowan's neck.
The monitor beeped in a flat, terrifying rhythm.
"No, no, no—his gland output is collapsing—Chandler, he's minutes from shutdown!"
Chandler's breath shattered.
"No. Rowan—Rowan—baby—please—don't do this—stay with me—"
Rowan's fingers twitched once—
barely—
as if trying to reach Chandler.
Then fell slack.
Lucian grabbed a stabilizer injector and jammed it into Rowan's arm.
The reading didn't change.
"Come on—come on—DAMMIT—"
Chandler bent over Rowan, pressing his forehead to Rowan's, voice breaking in a way he had never let himself break before:
"You can't leave me—do you hear me?
You CAN'T—Rowan—
Rowan, stay with me—PLEASE—"
Lucian's voice trembled as he checked the data.
"He needs an anchor. His biochemistry is rejecting everything else."
Chandler blinked fast.
"An anchor—what the hell does that mean—?!"
Lucian swallowed hard.
"It means if his body doesn't get a scent—an Alpha's scent—right now, he'll fall into collapse shock and won't wake up."
Chandler froze.
Rowan was dying.
Not from blood loss, not from injury—
From instinct.
"Chandler," Lucian whispered, backing away,
"you're the only stable Alpha he trusts enough—"
But Chandler didn't wait for the rest.
He pulled Rowan fully onto his lap, cupped Rowan's jaw gently, and lowered his forehead to Rowan's.
Then—
Chandler exhaled slowly, deeply—
his scent releasing heavy and warm.
Cedar smoke and warmth.
Protective.
Grounding.
Thick with desperate instinct.
Rowan inhaled—
sharply—
as if gasping awake underwater.
His whole body arched for a moment—
then shuddered.
Chandler stroked his hair, voice raw:
"Come on, sweetheart. Follow me back. I'm right here."
A tiny sound escaped Rowan.
Weak.
But real.
Chandler felt tears he'd never admit to burn in the corners of his eyes.
"That's it," he whispered, relief breaking his breath.
"Stay with me—just stay with me—"
Lucian exhaled shakily.
"It's working. Just keep scenting him."
Chandler wrapped Rowan up in his arms, holding him as if Rowan were the only thing keeping him standing.
Rowan's fingers curled weakly into Chandler's shirt.
He whispered, broken:
"C-Chandler… i-it hurts…"
Chandler kissed his forehead.
"I know. I know, baby. Hold on."
CUT TO — HORACE: BREAKING THE LOCKDOWN BARRIER
Horace's fingers slipped on the metal panel.
Blood streaked down his palm.
Pain radiated up his arm and across his chest, but he forced himself upright again—leaning his entire weight against the barricaded sub-level door.
Lights above flashed red.
The seal glowed white-hot where the energy field locked it.
Horace braced his shoulder against the steel.
Breathed once—
twice—
three times.
Then—
he shoved.
His back muscles screamed.
His legs shook.
Electricity ripped across his arm.
But he pushed.
Again.
And again.
"OPEN—
THE—
DAMN—
DOOR—!"
The panel sparked.
The energy field sputtered.
Horace grit his teeth so hard he tasted blood.
Elle—Elle—Elle—
Her name beat through his skull like a war drum.
His vision went completely white—
And the barrier's glow flickered violently.
Lucian's override must've hit another part of the grid.
Horace shoved again with everything he had left in his body—
And the door buckled.
Not much.
But enough.
Air rushed from the other side—
warm
heavy
scented with metal and sterile chemicals…
… and a faint, faint thread of her.
Horace's heart almost stopped.
"Elleanore… I'm coming…"
He pushed again—
pain lancing through his ribs, shoulder, spine—
The barrier flickered—
sputtered—
and collapsed with a loud electric scream.
Horace fell through the doorway, landing on his knees.
He didn't stop to breathe.
He dragged himself upward again, clutching the wall.
Instinct driving every movement.
He staggered forward, whispering:
"Just hold on.
Hold on for me—"
CUT TO — LUCAN: FULL GRID SHUTDOWN
Lucian wiped sweat from his forehead with a shaking hand.
His fingers flew over the datapad, bypassing codes that could get him imprisoned—
or executed—
if anyone realized what he was doing.
"Come on come on come on—!"
The system fought back.
Locked him out.
Reset.
But Lucian wasn't scared of code.
He was terrified of losing her.
He slammed another bypass into the firewall.
The grid lights flickered from red—
to orange—
to blinding white.
Rowan let out a soft sound and burrowed deeper into Chandler's scent.
Chandler pulled him closer, murmuring comfort quietly.
Lucian glanced back at them—
then turned back to the console.
"Just one more—just ONE—"
He rewrote the final line.
The grid core hummed.
Lights flashed.
Then—
GRID SHUTDOWN — ACCEPTED.
SUPPRESSION ABORTED.
Lucian sagged forward, breath leaving him in a rush.
Chandler snapped his head up.
"What does that mean?!"
Lucian swallowed.
"It means… her suppressant vents will stop.
And the restraints will lose power."
Chandler's voice dropped into something lethal.
"Good. Now get us to her."
Lucian's voice cracked.
"I will."
BACK IN ISOLATION — STAGE-3 HEAT COLLAPSE
The chamber went silent.
Then pitch black again.
The suppressant vents clicked off completely.
My entire body burned.
Heat flared so sharply now it felt like my veins were on fire.
My skin prickled with instinct.
Pressure coiled low, making my breath rise in ragged, shaky gasps.
I pressed both palms flat to the tile.
My legs trembled.
My voice shook.
"Not… here…
Not—
alone—"
But instinct didn't care where I was.
My body curled forward again.
A sound escaped my throat—
helpless
raw
fighting between suppressed and rising instinct.
I bit my lip until I tasted blood.
"Horace…"
My voice cracked.
"Please…"
The glass vibrated behind me—
my body trembling against it—
heat pulsing through me in waves.
I hugged myself tightly.
The ache inside me spiraled into something sharper.
My breath hitched.
"I need—
I need—"
Another surge hit me—
so strong I barely muffled the sound that slipped out.
Pain
heat
instinct
want
fear
all tangled together.
I leaned my head against the wall, tears burning hot tracks down my cheeks.
"Please… someone… please…"
The blue light blinked rapidly again.
Lucian's code.
I'm almost there.
Hold on.
I responded with a shaking whisper to the floor:
"Hurry—
I can't—
I can't… hold—"
Heat surged again—
merciless—
And this time my body couldn't quiet the sound that tore from me.
Everything inside me—
instinct
bond
fear
need—
was at its breaking point.
And the chamber finally broke too.