They left Astra before dawn.
Two armored transports.
Four escort bikes.
One tactical drone overhead.
And inside the lead transport—
Jack.
Maya.
Rafael.
Ward wasn't taking any risks.
Nor was Maya.
She sat beside Jack, her hand hovering close to his—close enough to steady him, but not touching unless he reached first. Which he did often. More often than she expected.
Jack was pale.
Sweating.
Breathing shallowly.
Every bump in the road made him wince.
"Maya…" he whispered.
She leaned closer. "I'm here."
He nodded weakly, eyes flickering—not silver this time, but dimmer, like the glow was hiding just beneath the surface.
Rafael drove, glancing at the rear monitor every few seconds.
"You okay back there?" he asked.
"No," Jack murmured honestly.
Maya answered for him. "He's stable. For now."
Jack swallowed.
"Maya… do you hear that?"
She stiffened.
"What?"
He shook his head. "Never mind. Maybe it's nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
Not with the way his skin prickled, his fingers trembled, or how his heartbeat thudded unevenly.
The Highway
The convoy sped along a deserted service highway—one only Astra and a handful of government agencies knew existed.
A perfect route.
Isolated.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Maya scanned the horizon through the bulletproof windows.
"Rafael," she said softly.
"Yeah?"
"Check the drone feed again."
He flicked a switch. The overhead drone's camera flickered on.
Clear skies.
Clean road.
No threats.
But Maya didn't relax.
Something in her chest was tight.
A warning she couldn't name.
Jack leaned into her shoulder, voice thin. "Maya… something's coming."
She turned sharply. "Where?"
He shook his head.
"I—I don't know. But it feels like…"
His hand trembled.
"Like the door inside me is opening again."
Maya cursed under her breath.
"Rafael, divert route."
"Which way—?"
"Anywhere. Just get us off the main line."
Rafael swerved the transport, taking an alternate path.
Jack hissed, clutching his ribs.
Maya steadied him instantly.
"It's okay. Breathe."
Jack tried.
Failed.
Tried again.
But then—
Something hit the convoy.
Hard.
A violent jolt shook the entire vehicle.
Rafael cursed. "Impact on the rear vehicle!"
Maya grabbed Jack's head and pushed him down. "Stay low!"
Jack clung to her arm.
"What's happening—?!"
Rafael slammed on the accelerator.
"Drone feed shows—"
The screen cut to static.
Maya's stomach dropped.
"No."
Static meant only one thing:
Mantis was jamming comms.
"Rafael," she said, "prepare for evasive maneuvers."
Rafael didn't argue.
The transport swerved left.
Then right.
Then—
A metal spike shot from the treeline, impaling one of the escort bikes and sending it skidding across the road.
Jack flinched.
"Maya—!"
"I see it."
She scanned the treetops.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Which was exactly how Mantis liked it.
Rafael shouted, "The bike rider's down!"
"Forget him," Maya said. "Focus. Get Jack out of the kill zone."
Jack's breath quickened.
"She's here," he whispered.
Maya didn't ask how he knew.
She simply believed him.
The Ambush
A shadow cut across the windshield.
Rafael swore. "Above us!"
Maya looked up—
Too late.
A figure dropped onto the transport roof with a metallic CLANG.
The entire vehicle shook with the impact.
Jack's eyes widened with horror.
"Mantis—!"
Maya drew her knife.
"Stay behind me."
Rafael shouted into the comm: "AWACS ONE, REPORT!"
Only static answered.
Maya felt it then.
That creeping sensation.
That razor-sharp awareness.
Like being hunted.
Like a wolf entering another wolf's territory.
"Rafael," she said quietly, "she's on the roof."
"No kidding, Maya!"
"Stop the vehicle."
"Are you insane—?!"
"Stop the vehicle!"
Rafael slammed the brakes.
The transport skidded sideways, throwing dust, rocks, and debris into the air.
Maya launched forward.
She kicked open the side door.
Wind roared inside.
"Maya—?" Jack gasped.
She climbed onto the frame of the door, gripping the steel for balance.
"Stay inside!" she shouted.
Above her—
Something scraped against metal.
A slow, mocking sound.
Skrrk… skrrk… skrrk…
Maya's heartbeat slowed to a predator's rhythm.
"Mantis," she called out.
Silence.
Then—
A whisper from above:
"Hello, little wolf."
Maya slashed upward just as Mantis flipped down, landing on the transport door frame with inhuman grace.
Her green-glowing goggles gleamed in the dim morning light.
Maya blocked the first strike.
Dodged the second.
Countered the third.
But Mantis was faster.
Always faster.
Her heel slammed into Maya's ribs, sending her reeling back into the transport.
Jack screamed, "MAYA!"
Maya rolled, regained her footing, and lunged forward.
Mantis stepped lightly into the vehicle interior.
Her gaze landed directly on Jack.
"Hello, Alpha."
Jack trembled violently.
Maya barreled into Mantis, slamming her into the opposite wall.
"Don't. Touch. Him."
Mantis laughed, twisting out of Maya's grip like smoke.
"Still so protective," she purred. "It's adorable."
Rafael drew his gun.
"Freeze!"
Mantis tilted her head.
"Or what? You'll shoot through Maya?"
Rafael hesitated.
A mistake.
Mantis disarmed him in one fluid motion, flipping the gun and tossing it out of the transport.
"Oops."
Maya grabbed Mantis by the collar and slammed her into the metal frame.
Mantis grinned.
"There she is. The real wolf."
She twisted Maya's wrist.
Maya hissed.
The knife clattered to the ground.
Jack tried to push himself up.
"No—don't—" Maya cried.
But the surge hit him.
Hard.
His vision blurred.
His breath choked.
His fingers trembled violently.
His eyes—
Silver.
Full silver.
Mantis noticed instantly.
"Oh," she whispered in delight. "He's waking."
Maya threw Mantis back with a brutal shoulder check.
"Stay away from him!"
Mantis flipped midair and landed on the transport floor like she weighed nothing.
"Maya," she teased, "I'm not here to hurt him."
Jack gasped, clutching his head.
"Maya—she's—she's calling to me—!"
Maya's blood ran cold.
"Mantis," she snarled, "shut your mouth."
But Mantis knelt, ignoring her.
She spoke softly—to Jack.
"Do you hear it, Alpha? The door? The voice?"
Jack sobbed in pain.
Maya launched herself forward—
But Mantis caught her wrist mid-strike.
Then leaned her head close to Maya's ear.
"Want to know a secret?"
Maya's skin crawled.
Mantis whispered—
"He won't be able to resist forever. And when he breaks—he'll destroy you first."
Maya's rage was instant.
She broke Mantis's grip and slammed an elbow into her jaw.
Mantis staggered.
Just a second.
Just a breath.
But it was enough.
Rafael tackled her.
Maya turned to Jack.
He was shaking violently, eyes glowing brighter and brighter.
"Maya…" he choked out. "I—I can't—see— I can't—think—"
She grabbed his face with both hands.
"Listen to me. Look at me. Only me."
His stare locked onto hers.
Human for half a second.
Then the silver returned.
He wasn't seeing her.
Not fully.
Not anymore.
Maya whispered, voice breaking:
"Jack… don't leave me."
He gasped.
"Maya—I—I think I'm—changing—"
Mantis kicked Rafael off her and lunged toward them—
But Maya moved faster.
She tackled Mantis out the open door—
And both women tumbled into the dirt.
The Fight on the Roadside
Dust exploded around them.
Maya rolled, switching grips, drawing her backup knife.
Mantis laughed.
"Finally! Some fun!"
She attacked.
Fast.
Precise.
Deadly.
Maya blocked.
Countered.
Struck.
Dodged.
Every motion fueled by something deeper than duty.
This wasn't just protection.
This was personal.
Mantis lunged for her throat.
Maya twisted, slicing a clean line across Mantis's arm.
Mantis winced.
Then smiled wider.
"Good girl."
And then—
The transport exploded.
Not literally—
but in a violent burst of silver light.
Both women froze.
Maya's heart stopped.
"JACK!"
Mantis turned slowly, her smile stretching into pure, wicked delight.
"Oh," she whispered. "He's waking."
The transport rocked.
Metal bent outward.
Rafael screamed something, but the roar of energy drowned it out.
Maya ran.
She didn't feel the pain.
Or fear.
Or exhaustion.
She only ran.
Back to the transport.
Back to Jack.
Back to the boy she refused to lose.
But before she could reach the door—
It blew open.
A shockwave knocked her off her feet.
She hit the ground hard, dust clouding her vision.
"MAYA!" Rafael shouted.
She forced herself up—
And froze.
Jack stood in the doorway.
Barely standing.
Head lowered.
Eyes glowing like molten silver.
Not flickering.
Fully awakened.
"Maya…" he whispered.
His voice—
Not entirely his.
Her heart cracked.
"I—I can't… stop it."
Then—
He lifted his head.
And she saw it.
The thing Mercer wanted.
The thing she feared.
The thing she'd do anything—anything—to save him from.
Alpha.
Mantis whispered from behind Maya:
"Now it begins."
And Maya realized:
This wasn't an ambush.
It was the beginning of a war.