Sera's POV
I crashed through the pack house doors so hard they slammed against the walls.
Every head in the entrance hall turned to stare. Wolves I used to know—wolves who'd watched me leave three years ago broken and pregnant—gaped like they'd seen a ghost.
Good. Let them stare.
"Where is he?" My voice echoed through the massive space. "Where's Darius?"
Beta Thomas rushed toward me. He'd driven separately after we called the police about Kai's kidnapping. "Sera, you need to calm down—"
"Calm down?" I grabbed his shirt and yanked him close. Three years ago, I couldn't have moved him an inch. But I'd trained every single day since leaving, pushing my wolf abilities to their limit. "Vivian took my son. She has my baby. So tell me where Darius is RIGHT NOW, or I'll tear this whole building apart!"
"Alpha meeting room, second floor," Thomas stammered. "But Sera, you can't just—"
I was already running up the stairs.
Behind me, I heard Thomas shout orders. "Someone get Luna Margaret! Tell her Sera's here! And someone stop her before she—"
Too late.
I reached the meeting room and didn't bother knocking. I kicked the door open with everything I had. It flew off one hinge and crashed against the wall.
Inside, twelve wolves sat around a huge table. They all jumped to their feet, some shifting partially into attack mode.
But I only had eyes for one person.
Darius stood at the head of the table, and my breath caught in my throat. Thomas was right—he was dying. The strong, powerful Alpha I'd married looked like a shadow. His face was gaunt, his eyes sunken. He'd lost at least thirty pounds.
When he saw me, he grabbed the table like his legs might give out.
"Sera?" His voice was barely a whisper. "You're... you're really here?"
"Where is she?" I stalked toward him, ignoring everyone else. "Where's Vivian?"
"Prison. She's in prison, I swear." Darius took a step back. For the first time ever, I saw fear in his eyes. Fear of me. "What's going on?"
"Someone broke into my house two hours ago. They knocked out my friend and kidnapped my—" I stopped myself just in time. "They left a note signed with 'V.' So if Vivian's in prison, who took my son?"
The room went completely silent.
"Your what?" Darius stared at me like I'd spoken a foreign language.
I realized my mistake. In my panic over Kai, I'd said too much. But it was too late to take it back now.
"My son," I said quietly. "I have a two-year-old son. And someone took him."
Darius stumbled backward and fell into his chair. His face had gone sheet white. "A son. You have... how old?"
"Two years and three months."
I watched him do the math. Watched the moment he understood.
"Mine?" he breathed. "He's mine?"
"That doesn't matter right now!" I slammed my hands on the table. "What matters is finding him! The note said 'V.' If Vivian's in prison, who else would use that initial?"
Luna Margaret burst through the broken door, breathing hard. "Sera, thank the goddess. We need to—" She stopped when she saw my face. "What happened?"
"Someone took Kai."
Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no. Oh, sweet child, no."
"Who else uses 'V'?" I demanded. "Who would work with Vivian?"
Margaret and Darius exchanged a look that made my stomach drop.
"What?" I asked. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Vivian has a sister," Darius said slowly. "Veronica. We thought she'd left the territory when Vivian was arrested, but..."
"But what?"
"She swore revenge," Margaret finished quietly. "She said we'd all pay for what we did to her sister. But we never thought she'd go after you. How would she even know about your son?"
My mind raced. Then it hit me. "The letter. The one you sent me, Margaret. Someone must have intercepted it. They knew I'd come back if Darius was dying. They probably followed Beta Thomas to my house."
"This is my fault." Darius's voice broke. "Everything is my fault. If I hadn't lied to you, if I hadn't signed that contract, if I'd just been honest from the start—"
"Save it." I cut him off. "I don't have time for your guilt. I need to find my son."
"Our son," he corrected softly. "And I'll help you. I'll use every resource this pack has."
"Why should I trust you?" The words came out harsh. "You've done nothing but lie to me since the day we met."
Darius stood up, and despite how weak he looked, his Alpha power filled the room. "Because he's my child too. And because..." He took a shaky breath. "Because you're my true mate, Sera. You always were. And I was a fool who realized it too late."
Before I could respond, Thomas ran into the room holding a phone. "Alpha! We found something!"
"What?" Darius and I said together.
"Security footage from the prison. Vivian escaped three days ago. They've been covering it up to avoid panic." Thomas's hand trembled. "She's out there. And according to the guards, she was talking to someone on the phone right before she broke out. They heard her say 'Don't worry, sister. Soon we'll have everything we want.'"
My blood turned to ice. "They're working together. Vivian and Veronica. But why take Kai? What do they want?"
Margaret's face had gone pale. "The prophecy. Oh goddess, the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" I demanded.
She looked at Darius, then at me. "Three years ago, before you left, the Moon Goddess sent a vision. She said a child born of a broken bond would have the power to destroy or save our kind. We thought it was just a legend, but—"
"But Kai is that child," I finished, my voice hollow.
My phone buzzed. Unknown number. With shaking hands, I answered and put it on speaker.
Vivian's laugh filled the room.
"Hello, Sera. Miss your baby? Don't worry—he's safe. For now." Her voice turned cold as death. "But if you want him back alive, you'll do exactly what I say. You're going to reject Darius as your mate in front of the entire pack. You're going to destroy the bond that's keeping him alive. And then..." She paused. "Then you're going to give me your son."