bin

was my sanctuary, all dark wood, leather-bound books, and the

rounds of my territory. I heard the soft click of the door closing. I heard two sets of foot

urn

ld tilted

t black. But the mask, a blank white slate, was deeply

est and wild mo

had never smelled before, yet it felt as familiar as my own skin. A deep, primal part of me,

i

at was mine. Every instinct screamed at me to act. I had to lock every muscle in my body to keep from lunging forward. The scent was a drug,

Alpha control. It had to be the desperation. The hope that th

or. "You are the emissary of The Surgeon?" My

flat, digitally altered. "I am. And I am here to assess whethe

it was breathtaking. An

s never leaving the masked figure. "Take t

a P

rd. Machines beeped and whirred, casting a sterile, blue glow over t

ale and waxy, his breathing shallow. The air in the room was thick wit

y restrained power. His gray eyes watched my every move, sharp a

m. I approac

vered in a thin, black leather glove, and gently took the old wolf's wrist.

tory his body was telling me. The subtle tremors in his muscles. The whispe

w moments,

voice cutting through the quiet hum o

l degrees. "I have had the best healers in three territories

It is subtle. Administered over years. Micro-doses of silver dust, mixed

precision. It was a formula known

I knew then that I had him. He had suspected. He had seen some piece of evidence, bu

Alpha's command replaced by

ilence stretch, letting

ed. "A standard antidote would kill him. It requires... a biological cataly

his jaw clenched. "Wh

gh the narrow slits of my mask, I

unique energy field found in only one person. Her presence alone can w

he de

rop like a stone

Hanc

ace a blank mask of shock. Alistair, who had

s rough. "The Hancock girl?

Her biological signature is the key. Perhaps it is a qui

anation just beyond the reach of logic and into t

?" he pressed. "A blood tr

to administer the antidote under The Surgeon's guidance. The Surgeon will provide remote instruction throughout the treatment-herbal preparations, energy ch

needed her here, in this house

, there was only one way to do it wi

ria

alliance.

olfless from a failing pack was beneath me. B

grew stronger, clouding my thoughts. The figure raised a gloved hand, the gesture slow, deliber

ppened. A jolt, sharp and electric, shot through me. A spark. The

of the mate b

p back as if I'd been burned.

r of 'Mine', now this. With a masked, genderless

f nothing had happened. "The choice is yo

ge, unwelcome surge of primal possessiveness. This person, this emissary, was co

bring Arla Hancock here. Wh

atment, Arla Hancock's safety must be guaranteed. Absolutely. She

ed to be

one," I said,

of rare herbs and components, handed it to Alist

o, that impossible sce

nked my Beta. "Get

every connection between The Surgeon and Arla Hancock. Every letter, every transaction