Ithilien stormed into the house shortly after Marco. Her brother wasn't a wolf—he couldn't scent shifts in mood or feel the change in aura—but he knew his sister better than anyone in the world. When her usually quiet footsteps began to pound against the floorboards, he knew she was furious.
She crossed the living room without looking at him, ignored the kitchen where he was sitting, pushed through the back door into the garden and simply screamed into the darkness.
Marco nodded to himself and rose to put the kettle on.
It hadn't even finished boiling when Ilien burst back inside.
"That… that…!" she sputtered, searching for the right words, anger written plainly across her face. "That absolutely dense, Oregon—"
"I assume we're talking about Kidd," Marco said lightly, reaching for a mug.
"Yes! Yes, we are absolutely talking about him!" Ithilien began pacing the kitchen, still overheated from the run, hair damp, cheeks flushed. "He just sent me away! I helped them catch the pup and he—!" She broke off, breathless with disbelief.
Marco nodded again, setting a mug of hot tea on the table, watching her carefully while trying to keep his thoughts to himself.
Standing there in her unfiltered fury, she reminded him of Ithilien from years ago. Not the version stripped of visible emotion, hiding behind a polite smile and steady tone, but the real one—hot-blooded, eyes wide and flashing like lightning.
If Marco had to name the thing he hated most about Ace Martinez, it was that. The way he had instilled that perfect, puppet-like composure in her.
"So you caught him and the situation is under control?" Marco asked calmly.
She hissed.
"What do I care if it's under control? I hate this. I hate that I have to lower my head and accept whatever he says, or he'll tell us to get out."
"Oh, come on," Marco said mildly. "The whole city doesn't belong to the pack."
She shot him a look that clearly translated to: Oh really? Want to test that?
"Ilien, it's not like we have to stay here. Sure, I chose Oregon because I like it, but Eugene? That was coincidence. We can leave after New Year's if you can't tolerate the alpha's behavior."
She picked up the mug and took a careful sip, trying not to burn her lips. She thought about his words. They both knew she would never agree to leave.
Now that it was clear someone had tampered with the genetics of the local wolves, walking away would be the same as sentencing some of them to death. Ithilien might be strong, but she would not be able to carry that kind of guilt.
"We need to find out what's going on here," she said at last, her voice calm again—ordinary.
Marco pressed his lips into a thin line. Whatever else could be said about the young alpha, he had managed to anger Ilien without even being in the room. That was an achievement.
"Can you tell me what exactly happened?" he asked quietly.
Marco knew he had hit the mark when Ilien lifted her eyes to him—frightened—and then immediately lowered them again, almost ashamed.
She sat down at the table. For a long moment, the only sound was the soft clink of porcelain and the quiet sip of tea. Marco waited. He was patient by nature. Ithilien reacted like this in only one context, and he believed that the body healed best when certain things were finally spoken aloud. He never pushed. He always waited for her to begin.
"I think…" she started finally, taking a deeper breath but still not looking at him, "I think he sensed danger. When Zeke started thrashing, I panicked a little. I still remember that night… Back then the attack took a second. I didn't even have time to react and they were already on each other…"
She swallowed.
"Today I couldn't predict how this pack would respond. If Zeke had gone for us, would they really have stopped him? Even if it meant hurting him?" She shook her head. "He must have felt it. And responded. It's nothing dramatic," she added with a faint smile, as if trying to reassure herself more than Marco. "Just this pull. Like something yanks at you from the inside. It broke my focus. Zeke sensed the shift. The gene had time to flare."
She drew another deep breath and straightened in her chair, closing her eyes briefly.
"Sometimes it hurts. Then it passes."
"I think," Marco said gently, "for your own sake, you should go back to Evergreen and end it."
Ilien sat in silence, resignation settling over her features.
Of course it was the logical solution—go back, sever the bond, stop clinging to the remnants of something that should have died long ago.
But she couldn't.
She simply couldn't.
You and I will never merge with another wolf the way we merged with each other.
The hoarse voice echoed in her mind.
Maybe—out of sheer jealousy toward the other woman—she refused to make the painful choice. They had lived in this triangle for three years now, though Bista didn't yet know it. Ilien did.
Some lower, uglier part of her soul took comfort in the knowledge that although Ace had chosen marriage for the good of his pack, she would always be the most important.
The bond would remain alive.
And it would torment all three of them until the end—a pitiful relic of a life that had already passed.
"Not now. There are more important things."
"Alright. It's your decision. So what's the plan?"
She shrugged.
"If they suspect us, I assume they won't want our help."
"They will," he said calmly, looking out the window into the darkness. "They just need time to think it through. I've known Kidd for about three years. As long as Levi is standing next to him, he'll come to the right conclusions. And besides, we still have a last resort."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"Yes. His name is Dorian 'The Ranger' Parker. If Kidd refuses to accept logical arguments, the old alpha will. I assure you. And he'll explain things to the younger ones in a language they understand."
"Fine. As long as I don't have to keep bending my neck for that… for Kidd, I'm fine with it. I'm going to my room. I need a shower, and I finally have to open my books. I've got an exam after New Year's. I'm not failing it because of some damn pathogen. Goodnight."
"Work hard, Ilien," Marco called after her before returning to his laptop.
He had no intention of dropping the matter just because a young alpha had, for whatever reason, dismissed his sister, nor because some twenty-year-old pup had thrown an accusation in their faces. The stakes were too high, and the game was unfolding on too many levels.
Marco needed to find the man who was tampering with wolf genetics.
He was patient.
And he had time.
Not long after, Kidd sent the twins, Carter and Thiago, back home, while Zane and Zeke accompanied him to Levi's house. The Alpha wanted to keep an eye on the young wolf who had come down with a mild fever, and at the same time he needed to discuss Marco's message. From the look on Levi's face, he could tell his friend wasn't going to agree with him about what had happened—sending the she-wolf from Montana away in an almost hostile tone. Kidd himself didn't know why he had reacted that way, and only during the drive did clarity begin to settle in.
"You always explode first and think later," Dorian had once scolded him, and although Maddox had absolutely disagreed with him at the time, as the years passed he had begun to notice that flaw in himself. The irritation had started building the moment Ithilien mentioned her alpha.
The other one.
A stranger whose scent she still carried on her skin.
What the hell was wrong with him? Why should he even care?
"I care because I don't want any wolves on my territory," he thought, quite rationally hiding behind the excuse of security. Though on the other hand… Wolves naturally guarded their own borders, and the days when roaming packs threatened settlers were long gone. Montana to Oregon was a considerable stretch of land, so Kidd sincerely doubted that some pack from Montana would suddenly show up here… All right—but if that were true, then why was she here while her alpha remained there?
The young alpha snorted under his breath in disbelief.
Unbelievable. I'm thinking about her instead of what actually matters right now.
He didn't notice the knowing looks exchanged between Zane and Levi, and when they pulled into the driveway, he was still so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost forgot why they had come.
At the house, Byra handed Zeke his pills and showed him to the guest bedroom, knowing that the three eldest members of the pack would be spending the night at her and Levi's home. They spoke briefly afterward, but Levi didn't reveal any details in front of his wife—they had to discuss it among themselves first.
When they finally sat down in the living room, the atmosphere was tense; something was bound to explode sooner or later.
"I don't know what you think…" Zane began, "but from what we've seen so far, I believe the doctor and his sister are right about the virus. Whether it's their fault—that's another matter."
"Look at it logically," Levi scoffed, stretching out his legs. "Why would they tell us about it? If they were running that experiment on their own, they'd do it far away from here. I find it hard to believe Marco would risk his own sister—and tonight, himself as well. What would they gain if Zeke broke free and tore him apart?"
"That sister of his doesn't look like she'd let him get torn apart without a fight," Zane muttered.
"No, she's got quite an impressive stance. And she's fast," Levi admitted.
"Pretty agile, that's for sure," Zane agreed, and both of them looked at Kidd. "What do you think?"
"About the she-wolf from Montana or the experiment? I've lost track of what we're even talking about," Kidd growled, and Levi raised his brows at his friend's tone.
"Why does she bother you so much? Are you seriously worried her alpha might show up here?" he asked, studying Maddox's face with a probing gaze.
Kidd looked at him as if that were the most obvious possibility in the world.
"And you're not worried about it, I assume?"
For a moment, silence filled the living room as Levi and Kidd locked eyes, a silent challenge between them—one Zane had no intention of taking part in. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a glass of whisky, taking advantage of Levi being occupied with the strange duel. He took a large swallow and poured himself another—he might not get another chance anytime soon. Levi guarded his bottles, imported from the Scottish Isle of Skye, with fierce jealousy.
"Kidd," Levi finally began, and there was a note in his voice as if he were about to reveal an absolute truth, "what kind of alpha allows his Luna to remain on the territory of a foreign pack, over seven hundred kilometers from her own, for more than a month?"
Maddox stared at him, and understanding slowly began to dawn in his eyes.
"So… you're saying that…" Kidd started slowly. "If she's here, alone, then her alpha—"
"I suspect he's dead," Levi finished for him, his expression stone-cold. "I can't imagine any other possibility," he admitted after a moment.
Kidd leaned back against the couch and let out a long breath.
Idiot. I was growling at her without knowing anything… It's obvious! That fractured aura, the scent—it was more of a trace than anything strong…!
The look of absolute shock on Kidd's face confirmed what Levi had begun to suspect a few hours earlier. As much as he wanted to pursue the subject, they had far more important matters to discuss. Not that Levi had brought up Ithilien first because he thought it was the most urgent issue—but he knew Kidd. They had to deal with whatever was irritating him before they could fully focus on the heart of the matter.
The virus.
"Now that we've settled that," Zane said, settling comfortably back into the armchair and bringing over a bottle of liquor with three glasses, "let's talk about the young ones. I think we should go back to the doctor and finish that conversation."
"I'll go tomorrow," Kidd replied immediately. "I'll find out what else they know."
Levi turned his head away, not wanting to reveal the all-knowing smirk tugging at his lips.
"Only Marco can help us. He has access to the city's medical database. We'll need to check who drew blood from Thiago and Zeke."
"That shouldn't be hard. It should all be in the system," Zane shrugged, though Levi didn't share his optimism.
"Sure. They entered their full names and home addresses too, just in case something went wrong and there was an investigation into a death. Brilliant," he replied dryly, taking the bottle and looking at Zane from beneath lowered brows.
"Okay, so what? We're not suspecting them anymore?" Zane asked, unfazed by the sarcasm. "You're changing your minds awfully fast."
Levi sighed, and Kidd shook his head.
"We'll be cautious. For now, the only thing we know for certain is that the virus exists and someone is interfering with the transformations. Fine, I buy the story about creating stronger wolves—why not? There are plenty of lunatics in this country. Maybe Dorian could talk to the Council and find out what's going on and who might be involved."
"It has to be someone close enough to observe the reactions," Levi added. "But I'm guessing they'll conceal their involvement, in case things spiral out of control."
"And it's probably not just some random madman," Kidd said after a moment, taking a sip of the burning whisky. "There's no way someone off the street would pull something like this without serious backing. Either it's an organization—or some idealist convinced of the righteousness of what he's doing."
"My bet's on an organization," Levi said. "There's no way one person pulled this off alone. And honestly, I wouldn't even be surprised if it turned out to be the work of some immortal freak of nature."
"Wait—what? You think those damned bloodless monsters are involved?" Zane half-rose from his seat, and Levi shrugged.
"For now, let's not rule anything out."
"Vampires. On our territory…"
"Zane, how much did you drink?"
"Man, what does that matter? We've got vampires within our borders! Kidd, let's go! We need to patrol—"
"Sit down, idiot. Do you hear yourself? What vampire would show up on pack territory?" Kidd cut in, his tone bored. Vampires. What next?
Still, he would have to return to the doctor's house tomorrow and, whether he liked it or not, apologize to Marco and Ithilien. The mere thought made his stomach twist. He had no idea how he would look the girl in the eye after that whole misunderstanding. And ask for help—because he would have to do that too…
He imagined those cool eyes of hers looking at him with contempt, but damn it, he could handle that.
He had a clear plan—find out who had been meddling with wolves' blood, and then clear up the misunderstanding with Ithilien.
He'd simply tell her the hormones had gotten the better of him, that he'd been on edge since Thiago's shift, and then Zeke… Since she was a Luna, she surely understood the burden an alpha carried. Yes, he'd explain that to her. Tell her he hadn't meant to growl at her and send her away instead of thanking her. It was thanks to Tauriel that they had managed to restrain Zeke—there was no doubt about that.
And he would tell her he was sorry about her alpha. And that if she ever needed to talk about it—or just needed someone to sit with—he would gladly…
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, noticing the mocking smile on Levi's face.
"Oh, I don't know. Just wondering…" Levi drawled. "I just wanted to ask—how's the ground beneath your feet? Still stable?"
It took Kidd a moment to understand what his friend meant. Then he reached for his glass.
"Get lost."
But the question remained unanswered.