Luna couldn't breathe. Her chest felt hollow like someone had carved out her insides and left nothing but empty space. The bond was gone. That constant connection that had been there since she'd accepted him. Just gone.

"Drive." Raven pushed Luna into the backseat. "Now Torch."

The car moved forward. Tires spun on loose dirt before finding traction. They sped away from the compound into the dark desert.

Luna pressed her hand to her chest. Tried to find even the smallest thread of connection. Nothing. Just silence where Reaper's presence should have been.

"He's not dead." Torch's voice came from the front seat. "He can't be."

"The bond's gone." Luna's voice cracked. "I can't feel anything."

"Maybe he's just unconscious." Raven twisted in her seat to look at Luna. "Major trauma can block the bond temporarily."

"Or he's dead." Luna met her eyes. "That's what you're not saying."

Raven's jaw tightened but she didn't answer.

They drove in silence. The compound disappeared behind a ridge. The sounds of fighting faded. Nothing but engine noise and Luna's ragged breathing filled the car.

Pain radiated through her chest. Not the sharp pain of feeling Reaper's injuries through the bond. This was different. Deeper. Like her body was trying to tear itself apart from the inside.

"Pull over." Luna gasped. "I'm going to be sick."

Torch pressed on the brakes. Luna barely got the door open before she vomited into the dirt. Her whole body shook. Sweat poured down her face despite the cold desert air.

Raven got out. Knelt beside her. Pulled Luna's hair back.

"It's the bond," Raven said quietly. "If he's really gone, your body's rejecting the loss."

"How long?" Luna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"How long what?"

"How long until it kills me?"

Raven didn't answer right away. That told Luna everything she needed to know.

"Days," Raven finally said. "Maybe a week. Human mates don't survive bond breaks. Your body can't handle it."

Luna laughed. The sound came out broken. "So I'm dead either way. If Blackwood doesn't kill me, the bond will."

"We don't know Reaper's dead."

"Don't we?" Luna pushed herself up. Leaned against the car. "I felt him die through the bond. Felt everything just stop."

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out confused. The screen showed it was charging somehow. No, not charging. The battery icon showed full power when it had been dead for hours.

A text from an unknown number appeared.

We have your Alpha. Give us the flash drive or we start sending pieces.

Below the text was a photo. Reaper unconscious and bleeding. Silver chains wrapped around his wrists and throat. But alive. Definitely alive.

Luna's knees went weak. Relief hit her so hard she had to grab the car door to stay standing.

"He's alive." She showed Raven the phone. "They have him but he's alive."

Raven's face went pale. "That's not possible. The bond went silent."

"Silver." Torch leaned over to look at the photo. "Heavy silver suppresses supernatural abilities. Including bond connections."

"They're using him as bait." Raven's voice was hard. "They know you'll trade yourself for him."

Luna was already getting back in the car. "Then let's not keep them waiting."

"No." Raven blocked her. "That's exactly what Blackwood wants. He gets you and the evidence. Then he kills you both."

"I'm not leaving Reaper to be tortured."

"And he'd never forgive himself if you got captured trying to save him." Raven grabbed Luna's shoulders. "Think. Use your head. What would a smart journalist do right now?"

Luna forced herself to breathe. To think past the panic. Her mind started working again. Analyzing.

"They sent the text to my phone. How did they get my number?"

"Good question." Torch took the phone. Started typing. "Even better question. How is your phone working? Battery was dead."

"Remote access maybe?" Luna watched him work. "If they hacked into my phone, they could have turned it on remotely."

"And they'd have access to everything on it." Torch's fingers flew over the screen. "Messages. Photos. Location data."

"They're tracking us right now." Raven pulled out her own phone. "We need to dump it and move."

"Wait." Torch held up his hand. "I can use this. Feed them false information. Lead them away from where we're really going."

"Where are we really going?" Luna asked.

Raven and Torch exchanged looks.

"There's a safe house," Torch said. "Three hours from here. Old pack territory. Been abandoned for years but it's still secure."

"No." Luna shook her head. "We're not running to a safe house. We're getting Reaper back."

"How exactly?" Raven's voice was sharp. "Walk up to Blackwood's facility and ask nicely?"

"I have something he wants. The flash drive." Luna pulled it from her pocket. "We make a trade."

"He'll kill you the second he has it."

"Maybe. But he won't kill Reaper. Not right away." Luna met Raven's eyes. "Blackwood's been hunting Alpha DNA for twenty years. He finally has an Alpha in custody. He'll want to study him first. Experiment. That buys us time."

"Time for what?"

"To break him out." Luna turned to Torch. "You said you're good with tech. Can you hack Blackwood's security systems?"

Torch's eyes lit up. "I mean, maybe. Depends on their setup."

"The files on the flash drive have facility blueprints. Security protocols. Everything I pulled from their servers." Luna's mind raced. "We use that information to get inside. Get Reaper. Get out."

"That's insane," Raven said.

"You have a better idea?"

Silence. Raven's jaw worked. Finally she shook her head. "The rest of the pack. We need backup."

Torch's phone buzzed. He looked at the screen. His face went gray. "The compound fell. Blackwood's men took it. Most of the pack scattered. Bones is gathering survivors but it'll take time to regroup."

"How many casualties?" Raven's voice was quiet.

"Unknown. Communications are spotty." Torch looked at Luna. "But if we're doing this rescue, we need to move fast. Before Blackwood relocates Reaper to a more secure location."

"Where is he now?" Luna asked.

"Based on the photo metadata?" Torch zoomed in on the image. "I'd say the Colorado facility. The main research lab."

The same facility Luna had seen in the files. The one with holding cells and experiment rooms and security that made Fort Knox look easy.

"How do we get there?" Luna asked.

"Drive. Six hours maybe." Torch started the car again. "But we can't just drive up to the front gate."

"We won't." Luna opened the files on the flash drive using Torch's laptop. "There's a service entrance on the east side. Used for deliveries. Less security."

"Still cameras. Still guards." Raven leaned over to look. "We'd need a distraction."

"Or an inside man." Luna scrolled through files. "Dr. Chen. The scientist who gave me the initial tip. She still works there. Maybe she'd help."

"That's a big maybe," Torch said.

"It's all we've got." Luna pulled up Chen's contact information. "Can you get a message to her? Untraceable?"

"Give me ten minutes."

While Torch worked, Luna studied the facility layout. Three floors above ground. Two below. The holding cells were in the lower levels. Maximum security. Silver reinforced walls.

Getting in would be hard. Getting out with Reaper would be nearly impossible.

Her chest ached. That hollow feeling hadn't gone away. But knowing he was alive made it bearable. Barely.

"Message sent." Torch looked back at her. "Used a burner routing system. Can't be traced to us."

"Now we wait." Raven checked her weapons. A gun at her hip. Knives strapped to her thigh. "If Chen doesn't respond in an hour, we're going in blind."

They drove through the desert. Dawn started painting the horizon pink and orange. Luna watched the sunrise and tried not to think about what Blackwood might be doing to Reaper right now.

Her phone buzzed again. Another message from the unknown number.

Tick tock journalist. Your Alpha is bleeding. How much is he worth to you?**

Another photo. Reaper strapped to a table. Some kind of machine attached to his chest. His face was twisted in pain even though he was unconscious.

Luna's hands shook. "They're experimenting on him."

Raven looked at the photo. Swore under her breath. "That's a gene sequencer. They're extracting his DNA."

"Will it kill him?"

"Eventually. The process is painful. Takes hours. Sometimes days." Raven's voice was tight. "They'll keep him alive as long as he's useful."

Luna typed a response.

I'll trade. Me and the flash drive for the Alpha. Name the time and place.

The response came fast.

Colorado facility. East service entrance. Two hours. Come alone.

"It's a trap," Torch said.

"Obviously." Luna put the phone away. "But it gets us exactly where we need to be."

"They'll be waiting. Armed. Ready." Raven checked her gun's magazine. "Three of us against Blackwood's entire security force."

"Then we better be smart about it." Luna looked at both of them. "I'm not asking you to risk your lives for this. I know Reaper's your Alpha but.."

"He's family." Raven cut her off. "We don't leave family behind. Ever."

Torch nodded. "Besides, someone needs to keep you from doing something stupid."

"Too late for that." Luna managed a weak smile. "I already accepted a mate bond with a werewolf I'd known for two hours."

"Fair point." Torch turned back to his laptop. "Okay. Let's plan a prison break."

They spent the next hour going over every detail. Entry points. Security rotations. Where Reaper would likely be held. Escape routes. Plan B for when things went wrong.

Because things would definitely go wrong.

Torch's laptop pinged. An email from Dr. Chen.

I can help. But you need to hurry. Blackwood's planning to transport your Alpha to Nevada in four hours. If he gets there, you'll never get him out.

"Four hours." Luna checked the time. "We can make it."

"Barely." Torch fired the engine. "Hold on."

The car flew across the desert. Luna watched the landscape blur past. Her mind kept going back to that photo of Reaper on the table. The pain on his face. The machines draining him.

She pressed her hand to her chest. The hollow ache was still there but underneath it, buried deep, she felt something. The tiniest flicker of connection.

He was fighting. Still fighting. Refusing to give up.

"I'm coming," she whispered. "Just hold on a little longer."

Her phone buzzed one more time. A video this time.

Luna's finger hovered over the play button. Raven put a hand on her wrist.

"You don't need to watch it."

"Yes I do." Luna pulled her hand free. Hit play.

The video showed Reaper strapped to that table. A man in a white coat stood over him. Marcus Blackwood. Luna recognized him from her research.

Blackwood's voice was cold. Clinical. "Subject is showing remarkable resistance to the gene sequencing. Pain tolerance far exceeds previous Alpha specimens. Increasing dosage."

He injected something into Reaper's IV line. Reaper's body convulsed. His back arched against the restraints. Even through the silver chains, even unconscious, his face showed agony.

The video ended.

Luna's vision went red. Pure rage flooded through her. Not just her rage. His. That tiny flicker of connection in her chest burst into flame.

Reaper was awake. He was conscious. And he was furious.

Through the bond, barely there but definitely present, Luna felt his message.

Coming for you.

She didn't know if he meant he was coming for her or she should come for him. It didn't matter. They were connected again. That was enough.

"Speed up," Luna told Torch. "We're running out of time."

The facility appeared on the horizon. Massive concrete structure built into the mountainside. Guard towers. Fencing. Cameras everywhere.

Torch pulled over a mile out. They got out. Started gearing up.

Luna checked the flash drive one more time. Made sure it was secure in her pocket. This was their bargaining chip. Their only leverage.

She hoped it would be enough.

A black SUV appeared on the road ahead. It stopped fifty feet away. Doors opened. Four men in tactical gear got out. All armed.

One of them called out. "Luna Sinclair. Step forward. Alone. Hands where we can see them."

Luna looked at Raven and Torch. "Wait for my signal."

"What signal?" Torch asked.

"You'll know it when you see it." Luna started walking. "Be ready to run."

She crossed the distance to the SUV. The men surrounded her. Rough hands pressed her down. Found the flash drive. Took it.

"Good girl." The lead guard smiled. "Mr. Blackwood will be pleased."

"I want to see Reaper first. Make sure he's alive."

"That wasn't part of the deal."

Luna crossed her arms. "Then you don't get my cooperation. I'll fight every step. Make enough noise that every law enforcement agency in Colorado shows up. You really want that kind of attention?"

The guard considered. Spoke into his radio. Waited for a response.

"Fine. Five minutes. Then you come quietly."

They put her in the SUV. Drove through the facility gates. Past guard stations. Into an underground parking garage.

They pulled her out. Marched her through sterile hallways. Everything was white. Bright lights overhead. The smell of disinfectant and something metallic. Blood maybe.

They stopped at a heavy door. The guard swiped a keycard. The door opened.

Reaper hung from chains in the center of the room. Silver chains that burned angry red marks into his skin. His head hung down. Blood dripped from wounds covering his body.

Luna's breath caught. "Reaper."

His head lifted slowly. His eyes found hers. Gold and pain and relief mixed together.

"Luna." His voice was raw. "You shouldn't have come."

"Of course I came." She tried to move toward him but the guards held her back. "I'm getting you out of here."

"No." He coughed. Blood spattered the floor. "You need to run. Get away from here. Please."

"Not without you."

Marcus Blackwood walked into the room. He looked exactly like his photos. Gray hair. Expensive suit. Cold eyes that analyzed everything.

"How touching." His voice was smooth. "The human and the beast. True love conquers all." He walked around Reaper like examining a prize. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

The guard held up the flash drive.

Blackwood took it. Smiled. "Excellent. Now we can.."

Reaper moved. Despite the chains. Despite the silver burning him. He lunged at Blackwood.

The chains snapped. Held. Barely.

Blackwood stumbled back. "Still some fight left in you. Good. I prefer my subjects to have spirit."

He pulled out a remote. Pressed a button.

Electricity surged through the chains. Reaper's scream tore through the room.

Luna's chest exploded with pain. The bond carried his agony straight into her. She fell to her knees gasping.

Blackwood released the button. Reaper slumped in the chains.

"Fascinating." Blackwood looked at Luna. "You really are bonded. I didn't think it was possible with a human." He knelt beside Luna. "This changes everything. If a human can bond with a werewolf, think of the applications. Super soldiers with human intelligence and wolf abilities."

Luna spat in his face.

Blackwood wiped it away calmly. "Take them both to the experiment chamber. We'll start the bonding trials immediately."

"No!" Reaper's roar shook the room. "I'll kill you. I swear I'll rip you apart."

"You're welcome to try." Blackwood stood. "But first you'll watch what we do to your mate. Every experiment. Every test. Every scream. Then we'll see how much fight you have left."

Guards grabbed Luna. Started dragging her toward another door.

Through the bond, Luna felt Reaper's desperation. His rage. His absolute terror at what was about to happen.

She locked eyes with him across the room.

And smiled.

Because they'd made one critical mistake. They'd taken the flash drive from her pocket.

But Luna had made a copy. Sent it to three different news agencies before they'd even left the desert.

By now, the story was breaking. The world would know about Blackwood. About werewolves. About everything.

It wouldn't save them. But it would destroy him.

"It's already done," Luna said. "The evidence is out. You've lost Blackwood."

His face went pale. He grabbed his phone. Started scrolling. His expression shifted from calm to panic.

"You stupid girl. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Exposed you." Luna's smile widened. "Burned your world down. Seems fair after what you did to mine."

Blackwood's hand shot out. Grabbed her throat. Squeezed.

"Then you both die. Right now."

The door behind them exploded inward.

Raven stood in the doorway. Gun raised. Covered in blood that wasn't hers.

"Nobody touches my Alpha's mate."

She fired.