CECELIAS POV
Zeke's hand moved across the desk. For a heartbeat I thought he might try to take mine, might try to offer some gesture of comfort. But then he seemed to think better of it and pulled back. The moment passed.
He made the call. A young woman appeared within minutes, introducing herself as Beth, one of the palace staff. She gave me curious glances but was professional enough not to ask questions.
"Show Miss Mayers to the blue suite in the guest wing," Zeke instructed. "Make sure she has everything she needs."
"Yes, Alpha." Beth gestured for me to follow her.
I turned to leave but paused at the door. "Zeke."
He looked up from the papers he'd already started reviewing. Always working. Always focused on duty.
"Thank you," I said. "For helping. I know this is complicated."
"He's my son," Zeke said simply. "Nothing is more important than that."
I believed him. Maybe that was foolish. Maybe I should have learned my lesson about trusting this man. But when it came to Golden, I had no choice.
Beth led me through hallways that were painfully familiar yet somehow different. New paintings on the walls. Different furniture. Small changes that spoke of time passing, of life continuing without me. Pack members we passed did double takes, their shock evident on their faces. The dead Luna walking through their home like a ghost made flesh.
The blue suite was lovely, all soft colors and comfortable furniture. Nothing like the grand Luna's chambers with their heavy drapes and formal decor. This felt more like a nice hotel room than a home.
"Is there anything you need right away?" Beth asked. "Food? Fresh clothes? The Alpha mentioned you came directly from Seacreek."
"I'm fine for now," I said. My bag from Fatima's house sat by the door where someone must have brought it. Everything I owned in the world fit in one small duffel. "Thank you."
Beth nodded and left, closing the door softly behind her.
I stood alone in the blue suite, surrounded by unfamiliar luxury, and let myself feel the weight of what I'd just done. I'd walked back into the palace where I'd been betrayed, where I'd suffered, where I'd lost everything. I'd put myself at the mercy of the man who'd rejected me and the sister who'd tried to kill me.
For Golden. All for Golden.
I pulled out my phone and called Fatima. She answered on the first ring.
"Did he believe you?" she asked immediately.
"Yes. He's sending trackers to Seacreek right now. He'll help find Golden."
"Thank the goddess." I heard the relief in her voice. "Are you safe there?"
"As safe as I can be. Zeke's putting me in the guest quarters. He wants me to stay during the search."
"And your sister?"
"She knows I'm alive now. She's not happy about it."
Fatima made a worried sound. "Watch your back, Cecelia. That woman is dangerous."
"I know." I sat on the edge of the bed, exhaustion hitting me suddenly. "But I can handle her. I'm not the same person I was three years ago."
"No," Fatima agreed. "You're stronger now. Just don't forget that strength."
We talked for a few more minutes before I let her go. She needed to care for her own children, and I needed to prepare for whatever came next.
I unpacked my small bag, hanging up the few clothes I'd brought. One of Golden's shirts had somehow made it into my things. I held it to my face, breathing in his scent. Baby shampoo and sunshine and something uniquely Golden.
"I'm going to find you," I whispered to the empty room. "I promise, baby. Mama's going to bring you home."
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I opened it to find a middle aged woman with kind eyes and a healer's bag.
"Miss Mayers? I'm Healer Margaret. The Alpha asked me to examine you this evening."
Right. The paternity test. Proof that Golden was Zeke's son.
"Come in," I said, stepping aside.
Margaret set up her equipment efficiently. She drew blood, took measurements, asked questions about my pregnancy and Golden's birth. Her manner was professional but not unkind.
"This must be difficult for you," she said as she labeled the blood vials. "Coming back after so long."
"You have no idea."
"Actually," Margaret said carefully, "I was the healer who examined you after your mating ceremony. I remember you. You were so nervous that day."
I had been. Terrified, actually. A stranger in a new pack, mated to a man I barely knew, surrounded by people who whispered about the adopted daughter who'd somehow stolen the golden son's attention.
"A lot has changed since then," I said.
"Indeed." Margaret finished packing up her supplies. "The results will take a few hours to process. I'll have them sent directly to the Alpha."
"Thank you."
She paused at the door. "For what it's worth, I hope you find your son quickly. No child should be separated from their mother."
After she left, I showered and changed into clean clothes. The hot water felt like heaven against my skin but I couldn't fully relax. Somewhere out there, Golden was alone and scared. Every minute I spent here doing nothing felt like a betrayal.
The sun had set by the time another knock came. I opened the door expecting Beth or maybe another palace staff member. Instead, I found myself face to face with Zeke.
"The trackers just reported in from Seacreek," he said without preamble. "I thought you'd want to hear the update."
"Yes. What did they find?"
"Not much, unfortunately. They confirmed what you already knew. Golden's scent trail leads from the preschool to the edge of the territory, then disappears. Whoever took him used scent blocking herbs."
My heart sank. "So we have nothing."
"We have something," Zeke corrected. "One of the teachers remembered seeing a dark colored vehicle parked near the preschool that afternoon. She didn't think anything of it at the time because parents are always coming and going. But she said it seemed out of place because she didn't recognize it."
"What kind of vehicle?"
"She couldn't say for sure. Dark, possibly black or navy blue. Larger than a sedan, smaller than a full SUV." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "It's not much but it's a start."
"It's more than we had before," I said.
We stood in the doorway, neither quite willing to invite the other in or walk away. The silence stretched between us, heavy with three years of absence and all the words we'd never said.
"Margaret said the test results will be ready soon," Zeke said finally.
"I know."
"I never doubted you," he added. "About Golden being mine. I just need—"
"Documentation," I finished. "You said. It's fine, Zeke. I understand."
He nodded but didn't move to leave. "Are you settling in alright? Do you need anything?"
"I'm fine."
"Cecelia—"
A door slammed somewhere down the hall, followed by raised voices. Layla's voice, shrill and angry, and another voice trying to calm her down.
"I should go," Zeke said. "I need to deal with that."
"Of course."
He started to walk away, then turned back. "I meant what I said earlier. About protecting you. If Layla tries anything, if anyone makes you feel unsafe here, you tell me immediately. Understood?"
"Understood."
He left then, his footsteps echoing down the hallway toward where Layla's voice had come from. I closed my door and leaned against it, my heart pounding.
This was going to be harder than I thought. Being here, seeing Zeke, pretending I didn't feel anything when he was close. The mate bond we'd rejected three years ago still hummed between us, fainter than before but present. Like a scar that ached in cold weather.
I moved to the window and looked out over the palace grounds. Somewhere beyond these walls, my son was waiting for me to find him. That was what mattered. Not the past, not old feelings, not the complicated mess of Zeke and Layla and everything that had happened.
Just Golden. Just bringing my baby home.
A soft sound made me turn. Someone had slid an envelope under my door while I'd been at the window. I picked it up with shaking hands.
Inside was a single photograph. Golden, sitting in what looked like a concrete room, his little face streaked with tears. He was holding today's newspaper. Proof of life.
On the back, written in block letters: STOP LOOKING OR THE NEXT PHOTO WON'T BE SO PLEASANT.
I must have made a sound because suddenly Beth was at my door, knocking urgently. "Miss Mayers? Are you alright?"
I opened the door, the photo clutched in my hand. "Get Zeke. Now."
She saw my face and ran.
Zeke arrived within minutes, Layla forgotten. He took one look at the photo and his expression went deadly cold.
"When did this arrive?" he demanded.
"Just now. Someone slid it under my door."
He examined the envelope carefully. "No postage. Hand delivered." His eyes met mine. "Someone in this palace took this photo and brought it here. Someone inside my pack is working with whoever took Golden."
The implications crashed over me. We weren't just looking for outside kidnappers. The enemy was already inside the gates.
And they knew exactly where to find me.