VAN'S POV
I park in front of the pack house entrance.
Ronah stands on the steps, his arms crossed. Behind him, chained to the iron railings, are five Astrid soldiers. Their wolves subdued by the wolfsbane cuffs around their wrists.
One of them spits blood onto my pristine driveway.
I step out of the car slowly. Deliberately.
"Alpha Van." Ronah nods, his human frame somehow more intimidating than most wolves I know.
"They insisted on waiting."
"Good." I walk toward them, each step measured.
"Let them wait longer."
"We're here for Lord Zade's property," one of them growls.
I stop. Turn my head slightly toward him.
"Say that again."
My voice drops to a lethal calm. Fire licks at my fingertips.
The soldier's face pales. He says nothing.
"Good." I close the door quietly behind me. "Let's deal with them."
---
We descend the stairs together. Through the glass panels beside the door, I see Naville leaning against her motorcycle, arms crossed, a dangerous smile on her face.
I step outside.
The chained soldiers straighten slightly, trying to maintain some dignity.
"You have thirty seconds to tell me why you're here," I say. "Choose your words carefully."
The one who spoke earlier—older, with gray streaking his temples—clears his throat.
"Lord Zade Astrid demands the return of his slave, Zephyra. She was taken without proper transaction."
"Transaction." I repeat the word slowly. "You mean the transaction where Lady Morgan gave her to me freely?"
"Lady Morgan had no authority to—"
"Lady Morgan is the head of that household." Naville cuts in, pushing off her motorcycle. "Or did you miss the part where she wears the Alpha ring?"
The soldier's jaw clenches.
"Lord Zade has...personal claim to the girl."
Personal claim.
Fire erupts from my palms before I can stop it. The soldier jerks back, but the chains hold him in place.
"Personal claim?" My voice is deadly quiet now. "Explain."
The soldier's eyes dart to his companions. None of them speak.
"EXPLAIN." The command reverberates with Alpha power, forcing submission.
"She...she was meant to be his—"
"His what?" Naville demands, stepping closer. "His punching bag? His toy?"
The soldier's silence is answer enough.
Red bleeds into my vision. My wolf claws at my control, demanding blood.
Ronah's hand lands on my shoulder. A warning. A reminder.
Zephyra is upstairs. She doesn't need to wake up to more violence.
I force myself to breathe. To think.
"You will return to Lord Zade with a message," I say, each word carefully controlled. "Zephyra is under my protection now. Any attempt to reclaim her will be considered an act of war against House Arnauld."
"The council won't—"
"The council banished slavery ten years ago." I step closer to him, close enough that he can feel the heat radiating from my skin. "Which means Lord Zade has been breaking council law for a decade. Do you really want me to bring that to their attention?"
The soldier's face drains of color.
"Now." I nod to Ronah. "Remove the chains. Let them run home to their master."
Ronah moves efficiently, unlocking each cuff. The soldiers rub their wrists, eyeing the exit.
"One more thing," I call as they turn to leave.
They freeze.
"Tell Lord Zade that if he comes near her again, I won't just burn his factory." I smile, cold and promising. "I'll burn everything he's ever touched. Starting with him."
They run.
Naville watches them disappear down the driveway, then turns to me with raised eyebrows.
"So. You finally found her."
"I finally found her."
"And?"
"And I'm going to kill everyone who hurt her."
Naville's smile turns sharp. "Good. I'll help."
We stand in silence for a moment, watching the gates close.
Then I turn back to the manor. To the east wing. To the Luna suite where Zephyra sleeps.
"Ronah, hire a female staff. Someone gentle. Experienced with trauma victims."
"Already on it, Boss."
"Naville, I need you to dig into the Astrid family. Every member. Every transaction. Every dirty secret."
"Consider it done."
I climb the stairs again, pausing outside Zephyra's door.
Through the crack, I can hear her breathing. Steady now. Peaceful.
*I found you, little wolf,* I think. *And I'm never letting you go again.*
I don't enter. Not yet.
She needs space. Time. Safety.
But I stay in the hallway. Sitting against the wall opposite her door.
Waiting.
Protecting.
The way I should have fourteen years ago.