Sean's POV
The moment my eyes fluttered open, a wave of nausea hit me. My limbs felt heavy, my head pounding as though someone had taken a hammer to it.
The scent of rusted metal, damp stone, and dried blood filled my nostrils.
I tried to move-a sharp burn tore through my wrists.
Silver. Damn it.
It took me a second to realize I wasn't alone.
"Sean."
I turned toward the voice, blinking through the haze.
Xavier and Rolex were chained up beside me.
I had seen my brothers in battle. Seen them strong, unshaken, even in the face of impossible odds. But now?
They looked wrecked.
Xavier's jaw was tight, his wrists raw where the silver had burned through his skin. Rolex had blood caked along his temple, his clothes torn.
I had never seen them like this before.
"You're awake," Rolex muttered, his voice edged with exhaustion. "Took you long enough."
I groaned, trying to push myself upright, but even the slightest movement sent pain radiating through my body.
"Where the hell are we?" My throat felt like sandpaper.
"Rogue hideout," Xavier answered grimly. "We walked right into it."
I clenched my teeth. Dammit.
I had failed.
I was supposed to find them, save them. Instead, I was just another prisoner.
"The poison?" I rasped.
"Still in our system," Rolex muttered. "Not enough to kill us, but enough to keep us weak."
I could feel it-like fire in my veins.
We weren't shifting out of this. Not fighting our way out, not like this.
I tested my restraints, but the silver cuffs bit into my skin.
I hated the feeling-being trapped, being powerless.
And then I noticed something else.
Even in this hellhole, even while they were battered and poisoned, they weren't thinking about themselves.
They were thinking about her.
Mia.
"She's still out there," Xavier murmured, almost to himself. His eyes were dark, filled with something I didn't recognize-something raw, something desperate. "She doesn't know. She doesn't know any of this."
"She thinks we're just gone," Rolex muttered, his jaw tightening. "She thinks we abandoned her."
The pain in their voices caught me off guard.
Mia was still our mate. Our bond with her hadn't broken.
But after everything we had done to her, after all the times we had pushed her away, we didn't deserve her.
And yet, she was still the only thing that mattered.
It was infuriating.
It was pathetic.
And it was true.
Xavier leaned his head back against the damp stone wall. "We can't die here," he muttered. "Not like this. She'll think we never came back for her."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "Maybe that's what she wants."
Silence.
Then, Rolex let out a slow breath. "Maybe," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean we stop fighting for her."
I closed my eyes for a brief moment.
Despite everything-despite the hell she had been through because of us-she was still our mate.
I didn't know if Mia would ever forgive us.
But I knew one thing.
She would never be alone again.
I opened my eyes.
I still had one shot left.
"The tracker," I rasped, shifting my arm. It took everything in me, but I managed to reach my sleeve, feeling for the small device I had hidden there.
It was still there. Still active.
Nathan had the receiver.
If he followed the signal-he'd find us.
I let out a slow breath. "Nathan's coming."
Xavier's lips pressed into a hard line. "Then we just have to stay alive until he gets here."
Easier said than done. Because something told me our captor had no plans on keeping us alive for long.
The heavy creak of a door echoed through the dungeon, the dim light casting long shadows on the damp stone walls.
He walked in.
Lucas.
Or whatever his real name was. He strode toward us with that same smug arrogance, like he had already won. Like we were nothing more than pawns in his little game.
His silver eyes gleamed as he stopped just outside the cage. "You all look like hell," he mused, crossing his arms. "Not the mighty Alphas everyone fears, are you?"
Xavier bared his teeth. "You won't live long enough to regret this."
Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "See, that's what I love about you guys. So predictable. So full of empty threats." He sighed, tilting his head. "But none of that matters. Because soon enough, I'll have everything I need."
A sharp chill ran down my spine. I forced my expression to stay neutral. "What the hell do you want, Lucas?"
He smirked. "Not much. Just a heart."
My blood turned to ice. He met my stare, his smirk widening. "Mia's, to be exact."
Xavier lunged against the bars, his chains rattling as he snarled. "You touch her, and I will rip you apart piece by piece."
Lucas didn't even flinch. "Oh, but that's the beauty of it, isn't it? You won't be around to stop me."
Rolex's eyes darkened. "What the hell do you need her heart for?"
Lucas exhaled, as if bored of our ignorance. "The White Wolf's heart is special. A source of power unlike any other. And me?" He tapped his chest. "Let's just say I have a… condition. One that requires a little extra strength to fix."
Everything clicked. That's why he had been hunting her. Why he pretended to be her family. Why he got close. He needed her to die.
My hands clenched into fists. "You won't get near her."
Lucas just grinned. "I already have."
Something inside me snapped.
I surged forward, my body screaming in protest, but the silver burned hotter, holding me back.
Lucas tsked. "You think you can protect her? You really think she's safe?" He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "She's already in my hands. She trusts me."
Liar.
I wanted to believe it wasn't true. That Mia was too smart for this. But the thought of her alone, with this monster, made my stomach churn.
Lucas straightened. "Now, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have preparations to make. Can't have the ritual going wrong, can we?"
Xavier's breathing turned ragged, fury rolling off him in waves. Rolex was eerily silent, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Lucas turned to leave-but then, something unexpected happened.
The dungeon door swung open again. Nathan walked in. But he wasn't fighting. He wasn't chained.
He walked in voluntarily. My entire body tensed. "What the hell?"Nathan met my eyes-but he didn't say a word.
Lucas smirked, and we felt like our last hope was also gone.. "Ah, and here comes the last piece of the puzzle."
Xavier cursed under his breath. "Nathan, don't-"
Before he could finish, Nathan collapsed.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
He dropped to the floor, unmoving.
"Nathan!" I shouted, but he didn't respond.
Lucas sighed, shaking his head. "So dramatic. Don't worry-he's not dead."
He gestured lazily toward his men. "Take him."
Two rogues stepped forward, dragging Nathan's limp body into our cage. Nathan lay motionless on the cold stone floor, his face pale, his body limp.
For the first time in my life, I felt completely powerless.
I had fought battles before. Stood against rival packs, rogues, and enemies who wanted us dead. I had taken beatings, dealt with wounds, bled on battlefields-but this? This was different.
We weren't just trapped.
We were being played.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought back the urge to scream.
Nathan, our hotheaded, reckless brother, had walked in here on his own. And now he was unconscious at our feet, while Lucas walked away like he had already won. My chest tightened. This wasn't like Nathan. He didn't surrender. He didn't fall.
And yet, here he was-lying still, looking like a corpse.