Chapter 163
Cole
Asher's hand moved to his phone, texting the gate guards. "Time to get answers."
I followed him toward the study's entrance, my mint scent sharpening with anticipation. Through the bond, I felt Blake's barely leashed violence, Asher's cold calculation, and my own desperate need to do something—anything—that might bring Kara home.
The sound of an engine grew louder outside, then cut off. Car doors slammed.
"Cole," Asher said, his hand on the door handle. "When this goes bad—and it will—stay focused. We need information, not catharsis."
"I know." But my hands were already curling into fists, claws threatening to emerge. "But if they knew something and didn't tell us—"
"Then we make them regret it." Asher's smile was nothing human. "Together."
The front door opened with a gust of arctic wind. Blake strode in first, his gunpowder and leather scent preceding him like a declaration of war. Behind him came Dmitri Morozov.
I'd never seen him before—Mother had made sure of that—but I recognized him instantly. The silver-white hair, the hard-worn face that carried too many years of violence and loss, the way he held himself like a soldier. And his scent: aged wolf, vodka, and something else. Something that made my wolf sit up.
Grandfather, my wolf whispered. Kara's blood.
"Dmitri." Asher stepped forward, Alpha authority filling the foyer. "Thank you for coming."
The old wolf's eyes—Kara's eyes, I realized with a jolt—swept across us with a warrior's assessment. Then, to my shock, he dropped to one knee, head bowed.
"Alpha Asher Sterling," Dmitri said, his Russian accent thick with emotion. "Thank you for allowing me into your territory. I know I have no right to ask for your hospitality, but—"
"Get up." Asher's voice was firm but not unkind. He stepped forward, offering his hand. "You're Kara's grandfather. In this house, you kneel to no one—except her."
Dmitri's hand trembled as he took Asher's, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. His eyes glistened with tears he refused to shed. "You... you honor her."
"We love her," Blake said flatly. "Which is why you're here. You have information we need."
"And you'll get it." Dmitri's gaze moved between us. "All of it. Every secret the Eclipse Court tried to bury. But first—" His jaw tightened. "—I need to speak with Victoria Sterling. There are truths she's hidden for too long."
Oh, this is going to be spectacular, Blake sent through the link, dark satisfaction coloring his thoughts.
Focus, Asher reminded us both. We're here for Kara, not revenge.
Why not both? I suggested, earning a mental eye-roll from Asher and a dark chuckle from Blake.
Asher led us deeper into the estate. Dmitri followed, his eyes taking in the wealth and power displayed in every architectural detail. I wondered what he was thinking—if he resented the luxury Kara had been surrounded by while being treated like a servant.
We reached the study. Asher moved to the center of the room, and I felt the shift in his presence as he prepared to do something we'd never done before: use the full weight of our combined Alpha authority to summon our parents like subjects rather than elders.
"Ready?" he asked silently.
Blake's grin was all teeth. Born ready.
Let's get this over with, I added, though my stomach churned.
Asher took a deep breath. His black ebony and tobacco scent flooded the room, dropping the temperature by several degrees. Blake moved to his left, releasing his gunpowder and leather. I stepped to his right, my mint and ozone joining the mix until the three of us formed a perfect triad of Alpha power.
Dmitri stumbled back against the wall, eyes wide. "God in heaven... you three together, you're—"
"Kara's," Asher finished. "The only one who can handle all three of us. Now watch."
He closed his eyes, gathering power. When he spoke, his voice carried the Alpha Command—the irresistible compulsion that could force submission from any wolf in our pack. But this was more than that. This was the voice of three Alphas combined, channeled through one throat, amplified by our bond until it became something that could shake the foundations of the earth.
"Marcus Sterling. Victoria Sterling. Come to the main study. NOW. This is not a request."
The words crashed through the estate like a physical force. I heard glass crack somewhere in the kitchen. The fire in the hearth guttered and nearly died. Every wolf in the building would be feeling the pressure of that command, the overwhelming urge to submit and obey.
Dmitri had gone pale, one hand braced against the wall. "That was... I've never felt anything like that."
"That's what it takes to keep our mate safe," Blake said. "That's what we're willing to do."
Footsteps thundered on the stairs above us. Voices—Mother's sharp with alarm, Father's deep with anger—filtered down. They were coming, whether they wanted to or not. The Alpha Command left them no choice.
Here we go, I sent to my brothers. No turning back now.
Good, Blake replied. I'm tired of secrets.
Asher said nothing, but through the bond I felt his cold determination, his absolute focus on one goal: extract every piece of information that might lead us to Kara, no matter what it cost our family.
The study door burst open.
Marcus entered first, hastily dressed in dark slacks and an unbuttoned shirt. His oak and leather scent carried an edge of barely controlled fury—no one summoned an Alpha like a subordinate. But beneath the anger, I caught something else: fear. He'd felt the weight of our combined authority and knew the power dynamic in our family had permanently shifted.
"Asher, what is the meaning of—" He stopped dead, eyes locking on Dmitri Morozov.
Behind him, Victoria Sterling froze in the doorway. She wore a silk robe over her nightgown, her long dark hair disheveled, her lily and cedar scent sharp with shock. But it was her face that held my attention—the way all color drained from it as she stared at the old wolf in our study, the way her hand clutched the doorframe like she might collapse.
"No," she whispered. "You can't be here. You're not supposed to be here."
Dmitri's smile was bitter and cold. "Surprise, Victoria. Miss me?"