Chapter 198: Kaden's POV

"What do you mean?" Elara asked.

"When I was in that cave. For fifteen years. They didn't usually take people by force, that created too much noise, too much resistance. Instead, they lured them. Promised them things. Made them come willingly."

Kira's hands were shaking slightly. "Children are easy to lure. Promise them something they want. Someone they trust calling to them and they will open windows and walk right out."

"You think someone from inside the pack is involved?" I asked.

"Maybe or someone the children would recognize and trust. Someone who wouldn't seem dangerous."

Elara set down her soup. "We need to review everyone who had access to the pack house. Everyone who could have been near those rooms."

"That is hundreds of people," Damian pointed out. "Warriors. Staff. Visitors, allied pack members helping with rebuilding."

"Then we review hundreds of people. We don't have a choice."

Adrian started fussing. Hungry again. Elara shifted him to nurse, her mind clearly still on the missing children.

"I keep thinking about their parents," she said. "How they must feel, not knowing is probably worse than anything."

"It is," Kira said.

"Not knowing if someone you love is alive or dead. If they're suffering. If they're thinking about you. That uncertainty destroys you slowly."

"Is that how you felt?" Kara asked gently. "During your captivity?"

"Every day, I didn't know if Kaden was looking for me. If anyone was I didn't know if I would ever see home again if I would ever be free."

Kira's voice was distant and haunted. "The physical torture was bad. But the mental torture was worse. The hope that kept getting crushed, the dreams of rescue that never came."

Damian reached for her hand across the table. She let him take it.

"You are free now," he said. "You survived, you are here."

"I know but sometimes I still feel like I'm in that cave. Like this is all a dream and I will wake up back in the darkness."

"You won't, I promise, that is over forever."

They looked at each other. Something passed between them, something deeper than friendship.

Elara noticed too. She caught my eye and raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged slightly. If something was developing between Damian and Kira, that was their business. As long as they were both happy, I supported it.

"I should get back to searching for coordination," I said, finishing my food.

"Marcus will have updated reports by now."

"I will come with you," Elara said, carefully transferring a now-sleeping Adrian to Kara's arms.

"You should rest, you have been up all night-"

"So have you. And I'm not sitting here doing nothing while children are missing." Her tone left no room for argument.

We left Damian, Kira, and Kara with Adrian and headed back to the command center.

The search continued throughout the day. Teams scouring the forest. Others reviewing security footage. Some are interviewing pack members about anything suspicious they might have seen.

Still nothing.

By evening, we were exhausted and frustrated. Terrified that we were running out of time.

"We are missing something," I said, staring at maps of the territory.

"Some crucial piece of information. But I can't see it."

"Maybe we are looking too hard overthinking it."

Elara rubbed her temples. "Or maybe whoever did this is just better at hiding than we are at finding."

The thought was chilling that someone could be smart enough, skilled enough to outsmart our entire pack's defenses.

We returned to our quarters late. Adrian was already asleep. Kara had left but Damian and Kira were still there, sitting close on the couch, talking quietly.

They looked up when we entered.

"Any progress?" Damian asked.

"No. You?"

"I have been reviewing medical records. Looking for any injuries that might indicate someone fought back or tried to escape nothing yet."

"We should all get some sleep," Elara said. "Start fresh tomorrow."

"Good idea." Damian stood, then paused. "Kira, I will walk you to your room."

"I'm just down the hall. I can manage-”

"I know but I want to."

They left together, Damian's hand hovering protectively near Kira's back.

"They are getting close," Elara observed.

"I noticed. Is that okay? I mean, Damian was in love with you not that long ago."

"That was different that was him projecting what he wanted onto me. This with Kira this feels real equal healthy."

"Good, they both deserve happiness."

We checked on Adrian one more time, then collapsed into bed ourselves.

I held Elara close, both of us too tired to talk. Too worried to truly rest.