Alpha's office was tense l

ping through documents with the cold composure that made most of the pack nervous around him. Even seated, Alpha

e," Ryker s

omment and shut th

y, glanced up from the dagger he had been spinning between his fingers. Unl

drawled, "you l

ent, his expression tensed in a

ught both the

d the documents do

r to speak at all. Then he finally said, "Darlah treate

d somehow that information

look before continuing. "She s

ent silent

the couch while Ryker's expressi

ible on his face. "I thought she was imagining th

heir full

owed dangerously.

e one Mo

expression disap

seconds, n

in his chair slowly, his gaze

ed honestly. "Tha

before c

like he still couldn't properly process it. "She lo

ed a quick gla

, she panicked and ran off. We searched the garden, b

tapped once ag

her name?" he

sitated

N

estion under his bre

nties, maybe. Hard to tell exactly.

tightened sli

t before asking the question that both

her s

sion darkened

t." He frowned. "I coul

blinked

voice lowered slightly, his brows pulling together in frustra

pau

cent is bein

pletely still

possibiliti

bly w

heir mother's bloodlin

al strength of their wolves. Even weaker descendants usually shifted early. T

h me

ly answer was

that possibil

ession harde

hen someone spent years making s

dangerous, and nearly impossible to maintain long-term without damag

d what she

spo

the possibili

. Because facial similarities could

e birt

ey

nge miss

toge

m believed in coi

ly across his chest. "I kn

t even begin

g the attack that killed their mother. They had searched fo

mbles mother?" Lucien

ed through

, I thought I wa

ly lost c

those familiar silver-gray eyes-eyes identical to the woman burie

slowly fro

fted the atmosphere in

er," he

ve already started

I want every discreet patrol route checked. If she

he memory resurfaced. The girl's terrifi

said the girl had looked like a trapped animal searching desperatel

owned f

y. "The second Darlah started askin

now. "She ran like she genuinely b

the territory with warriors searching for her, she'll notice immediately. She already doesn't trust

his t

never fin

led him more than

the image of those familiar silver-gray eyes refusin

r a long moment befo

do you

y. "Use trusted patrols, keep the searches discreet