Third Person's POV Freya shook her head against him, her voice muffled. "It wasn't like that. I went to the military compound today… I managed to recover the drone my brother Eric used before he disappeared. There were files left on the SD storage. Video. His voice." Silas's body went rigid. His arms tightened around her as if he could shield her from the ache of memory. "And?" he pressed, his tone low, dangerous. "Was there a clue?" Her eyes dimmed, shadowed with grief. "It confirmed what the generals suspect. Eric's disappearance is tied to the great border fire. The Iron Fang Recon Unit never returned. The officials lean toward declaring him fallen…" Her voice cracked. "No." Silas's growl thundered through the room, his eyes flashing. "Your brother is not dead." Silas's jaw clenched, his wolf aura bristling. "I believe in him. He's your brother, Freya. A wolf like that doesn't vanish into ashes. He's alive. Somewhere out there, he's fighting to return." The words struck deep. A fragile spark flickered to life in Freya's chest. She wanted to believe. Needed to believe. "Yes… he has to be alive," she whispered. Silas's lips pressed thin, his expression shifting. "I had my people investigate Aurora and the co-pilot, James. What I uncovered…" He reached for the documents he had set down earlier and handed them to her. "I think you should see this." Freya's fingers tightened around the papers. Silas's voice lowered as he explained. "Five years ago, Aurora smoked. Not heavily, but enough-especially during missions or when stress pressed her. She was seen at gatherings, sometimes outside a bar in Deepmoor City, cigarette in hand. But after the border fire, she stopped. Completely. Not one wolf has seen her touch a cigarette since." Freya's brows furrowed as she scanned the notes. The implications settled over her like frost. Silas went on, his tone sharp. "The mission Aurora flew was no small thing. The Bluemoon Airborne Wing was ordered to reach the border and pull trapped civilians back into pack lands. The chaos at the frontier made it dangerous-wolves died on those runs. Witnesses in Deepmoor said she was trembling, caught in the pressure. That's when they saw her smoking, before she boarded the flight with James." Each detail wove into a larger net, drawing lines toward Aurora. Freya lowered her gaze to the evidence, her heartbeat quickening. "I need to repair one of the corrupted videos from Eric's drone," she said quietly. "Silas, the Whitmor family vault has advanced tech. Precision computers. Restoration hardware. Let me use them.""Freya." Silas's hand cupped her face, thumb brushing across her cheek. His eyes burned into hers, an Alpha's vow behind them. "Anything that's mine is yours. You never have to ask." Her chest tightened. Warmth filled her, pushing back the shadows. "Thank you," she murmured. He leaned closer, voice dropping into a near-growl. "Don't thank me. You don't owe me gratitude. Only trust." His wolf surged beneath the words, desperate that she would stay, that she would not slip through his fingers. Across the city, in a dim bar on the edges of Deepmoor, Kade Blackridge lounged lazily at a corner table. A half-finished glass of liquor rested before him, though his golden eyes gleamed sharper than the blades strapped beneath his jacket. At the next table, a man laughed too loud, a woman curled on his lap like a cat in heat. The man was Lee-a detective with greedy eyes and a rotting soul. Aurora's misfortune had placed him in her path, and he had leeched off it ever since. The woman tipped her glass, coaxing another laugh from him. "Lee, you're generous tonight. Celebrating something?" Lee puffed his chest, drunk and smug. "Something good, that's what. I've hit the jackpot. Soon, I'll be rich. Maybe I'll let you enjoy the spoils if you behave." She giggled, pressing herself closer. "Oh? Tell me, Lee. What's the secret? What's got you so pleased?" The alcohol loosened his tongue. "Hah! Someone hired me to dig into a case. But I found something better. There's a wolf bitch out there-pretending to be a savior she's not. Claimed she pulled a wolf from death when she didn't. When I cornered her, she panicked. Paid me off to keep my mouth shut. Easy money." Lee grinned, pleased with himself, never noticing the predator watching from the shadows. Kade had heard enough. He rose, pushing back his chair with deliberate slowness. His gaze swept the room like a blade unsheathed. He slipped out of the bar, his senses alert. Moments later, the woman on Lee's lap excused herself, heels clicking down the corridor. She caught up with Kade as they crossed paths. Her voice dropped to a whisper, careful not to be heard. "Kade… I did what you asked. You owe me." He didn't look at her, his voice a cool slice of steel. "You'll get what I promised. Count on it." She smirked and vanished into the night. Later, in a quiet meeting room, Lana frowned as Kade relayed what he'd overheard."So, Lee threatened Aurora. And the woman he spoke of-the one pretending to be the rescuer-he meant Aurora too?" Kade's expression was unreadable. "That's what it sounded like."