Third Person's POV The man snatched the bills from Kade's hand before speaking. "Five years ago? A homeless man? Who would care about that? But most of the street people around here come from the industrial compounds nearby. If he didn't die back then, chances are they pulled him back in. But it's been five years… if he survived back then, he probably didn't make it now." Freya's chest tightened. Her mind immediately went to the compounds, the so-called "industries" tucked behind high walls and security gates. She knew too well what happened inside. These places weren't lawful-they were breeding grounds for crimes that ordinary people couldn't imagine. The thought of Eric having been dragged into one of these compounds, subjected to whatever horrors they inflicted, made her stomach twist with anger and fear. Could it be true? Had her brother truly escaped from one of these compounds, and was his weakened state a result of torture endured there? The thought clawed at her, gnawing on every instinct in her wolfish heart. They questioned several more locals, but the answers were similar-fragments of rumor, pieces of history like splintered bone. Each story hinted at a truth too cruel to name. On the drive back to their hotel, Freya kept her eyes on the city lights streaking past. "I need to figure out a way to get into one of the compounds, see if I can learn anything," she said quietly. "Too dangerous!" Kade snapped, voice low and edged with frustration. "This isn't home. Those compounds? They operate beyond the law. You can't just walk in there like it's a street market." Freya considered it, jaw tight, mind racing. "Then we'll go to the casinos. Most of them are run by people tied to the compounds. Their staff are often connected-if anyone knows anything, it'll be there." Kade relaxed slightly, though the tension in his shoulders didn't ease entirely. "Alright. Tomorrow, we'll go." Freya hesitated. "I… my money hasn't fully transferred yet. Some of it is still back in The Capital. Might not arrive tomorrow." Kade smiled, wolfish and confident. "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it. Tonight, get some rest. Tomorrow, the casino will take every ounce of energy you've got." She nodded, watching him, the weight of everything pressing down on her. "Feels like I owe you more and more every day." "Talk about owing," Kade said, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "If we're keeping score, I owe you more. Remember when we were in the field, the snowstorm? You carried me to the field hospital. If you hadn't, my fever would've fried my brain. I wouldn't have come out the other side sane."From that day, Kade had opened his heart to her, piece by piece, letting her in, letting her see the wolf beneath the human mask. Now, every instinct in him was alert, determined not to miss this chance. Not again. They returned to the hotel and dined quickly in the restaurant, the air thick with anticipation and unspoken tension. Once back in their rooms, Freya paused, turning to Kade. "Come to my room first. I have something to discuss." Kade inclined his head, following her silently, a predator moving with cautious grace. Meanwhile, in the hotel's security room, Silas Whitmor sat on a black leather sofa, eyes fixed on the screens. The grainy footage of the hotel corridor displayed Freya and Kade walking side by side. When they entered Freya's room together, Silas' fingers curled, tightening on the armrests of his chair. "Alpha, Kade and Miss Thorne have separate rooms. Maybe they just need to talk. Kade should be out soon," Wren, his secretary, offered nervously. "Is that so?" Silas murmured, eyes narrowing into sharp slits. The screens reflected the dim light of the corridor, but his mind raced. If Kade didn't leave tonight… if Freya and Kade-his thoughts were abruptly cut off by a surge of icy rage. Time stretched in the surveillance room, every second weighing like stones in Silas' chest. The air grew taut, oppressive, as Wren watched his jaw tighten, the predatory gleam in his eyes sharpening into obsession. After more than an hour, Kade finally emerged from the room. The footage showed him bending slightly, as if speaking into the room, while a hand lifted to rest against his neck. The camera couldn't see inside, only Kade's upper body framed in the doorway. But the position was intimate-too intimate. Wren's eyes widened. Miss Thorne… and if this was true, Silas' reaction would be catastrophic. The tension in the room was palpable, a storm coiled and ready to strike. Later, back in the safety of her room, Freya inspected Kade's neck, noting the redness that marred his skin. "It's probably a mosquito bite," she said, handing him a soothing balm. "Put this on, it'll calm it down. This time of year, the mosquitoes here are vicious." "Thanks," Kade said, rubbing at the irritation briefly. "You rest early tonight." "You too," Freya replied softly. She closed the door behind him and moved to the bathroom, the reflection in the mirror showing a wolfish focus, determination flashing in her amber eyes. Tomorrow they would probe the casino, following the faint scent trail her instincts told her to pursue. If luck didn't reveal anything, her next step would be to access the casino's networks, and perhaps even breach the compounds' systems. Every ounce of her pack instincts was focused, every thought sharpened to a blade of purpose.As she began her nightly routine, the sudden chime of the room doorbell startled her. Her ears pricked; every muscle in her body tensed. Kade, perhaps, had forgotten something-or perhaps, fate was testing her instincts once again. Either way, Freya's wolf senses screamed vigilance. She approached the door slowly, the shadows of the room stretching across the floor like the teeth of predators waiting to strike.