"Stop!" Elliott shouted. The gunfire ended instantly. The black energy forming in Darius' palm slowly pulled back, sinking into his skin. His brown eyes returned to normal. "Drop your weapon, or Darius dies right now." Elliott threatened coldly, his ice-blue eyes locked on Thora. "Remember—he's in my hands, and he can't fight back." He hadn't expected Thora to attack directly on the ship. Anyone rescuing a hostage would protect the hostage first. Who would act as recklessly as she did? That wasn't a rescue. It was more like a full-on smash-and-break. Thora's goal was simple—find Darius and take him home safely.She dared to act because she believed she could control the entire situation. But the man in front of her was also Alpha-level. From Carl's tone, he was the Blackwoods' sworn enemy. If he snapped and actually hurt Darius, it would be a terrible trade. Worse, she still hadn't seen Darius and had no idea what condition he was in. So she cooperated and slowly raised the hand holding the weapon. Her fingers relaxed. The pistol hit the deck with a sharp clatter. The moment she disarmed, armed men rushed in. Guns surrounded her from every direction. Seeing her restrained and unarmed, Elliott's caution faded. His eyes took on the cold look of a hunter who had already caught his prey. He flicked his hand. Men stepped in and tied Thora up.She didn't fight it. Instead, she subtly twisted her wrist, loosening the rope just a tiny bit. She let them bind her tightly, never once looking away from Elliott. Elliott walked closer. When their eyes met, the air felt charged. Thora stared at him like twin blades aimed straight at his throat. "What's your name?" he asked deeply. Thora looked him over and curled her lips slightly. "You're not worth knowing." Elliott's expression darkened. He shot a glance to the side. Without warning, a man stepped forward and jabbed a syringe of clear liquid into Thora's neck. She let out a muffled groan. After the sharp sting, numbness spread through her body. Her muscles twitched, then she collapsed. But her eyes stayed sharp and steady, without a trace of panic."Take her away," Elliott ordered coldly. "Yes, sir!" His men dragged Thora off. Elliott turned toward the white sports car, then to the shrinking harbor. His voice was icy. "Tighten security. If anyone tries to board, shoot on sight." "Yes, sir!" the group replied together, gripping their guns with serious faces. Thora was hauled deep into the ship and roughly tossed into a holding cell. The iron door crashed shut behind her with a loud bang and locked tight. Footsteps echoed outside. Two guards stayed behind, both armed with heavy weapons. "That's a nerve anesthetic made for werewolves—the same high-strength one they used on Darius!" Amie's worried voice rang through the mind-link. "Thora! Let me take over. I can help clear the drug!" "No need," Thora replied. "I have to find Darius first. When it's time to get him out, I'll still need your power."This anesthetic would kill normal werewolves or knock them out cold. Even so, Thora could still barely twitch her fingers. With this body's unique build, she knew it would take about two hours to break down the drug and move again. Judging from Elliott's attitude, Darius didn't seem to be in immediate danger. The real crisis lay with the ship itself. It wasn't just the armed men. Once the ship crossed out of these waters, it would be beyond Astralis' control. At that point, the Hawthornes could openly carry legal weapons, and even the Astralis Army wouldn't be able to step in. Saving Darius would get much harder. So she had to stop the ship before it left these waters. The cruise ship was moving at around 28 mph. Based on its route, it had less than three hours before it fully exited the area.