The three of them stepped farther into the warehouse.
The voices grew louder.
Raquelle moved carefully through the darkness.
Her senses were heightened as she tried to determine where exactly they were.
“Children are crying,” Jake whispered, his voice low.
“I hear them,” Dominic replied.
Raquelle raised a finger to her lips.
They continued forward.
Then suddenly— CRACK!
The floorboards gave way.
Jake disappeared.
“Jake!” Raquelle didn’t think twice.
She lunged forward.
Her hand caught his arm just as she was pulled down into the void with him.
Dominic froze.
For one terrifying second, he stood at the edge of the jagged opening, staring down into the pitch black.
“Alpha!” “We’re fine!” Raquelle shouted from below.
Raquelle and Jake pushed themselves upright, shaking dust from their shoulders.
Raquelle looked around.
They weren’t in the warehouse anymore.
They had fallen into a hidden bunker beneath it.
And the voices were much louder.
Children.
So many children.
Raquelle slowly turned toward Jake.
“Do you hear that?” He nodded, his ears twitching.
She pointed toward a narrow passage.
“That way.” They moved carefully down the corridor.
Raquelle reached the corner first.
She peeked around the stone edge.
Her eyes went completely wide.
The children.
All twenty of them.
Some were crying.
Some were whimpering.
Some were calling out for their parents.
A few had fallen asleep against the damp walls.
But thankfully, they didn’t appear injured or starved.
And among them sat a woman holding a crying toddler, gently trying to calm the child down.
Raquelle stepped around the corner, her presence filling the room.
“What is going on here?!” Her raw roar echoed throughout the basement.
Every single child went dead silent.
The woman looked up.
Her face drained of all color.
She nearly dropped the toddler in shock.
Raquelle’s eyes narrowed into slits.
The woman immediately reached for her mind-link to signal an alarm.
“Don’t you dare,” Raquelle’s Alpha voice thundered, using the Alpha command.
The woman froze, her hand trembling.
Jake immediately mind-linked Dominic up top.
*Get down here.
Tell eight guards to bring a transport van.* *Why?
What did you find?* *We found them.
All twenty.* Dominic’s eyes widened in the dark warehouse.
*The children?* *Every single one.
Move.* Dominic immediately turned and ran toward the perimeter.
Raquelle walked toward the terrified woman.
She carefully took the toddler from her arms and placed the child gently beside the others.
Then, she grabbed the woman’s hair and dragged her toward the opening where they had fallen.
“Why are you doing this?” The woman burst into frantic tears.
“I’m sorry, Alpha!” “Answer me!” “My mate forced me to do this!
I couldn’t say no to him!” Raquelle slapped her across the face.
The woman stumbled against the wall.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to this pack?” “Yes, Alpha,” she sobbed, clutching her cheek.
“I know.
I’m sorry.
I know those families have been suffering because of me.” Raquelle stared at her coldly.
“Get up.” The woman slowly stood.
“We’re taking these children home right now.” Raquelle pointed toward the exit passage.
“I’ll deal with you and your mate afterward.” Thirty minutes later, the transport van was filled with the children.
For the first time in days, their cries turned into excited chatter.
They were finally going home.
Raquelle watched as the last child climbed inside safely.
The van drove off.Then she turned toward the woman.
“Get in.” The woman obeyed immediately, keeping her head down.
Raquelle entered the SUV right after her and sat in the back seat.
Dominic took the driver’s seat while Jake sat beside him in the front.
Raquelle turned her gaze toward the woman.
“What’s your name?” The woman hesitated, shivering.
“Speak.” “Veronica…
Veronica Adams.” Raquelle went completely still in the shadows of the vehicle.
Then she laughed.
It was a cold, humorless laugh that made the windows vibrate.
“I should have known,” Raquelle whispered.
Veronica lowered her eyes, refusing to make contact.
“From the moment that threat letter reached my desk…” Raquelle’s eyes hardened into pure gold.
“How else could Delta Adams have received information from my enemy if he wasn’t directly involved with them?” She leaned closer into Veronica’s space.
“Tell me.
What exactly were you doing with those children?” “I was taking care of them,” Veronica pleaded.
“Taking care of them?” Raquelle smiled, though the expression was terrifying.
“How incredibly kind of you.” Veronica looked confused by the change in tone.
“I shall reward you greatly for your service,” Raquelle’s smile widened, devoid of any warmth.
“You, your mate…” She paused, letting the silence hang.
“…and your daughter Chloe.” Veronica’s face immediately fell into total panic.
Raquelle noticed the shift instantly.
“But first, you’re going to do something for me.” *** PRESENT Delta Adams stood frozen in his room.
His heart was pounding so loudly he was certain everyone could hear it.
Raquelle held his wrist in a vice grip.
“You betrayed my pack, Adams?” He tried to step backward, but her power anchored him.
Raquelle stepped forward into his face.
Adams tried to glance over his shoulder toward Chloe.
Raquelle chuckled darkly.
“Don’t bother looking at her.” She tilted her head.
“There are elite guards stationed right outside that door.
Your daughter won’t make it three steps out of this hallway.” Adams swallowed hard.
The room felt entirely airless.
How had she discovered everything so fast?
Then his eyes widened in horror.
Veronica.
Had they captured Veronica?
Had his mate confessed to the Alpha?
“Alpha, please…
it’s not what you think.” Raquelle released his wrist with a disgust.
“Then tell me exactly what happened.” “I am innocent,” Adams lied, his voice shaking.
“I did nothing against the pack.” Raquelle didn’t argue.
She simply raised her hand and slapped him.
SMACK!
The force snapped his head sideways.
Before he could recover, she slapped him again.
And again.
Adams fell heavily to the hardwood floor, clutching his bleeding mouth in agony.
“Guards!” Raquelle barked.
The bedroom door opened immediately.
“Yes, Alpha!” Four large warriors entered, their eyes widening when they saw their high-ranking Delta bleeding on the floor.
Raquelle pointed a finger down at him.
“Take this piece of filth to the lowest dungeon cell.” “Yes, Alpha.” The guards grabbed Adams by his arms.
He didn’t resist.
He couldn’t even bring himself to look them in the eye.
As they dragged him out into the hallway, pure shame consumed his face.
The door shut again, leaving only Raquelle, Jake, and Chloe in the room.
Jake stepped forward, looking at the trembling teenager.
“Alpha.” Raquelle turned.
He pointed toward Chloe, who was backing into the corner.
“What about her?” Raquelle looked at the eighteen-year-old girl.
A slow, dark smile appeared on her face.
“I know exactly what to do with her.”