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“The political implications alone,” Lord Harold Kingston murmured.

“Forget politics,” Lady Helena interrupted, her crystal tablet practically smoking as she recorded data. “The magical resonance of such a bond… Alan, are you getting these readings?”

Alan, who looked like he might faint from the historical significance of the moment, nodded vigorously.

“But this is wonderful news!” Lady Lucia clapped her hands together. “A fated one with three powerful protectors—Dark Haven and Silver Crown wouldn’t dare?—”

“Unless they see it as an even greater threat,” Lord Johnathan cut in, his expression grave. “Three alphas bound to one fated one… some might view such power as too dangerous to allow.”

The brothers stiffened at the implied threat, their wolves surging forward protectively. The temperature in the chamber dropped several degrees as Zane’s celestial ice responded to his anger, while storm clouds gathered in Ryker’s eyes and golden light flickered around Archer’s form.

Suddenly, the chamber doors burst open with enough force to crack the ancient wood. Several elders bristled at theinterruption, their power flaring in instinctive response. Lady Victoria’s celestial light dimmed with disapproval, while Lord Thanatos’s shadows writhed in annoyance.

But Owen Whitlock, head of clan security and one of the most disciplined wolves in New Vale, ignored the council’s reaction completely. His face was ashen, his usual military bearing shattered as he gasped out two words that turned the room’s irritation to ice: “Luca’s taken.”

The temperature in the room plummeted. Frost crackled across the marble floor from where Zane stood. Lightning sparked around Ryker’s clenched fists. The shadows behind Archer writhed with golden fire.

“What?” The word came out as more growl than speech from all three brothers.

“Security footage shows Percy Hutton taking him during the hospital evacuation,” Owen reported rapidly. “They’re using a stolen transport in the UTS, heading south.”

“South?” Lord Richard’s face darkened with understanding. “He’s running to Dark Haven.”

“I’ve already alerted the elite guard units,” Owen continued. “But they’re moving fast through the transit system.”

“The council authorizes immediate deployment of all border security forces,” Lady Wei announced. “Lord Johnathan?”

The Whitlock Elder nodded grimly. “Council is adjourned. Owen, coordinate with the border units. We cannot let them cross into Dark Haven territory.”

The chamber erupted into controlled chaos. Lady Victoria’s celestial light flared as she began issuing orders, while Lady Wei’s dragon magic crackled through emergency communication crystals. “All border patrols on high alert. If Dark Haven’s hunters are involved?—”

“They must be,” Lord Johnathan’s voice cut through the chaos. “Percy wouldn’t risk this without backup.”

“Get the emergency vehicles ready!” Lady Wei shot orders to the waiting elite guards. “All units to their positions!”

“How dare they.” Lord Thanatos’ shadows writhed with cold fury. “Stealing a fated one from New Vale itself?”

“Alpha teams in position,” Lord Johnathan commanded as guards rushed to their vehicles. “No one crosses that barrier without council authorization!”

Lady Victoria’s celestial light flared as she strode toward the waiting transport. “Let’s remind Dark Haven why they don’t touch what belongs to New Vale.”

Zane could barely hear them over his wolf’s howling rage. Luca. Their Luca. Their possibly fated mate, taken while they sat here discussing prophecies and bonds.

“The Emergency Transit System,” Sebastian said sharply. “It’s our only chance to intercept them before the border.”

The brothers exchanged glances, their pack bond thrumming with shared fury and fear. Without another word, they turned and ran.

The journey to the ETS station passed in a blur of crystalline corridors and startled faces. They emerged into a vast underground chamber that hummed with ancient power. Massive archways lined the walls, each leading to a different territory. Council forces poured in from multiple entrances, their movements precise and practiced.

“Gates charging,” a controller announced as power surged through the station’s crystal matrix. “Emergency protocols engaged. All nonessential transport suspended.”

But the brothers were already shifting. Bones cracked and reformed as fur rippled over skin. Where three men had stood, three massive wolves now crouched—Zane’s silver-white form wreathed in celestial frost, Ryker’s dark-blond fur crackling with storm energy, and Archer’s golden coat shimmering with solar light.

They didn’t wait for the council forces. As soon as the nearest gate pulsed with activation energy, they charged into the tunnel.

The ETS was unlike anything else in New Vale. Not just a transport system, but a network of space-bending passages that could cross kilometers in seconds. Ancient magic twisted reality around them as they ran, their enhanced bodies pushing the system’s limits.

Every kilometer, the tunnel’s crystal nodes flashed, teleporting them forward in massive leaps. The sensation would have been disorienting if not for their wolves’ primal focus on one goal: Luca.