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Zack returned inside to find Mo pacing the living room, his anxiety palpable. Noah and Alex sat quietly on the couch, Noah's expression tense, while Alex maintained a protective presence beside him.

"They'll be okay," Zack assured them, though he couldn't quite shake his own unease. "Daniel knows what he's doing."

Mo nodded absently, continuing to pace. "I know. I just... I can't help feeling like we're missing something."

"Like what?" Zack asked, guiding Mo to sit down.

"I don't know. It just seems too... convenient. Pearson leaving town right when we discover Jacob's location."

Zack had been thinking the same thing. "Daniel and Victor are aware it might be a trap. They're prepared."

An hour crawled by with excruciating slowness. Alex eventually took Noah upstairs to try to get some sleep, though Zack doubted either of them would manage it. Mo refused to rest, instead sitting by the window. “Zack?” Mo said slowly, standing up. “What’s that?” Zack peered out of the window toward the town. He could see the red glow in the distance.

“Shit,” he spat. His phone rang. It was Raschid.

“Zack, I’m having to pull some of my wolves. The school has a concert this evening for their senior class and according to what I’m being told, some idiotic disgruntled kids set three classrooms on fire, and there’s some people trapped. The local fire department is already responding to a multi-vehicle pile-up on the interstate.”

“Go,” snapped Zack, “we’ll be fine.”

“I’ve still got a dozen wolves there. No one will get through,” Raschid assured him, then rang off.

“What is it?” Alex and Noah appeared, and Zack told them.

"They should have called by now," Mo said, his voice tight with worry as he glanced at the clock. It had been well over an hour since the team left.

Zack moved to stand behind him, placing his hands on Mo's shoulders and massaging gently. "These things take time. They need to be careful."

Mo leaned back into Zack's touch, some of the tension leaving his body. "I know. I just—"

Zack went still, his bear's senses immediately on alert which silenced Mo immediately. There was a faint sound coming from outside—not from the direction of the driveway, but from the back of the property. "Stay here," he said quietly, moving toward the back door.

“Zack—"

"Just stay put. I'll check it out." But before Zack could move, every light went out.

Alex's low growl filled the darkened room. "Someone cut the power."

"Get upstairs," Zack ordered, immediately moving toward Mo. The security system would have a backup generator, but it would take precious seconds to kick in. Seconds they might not have.

"No," Alex said firmly. "I'm staying. Noah, go to my room and lock the door."

Noah hesitated, his eyes wide with fear in the dim emergency lighting that had automatically activated. "But—"

"Go," Alex insisted, his voice carrying the unmistakable command of an alpha. "I'll come for you when it's safe."

As Noah reluctantly headed upstairs, Zack pulled Mo close, positioning himself between his mate and the potential threat. His bear was restless beneath his skin, sensing danger.

"It's a diversion," Mo whispered. "The fire in town, the power—they wanted to draw everyone away."

“And where’s Raschid’s wolves?” Alex snapped, but Zack didn’t have time to answer. The sound of glass shattering came from multiple directions at once. Zack shoved Mo behind him and lunged toward Alex.

"Down!" he shouted as the first canister burst through the window, spewing a thick cloud of gas that immediately burned Zack's eyes and throat.

Zack's bear roared inside him, desperate to protect, but he fought the shift. If they were being attacked by humans who knew about shifters, shifting would only make him a bigger target.

Mo started coughing violently behind him. Zack turned, wrapping an arm around Mo's waist as his mate's knees buckled.

"Alex," Zack rasped through the thickening smoke. "Get to Noah!"