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Ninedayslater.

Mo paced the length of the kitchen, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. Nine days. Nine days since they'd taken Zack, and still no concrete leads on his location. He felt like he was losing his mind.

"Mo," Victor's voice was gentle but firm. "You need to rest."

"I can't," Mo said, not breaking his stride. "Every time I close my eyes, I see him in pain. I feel it, Victor."

Victor moved to intercept Mo's pacing, placing his hands on Mo's shoulders. "I feel it too."

The bond between them had intensified in Zack's absence, as if their bodies were trying to compensate for the missing piece. But instead of comfort, it only brought them shared anguish—flashes of Zack's pain, his fear, that hit them at random intervals throughout the day and night.

They'd all argued the merits of going to the humans on this, and brought in Christopher for advice. He was also losing his mind because his son was missing, but agreed if Daniel went higher up it could well be taken out of their hands, and they weren't a hundred percent certain it would even be authorized.

They heard Riley coming downstairs with Dr. Adams, a shifter pediatrician, so Mo immediately got coffee for them both.

"Good news," Riley reported as he entered the kitchen.

Mo’s head shot up. It was about time they had some.

“Possible good news,” Korbin Adams corrected, and accepted his coffee gratefully. “You all are aware that the biggest problem is that Jacob should be in a spinal unit, or a neurological one. I’m a pediatrician, but we currently have no shifters qualified as neurologists or neurosurgeons. Riley has done his best healing-wise, but the problem is Jacob has never shifted, nor can our mobile scans detect an injury.”

“So basically, we have no idea why Jacob is paralyzed below the waist,” Riley finished. “We know he’s a shifter, but Jacob himself has no memories of anything other than growing up with Pearson. He was told his mom left him.

“How old is he?”

“Seventeen,” Riley replied.

"And Noah?" Mo asked, knowing the boy had barely left with Alex standing guard.

"Processing," Riley sighed. "The guilt is eating him alive, even though none of this is his fault."

Victor's jaw tightened. "Pearson will pay for what he's done to those boys. And to Zack."

Mo leaned into Victor's solid warmth, drawing strength from his mate's certainty. "The bond feels...different today," he whispered. "Weaker somehow."

Victor stiffened almost imperceptibly. "He's fighting. Our mate is strong."

But they didn’t know what Pearson was doing to him.

"The lab results came back on the blood samples we found at the house," Daniel announced as he entered, tablet in hand. "They managed to isolate a compound that's unique to Pearson Pharmaceuticals' research division."

Victor's eyes sharpened. "So, we have proof it was Pearson."

"Yes, but that doesn't tell us where he's keeping Zack," Daniel replied grimly. "Pearson has facilities in six states and two countries."

"We've already searched his Seattle location," Raschid added, reaching for the coffee. "Nothing."

Mo felt the familiar wave of helplessness threatening to overwhelm him. "Then where? Where would he take him?"

"Somewhere secure, isolated," Victor bit out. "Somewhere he could conduct experiments without arousing suspicion."

Mo thought hard about everything they knew, his thoughts returning to Khloe. Was he destined to always lose his family? “What about Rigor? Has anyone heard from him?”

Daniel frowned. "Elkin's gone underground since the raid. We've had alerts out for him, but nothing so far."

Mo's mind raced, an idea forming that he knew Victor wouldn't like. "What if we draw him out? Use me as bait?"

"Absolutely not," Victor growled immediately, his eyes flashing alpha red.