chapter 20

Zeke's POV

The call came at six in the morning. I'd barely slept after leaving Cecelia's room. Marcus's name flashed on my phone screen and I answered before the second ring.

"We found something," he said without preamble. "You need to come down to the security office now."

I was dressed and out the door in three minutes. The palace halls were still quiet, only a few early staff moving about their duties. I

took the stairs down to the lower level where we'd set up our command center for the investigation.

Marcus waited with two of my best trackers, Finn and Sarah. They huddled around a laptop, their faces lit by the screen's glow. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut.

"Show me," I said.

Finn pulled up a grainy video. "This is from a gas station on the outskirts of Seacreek. The owner finally checked his security footage

after we canvassed the area yesterday. Watch the timestamp."

The video showed a black SUV pulling up to a pump. The quality wasn't great but I could make out the general shape and size. It was an expensive, new model. The kind of

vehicle you didn't see often in a small fishing village like Seacreek.

"This was taken at four thirty in the afternoon," Sarah said. "Right around when Fatima said Cecelia left the house to run errands. The timing matches."

"The plates?" I asked.

"None," Marcus said grimly. "Front and back both removed. But here's where it gets interesting."

He pulled up another video, this one clearer. A traffic camera from the next territory over. The same black SUV, caught at an intersection twenty miles from Seacreek.

"This was taken an hour after the gas station footage," Finn explained. "The vehicle was heading northeast, toward our border."

My blood ran cold. "Someone from my territory."

"We can't confirm that yet," Marcus cautioned. "But the make and model is a limited edition Range Rover. Only about fifty of them in the entire region and most are owned by Alpha

families or high ranking pack members. We're pulling the registration list now."

I leaned closer to the screen, studying every detail I could make out. The tinted windows made it impossible to see inside. The missing plates suggested planning, forethought.

This wasn't some random opportunistic grab. Whoever took Golden had been

watching, waiting for the right moment.

"I want every Range Rover owner in our territory

questioned," I said. "I don't care who they are or what rank they hold. If they own this model, I want to know where they were that day and I want proof."

"Already on it," Sarah said. "We've got teams heading out within the hour."

"What about the driver?" I asked. "Did any of the cameras

catch a face?"

Marcus shook his head. "Nothing

clear. The gas station footage shows someone tall getting out to pump gas but they kept their head down and wore a

baseball cap. Smart. They knew where the cameras were."

I watched the video loop again and again, searching for anything we might have missed. A sticker on the bumper, a

dent in the door, anything that might help narrow down which specific vehicle this was.

"Send all of this to my phone," I said. "And get me that registration list as soon as you have it."

"There's one more thing," Finn said hesitantly. "The gas station owner mentioned seeing the SUV the day before too.

Same vehicle, same lack of plates. It was parked across the street for about an hour just watching the town."

"Surveillance," I said flatly. "They were watching Cecelia's house. Learning her patterns."

"That's what we think," Marcus agreed. "This was planned well in advance."

I felt sick. Someone had been watching my son, studying him,

waiting for the perfect opportunity to take him. And we'd had no idea. No warning. No chance to protect him.

"I need to tell Cecelia," I said. "She deserves to know we're making progress."

"Want me to come with you?" Marcus offered.

"No. Stay here and coordinate the interviews. I want reports on every Range Rover owner by noon."

I left the security office and headed back upstairs. The palace was waking up now, servants moving

through halls with breakfast trays and fresh linens. I nodded to them absently, my mind already planning how to present

this information to Cecelia.

She would want to be involved. I knew her well enough to predict that. And she had every right to be. Golden was her son. She'd been the one raising him, protecting him, loving

him for three years while I'd been an idiot nursing my wounds and pretending I didn't care.

But the thought of putting her in potential danger made my wolf snarl. The bond between us had

grown stronger overnight. I could feel it even now, a steady hum at the back of my consciousness.

I knocked on her door quietly. No answer. I knocked again, louder this time.

"Come in," her voice called, muffled.

She was in the bathroom when I entered, the door cracked open. I heard water running. Smelled the soap she used,

something with lavender in it. The scent took me back to mornings years ago when we'd shared a bathroom and she'd leave traces of herself everywhere.

"It's me," I called out. "We found something. A lead on Golden."

The water shut off immediately. Cecelia appeared in the doorway still in her pajamas, her hair damp, her face bare of makeup. She looked young and vulnerable and so beautiful

it hurt to look at her.

"What did you find?"

she demanded.

I told her everything. The gas station footage, the Range Rover, the surveillance from the day before. She listened without interrupting but I watched her

hands clench into fists at her sides.

"Show me," she said when I finished.

"I can send you the files."

"No. I want to see everything. All the footage, all the evidence. I want to help review it."

"Cecelia, I have teams working on this. Trained investigators who know what to look for."

"I don't care." Her voice went sharp. "He's my son, Zeke. I'm not sitting in a tower waiting for updates like some helpless damsel. I'm going to

be part of this investigation."

ZEKES POV

"It could be dangerous. If whoever took Golden realizes we're getting close, they might-"

"They might what? Come after me? Good. Let them try. At least then I'd be doing something instead of drowning in nightmares every night."

The bond flared between us, feeding off her anger and fear. I felt it all, the desperation that drove her words. The need to take action, any action, rather than sit idle while her

child was missing.

"Please," she said more quietly. "I need this. I need to feel like I'm helping find him."

I recognized that look on her face. That set to her jaw. It was the same expression she'd worn years ago when she'd insisted on attending peace negotiations despite my

protests. When she'd stood up to my council members who'd questioned her role as Luna. When she'd refused to be dismissed or sidelined just because she seemed soft spoken and gentle.

Beneath that gentle exterior had always been steel. I'd loved that about her once. I'd been drawn to the contradiction of her, the way she could be tender one moment and fierce the next.

Looking at her now, I wondered how I'd ever been stupid enough to let her go.

"Fine," I said. "But you stay close to me. No wandering off on your own. No taking risks."

"I'm not an idiot."

"I know. But whoever took Golden is smart and organized. They planned

this carefully. I'm not losing you too."

Something flickered in her eyes at those words but she looked away before I could identify it. "Let me get dressed.

I'll meet you in the security office."

"I'll wait."

"Zeke-"

"I'll wait," I repeated firmly. "You stay close to me, remember? That starts now."

She disappeared back into the bathroom without arguing. I heard

drawers opening and closing, the rustle of clothes. I forced myself to look anywhere but at that cracked bathroom door, to think about anything but the fact that she was getting

dressed just a few feet away.

The bond hummed louder, as if mocking my attempt at

restraint.

Cecelia emerged ten minutes later in jeans and a sweater, her damp hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked ready for action, all traces of vulnerability locked away behind her determined expression.

We walked to the security office in silence. The palace staff we passed gave us curious looks but knew better than to ask questions. News of Cecelia's return had spread through the pack like wildfire. I knew there were rumors flying about what it meant, why she was here, what would happen between us.

Let them wonder. I had more important things to worry about

than gossip.

Marcus looked surprised when we entered the security office together. "Luna," he said, then caught

himself. "I mean, Cecelia."

"Luna is fine," she said shortly. "Show me what you found."

If Marcus had opinions about her involvement he was smart enough to keep them to himself. He pulled up the footage on the main monitor, walking her through everything they'd discovered. Cecelia watched intently, her eyes tracking every

detail.

"Play it again," she said when he finished. "The gas station

footage."

Marcus complied. We all watched the grainy video of the SUV pulling

up, the tall figure getting out to pump gas.

"There," Cecelia said suddenly. "Stop it there."

Marcus froze the frame. Cecelia moved closer to the screen, studying something.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The way they're standing. The height, the build. It's familiar." She shook her head. "I can't place it but I've seen someone move like that before."

"Could it be someone from

Seacreek?" Finn asked.

"No. Everyone there is a fisherman. They move differently, from years of working on boats." She rewound the footage and watched it again. "This person moves like pack. Like

someone trained to fight."

She was right. Now that she'd pointed it out, I could see it too. The way the figure held themselves, the controlled movements, the awareness of their surroundings. This was

someone with combat training.

"That narrows it down," Sarah said

"Not many civilians have that kind of training."

"Which means it's likely someone from a pack," Marcus

finished. "Someone military or security."

My jaw clenched. The list of suspects had just gotten much shorter and much more

uncomfortable. If this was someone from my pack, someone I'd trusted with our security, then the betrayal cut deep.

"Pull personnel files," I ordered. "Everyone in our security

force and military. Anyone with the build and training to match what we're seeing. Cross reference with the Range Rover owners list."

"On it," Finn said, already typing.

Cecelia and I spent the next two hours reviewing footage frame by frame. We sat side by side at the table, Marcus's laptop between us.

Every time we needed to pause or rewind, our hands would brush over the touchpad. The first few times, we both pulled away quickly. Then gradually, the touches lingered a fraction longer.

The bond sang between us, pleased by the proximity. I tried to ignore it, to focus on the investigation, but I was constantly aware of her. The way she bit her lip when concentrating. The frustrated sound she made when a video yielded nothing useful. The warmth of her arm against mine when she leaned in to see the screen better.

"Here," she said, pointing to the traffic camera footage. "In the background. Is that another vehicle?"

I squinted at where she indicated. Behind the Range Rover, barely visible, was the front end of another car.

"Can we enhance that?" I asked Marcus.

"Let me try." He took the laptop and worked some technical magic I didn't understand. Slowly, the image sharpened. Not much, but enough to make out a logo on the other

vehicle's grille.

"That's a Mercedes," Sarah said. "Expensive one too."

"So we have two luxury vehicles traveling together," Cecelia

said. "That's not random. They're coordinating."

She was brilliant. I'd forgotten how sharp her mind was, how quickly she could connect pieces others missed.

We'd made a good team once, before I'd ruined everything.

ZEKE'S POV

"This was planned by multiple people," I said. "At least two, maybe more. They had the resources to acquire expensive vehicles, remove the plates, and surveil a target."

"This is starting to look less like a kidnapping and more like an operation," Marcus said grimly.

Cecelia's hand found mine under the table, her fingers cold. I squeezed gently, offering what comfort I could. She didn't pull away.

We worked through lunch, existing on coffee and the sandwiches someone brought in. Finn returned with the registration list and personnel files. We started cross referencing, looking for overlap.

"Got something," Sarah said around three in the afternoon. "Commander Brock from your military division. He owns a Range Rover matching this model. And look at his height and build in his personnel file."

She pulled up a photo. Brock was tall, broad shouldered, with the kind of controlled movement that came from decades of military training.

He matched the figure from the gas station footage almost perfectly.

"Where was he the day Golden disappeared?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet.

Finn pulled up duty rosters. "On leave. Personal time. He logged it two weeks in advance."

"Convenient," Cecelia said coldly.

"Pull his phone records, financial statements, everything," I ordered. "And I want him brought in for questioning

immediately."

"He's not going to come willingly if

he's guilty," Marcus warned.

"I don't care if he comes willingly or in chains. Find him."

Teams dispersed to execute the order. Cecelia and I

remained at the table, the laptop forgotten between us. Our hands were still linked, though neither of us had consciously decided to keep holding on.

"We're getting close," she said quietly.

"Yes."

"I'm scared." The admission

seemed torn from her. "What if we find whoever did this but it's too late? What if Golden is already-"

"Don't." I turned to face her fully, using my free hand to tilt her chin up so she had to meet my eyes. "Don't go there. We have to believe he's alive. We have to keep fighting."

"I'm trying. But the not knowing is killing me."

The bond between us pulsed with her anguish. Without thinking, I pulled her closer, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She stiffened for a moment, then collapsed

against my chest, her fingers clutching my shirt.

We stayed like that for a long time. The security office disappeared. The investigation faded. There was only us.

Eventually Marcus cleared his throat from the doorway. We

sprang apart, both pretending we hadn't just been wrapped around each other.

"We found Brock," Marcus said. "He's gone. Apartment cleared out, bank accounts emptied yesterday. He ran."

Cecelia's face went pale. I felt rage building in my chest. Brock had my son. He'd been planning this for weeks while I trusted him, while he stood in my military and took my orders

and pretended loyalty.

"Find him," I said, my voice dropping into the Alpha command that made even Marcus flinch. "I don't care what it

takes. Find him and bring him to me."

"There's more," Marcus said reluctantly. "We pulled his

phone records. He made several calls to a number registered to someone in the Brooke Pack."

My blood ran cold. The Brooke Pack bordered my territory to the east. We'd had tensions with them for years, disputes over hunting grounds and trade routes. But I'd never thought

they'd escalate to this.

"Who?" Cecelia demanded.

"We're still working on confirming the identity. But if the Brooke Pack is involved, this is bigger than one rogue soldier. This could be an act of war."

I stood abruptly, my wolf snarling under my skin. "Double the guard on all borders. I want patrols increased and every entry point monitored. No one from the Brooke Pack gets into my territory without my knowledge."

"Zeke," Cecelia said urgently. "If this is political, if another pack is involved, they took Golden to use as leverage. Which means-"

"Which means he's valuable to them alive," I finished. "At least for now. They'll want to negotiate, to use him to force concessions."

"Or to start a war," Marcus added quietly.

"Let them try." My voice came out as a growl. "Whoever did this, whatever pack is behind it, they just signed their death warrant."

Cecelia stood and faced me, her expression fierce despite the fear I could feel through our bond. "I'm going with you. When you find them, when you go to get Golden back, I'm coming with you."

"Absolutely not. If this is a trap-"

"I don't care if it's a trap. He's my son and I'm not staying behind."

We stared at each other, neither willing to back down. I saw her strength, her determination, the mother's love that would drive her into any danger for her child. I saw something else too, something I'd seen years ago before I'd been too blind and stupid to appreciate it.

I saw my mate.

"Fine," I said. "But you stay close to me at all times. And I'm assigning you a personal guard starting immediately."

"I don't need-"

"This isn't up for debate, Cecelia. Whoever took Golden knew exactly who he was. They knew about you,

about me, about our history. Which means they might come for you next." I stepped closer, close enough to smell the lavender in her hair. "I can't protect you every moment of the day. So you're getting a guard whether you like it or not."

"You mean you can't control me every moment of the day,"

she shot back.

"I mean I can't lose you too." The words came out rougher than I intended, weighted with too much emotion. "Golden needs his mother. And I need you to stay alive long

enough for me to fix what I broke between us."

Her breath caught. For a moment we just stood there, inches apart, the bond screaming at us to close the distance. I could feel her heart racing, could smell the mix of fear and something else, something that made my wolf howl with want.

Marcus cleared his throat again. "I'll just go coordinate the border patrols then."

He left quickly. Cecelia and I remained frozen, caught in the pull of something neither of us was

ready to name.

"Who do you want to assign?" she asked finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Drew. He's one of my best. Former special forces, completely loyal, and most importantly, he doesn't take orders from anyone but me."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

She nodded. "You're right. If whoever did this comes for me, I need to be able to defend myself or at least have someone who can."

She paused. "But I meant what I said, Zeke. When we find Golden, I'm going to be there."

"I know." I reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger against her cheek. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

The protectiveness in my voice was undeniable. I heard it, she heard it, and from the way her eyes darkened, she understood exactly what it meant.