Cecelia's POV

I couldn't stop staring at the small red shoe in my hands while my vision blurred with tears that wouldn't stop falling. Golden had been wearing these shoes the morning he disappeared because they were his favorites with the little

race cars on the sides that lit up when he walked. He'd begged me to buy them two months ago even though they were too expensive for our budget but I'd given in because his smile when he wore them made every sacrifice worth it.

Now one of those shoes sat in my lap covered in dirt while whoever had my son was using it to threaten us into backing off. The note's words kept replaying in my head over and over until I thought I might scream from the helplessness crushing my chest.

"Cecelia," Zeke's voice broke through my spiral while his hand squeezed my shoulder gently. "I need you to breathe for me, can you do that?"

I realized I'd been holding my breath while my lungs burned for air. I gasped while trying to fill them but

it felt like breathing through a straw because panic had locked my chest tight. "I can't," I managed to choke out while more tears fell. "I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't do this anymore."

"Yes you can," Zeke said firmly while moving to kneel in front of me so we were eye level. "You're the strongest person I know which means you can get through this because Golden needs you to stay strong for him."

"They're going to hurt him," I sobbed while clutching the shoe tighter. "The note says if we keep looking

they'll hurt him which means we have to stop but if we stop we'll never find him and I don't know what to do."

"We're not stopping," Zeke said while his voice dropped into that Alpha tone that demanded obedience.

"This threat is meant to scare us into giving up but I won't let fear dictate our actions when my son's life is at stake."

"Our son," I corrected automatically while looking up at him through my tears. "He's our son Zeke, not just yours."

Something shifted in his expression while warmth flooded through the bond between us. "Our son," he agreed quietly. "And we're going to find him together no matter what threats they make or how scared we are because that's what parents do for their children."

Marcus cleared his throat from where he stood near the door while his face showed the same grim determination I saw in Zeke's eyes. "We need to analyze everything about this

package," he said while pulling out evidence bags. "How it was delivered, when it arrived, if

anyone saw who dropped it off."

"Security footage," Zeke said while standing though his hand stayed on my shoulder. "Pull all cameras from the past six hours focusing on the main entrance and any service entrances someone could have used to deliver this without being seen."

"Already on it," Marcus replied while typing rapidly on his phone. "I'll have the team review everything and flag anyone suspicious."

I forced myself to set Golden's shoe carefully on the coffee table while

my fingers didn't want to release it because holding something he'd worn made him feel closer somehow. The tissue paper it had been wrapped in sat beside it along with the note that promised violence if we didn't comply.

"The handwriting," I said while my voice came out steadier than I felt. "Can we analyze the handwriting to figure out who wrote this?"

"Good thinking," Zeke said while carefully bagging the note with gloved hands. "We'll send it to a specialist who can look at letter formation and writing patterns to

build a profile."

"What about the shoe itself?" I asked while standing on shaky legs. "Could there be DNA or fingerprints or anything that tells us where Golden is being held?"

"We'll test everything," Marcus assured me while also bagging the shoe despite how much it hurt to watch it

disappear into evidence. "Dirt composition can tell us about soil types and geographic locations while any trace materials might narrow down what kind of building or area he's in."

The clinical discussion helped ground me because it gave me something to focus on besides the crushing fear that threatened to drown me. "How long will the testing take?" I asked while wrapping my arms around myself.

"Expedited testing can be done in twenty four to forty eight hours," Marcus said while checking his notes.

"I'll mark everything as priority so we get results as fast as possible."

"That's too long," I protested while new panic flared. "Golden could be hurt or moved or worse in that

amount of time."

"It's the best we can do with the resources we have," Zeke said gently while pulling me against his side. "But we're not sitting idle while we wait because there are other leads we can follow up on."

"What leads?" I demanded while looking up at him. "Everything has been a dead end for days while whoever has Golden stays ahead of us."

"The delivery itself is a lead," Zeke pointed out while his arm tightened around my waist. "Someone had to

physically bring this package here which means they were in our territory recently and might have left traces we can follow."

"Unless they hired a courier who had no idea what they were delivering," I said while defeat crept into my voice.

"Even then the courier would have information about who hired them," Marcus said while heading for the door.

"I'll get teams on this immediately, we'll find out who delivered this package even if we have to question every delivery service in a hundred mile radius."

He left while closing the door behind him which left Zeke and me alone in the quiet apartment. I pulled away from him while moving to the window because I needed space to process everything without his presence overwhelming my senses.

"Talk to me," Zeke said from behind me while the bond pulsed with his concern.

"Tell me what you're thinking because I can feel your emotions through the bond but I don't know what thoughts are causing them."

"I'm thinking that we're failing him," I

said while staring out at the dark territory beyond the window. "Every day that passes is another day Golden is scared and alone calling for me while I can't reach him because we keep hitting walls."

"We're not failing him," Zeke moved to stand beside me while his reflection appeared in the window glass.

"We're doing everything possible with the information we have."

"It's not enough," I said while my voice broke again. "Nothing we do is enough because he's still missing while we're standing here talking

about testing and analysis like he's some case to solve instead of a three year old boy who needs his parents."

"You think I don't know that?"

Zeke's voice rose slightly while his own frustration bled through. "You think I'm not going crazy knowing my son is out there somewhere while I can't

protect him? Every second he's gone tears me apart but I can't let that stop me from doing what needs to be done to bring him home."

"I know," I whispered while fresh tears fell. "I know you're doing everything you can, I'm sorry for lashing out at you when none of this is your fault."

"It is my fault though," Zeke said quietly while his hand found mine in the darkness. "If I hadn't been so blind three years ago you never would have left which means Golden would have grown up here

safe and protected instead of vulnerable in some fishing village where anyone could

Cecelia's pov

"You can't blame yourself for decisions I made," I protested while turning to face him. "I chose to fake my death, I chose to raise Golden alone, I chose to stay hidden instead of coming back which makes this just as much my fault as

anyone's."

We stood there in the dim light from the window while both of us carried guilt for choices that had led to this moment. The bond between us ached with shared pain that neither

of us knew how to fix.

"I'm scared," I admitted while the confession felt like weakness. "I'm terrified that we won't find him in time or that when we do find him he'll be hurt beyond what we can fix or

that he'll hate me for not protecting him better."

"He could never hate you," Zeke said while pulling me into his arms. "You're his whole world Cecelia, everything he knows about love and safety and being cared for comes

from you."

"Then where is that love now when

he needs it most?" I sobbed against his chest while my hands fisted in his shirt. "Where is his mother when someone has taken him away from everything familiar?"

"You're here doing everything possible to get him back," Zeke said while his hand ran up and down my spine. "That's where his mother is, fighting with everything she has to bring him home."

I don't know how long we stood there holding each other while the night deepened outside. Eventually my tears slowed while exhaustion crept in to replace the panic though

the fear never really left.

"You should try to sleep," Zeke murmured against my hair. "I know it seems impossible but your body needs rest."

"I can't sleep knowing Golden's shoe just arrived as a threat," I said while pulling back to look at him.

"How am I supposed to close my eyes when whoever has him is watching us close enough to deliver packages?"

"I'll stay with you," Zeke offered while guiding me back toward the bedroom. "You don't have to be

alone with this."

We got back into bed while this time there was no pretense of maintaining distance. I curled into Zeke's side while his arms wrapped around me holding me close. The bond

hummed between us providing comfort even though nothing could really ease the ache of missing my son.

"Tell me something good about Golden," Zeke said after a while. "Something that makes you smile when you think about it."

I closed my eyes while searching

through memories for something that didn't hurt quite so much. "He sings in the shower," I said while a small smile tugged at my mouth despite everything. "These made up songs about fish and boats and whatever else is in his head at the moment, completely off key but so enthusiastic that you can't help but laugh."

"Like his mother then," Zeke said while I could hear the smile in his voice. "You used to sing in the shower too."

"I did not," I protested weakly while the normalcy of this conversation

felt surreal given the circumstances.

"You absolutely did," Zeke insisted while his chest moved with quiet laughter. "Every morning without fail, usually songs from whatever musical you'd been watching that week."

The memory of those mornings felt like it belonged to someone else's life while so much had changed since then. "That feels like a hundred years ago," I said while my smile faded. "Back when things were simpler even though they felt complicated at the time."

"We were both so young," Zeke agreed while his hand continued its soothing path along my back.

"Trying to figure out how to be married when we barely knew each other."

"I knew you," I said quietly. "Maybe not everything but I knew the important parts, I knew you were kind even when you were trying to be distant and I knew you carried guilt that wasn't yours to carry."

"You saw through me from the beginning," Zeke said while something shifted in his tone. "I tried so hard to keep you at arm's

length but you wouldn't let me hide behind duty or obligation."

"For all the good it did me," I said while old hurt crept into my voice. "You still chose Layla in the end."

"I chose wrong," Zeke said firmly while his arms tightened around me. "I chose fear over love and duty over happiness which cost me three years with you and our son."

The bond pulsed stronger between us while I felt his sincerity through the connection. "We can't change the past," I said while trying to keep my voice steady. "All we can do is

focus on the present and getting Golden back safely."

"And after?" Zeke asked while his question hung in the air between us. "What happens after we find Golden and bring him home?"

I didn't know how to answer that because I hadn't let myself think about after. Everything had been focused on finding Golden while the future beyond that rescue felt impossible to imagine.

"I don't know," I admitted while my hand rested over his heart feeling the steady beat beneath my palm. "I

guess we figure it out as we go."

"I want you to stay," Zeke said while his voice dropped lower. "Both of you, I want you to stay here where you belong instead of running away again."

"This isn't my home anymore," I protested though the words felt weak. "I built a life in Seacreek over three years, Golden has friends there and a routine he loves."

"Golden deserves to know his father," Zeke countered while shifting so he could see my face. "He deserves to grow up as part of

this pack with all the protection and opportunities that come with being an Alpha's son."

"And what about what I deserve?" I asked while pulling back slightly. "Do I get a say in this or are you just making decisions about our future without consulting me like you did three years ago?"

Pain flashed across his face while the bond echoed with his regret. "You're right, I'm sorry," he said while releasing me though his hand stayed on my waist. "I'm not trying to dictate anything, I'm asking you to consider staying because I don't

want to lose you again now that I finally have you back."

"You don't have me back," I said while the words came out sharper than I intended. "We kissed a few times and slept in the same bed but that doesn't erase three years or fix what broke between us."

"Then let me try to fix it," Zeke said while his thumb traced circles on my hip. "Give me a chance to prove I've changed and that I can be the mate and father you both deserve."

I wanted to argue while pointing out all the ways this could go wrong but

exhaustion made it hard to think clearly. "Can we talk about this later?" I asked while settling back against his chest. "When Golden is safe and we're not operating on fear and adrenaline?"

"Later," Zeke agreed while his arms came back around me. "But I'm not giving up on us Cecelia, not this time."

I wanted to tell him there was no us anymore but the bond hummed contentedly between us while my body relaxed into his warmth despite my mind's protests. Maybe there could be an us again

someday but right now all I could focus on was bringing my son home.

Cecelia's pov

Sleep came eventually while pulling me under into dreams where Golden was safe in my arms laughing about fish and singing his made up songs. I woke several times during the night reaching for him before reality crashed back and reminded me he wasn't there.

Each time Zeke would tighten his hold while murmuring reassurances until I drifted off again. The bond stayed active

all night providing comfort through the connection

even when words failed.

Morning came too soon while pale light filtered through the curtains. I felt Zeke wake before he moved while his body went from relaxed to alert in seconds. "What is it?" I asked while sitting up.

"Marcus just texted," he said while reading his phone. "They found something on the security footage."

We dressed quickly while I didn't bother with makeup because what did appearances matter when my son was missing. Zeke kept one hand on the small of my back as we

walked to the security office where Marcus waited with the footage queued up.

"This was recorded at two seventeen this morning," Marcus said while hitting play. "Watch the service entrance on the east side."

The footage showed a figure approaching the door while wearing dark clothes and a hood that obscured their face.

They moved with purpose while placing a box on the ground near the entrance then walking away without looking back.

"That's our package," I said while

my heart raced. "Can you enhance the image to see their face?"

"We tried but the angle and lighting make it impossible," Marcus said while his frustration was clear. "However we did get something useful."

He zoomed in on the figure's hand while showing what looked like a tattoo on their wrist. The image was grainy but I could make out what might be letters or symbols.

"Can we identify the tattoo?" Zeke asked while leaning closer to the screen.

"We're running it through databases now," Marcus replied while pulling up comparison images. "If it matches any known pack markings or organization symbols we should get a hit."

I stared at the frozen image while trying to memorize every detail because this person had touched something my son had worn. They'd been close enough to Golden to take his shoe which meant they might know where he was being held.

"How long until we get results?" I asked while my hands

clenched

into fists at my sides.

"Could be hours or could be days depending on how unique the tattoo is," Marcus said while his expression showed he wished he had better news. "But it's more than we had

yesterday which means we're making progress."

Progress felt meaningless while Golden was still missing but I forced myself to nod while trying to stay hopeful. Zeke's

hand found mine while he squeezed gently through the bond I felt his determination to see this through no matter how long it took.

"What else can we do while we wait?" I asked while needing action instead of standing around helpless.

"We follow up on every other lead," Zeke said while already pulling out his phone. "The shoe analysis, the note handwriting, Robert's identity, anything and everything until something breaks."

Marcus's phone rang while he stepped away to answer it. When he came back his expression had shifted into something I couldn't quite read.

"That was the lab," he said while looking between Zeke and me. "The preliminary soil analysis from Golden's shoe came back with results."

"And?" I demanded while my heart hammered so hard I could hear it in my ears.

"The soil composition matches an area about sixty miles north of here," Marcus said while pulling up a map. "It's mostly wilderness with a few abandoned structures from old logging operations."

"That's something," Zeke said while

studying the map. "We can send teams to search the area."

"There's more," Marcus continued while his tone made my stomach drop. "The soil also contained traces of a specific mineral compound that's only found in one location within that area."

He zoomed in on the map while highlighting a specific spot deep in the wilderness. My breath caught while I stared at the location because it was remote and isolated which would make it perfect for hiding someone you didn't want found.

"How fast can we get a team there?" I asked while already moving toward the door.

"Cecelia wait," Zeke grabbed my arm gently. "We need to plan this carefully because if we go rushing in we could spook whoever has Golden."

"I don't care about spooking them," I said while pulling free. "That's where my son is which means that's where I need to be."

"And you will be," Zeke said while moving to block my path. "But we're doing this smart with proper

backup and tactical planning so we don't make things worse."

I wanted to argue while every instinct screamed at me to run to that location immediately but the rational part of my brain knew he was right. "How long?" I asked while forcing myself to stay still.

"Give me two hours to assemble a team and plan our approach," Zeke said while his Alpha authority bled into his voice. "Then we go get our son."

Two hours felt like an eternity but I nodded while knowing it was

necessary. Zeke pulled me against him while the bond pulsed with shared determination because finally after days of dead ends we had a real lead that might bring Golden home.

"We're close," Zeke murmured against my hair. "I can feel it, we're so close to finding him."

I clung to that hope while trying not to think about what condition Golden might be in when we finally reached him. The shoe had been dirty which meant wherever he was being held wasn't clean or comfortable. The thought of my

baby in some filthy abandoned building made rage burn through my veins.

Whoever had taken him would pay for every second of fear they'd caused while I would make sure of that personally.

But first we had to find him while bringing him home safe because nothing else mattered beyond that singular goal.

Two hours, I told myself while watching Zeke coordinate with Marcus and the security team. Just two more hours then we'd finally

have answers about where Golden was and who had dared to take an Alpha's son.