Zeke's POV

The command center was loud and busy while my team got ready for what might finally help us find Golden.

Marcus put maps on the big table while showing everyone the place we needed to go sixty miles north where old logging buildings sat empty. Warriors checked their guns and radios while everyone felt tense because this might actually work.

"We have three main buildings," Marcus said while pointing at

pictures from above. "Two storage buildings and one big processing building, all empty for at least fifteen years. The woods are thick which helps us hide but also makes it hard to see."

I looked at the pictures while my wolf moved around inside me restless and angry because I felt like Golden was there waiting. The dirt test had been too exact to be wrong while the special minerals on his shoe only came from this one spot.

"How do we get in?" I asked while thinking about the best way to go

inside.

"Each building has lots of doors and windows but most are probably broken from being old," Marcus said while showing building plans. "We need to be careful going in so the buildings don't fall down or make noise that warns anyone inside."

The door opened while Cecelia came in wearing dark pants and a jacket that one of my female warriors gave her. Her hair was pulled back tight while she looked ready to fight instead of scared like last night. Seeing her like this made

me feel proud and protective at the same time.

"I'm coming with you," she said in a voice that meant she wouldn't change her mind.

"Cecelia, this might be dangerous," I said even though I knew she wouldn't listen.

"My son is in one of those buildings which means I need to be there," she said while walking over to stand next to me. "You can let me come with the team or I'll follow by myself but I'm going either way."

The bond got hot between us while

I felt how serious she was through our connection. She would do what she said whether I liked it or not. "Fine,

" I agreed while my team looked surprised. "But you stay right next to me the whole time and if things get bad you leave right away."

"Okay," she said while taking my hand on the table. Her touch made me feel warm while the bond hummed happy that we were touching. Our fingers stayed together while Marcus kept talking about the plan.

"We'll take six vehicles," Marcus

continued while not looking at our joined hands even though everyone noticed. "Three teams of eight entering from different sides at the same time. Alpha, you'll lead the main team through the front of the biggest building while I take the west side and Finn takes east."

"What about backup?" I asked while my thumb rubbed circles on Cecelia's hand without me thinking about it.

"Two teams stay outside as perimeter security," Marcus said. "They watch for anyone trying to leave and they're ready to come

help if we need them."

Cecelia leaned closer to look at the maps while her shoulder pressed against mine. "What if they move him before we get there?" she asked quietly. "The shoe could be old, he might not even be there anymore."

"The soil was fresh based on the lab results," Marcus said gently. "Whoever delivered that package to you was at that location within the last week which means Golden was probably there recently too."

"Probably isn't definitely," Cecelia

said while her voice shook a little. "What if we get there and find nothing again?"

I turned to face her while letting go of her hand so I could cup her face instead. "Then we keep looking," I said firmly. "But I feel in my gut that this is it, that we're finally going to find him."

She searched my eyes while looking for lies or false hope but I meant every word. Through the bond I pushed my certainty at her while trying to give her some of my confidence. She nodded slowly while leaning into my touch for just

a second before straightening up.

"When do we leave?" she asked while looking back at the maps.

"Thirty minutes," I said while checking my watch. "Everyone needs to gear up and do final weapon checks."

The team scattered to prepare while Cecelia and I stayed at the table looking at the satellite images. I could see her studying every detail while trying to memorize the layout like knowing the buildings would somehow keep Golden safer.

"I'm scared," she admitted quietly while everyone else was busy. "What if we're too late or what if finding him there makes things worse?"

"We won't be too late," I said while moving behind her so I could wrap my arms around her waist. "And nothing could be worse than not knowing where he is."

She leaned back against my chest while her hands covered mine where they rested on her stomach.

"I keep thinking about what condition he'll be in when we find him," she whispered. "That shoe

was so dirty, what if he's hurt or sick or scared out of his mind?"

"Then we'll get him medical care and bring him home and show him he's safe," I said against her hair. "But first we have to get there and get him out."

Drew approached carefully while clearly not wanting to interrupt. "Alpha, the vehicles are ready and teams are assembled."

"Good," I said while releasing Cecelia though my hand went to her lower back. "Let's move out."

The convoy of six black SUVs left

the pack house while the sun was just starting to come up. I insisted Cecelia ride in my vehicle in the back seat while I sat next to her instead of up front with the driver. Marcus sat in the passenger seat coordinating with the other vehicles through his radio.

Cecelia's hand found mine in the space between us while neither of us said anything about it. Her fingers were cold while I squeezed gently trying to give her comfort.

She stared out the window at the passing trees while I knew her mind was racing with all the terrible

possibilities.

"Tell me what we'll do when we get him back," I said quietly while wanting to distract her from the fear.

"What?" she turned to look at me confused.

"When we have Golden safe, what's the first thing you want to do with him?" I asked while my thumb rubbed across her knuckles.

She was quiet for a minute while thinking. "I want to hold him for about a year straight without letting go," she finally said while her voice

was thick with emotion. "And then I want to take him to the beach so he can play in the water and feel normal again."

"We'll do that," I promised while pulling her closer against my side. "As soon as the doctor clears him we'll go to the beach for however long he needs."

"You'd come too?" she asked while looking up at me.

"Of course I'd come," I said while confused why she'd think otherwise. "He's my son and you're...

you're important to me and

I want to be there for both of you."

She almost said something but stopped while biting her lip. Through the bond I felt a rush of emotions too mixed up to separate but hope was definitely in there.

She settled against my shoulder while we rode in silence for a while.

"I used to imagine this," she said so quietly I almost didn't hear. "Back when we were married, I used to imagine us working together as a team instead of you always being distant."

"I was an idiot back then," I

admitted while my arm came around her shoulders. "I kept you at a distance because I was scared of how much I was starting to feel for you."

"That doesn't make sense," she said while frowning. "If you felt something why would you push me away?"

"Because feeling something for you meant admitting I'd been wrong about Layla and wrong about what I thought I

wanted," I tried to explain. "It was easier to keep you away than face that I was falling for you."

She was quiet while processing that. "So you chose the easy path instead of the right one."

"Yeah," I agreed while there was no point denying it. "And it cost me three years with you and our son."

"We can't change the past," she said while her hand rested on my chest over my heart. "We can only decide what we do now."

"Now I choose you," I said while tilting her chin up so she had to look at me. "Every time, every day, I choose you and Golden."

Her eyes got shiny with tears while

she blinked them back. "Don't make promises you might not keep."

"I'm keeping this one," I said firmly. "I already lost you once and I'm not making that mistake again."

She opened her mouth but Marcus's voice interrupted. "We're five minutes out. Everyone needs to go radio silent and prepare for approach."

The moment broke while we both shifted into mission mode. Cecelia sat up straighter while wiping her eyes quickly. I kept her hand in mine though while not ready to let

go of that connection yet.

The vehicles slowed while we got closer to the target area. We parked about half a mile away so the sound of engines wouldn't warn anyone we were coming. Everyone got out quietly while checking weapons one last time.

even though I felt her fear through the bond.

"Good," I said while kissing her forehead without thinking about it. "Let's go get our son.

We moved through the woods in formation while my team knew how to stay quiet. Cecelia stayed right behind me while one hand occasionally touched my back like she needed to know I was still there. Through the trees I could see the first building coming into view.

It was even more run down than the pictures showed while parts of the

roof had caved in and windows were all broken. But there were fresh tire tracks in the dirt leading to the back which meant someone had been here recently.

I held up my fist to signal everyone to stop while we took positions around the building. Marcus's voice came through my earpiece. "West side in position."

"East side ready," Finn reported.

"On my count," I said quietly while my heart was beating hard. "Three, two, one, breach."

My team moved forward while two

warriors hit the main door with a battering ram. The old wood splintered easily while we poured inside with weapons ready. The space was dark and smelled like mold and old wood while dust floated in the air from us coming in.

"Clear," someone called from the right side.

"Clear," another voice echoed from the left.

We moved deeper into the building while checking every room and corner. Cecelia stayed pressed close to my back while I felt her

breathing fast through our bond. The first floor was empty except for old equipment covered in rust and dirt.

"Stairs to second floor," one of my warriors said while pointing.

"Carefully," I ordered while those stairs didn't look safe. "Test each step before putting full weight."

We climbed slowly while the wood creaked and groaned under us. The second floor was more of the same while empty rooms full of nothing but trash and broken furniture. My stomach was starting to sink

because this place looked abandoned for real.

Then Cecelia gasped behind me. "Zeke, look."

ZEKE'S pov

She pointed at the floor where someone had cleared away dust recently. Footprints led to a corner room while they were fresh enough that I could see the tread pattern clearly. We followed them while my grip tightened on my weapon.

The corner room's door was closed while I could hear something moving inside. I motioned for my team to get ready while counting down silently with my fingers. On zero I kicked the door open while

rushing in.

The room was empty of people but it definitely had been used recently. A child's blanket lay crumpled on a dirty mattress in the corner while empty food containers were scattered around. And there on the floor was a stuffed dolphin that Cecelia made a broken sound seeing.

She ran forward while grabbing the dolphin and holding it to her chest. "This is Golden's," she said while tears ran down her face. "Fatima gave this to him for his birthday, he takes it everywhere."

I moved around the room while looking for more clues. There was a small pile of toys in one corner while drawings covered part of one wall. I looked closer at the drawings while my chest got tight. They were clearly done by a child while stick figures were labeled "Mama" and "Me" in messy handwriting.

"He was here," Cecelia sobbed while still clutching the dolphin. "He was right here and we missed him."

Marcus's voice came through my earpiece. "Alpha, we found vehicle tracks leading away from the back of the building. They're fresh,

maybe less than twelve hours old."

"Damn it," I swore while hitting the wall with my fist. "They moved him right before we got here."

"How did they know?" Cecelia demanded while her fear was turning into anger. "How did they know we were coming?"

"The package," I realized while my stomach dropped. "Sending Golden's shoe was a test to see how fast we'd track the location. When we did exactly what they expected they moved him."

"So we're still at square one,"

Cecelia said while her voice went flat and empty in a way that scared me more than her crying.

"No," I said firmly while moving to take her shoulders. "We know he was alive recently enough to make those drawings. We know he's thinking about you which means he's holding on. And we know they're moving him which means they're getting desperate."

"Or they're always going to be one step ahead," she said while all the fight seemed to drain out of her.

I pulled her against my chest while

she didn't cry or fight, just stood there like a doll. Through the bond I felt her hope dying while being replaced with a terrible emptiness that made my wolf howl.

"Marcus, I want every inch of this place searched," I said into my radio. "Look for anything that might tell us where they went. Hair, fibers, tire tracks, anything."

"On it," Marcus replied.

I guided Cecelia out of the room and back down the stairs. Outside the building she pulled away from me while walking a few feet away

and just staring at the trees. I stayed close but gave her space while understanding she needed a minute to process.

"We were so close," she said without turning around. "If we'd gotten here yesterday or even this morning he might have still been here."

"I know," I said while moving up behind her. "But beating ourselves up doesn't help Golden."

"Nothing helps Golden," she said while her voice broke. "We keep chasing and they keep moving him

and I can't keep doing this. I can't keep hoping and then having it ripped away."

"Cecelia," I turned her around to face me. "Look at me."

She looked up while her eyes were red and empty in a way that scared me. "What?"

"We are going to find him," I said while holding her face in both hands. "I know you're tired and scared and feel like giving up but I need you to hold on a little longer."

"I don't know how," she whispered while fresh tears fell. "I don't know

how to keep going when every lead turns into nothing."

"Then let me be strong for both of us right now," I said while pulling her close again. "Let me carry this until you can breathe again."

She broke down completely while sobbing into my chest. I held her tight while my own throat was tight with frustration and fear no because she was right that we kept getting close but not close enough. But I couldn't let her see my doubt

while she needed me to be certain.

One of my warriors approached

carefully. "Alpha, we found something you need to see."

I looked at him while keeping one arm around Cecelia. "What is it?"

"Basement access," he said. "Hidden under a tarp in the processing building. There's a tunnel system underneath."

Hope sparked in my chest while this could change everything. "Show me."

We followed him to the largest building while Cecelia walked beside me holding my hand tight. Inside, my team had cleared away a

rushing in.

The room was empty of people but it definitely had been used recently. A child's blanket lay crumpled on a dirty mattress in the corner while empty food containers were scattered around. And there on the floor was a stuffed dolphin that Cecelia made a broken sound seeing.

She ran forward while grabbing the dolphin and holding it to her chest. "This is Golden's," she said while tears ran down her face. "Fatima gave this to him for his birthday, he takes it everywhere."

I moved around the room while looking for more clues. There was a small pile of toys in one corner while drawings covered part of one wall. I looked closer at the drawings while my chest got tight. They were clearly done by a child while stick figures were labeled "Mama" and "Me" in messy handwriting.

"He was here," Cecelia sobbed while still clutching the dolphin. "He was right here and we missed him."

Marcus's voice came through my earpiece. "Alpha, we found vehicle tracks leading away from the back of the building. They're fresh,

maybe less than twelve hours old."

"Damn it," I swore while hitting the wall with my fist. "They moved him right before we got here."

"How did they know?" Cecelia demanded while her fear was turning into anger. "How did they know we were coming?"

"The package," I realized while my stomach dropped. "Sending Golden's shoe was a test to see how fast we'd track the location. When we did exactly what they expected they moved him."

"So we're still at square one,"

Cecelia said while her voice went flat and empty in a way that scared me more than her crying.

"No," I said firmly while moving to take her shoulders. "We know he was alive recently enough to make those drawings. We know he's thinking about you which means he's holding on. And we know they're moving him which means they're getting desperate."

"Or they're always going to be one step ahead," she said while all the fight seemed to drain out of her.

I pulled her against my chest while

she didn't cry or fight, just stood there like a doll. Through the bond I felt her hope dying while being replaced with a terrible emptiness that made my wolf howl.

"Marcus, I want every inch of this place searched," I said into my radio. "Look for anything that might tell us where they went. Hair, fibers, tire tracks, anything."

"On it," Marcus replied.

I guided Cecelia out of the room and back down the stairs. Outside the building she pulled away from me while walking a few feet away

and just staring at the trees. I stayed close but gave her space while understanding she needed a minute to process.

"We were so close," she said without turning around. "If we'd gotten here yesterday or even this morning he might have still been here."

"I know," I said while moving up behind her. "But beating ourselves up doesn't help Golden."

"Nothing helps Golden," she said while her voice broke. "We keep chasing and they keep moving him

and I can't keep doing this. I can't keep hoping and then having it ripped away."

"Cecelia," I turned her around to face me. "Look at me."

She looked up while her eyes were red and empty in a way that scared me. "What?"

"We are going to find him," I said while holding her face in both hands. "I know you're tired and scared and feel like giving up but I need you to hold on a little longer."

"I don't know how," she whispered while fresh tears fell. "I don't know

how to keep going when every lead turns into nothing."

"Then let me be strong for both of us right now," I said while pulling her close again. "Let me carry this until you can breathe again."

She broke down completely while sobbing into my chest. I held her tight while my own throat was tight with frustration and fear no because she was right that we kept getting close but not close enough. But I couldn't let her see my doubt while she needed me to be certain.

One of my warriors approached

carefully. "Alpha, we found something you need to see."

I looked at him while keeping one arm around Cecelia. "What is it?"

"Basement access," he said. "Hidden under a tarp in the processing building. There's a tunnel system underneath."

Hope sparked in my chest while this could change everything. "Show me."

We followed him to the largest building while Cecelia walked beside me holding my hand tight. Inside, my team had cleared away a

large tarp revealing a trap door set into the concrete floor.

Marcus stood over it looking grim.

"These tunnels connect to the old mining system from a hundred years ago," he said while showing me maps on his tablet. "They run for miles underground connecting various points across the region."

"They're using the tunnels to move him," I realized while anger burned through me. "That's how they've been staying ahead of us."

"The tunnel system is extensive," Marcus said while zooming in on

the map. "There are dozens of exit points within a fifty mile radius underground."

Cecelia grabbed the tablet while studying the map. "Then we search every tunnel until we find him."

"That could take weeks," Marcus said gently. "We don't have the manpower to cover that much area quickly."

"Then we get more people," Cecelia said while her voice went hard. "Call in every favor, hire mercenaries, I don't care. We search every inch of those tunnels."

I looked at the map while my mind raced through options. She was right that we needed to search but Marcus was also right that it would take too long. We needed something to narrow down the search area.

"The tracks outside," I said suddenly. "They led away from here which means wherever they took him isn't accessible by tunnel alone or they wouldn't have needed vehicles."

"So they used the tunnels to move him from this building to wherever they had vehicles waiting," Marcus

said while following my logic. "Which means the exit point is somewhere close by."

We went back outside while following the tire tracks. They led through the woods for about half a mile before reaching a small clearing where it looked like several vehicles had been parked recently.

"This is where they loaded him," one of my trackers said while pointing at the disturbed ground. "At least three vehicles based on the different tire patterns."

"And from here?" I asked.

"They headed east," the tracker said while pointing. "Toward the coast based on the direction."

The coast. My mind flashed back to something Cecelia had said about her vision through the bond. She'd smelled salt water while seeing Golden in that warehouse.

"They took him to the ocean," I said while looking at Cecelia. "Your vision was right."

"How does that help us?" she asked while looking tired beyond her years. "The coast goes for hundreds of miles."

"But there are only so many buildings near water that are isolated enough to hide someone," Marcus said while already pulling up maps on his phone. "Abandoned

warehouses, old canneries, empty boat houses."

"Start there," I ordered. "I want teams checking every coastal structure within the area those vehicles could reach in twelve hours."

"That's still a lot of ground to cover," Marcus warned.

"Then we better get started," I said

while my voice dropped into Alpha command. "Golden is running out of time and I'm running out of patience."

We headed back to the vehicles while Cecelia was quiet beside me. She still held Golden's stuffed dolphin while her fingers were white from gripping it so hard. Once we were in the vehicle heading back I pulled her against my side.

"We're going to find him," I promised while saying it as much

for myself as for her.

"I know," she said quietly. "I just

hope we find him alive."

The words hung between us heavy with the fear we both felt but couldn't say out loud. Because the longer Golden was missing, the more likely it was that something terrible had happened or was happening to him.

And if we were too late, if someone had hurt my son beyond fixing, there wasn't a place in this world they could hide that I wouldn't find them.

But first we had to get to Golden before that worst case became

reality.

Cecelia's POV

The tunnel entrance looked like a black hole waiting to swallow us while my stomach twisted with fear about going down there. Zeke had his flashlight ready along with Marcus and six other warriors who would come with us underground. The rest of the team stayed above to guard the exits in case whoever had Golden tried to escape.

"Stay close to me," Zeke said while checking my tactical vest one more time. "The tunnels are old which

means they might not be stable."

"I'll be fine," I said even though my hands were shaking. "Let's just go find our son."

We climbed down the metal ladder into darkness while the air got colder the deeper we went. My feet hit solid ground while I turned to see a tunnel stretching in both directions lit only by our flashlights. The walls were rough stone while water dripped somewhere in the distance making echoing sounds.

"This way," Marcus said while pointing left based on the maps

he'd studied. "This tunnel runs east toward the coast which matches where those vehicle tracks were heading."

We started walking in single file because the tunnel wasn't wide enough for two people side by side. Zeke went first with me right behind him while his hand kept reaching back to make sure I was still there. Every few steps he'd look over

his shoulder checking on me even though I was only inches away.

The tunnel felt like it went on forever while we walked and walked with nothing changing. Just stone

walls and darkness and the sound of our boots on the wet ground. My legs started to hurt while I wasn't used to this much walking but I didn't complain because Golden had probably been carried through here scared and alone.

"How much further?"

I asked after what felt like an hour.

"Another mile or so before we reach the first junction," Marcus said from behind us. "Then we'll have three directions to choose from."

Great, I thought while my hope was starting to fade again. We could

walk these tunnels for days and never find the right path while Golden could be anywhere in this underground maze.

Then something happened that made me stop walking so fast that the warrior behind me almost ran into me. Pain exploded through my chest while it felt like someone was squeezing my heart in a fist. I gasped while grabbing Zeke's arm to keep from falling.

"Cecelia, what's wrong?" Zeke spun around while his hands caught my shoulders.

I couldn't answer because my whole body hurt while the pain was so bad I thought I might throw up. But it wasn't my pain, somehow I knew that while it was coming from somewhere else through the bond between me and Zeke except it felt different than when I felt his emotions.

Then images flashed through my mind like someone was playing a video in my head. I saw Golden lying on a table while blue light was coming from under his skin. He was crying while someone in dark clothes bent over him doing

something I couldn't see. The image shifted while showing metal walls and bright overhead lights that hurt to look at.

"Cecelia, breathe," Zeke's voice broke through while he was holding my face in both hands. "You need to breathe for me."

Cecelia's POV

I realized I'd stopped breathing while my lungs burned for air. I gasped while trying to fill them but the images kept coming. Golden being lifted while someone carried him through a doorway. More metal walls while I could hear water sounds outside like waves crashing.

"What's happening to her?"

Marcus asked while sounding worried.

"The bond," Zeke said while his voice was tight. "She's connecting

to Golden through the maternal bond."

"That's not possible," Marcus said. "Maternal bonds don't work that way."

"They do under extreme stress," Zeke replied while keeping his eyes on my face. "When a mother's fear for her child is strong enough the bond can create a link even across distance."

The images got stronger while I saw more details now. The warehouse had high ceilings with exposed beams while metal

shipping containers were stacked against one wall. Golden was still crying while the blue light under his skin pulsed brighter. Someone said something I couldn't hear while then suddenly the connection cut off like someone had slammed a door.

"No," I screamed while trying to grab onto the vision but it was gone. "No, bring it back, I need to see more."

My breathing was too fast while the tunnel spun around me. I couldn't get enough air while panic made my chest feel like it was being

crushed. I was going to pass out while everything was going dark at the edges.

"Cecelia, look at me," Zeke commanded while his Alpha voice cut through the panic. "Match my breathing, in and out, follow me."

He took a deep breath in while holding my face so I had to look at him. I tried to copy him while breathing in but it felt wrong and too hard. He breathed out slowly while I

attempted to match him again.

"That's it," he encouraged while

taking another breath. "In through your nose, out through your mouth."

We breathed together while gradually the panic started to fade. The bond between us glowed warm in my chest while Zeke was pushing calm at me through the connection. It helped while my racing heart slowed down and the tunnel stopped spinning.

"Better?" he asked after a few minutes.

I nodded while my throat was too tight to talk yet. He pulled me against his chest while one hand

rubbed up and down my back. The other warriors stood around us looking uncomfortable while they clearly didn't know what to do with their Luna having a breakdown in the middle of a tunnel.

"What did you see?" Zeke asked quietly against my hair.

"Golden," I managed to say while my voice came out scratchy. "He was on a table with blue light coming from his skin. Someone was doing something to him while he was crying and scared."

Zeke's arms tightened around me

while through the bond I felt his rage spike hot and violent. "What else?"

"A warehouse with metal walls," I continued while trying to remember every detail. "High ceilings with beams across them. Shipping containers stacked up. And I heard water outside like ocean waves."

Marcus was already pulling out his phone while looking at maps. "That narrows it down. There are three warehouses that match that description within the range those vehicles could reach."

"Which one is closest to the ocean?"

I asked while pulling back from Zeke to look at the maps on Marcus's screen.

"This one," Marcus pointed to a location on the coast about forty miles from where we were.

"Old shipping warehouse that's been abandoned for five years."

"That's where he is," I said with absolute certainty while I could still smell the salt from my vision. "I smelled ocean salt, not river water. It has to be that one."

"Are you sure?" Marcus asked

carefully. "Because if we commit all our resources to one location and you're wrong we lose time we can't get back."

"I'm sure," I said while looking at Zeke.

"The bond showed me that place because that's where our son is right now."

Zeke studied my face while I could see him weighing my certainty against the risk of being wrong.

Finally he nodded while turning to Marcus. "We go with Cecelia's instinct. Call the teams and redirect everyone to that coastal warehouse."

"You're trusting a vision?" Marcus asked while he pulled out his radio but looked skeptical.

"I'm trusting the mate bond," Zeke said while taking my hand. "If Cecelia says that's where Golden is then that's where we're going."

Relief flooded through me while I'd been scared he wouldn't believe me. We turned around while heading back the way we came since the coastal warehouse wasn't accessible through these tunnels.

The walk back felt faster while I was practically running toward the ladder that would take us up.

Once we were above ground I felt like I could breathe properly again. The open air and sunlight were so different from the dark cramped tunnels while I took deep breaths

trying to calm down. Zeke kept his hand on my lower back while guiding me toward the vehicles.

"How long to get to the

warehouse?" I asked Marcus while he coordinated with the other teams on his radio.

"About an hour if we push it," Marcus replied.

"I'm having the other teams converge on the location from different directions so we can surround it before going in."

An hour felt like forever but it was better than days searching blind through tunnels. We got into the back of Zeke's vehicle

while the driver took off fast toward the coast. Other vehicles followed while forming a convoy heading to

what I hoped was finally the right place.

Zeke pulled me against his side while his arm came around my shoulders. I didn't resist while settling into the warmth of his body felt like the only safe place in a

world that had gone crazy. His hand rubbed my arm while neither of us talked for a few minutes.

"Tell me about when you were pregnant," Zeke said quietly after a while.

I looked up at him surprised. "Why do you want to know about that now?"

"Because I missed it," he said while his voice held pain I felt through the bond. "I missed your whole pregnancy and Golden being born and his first everything. I can't get that time back but at least I can

know what happened."

I settled back against him while thinking about those months that felt like forever ago. "I was sick a lot at first," I started. "Morning sickness that lasted all day while I could barely keep food down for the first three months."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Zeke said while his arm tightened around me.

"Fatima helped," I continued while my voice went hard at her name. "Or I thought she was helping while actually she was probably reporting everything back to Layla."

"Don't think about her right now," Zeke said. "Tell me about Golden."

"He was active from the start," I said while a small smile came to my face remembering. "Always moving and kicking especially at night when I was trying to sleep. Fatima said it meant he'd be energetic when he was born."

"Was the birth hard?" Zeke asked.

"Awful," I admitted. "Eighteen hours of labor in a tiny clinic with no pain medicine because the village didn't have anything stronger than basic supplies. But then they put him in

my arms while he looked up at me with these huge eyes and none of the pain mattered anymore."

"What did he look like?" Zeke's voice was thick with emotion.

"Tiny," I said while remembering Golden's little body wrapped in a blanket. "So small I was scared I'd break him. He had a full head of dark hair that curled at the ends just like it does now. And when he cried it was the loudest sound I'd ever

heard from something so small."

Zeke made a sound that might have

been a laugh or might have been a sob. "I wish I could have been there."

"Me too," I admitted while taking his hand in mine. "I kept imagining you being there even though I knew it was impossible. When the doctor asked if I wanted to call anyone I almost called you but then I remembered you didn't want us anymore."

"I was such an idiot," Zeke said while pain flooded through the bond. "Missing Golden's birth is something I'll regret for the rest of my life."

"You can't change the past," I said while squeezing his hand. "But once we get Golden back you can be there for everything else. His first day of real school, learning to shift when he's older, all the things that matter."

"I want that," Zeke said while turning to look at me. "I want to be there for everything and I want you there too. Both of you staying here with me where you belong."

"Zeke," I started but he interrupted.

"I know we haven't figured everything out yet," he said. "But I

need you to know that I'm serious about us trying again. Not like before when I was too scared to really commit but actually trying for real this time."

My throat got tight while I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to tell him yes immediately while another part was still scared of being hurt again. The bond hummed between us wanting me to agree while my heart was pulling toward him despite my fear.

"Let's just focus on getting Golden back first," I said finally. "Then we can talk about what comes after."

"Okay," Zeke agreed while clearly wanting to push more but respecting my need for time. "But I'm not giving up on us Cecelia."

"I know," I said while resting my head back on his shoulder.

We drove in comfortable silence while the landscape outside changed from woods to open fields to finally the first glimpses of ocean in the distance. The smell of salt air came through the vehicle's vents while my vision had been right about being near the coast.

"Tell me about his first words," Zeke

said after a while.

I smiled while remembering. "Mama was first obviously. He was about ten months old while we were sitting on the beach watching boats. He just looked at me and said mama clear as anything."

"What was second?" Zeke asked.

"Fish," I said while Zeke laughed for real this time. "We lived in a fishing village so everything was about fish. His third word was boat while his fourth was water. It took him forever to say anything else because those four words covered

everything important in his world."

"Does he like the water?" Zeke asked.

"Loves it," I said. "He'd spend all day at the beach if I let him. Building sandcastles while chasing waves, collecting shells to show me. One time he found a crab and wanted to

keep it as a pet while I had to explain that crabs need to live in the ocean."

"What did he say to that?" Zeke was smiling while I could tell he was picturing our son.

"He said the crab could sleep in the ocean but visit him during the day," I replied. "That's how Golden's mind works. He tries to find solutions to problems even when the problem doesn't really have a solution."

"He sounds amazing," Zeke said quietly.

"He is," I agreed while my chest hurt

thinking about Golden scared somewhere. "He's the best thing I ever did even though having him wasn't planned."

"I'm glad you had him," Zeke said. "Even though it meant doing it alone which never should have happened."

"Things work out how they're meant to," I said while not sure I believed it but wanting to.

The ocean was getting closer while I could see the water now through the buildings that lined the coast. Marcus was talking on his radio

coordinating with the other teams while everyone was getting into position around the warehouse.

"Five minutes," the driver called back to us.

My heart started beating faster while fear and hope mixed together until I felt sick. This was it while we were finally going to find out if my vision was right or if we were chasing another dead end.

Zeke must have felt my fear through the bond because he pulled me closer while pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Whatever we

find in there, we face it together."

"Together," I repeated while holding tight to his hand.

The vehicle slowed while pulling off the main road onto a gravel path that led to an industrial area. I could see a large metal building

ahead while it matched exactly what I'd seen in my vision. Shipping containers were stacked outside while the warehouse sat right on the water.

"That's it," I said while pointing. "That's the building from my vision.

"Everyone in position?" Zeke asked Marcus.

"Teams surrounding the building now," Marcus confirmed while watching his tablet that showed dots representing our people. "No movement detected inside but thermal imaging shows heat

signatures."

"How many?" I demanded.

"Four, maybe five," Marcus said. "One appears smaller than the others."

Golden.