CECELIAS POV

I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood.Every instinct screamed at me to defend myself, to shout that I wasn't lying, that Golden was real and terrified somewhere without his mother.But I forced myself to stay quiet.Zeke needed to make this decision himself.

Zeke pulled his arm away from Layla's touch."She's agreed to a healer's examination.That will settle any questions about paternity."

"A healer's exam?"Layla's voice rose another octave."You're actually giving credibility to this insanity?"

"A child is missing," Zeke said coldly."Whether he's mine or not, that's reason enough to investigate."

"She probably doesn't even have a child," Layla insisted."This is all an elaborate scheme to worm her way back into your bed, into your life, into this pack.Can't you see that?"

"What I see," Zeke said, his Alpha

authority bleeding into every word, "is that you need to leave my office.Now."

Layla flinched like he'd slapped her. "Zeke, please.You have to listen to me.She's dangerous.She's going to destroy everything we've built together."

"We haven't built anything together," Zeke said flatly."Now get out."

"But Cameron-"

"Take Cameron to his room.I'll speak with you later."Layla looked between us, her face twisting with emotions I couldn't name.Finally, she grabbed Cameron's hand and yanked him out of the office.The little boy stumbled, looking back at us with frightened eyes before the door slammed shut.

The silence that followed felt heavier than before.

"She's terrified," I said quietly.

Zeke turned to look at me."Of what?"

"Of me.Of what my return means for her position here."I wrapped my arms around myself."She tried to kill me once, Zeke.She pushed me off that cliff.She wanted me dead so she could take my place."

"I know."

The simple statement made me blink."You know?"

"I suspected," he corrected."Things never added up about your death.The body we found was badly decomposed but the timeline was wrong.The injuries didn't match a fall from the cliffs.There were inconsistencies everywhere."He rubbed his face tiredly."But I had no proof.And Layla was pregnant,

or so I thought.I couldn't exactly accuse her of murder without evidence."

"So you just let it go?"

"No."His voice hardened."I investigated quietly.But everyone's stories matched.The pack accepted that you'd fallen, that your body had washed up weeks later.Without proof, without your testimony, I couldn't pursue it."

"And now?"

"Now you're here."He moved closer, close enough that I could smell his scent.It hit me like a physical blow,familiar and foreign all at once."Now I can protect you properly.That's another reason you're staying at the palace."

"I don't need your protection.""Three years ago you didn't think you needed it either," he said bluntly."Look how that turned out."

The words stung because they were true.I'd been naive and trusting.I'd believed my sister loved me despite her jealousy.I'd believed Zeke when he said our marriage could work.I'd been stupid.

"I'm not that person anymore," Isaid.

"I can see that."Something in his expression shifted."You're stronger now.Harder."

"I had to be."

"Tell me what happened," he said."After the fall.How did you survive?"

I didn't want to talk about it.Didn't want to relive those terrifying moments in the water, the cold certainty that I was dying, the shock of waking up in Fatima's house weeks later.But maybe he needed to know.Maybe it mattered.

"Fatima found me," I said simply."She's a fisher in Seacreek.She was checking her nets when she saw my body washed up on the shore.She pulled me out, brought me to her home, kept me alive until I woke up."

"How long were you unconscious?"

"Three months."

His eyes widened."Three months in a coma?"

"Yes.When I finally woke up, I didn't remember what happened at first.Didn't remember falling, didn't remember who I was."I swallowed

hard."The memories came back slowly.And when they did, when I remembered Layla pushing me, I knew I couldn't come back here.Especially once Fatima told me I was pregnant."

"You were already pregnant when you fell?"

"About a month along," I confirmed."I didn't know.We'd been trying but nothing had happened and I just assumed..."I trailed off.No need to finish that sentence.

Zeke's jaw worked."If you'd come back, if you'd told me-""You would have what?"I interrupted."Welcomed me with open arms while Layla was here playing house with you?While she was pregnant with your child?"

"She lost that baby," Zeke said quietly.

The information hit me sideways."What?"

"Two months after your death, she miscarried.Stress, the healers said."His expression was unreadable."Cameron came later.Almost a year after you disappeared."I did the math in my head.Cameron looked about three years old, maybe slightly younger.If Layla had miscarried and then gotten pregnant again almost a year later, the timeline made sense.But something about it felt off.I couldn't put my finger on what exactly.

"I'm sorry she lost the baby," I said, and meant it.Whatever Layla had done to me, losing a child was its own kind of hell."That must have been difficult."

"It was."Zeke moved back to his desk, putting distance between us again. "She blamed herself.Said if she hadn't been so upset about your death, if she'd taken better care of herself..."

He didn't need to finish.I understood.

"But none of that matters right now," I said firmly."What matters is finding Golden.Everything else can wait."

Zeke nodded."Agreed.I've arranged for you to see the pack healer tonight.She'll do the examination and run whatever tests are needed."

"Fine.""Until then, I'll have someone show you to your quarters.You'll be staying in the guest wing."

Not the Luna's chambers.Not anywhere close to where we used to sleep together.Good.I didn't want any reminders of what we'd had and lost.

"The guest wing is fine," I said.

He picked up his phone again but hesitated before making the call.

"Cecelia.

What?"

"I meant what I said. I will find our

son. I promise you that."

Our son. He kept saying it like that, claiming Golden as his even though he'd never met the boy, never held him, never heard his laugh or wiped away his tears. Part of me wanted to rage at him for it. Part of me was grateful.

"Just find him alive," I whispered.

"That's all I care about."

CECELIAS POV

Zeke's hand moved across the desk. For a heartbeat I thought he might try to take mine, might try to offer some gesture of comfort. But then he seemed to think better of it and pulled back. The moment passed.

He made the call. A young woman appeared within minutes, introducing herself as Beth, one of the palace staff. She gave me curious glances but was professional enough not to ask questions.

"Show Miss Mayers to the blue suite in the guest wing," Zeke instructed. "Make sure she has everything she needs."

"Yes, Alpha." Beth gestured for me to follow her.

I turned to leave but paused at the door. "Zeke."

He looked up from the papers he'd already started reviewing. Always working. Always focused on duty.

"Thank you," I said. "For helping. I know this is complicated."

"He's my son," Zeke said simply."Nothing is more important "It's more than we had before," I said.

We stood in the doorway, neither quite willing to invite the other in or walk away. The silence stretched between us, heavy with three years of absence and all the words we'd never said.

"Margaret said the test results will be ready soon," Zeke said finally.

"I know."

"I never doubted you," he added. "About Golden being mine. I just need-"than that."

I believed him. Maybe that was foolish. Maybe I should have learned my lesson about trusting this man. But when it came to Golden, I had no choice.

Beth led me through hallways that were painfully familiar yet somehow different. New paintings on the walls. Different furniture. Small changes that spoke of time passing, of life continuing without me. Pack members we passed did double takes, their shock evident on their faces. The dead Luna walking through their home like a ghost made flesh.

The blue suite was lovely, all soft colors and comfortable furniture.Nothing like the grand Luna's chambers with their heavy drapes and formal decor.This felt more like a nice hotel room than a home.

"Is there anything you need right away?" Beth asked. "Food? Fresh clothes? The Alpha mentioned you came directly from Seacreek."

"I'm fine for now," I said. My bag from Fatima's house sat by the door where someone must have brought it. Everything I owned in the world fit in one small duffel. "Thank you."

Beth nodded and left, closing the door softly behind her.

I stood alone in the blue suite, surrounded by unfamiliar luxury, and let myself feel the weight of what I'd just done. I'd walked back into the palace where I'd been betrayed, where I'd suffered, where I'd lost everything. I'd put myself at the mercy of the man who'd rejected me and the sister who'd tried to kill me For Golden. All for Golden.

I pulled out my phone and called Fatima. She answered on the first ring.

"Did he believe you?" she asked immediately.

"Yes. He's sending trackers to Seacreek right now. He'll help find Golden."

"Thank the goddess." I heard the relief in her voice. "Are you safe there?"

"As safe as I can be. Zeke's putting me in the guest quarters. He wants me to stay during the search."

"And your sister?"

"She knows I'm alive now. She's not happy about it."

Fatima made a worried sound. "Watch your back, Cecelia. That woman is dangerous."

"I know." I sat on the edge of the bed, exhaustion hitting me suddenly. "But I can handle her. I'm not the same person I was three years ago."

"No," Fatima agreed. "You're stronger now. Just don't forget that strength."

We talked for a few more minutes before I let her go. She needed to care for her own children, and I needed to prepare for whatever came next.

I unpacked my small bag, hanging up the few clothes I'd brought. One of Golden's shirts had somehow made it into my things. I held it to my face, breathing in his scent. Baby shampoo and sunshine and something uniquely Golden.

"I'm going to find you," I whispered to the empty room. "I promise,

baby. Mama's going to bring you home."

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I opened it to find a middle aged woman with kind eyes and a healer's bag.

"Miss Mayers?

I'm Healer Margaret. The Alpha asked me to examine you this evening."

Right. The paternity test. Proof that Golden was Zeke's son.

"Come in," I said, stepping aside.

Margaret set up her equipment efficiently. She drew blood, took

measurements, asked questions about my pregnancy and Golden's birth. Her manner was professional but not unkind.

"This must be difficult for you," she said as she labeled the blood vials. "Coming back after so long."

"You have no idea."

"Actually," Margaret said carefully, "I was the healer who examined you after your mating ceremony. I remember you. You were so nervous that day."

I had been. Terrified, actually. A stranger in a new pack, mated to a man I barely knew, surrounded by people who whispered about the adopted daughter who'd somehow stolen the golden son's attention.

"A lot has changed since then," I said.

"Indeed." Margaret finished packing up her supplies. "The results will take a few hours to process. I'll have them sent directly to the Alpha."

"Thank you."

She paused at the door. "For what it's worth, I hope you find your son quickly. No child should be separated from their mother."

After she left, I showered and changed into clean clothes. The hot water felt like heaven against my skin but I couldn't fully relax. Somewhere out there, Golden was alone and scared. Every minute I spent here doing nothing felt like a betrayal.

The sun had set by the time another knock came. I opened the door expecting Beth or maybe another palace staff member. Instead, I found myself face to face with zeke.

"The trackers just reported in from Seacreek," he said without preamble. "I thought you'd want to hear the update."

"Yes. What did they find?"

"Not much, unfortunately. They confirmed what you already knew. Golden's scent trail leads from the preschool to the edge of the territory, then disappears. Whoever took him

used scent blocking herbs."

My heart sank. "So we have nothing."

"We have something," Zeke corrected. "One of the teachers remembered seeing a dark colored vehicle parked near the preschool that afternoon. She didn't think anything of it at the time because parents are always coming and going. But she said it seemed out of place because she didn't recognize it."

"What kind of vehicle?"

"She couldn't say for sure. Dark, possibly black or navy blue. Larger than a sedan, smaller than a full SUV." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "It's not much but it's a start." "It's more than we had before," I said.

We stood in the doorway, neither quite willing to invite the other in or walk away. The silence stretched between us, heavy with three years of absence and all the words we'd never said.

"Margaret said the test results will be ready soon," Zeke said finally.

"I know."

"I never doubted you," he added. "About Golden being mine. I just need-""Documentation," I finished. "You said. It's fine, Zeke. I understand."

He nodded but didn't move to leave. "Are you settling in alright? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine.

"Cecelia-"

A door slammed somewhere down the hall, followed by raised voices. Layla's voice, shrill and angry, and another voice trying to calm her down.

"I should go," Zeke said. "I need to deal with that.""Of course."

He started to walk away, then turned back. "I meant what I said earlier. About protecting you. If Layla tries anything, if anyone makes you feel unsafe here, you tell me immediately. Understood?"

"Understood."

He left then, his footsteps echoing down the hallway toward where Layla's voice had come from. I closed my door and leaned against it, my heart pounding.

This was going to be harder than I thought. Being here, seeing Zeke,pretending I didn't feel anything when he was close. The mate bond we'd rejected three years ago still hummed between us, fainter than before but present. Like a scar that

ached in cold weather.

I moved to the window and looked out over the palace grounds. Somewhere beyond these walls, my son was waiting for me to find him.

That was what mattered. Not the past, not old feelings, not the complicated mess of Zeke and Layla and everything that had happened.

Just Golden. Just bringing my baby home.

A soft sound made me turn. Someone had slid an envelope under my door while I'd been at the window. I picked it up with shaking hands.

Inside was a single photograph. Golden, sitting in what looked like a concrete room, his little face streaked with

tears. He was holding today's newspaper. Proof of life.

On the back, written in block letters: STOP LOOKING OR THE NEXT PHOTO WON'T BE SO PLEASANT.

I must have made a sound because suddenly Beth was at my door, knocking urgently. "Miss Mayers? Are you alright?"

I opened the door, the photo clutched in my hand. "Get Zeke. Now."

She saw my face and ran. Zeke arrived within minutes, Layla forgotten. He took one look at the photo and his expression went deadly cold.

"When did this arrive?" he demanded.

"Just now. Someone slid it under my door."

He examined the envelope carefully. "No postage. Hand delivered." His eyes met mine. "Someone in this palace took this photo and brought it here. Someone inside my pack is working with whoever took Golden."

The implications crashed over me.We weren't just looking for outside kidnappers. The enemy was already inside the gates.

And they knew exactly where to find me.

CECELIAS POV

The photograph sat on Zeke's desk between us like a live grenade. Golden's tear-streaked face stared up at me, and each time I looked at it, something twisted violently in my chest. My baby. Someone had my baby in a concrete room and was making him cry.

"We're reviewing security footage from every entrance," Zeke said, his voice clipped and professional. He'd switched into full Alpha mode the moment he saw the photo,

barking orders through his phone, summoning guards and trackers."Whoever delivered this will be identified within the hour."

I couldn't take my eyes off Golden's face. "He looks so scared."

"We'll find him, Cecelia."

"You keep saying that." My voice came out sharper than I intended. "But we're no closer than we were yesterday. Someone walked right up to my door in your palace and left a threat, and you didn't even know they were here."

Zeke's jaw tightened but he didn't argue. He couldn't. The breach was inexcusable and we both knew it.

A knock interrupted us. Healer Margaret entered without waiting for permission, her expression grave. She carried a folder thick with papers.

"Alpha, I have the results from Miss Mayers' examination."

"And?" Zeke's tone left no room for delay.

Margaret opened the folder, though I suspected she'd already memorized every detail. "The blood work confirms that Miss Mayers

gave birth approximately three years and four months ago.The genetic markers match those we have on file from her previous medical records when she was Luna here."

"So Golden is definitely mine," Zeke said.

"Biologically, yes. The child would share fifty percent of his genetic material with you based on Miss Mayers' DNA." Margaret hesitated. "There's something else, Alpha. During the examination, I found evidence of significant trauma to Miss Mayers' body. Old injuries that never healed correctly."

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.I didn't want to talk about this, didn't want Zeke to know how broken I'd been after the fall.

"What kind of injuries?" Zeke asked, his eyes moving to me.

"Fractured ribs that set improperly. Damage to her left lung that suggests she aspirated a significant amount of water. Scarring consistent with near drowning." Margaret's voice gentled. "Miss Mayers, these injuries should have been treated immediately after they occurred.The fact that they weren't has caused permanent damage."

"I was unconscious for three months," I said flatly. "By the time I woke up, everything had already healed wrong."

Zeke stood abruptly, turning to face the window. His shoulders were rigid. "Can anything be done now?"

"Some of the damage can be corrected with surgery," Margaret said. "The ribs can be rebroken and reset. Physical therapy might improve her lung capacity. But she'll always have limitations she didn't have before."

"I'm fine," I insisted. "I've managed for three years. I can keep managing."

"You shouldn't have to just manage," Margaret said firmly. "These injuries cause you pain, don't they? Difficulty breathing when you exert yourself?"

I didn't answer. The truth was yes, my ribs ached when the weather changed and sometimes I couldn't take a full breath without feeling like something was pressing against my chest. But I'd learned to live with it. You learned to live with a lot of things when you had no other choice

"We'll schedule the surgery after we find Golden," Zeke said, still facing the window. "For now, Margaret, I need you to document everything. Every injury, every medical issue. I want a complete record."

"Of course, Alpha." Margaret closed her folder. "Miss Mayers, if you experience any acute pain or difficulty breathing, you're to notify me immediately. Is that understood?""Yes."

After Margaret left, the silence in the office felt suffocating. Zeke remained at the window, his back to me. I could see his reflection in the glass, his expression harder than stone.

"You nearly died," he said finally.

"But I didn't."

"You could have." He turned to face me. "You were pregnant and alone with injuries that should have killed you. You spent three months in a coma with no one but a stranger to care for you.""Fatima isn't a stranger anymore.She saved my life."

"She shouldn't have had to." Zeke moved closer, and I saw something raw in his eyes that I couldn't name. "You should have been here. Safe. With proper medical care and pack protection."

"I was here," I reminded him. "That's how I ended up with those injuries in the first place."

The words hit their mark. Zeke flinched like I'd struck him. Good. He needed to remember that his palace hadn't been safe for me. His pack hadn't protected me. His sister in law had pushed me off a cliff and he'd been too busy with Layla to notice anything was wrong.

"I know," he said quietly. "I know this is my fault."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." He sat back down at his desk, suddenly looking exhausted. "If I'd been paying attention, if I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own guilt and grief over choosing you instead of Layla, I would have seen the danger. I would have protected

you."

"You can't rewrite the past, Zeke."

"No. But I can make sure nothing like that happens again." His phone buzzed and he glanced at it. "The trackers are ready to give their report from Seacreek. They're waiting in the conference room."

I stood immediately. "Let's go."

The conference room was filled with wolves I didn't recognize, all wearing the Brooke Pack insignia. They stood when Zeke entered, their eyes sliding to me with barely concealed curiosity. The dead Luna,

back from the grave. I wondered how long it would take before the novelty wore off.

Ryder, the head tracker, stepped forward. "Alpha. Miss Mayers." He nodded to each of us in turn. "We've completed our search of Seacreek territory."

"What did you find?" I asked before Zeke could.

Ryder pulled out a tablet, pulling up a map covered in colored markers. "The boy's scent trail starts here at the preschool. It leads through the main street, past the market, and into the residential area." His finger traced the path. "Then it stops here, at the edge of the forest border."

"Stops?" Zeke leaned forward. "You mean it fades?"

"No, Alpha. It stops completely. As if he vanished into thin air." Ryder swiped to another screen showing chemical analysis. "We found traces of wolfsbane and mountain ash at the location where the scent ends. Someone used scent blocking herbs to mask the trail."

My stomach dropped. Whoever took Golden knew what they were doing. This wasn't some opportunistic kidnapping. It was planned, executed with precision.