The gates of a dim, gloomy house creaked open. The walls were dull, and the air held a somber weight. Everything seemed steeped in darkness, emanating an unsettling aura, as if some tragedy had occurred here.

Collin carefully lowered Ashlee onto the sofa, her body showing signs of distress—her feet, arms, and even her neck were bruised. How had she been running so recklessly?

“Are you hungry?” he asked gently, kneeling in front of her.

“No, thank you,” she whispered, her eyes scanning the room. It was nothing like Kyle’s mansion. This place felt heavy with sorrow, as if demons themselves had once lingered here. Why did it feel so mournful?

“Something to drink?” he asked again, offering his hand to hers. She flinched, startled by his sudden gesture.

“Uh… yeah. Maybe just a glass of water,” she replied, pulling her hand back from his grip. Collin sighed, understanding the need to give her some space.

“I’ll bring you water and some ointments. You should rest,” he said, offering her a soft smile before turning to leave.

His smile looked almost sad to Ashlee. She murmured quietly to herself, “What a sad smile…” Alone in the room, her curiosity grew. Why was this place so mysterious, so shrouded in darkness? And where were the people? Collin had mentioned a pack, but she saw no one else here. She stood up from the couch.

Wincing from the pain, she tiptoed across the room, pausing to admire the paintings and photographs adorning the walls. One photograph in particular caught her eye. It depicted a beautiful young woman, smiling warmly. Collin stood beside her, laughing as he held her close.

“Maybe this was his mate,” she mused, nodding to herself as she tried to make sense of it all.

“You are right,” a voice startled her from behind. Collin stood there, his smile fading into something more somber as he placed a glass of water and some ointments down. “She was my mate,” he added, his voice tinged with sorrow.

“Huh? What do you mean, ‘was’ your mate?” Ashlee asked, her confusion growing. “Who is it now?”

“No one,” he replied quietly, his gaze fixed on the photograph. “We can only have one mate in life. And to my misfortune, she is no longer here.”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Ashlee stammered, instinctively apologizing for his loss. “How… how did it happen?” She stared at him, but when he met her gaze, she quickly added, “If you don’t mind telling me. Of course, you don’t have to, if it’s too painful.”

Collin sighed, his expression darkening. “Kyle killed her.”

Ashlee froze. “Wh… what did you just say?”

“Ashlee’s not in the room,” Derion huffed, his breaths heavy as he braced himself against his knees, trying to regain composure after the frantic search. He was on his way to update Kyle.

“What the hell are you talking about? Where else could she be?” Kyle responded, frustration seeping into his voice. He had suspected Ashlee might do something like this out of anger, but he didn’t expect her to regain consciousness so quickly.

“We don’t know. The window was open, and part of her dress was caught on the window blocker. We think she jumped,” Derion explained, standing straighter, trying to steady his breath.

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“What?!” Kyle shouted, a mix of disbelief and anger in his voice. “She jumped from the third floor? Is she even in her right mind? Find her now! She must have gone into the jungle.” He knew she’d avoid the main gate; the guards would have stopped her there.

Derion nodded and immediately rushed off to organize a search. Kyle moved toward Ashlee’s room, confirming what Derion had said. He could smell her scent near the window.

Tracking her scent would be easier than shouting for her through the entire forest. Kyle quickly assembled his pack and led them into the woods to find his Luna. However, they reached a point where her scent abruptly disappeared.

“There’s no lake, no water—nothing to explain why her scent vanished,” Derion said, furrowing his brow. “How could this be?”

“It wasn’t just her,” Kyle muttered, his expression hardening. “Collin Foster took her. I’ve had my suspicions about him, and now he’s confirmed them.” His voice was low, filled with rage. The mistake Collin made by not erasing his scent had essentially declared war.

“The war is on,” Kyle declared, his voice echoing through the air. “But remember, it’s for our Luna.” His pack members nodded resolutely, their loyalty unquestioned.

Ashlee turned her head to see Collin standing with his back to her, still focused on the photograph of his mate. She couldn’t reconcile the image of the beautiful woman with the thought that Kyle could have killed her. Why would he do that?

“I… I think you might be mistaken,” Ashlee said, trying to reassure him. “Kyle would never do that.” But even as she said the words, she found herself unsure.

“No, Ashlee,” Collin said, his voice cold and detached. “I’m not mistaken. He killed her. She died in my arms, and her last words were his name. It was him who killed her.”

Ashlee shook her head in disbelief. “No. No, you’re lying. Kyle would never do that.”

“How can you be so sure?” Collin asked, his voice tinged with bitterness.

“What?” Ashlee stammered, taken aback by his question. Why wouldn’t she be sure? She knew Kyle… right?

“Tell me, Ashlee,” Collin pressed. “Why were you running away from him in the first place?”

“How do you know I was running away from him?” Ashlee’s suspicion flared. How did he know that?

“Kyle is not who you think he is,” Collin said, his voice hardening. “I know you’re kind and beautiful, and you think everyone else should be the same. But he isn’t. This wasn’t the first time he slept with someone other than you.” He spat the words like poison, uncaring about the pain they caused. His focus wasn’t on her feelings; it was on making her see the truth.

“Alpha Collin!” Zoe rushed in, her voice filled with urgency. “We’ve sensed another pack approaching our territory.”

Collin turned toward Zoe, his attention momentarily shifting from Ashlee. “What’s wrong, Zoe?”

Zoe’s eyes briefly met Ashlee’s. In that moment, Zoe felt a pang in her chest. So, Collin had finally brought her home.

“It’s the war,” Zoe said, her voice heavy with dread. “They’re here.”

“Ashlee,” Collin said, turning back to her. “I would appreciate it if you stay here and remain out of sight for now.”

Ashlee didn’t seem in the state to argue. Collin gently held her hands, his cold grip tightening as he met her gaze. “Please, stay here.”

Zoe, sensing the tension, quietly excused herself and left the two alone. Ashlee sank onto the couch, her body too weak to resist.

“Okay,” Ashlee whispered, her voice barely audible as she slumped back, her legs unable to hold her up.

Collin closed the door behind him, locking it with a soft click. The room was now completely dark, the dim light from the windows swallowed by the curtains. Ashlee was left alone in the silence.

“Rushing never leads to success,” Collin’s voice rang out, his words directed toward the Warbite pack, who stood in full force before him.

“The hell with that, Collin! Where is Ashlee?” Kyle shouted, holding back the urge to lash out at his old friend.

“I’m afraid she doesn’t want to meet you,” Collin replied, eyeing the members of the Warbite pack as he spoke.

“Cut the crap, Collin!” Kyle snarled, his patience wearing thin. “Unless you want to die from my hands, I suggest you hand her over.” Kyle’s tone was laced with restrained fury. He didn’t want a full-blown fight over something so trivial, but Collin was pushing him to the edge.

“I think I’ve made my intentions clear by leaving my scent. We’re not backing down,” Collin said, his stubbornness unwavering. Something was off, but the pieces didn’t quite fit. There was more to this than he was letting on.

“I know it’s not just about Ashlee, Collin,” Kyle said, his voice calm but firm. “What’s really going on here?”

Collin’s expression darkened, and he took a deep breath. “I still remember the day, Kyle. The day you killed Sybil.”

Kyle’s face paled, disbelief flashing in his eyes. “What?” he whispered, more shocked that Sybil was dead than the accusation of his involvement in her death. “I would never kill Sybil.”