Lennox''s POV


    Six hours.


    Six fucking hours.


    And yet—nothing.


    The warriors came back empty.


    The elite trackers came back empty.


    The seers from the other packs all said the same thing:


    "Their location is blocked. The Shadow Fangs have sealed them. We cannot see anything."


    Louis and Levi even contacted our allies, asked them to search their borders, their hidden tunnels, every damn corner of theirnds.


    Still nothing.


    "Fuck," I growled and mmed my fist into the wall. The stone cracked, but it didn''t make me feel any better. I was so damn useless. So fucking useless.


    Six hours… and my boys—my little sons—were out there with monsters.


    Six hours… and we still had no clue where they were.


    Six hours… and time was burning fast.


    I stared at my legs.


    My pathetic, lifeless legs.


    If only I had them back…


    If only I could fucking stand…


    If only I could shift…


    If only I had my wolf…


    I gripped the wheelchair arm so hard my knuckles popped.


    "This is pathetic," I muttered. "I''m their father. I should be out there tearing the world apart—not sitting here like a cripple."


    Feeling suffocated in my room, I wheeled myself out, down the corridor, then to the living room, where I met Levi and Louis with some men… men I didn''t recognize.


    The moment they noticed my presence, they all looked my way. Their eyes moved from my face…


    to my legs…


    to the wheelchair.


    And just like that, I felt it—the look I hated more than pity.


    Doubt.


    Levi cleared his throat. "We… uh… didn''t hear youing."


    "Obviously," I muttered, wheeling forward.


    The men straightened, lowering their heads respectfully.


    Louis stepped toward me. "These are elite trackers from the SilverMount Pack. They offered their help."


    I nodded and got closer while Louis continued exining, "They im they know where the Shadow Fangs might be hiding. They tracked one of their members weeks ago but lost the trail. But they remember the general direction—toward the North Ridge caves."


    I narrowed my eyes. "How did they track him?"


    One of the elite trackers stepped forward. "We followed a rogue who carried the same symbol on the card you showed us. He was fast—strong too—but we saw the path he took before he vanished. We believe the hideout is somewhere there."


    I nodded slowly. "So what''s the n?"


    Levi answered instantly. "Me and Louis are marching there with our best armies. We''ll attack them head-on."


    I looked at the so-called elite trackers again. Really looked.


    Their posture was too stiff. Their breathing too controlled. Their eyes too calm. Their bodies too rxed for men iming to have chased a Shadow Fang before.


    Something was off.


    "Levi. Louis," I said sharply. "Let''s have a word. Outside."


    Levi rolled his eyes immediately. "Seriously? Now?"


    Louis grabbed his arm. "Levi. Move."


    We stepped farther down the hallway, out of earshot.


    The moment we were alone, I faced them. "There is something wrong with those five men."


    Levi scoffed loudly. "Oh, here we go—"


    I snapped, "Shut up and let me talk. I may be crippled… useless… stuck in this damn wheelchair… but my instincts? My brain? My observations? They''re not gone. And clearly you don''t have one."


    Levi stepped forward in anger. "I''m not doing this with you. I''m leaving."


    Louis grabbed him again. "Levi, stop it. Listen to him."


    I exhaled sharply. "Those men might be setting a trap. The Shadow Fangs never allow outsiders to follow them. Never. They kill witnesses immediately. Yet you''re telling me these random men chased one and survived?"


    Louis froze slightly.


    Levi clenched his fists. "They are elite warriors. Their Alpha is loyal to us. They wouldn''t dare betray—"


    "People change," I cut in coldly. "Take you for example."


    Levi stiffened. "What… the fuck is that supposed to mean?"


    So many things rose in my throat.


    How he changed from the sweet brother I grew up with…


    How the anger in him grew…


    How I sometimes looked at him and no longer saw the brother I loved, but a stranger…


    But I didn''t say any of it.


    Instead, I forced my voice to be steady. "Levi, those men could be leading you straight into a trap. And I will not let you two fall for it."


    He scoffed again, full of disbelief. "Okay then, Lennox. What do you, the all-knowing, all-smart Lennox, suggest? Go on. Enlighten us."


    It was mockery. But I ignored it.


    "You two will NOT follow the army," I said. "You will stay several miles behind. I will go with the main warriors."


    Louis''s eyes widened. "Lennox, you can''t—"


    "I can," I cut in. "And I will. If it''s a trap… better me than you."


    Levi red at me, his jaw tight, eyes dark. "You can''t even walk, Lennox. How the hell do you think you''re going to protect yourself… or anyone?"


    I looked him dead in the eyes.


    "If I die, you two live. And the boys still have their fathers."


    Louis exhaled shakily, torn.


    Levi''s jaw tightened. "I''m not buying this trap nonsense. Their Alpha is under us. Loyal to us. His men can''t betray us. And if they do—" his eyes darkened, "—we''ll wipe off his entire pack."


    I stared at him. "And if you are DEAD, Levi? Tell me—how exactly will you wipe them out from the grave?"


    He froze.


    Just for a second.


    But I saw it.


    Louis said nothing, but his eyes flickered—like he was thinking the same thing I was thinking.


    Levi turned sharply to him. "Louis. Don''t tell me you''re falling for this shit."


    Louis didn''t answer.


    He just looked at me… then at the ground… then back to Levi.


    Levi scoffed angrily. "Louis? Seriously? You can''t be considering—"


    "Levi, stop," Louis finally said, his voice steady but tired. "You can''t make that decision by yourself."


    "I''m not asking you—" Levi started.


    Louis cut him off. "We''re three Alphas. Three. Not one. Not two. And majority carries the vote."


    Levi''s whole body stiffened. "Louis—"


    "I trust Lennox''s tactics," Louis continued. "You know he''s always right about battle patterns. You know he sees things we don''t. His instincts have saved our pack countless times… even when we doubted him." He swallowed. "And I''m not doubting him now."


    Levi''s eyes widened in disbelief. "So you''re choosing him?"


    "I''m choosing logic," Louis said quietly.


    Levi turned to me then—slowly—like he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    His voice cracked. "It''s two against one?"


    I nodded once. "Majority carries the vote."