Aidan.
I was standing in the dim hallway just outside Damien's bedroom, my hands shoved deep into my pockets as I tried to force my brain to stop spinning.
The silence in the corridor felt heavy and wrong. Inside that room, Maria was lying unconscious, her life hanging by a thread because of an incomplete bond. And down the hall, Anabel was locked away, carrying a secret that was threatening to tear our entire family apart.
My chest ached with a crushing weight I couldn't shake off. As the oldest, I was supposed to keep this pack together. I was supposed to protect my siblings, maintain order, and keep my mate—Maria safe.
Right now, I felt like everything was slipping right through my fingers.
The heavy thud of quick, rushed footsteps shattered the quiet.
I snapped my head up, my eyes narrowing as one of our head guards came hurrying down the hallway toward me. His face was pale, cold sweat glistening on his forehead.
