Rolex’s POV
Something was wrong.
I felt it the moment the sky darkened, the moment the air shifted around me like a whisper of warning.
Xavier was late. Too late.
He told me he was going to follow Lucas, and I let him go, thinking he could handle himself. But now? Hours had passed, and there was no word from him. No calls. No texts.
And Xavier wasn’t the type to disappear.
A deep unease settled in my gut, my instincts screaming at me.
Something had happened.
I pushed off the couch, grabbing my jacket and heading for the door. Nathan and Sean were in the living room, both tense, their eyes flickering to me the second I moved.
Sean frowned. “Where are you going?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Xavier’s missing.”
Nathan scoffed, leaning back against the wall. “He’s Xavier. He probably got into an argument with Mia and needed time to cool off.”
I didn’t have the patience for this. “No. He followed Lucas, and now he’s gone.”
That wiped the smirk off Nathan’s face.
Sean stood immediately, his brows furrowing. “You think something happened?”
“I know something happened.” My jaw tightened. “I need you two to check the area near the estate, see if he came back without us knowing. I’m going after him.”
Nathan pushed off the wall. “I’ll go with you.”
“No.” I grabbed my coat, already heading for the door. “I need you to stay close to Mia. If something’s wrong with Lucas, he might come after her next.”
Nathan hesitated before nodding.
Sean exhaled. “Be careful.”
I didn’t answer. I was already out the door. The deeper I went into the forest, the worse the feeling in my chest became.
Something was pulling me forward, something I couldn’t explain-an instinct, a gut feeling, a warning.
The trees around me were dense, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and… something else.
Blood.
I stiffened, my wolf on high alert.
Then I saw it.
A trail-subtle, but there. A faint path through the undergrowth, leading deeper into the woods.
Xavier had been here.
I moved quickly, following the path, my heart hammering. The scent of blood grew stronger, but it wasn’t Xavier’s. It was-
Shit.
A low growl rumbled behind me.
I spun around just in time to see them-rogues.
Three. No-four.
Their bodies were tense, their eyes locked onto me like I was their next meal.
I let out a slow breath, rolling my shoulders. “You picked the wrong night.”
The first one lunged.
I moved before he could reach me, twisting to the side and slamming my elbow into his ribs. He let out a sharp yelp, but before I could finish him off, the second one came at me from behind.
Fast. But not fast enough.
I ducked, sweeping my leg under him and knocking him to the ground.
The other two hesitated, baring their teeth, waiting for an opening.
I smirked. “Come on, then.”
They didn’t need to be told twice.
They lunged together.
I dodged, twisted, countered-fists colliding with flesh, claws scraping against my jacket, adrenaline roaring through me as I fought them off.
It wasn’t until I grabbed the last one by the throat and slammed him into the ground that I realized-
They weren’t trying to kill me.
They were trying to stall me.
My chest heaved as I looked down at the rogue beneath me, my fingers tightening around his throat. “Where is he?” I growled.
The rogue wheezed, his eyes filled with something I didn’t like-something close to amusement.
“You’re too late.” His voice was a rasp, a sneer. “Your Alpha is already ours.”
My stomach twisted.
I didn’t hesitate.
I snapped his neck.
Then I was running, following the trail of blood and broken leaves, my heart pounding in my ears.
I had to find Xavier.
Before it really was too late. The moment the last rogue’s body hit the ground, I didn’t stop to catch my breath.
Xavier was here somewhere. I could feel it.
The scent of his blood-faint but unmistakable-mixed with the damp, decayed scent of rogues. My wolf snarled inside me, pushing, demanding that I move faster.
I crashed through the undergrowth, my claws extending, every muscle in my body coiled and ready. If they had laid a single finger on him, I was going to tear them apart.
The path opened into a clearing-a dark, abandoned campsite, half-hidden by trees and mist. A few makeshift torches flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows against a rusted metal cage in the center.
And inside that cage-
Xavier.
My breath locked in my throat.
He was slumped against the bars, his body still, his face bruised. His wrists were chained behind him, blood smeared along his shirt like they had beat him into submission.
Rage blinded me.
I stepped forward, my entire body vibrating with fury, ready to rip every single one of them apart-
But then-
A slow clap echoed through the clearing.
I stopped.
A figure emerged from the darkness, his footsteps deliberate, mocking.
And then I saw him.
Lucas.
Or rather-the imposter wearing Lucas’ face.
Except this time, he didn’t bother with the disguise.
A black mask covered the lower half of his face, but his silver eyes gleamed through the dim firelight, sharp and filled with amusement. His features-though similar to the real Lucas-were twisted, wrong, something about him sending every alarm in my body ringing.
“Rolex,” he drawled, tilting his head. “Took you long enough.”
My fangs bared. “Let him go.”
His chuckle was low, almost delighted. “And here I thought you’d be smarter than your brother.”
I took a step forward, my claws glinting under the weak moonlight. “I don’t like repeating myself.”
The rogue guards shifted, but they didn’t attack. Not yet. They were waiting for their leader’s command.
Lucas-or whoever the hell he was-sighed dramatically. “You alphas. Always so predictable.” He shook his head, stepping closer to the cage. “You think this is about you? About your precious brotherhood?”
My hands curled into fists.
He crouched beside the bars, reaching through to grab Xavier’s hair, jerking his head up so I could see his face.
Xavier’s eyes were half-open, glazed with exhaustion, but he was awake-barely.
I took another step forward, my voice lethal. “Touch him again, and I’ll rip your arms off.”
The masked man laughed.
And that’s when I realized-he wanted me angry.
He was toying with me.
“Relax,” he mused, letting go of Xavier’s hair. “He’s not dead. Not yet, anyway.”
I fought the urge to lunge. “What the hell do you want?”
His silver eyes flickered, gleaming with something dark and twisted.
“I want Mia.”
Everything inside me froze.
He smiled beneath the mask, sensing my reaction. “Oh, you didn’t know?” His voice was dripping with satisfaction. “I found her first. A year ago, in the woods.”
My stomach twisted. “You’re lying.”
He tsked, shaking his head. “Am I?” He gestured lazily. “She doesn’t remember, of course. But I saw her, even before she shifted. Before she even knew what she was.”
He took a slow step toward me.
“She’s the key, Rolex. She’s the White Wolf. And I plan to have her. Fully, completely.”
A snarl ripped from my throat.
He smirked. “But first, I need to get rid of all the obstacles in my way.”
And then-before I could react-pain exploded at the back of my skull.
A sharp, searing impact crashed against my head, and the world tilted.
I hit the ground hard, my vision swimming, darkness creeping at the edges.
The last thing I saw was Xavier still trapped in the cage-
And the masked man standing over me, his voice echoing in my skull before everything went black.
“Welcome to the game, Rolex.”