The storm arrived with perfect timing.
Rain lashed against the windows of the pack hospital as I carefully measured the white powder into the coffee pot. Three tablets each—enough to knock out the guards without raising suspicion. My hands trembled, not from fear but from the pain radiating from my surgery scar where Lucas had kicked me.
"Mom?" Riley's voice was barely a whisper. She lay propped against the pillows, her face pale and bruised from being thrown against the wall. "What are you doing?"
I turned to her, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Getting us out of here, sweetheart."
The thunder outside provided cover as I carried the coffee tray down the hallway. The two guards nodded appreciatively as I offered them the steaming cups.
"Thought you might need something warm in this weather," I said, my heart hammering against my ribs.
They drank deeply, never questioning why the Luna would personally serve them coffee. Within minutes, their eyes grew heavy.
"I don't feel right," one mumbled, slumping against the wall.
"Just rest," I soothed, catching him before he hit the floor. "You'll feel better soon."
By the time I returned to Riley's room, the entire wing had fallen silent. The storm intensified, lightning splitting the sky as I helped Riley into a wheelchair.
"We have to hurry," I whispered, pushing her down the service corridor toward the loading dock.
The supply van waited exactly where I'd left it—keys conveniently "borrowed" from the motor pool. I lifted Riley into the passenger seat, wincing as my scar protested the strain.
"Are we going to make it?" Riley asked, her eyes wide with fear and hope.
I squeezed her hand before starting the engine. "We have to."
The van lurched forward into the rain-slicked night. Adrenaline surged through my veins, momentarily dulling the pain in my side. The storm was our ally, obscuring our escape as we sped toward the border.
"We're going to see the Lycan King," I explained as we drove, the wipers struggling against the downpour. "He's an old friend. He'll help us."
Riley's eyes widened. "Parker Griffin? The one you grew up with?"
I nodded, remembering the tall, serious boy who'd been my closest friend before Lucas claimed me as his mate. "He's the only one strong enough to stand against Lucas."
For a moment, hope flickered between us like the lightning outside. Then the headlights appeared in my rearview mirror.
"Mom..." Riley's voice trembled as she turned to look behind us.
I pressed the accelerator harder, but the van was no match for the pursuing motorcycles. They surrounded us, forcing me to skid to a halt in the mud just yards from the border.
"Run," I told Riley, but it was too late.
The doors were wrenched open. Rough hands dragged us into the mud as lightning illuminated our attackers—Lucas's elite enforcers, the Shadow Pack he'd kept hidden from the rest of us.
"The Alpha sends his regards," the lead enforcer snarled, pressing a silver blade against my throat. "Can't have loose ends running to the Lycan King."
Riley screamed as another enforcer grabbed her hair, exposing her neck. "Please," she begged. "We won't tell anyone."
"Too late for that," the man said, raising his knife.
A deafening roar shook the ground beneath us, so powerful that even the thunder seemed to pause. The enforcers froze, their heads snapping toward the treeline.
A massive shape burst through the trees—midnight black and impossibly large. Parker Griffin in his Lycan form stood over eight feet tall, his eyes blazing gold with fury.
The enforcers scrambled to defend themselves, but Parker moved with terrifying speed. His massive claws tore through the first attacker before he could even raise his weapon. Blood sprayed across the mud as Parker ripped through the enforcers like paper.
None of them stood a chance. None of them even came close to landing a blow.
When it was over, five bodies lay still in the mud. Parker stood over them, his chest heaving, before turning to face us.
Slowly, he shifted back to human form. His naked body gleamed with rain and blood as he approached us with measured steps.
"Elena," he said, my name a prayer on his lips.
I rose shakily to my feet, drawing Riley behind me. "Parker..."
He stopped before me, his golden eyes burning into mine. Something electric passed between us—a recognition so profound it took my breath away.
"Mine," he growled, the word reverberating through my very bones.
My wolf, dormant for so long, suddenly howled within me. Not weak or damaged as I'd thought, but powerful and alive, responding to her true mate.
Parker's nostrils flared as he inhaled my scent. "Second Chance Mate," he murmured, reaching out to touch my face with trembling fingers.
The bond between us ignited like wildfire, far stronger than anything I'd ever felt with Lucas. Parker's eyes glowed brighter as he lifted us both into his waiting SUV, his arms strong and protective around us.
"Let's go home," he said, his voice deep with promise. "Both of you."
