"Find Bria," my wolf growled, lashing out inside of me to break free from my control. He seized inside my body, throwing and shoving at my insides. "Find mate now. We need her. We need to protect her."

I crumpled Bria's note in my hand and cut my claws into the thin paper, fury rushing through my entire being. Teeth lengthening into sharp canines, fingernails extending into deadly claws, my wolf ached for control.

If I gave it to him, he'd make senseless fucking choices. He wasn't in the right mind, but hell, neither was I. Our mate was gone. And I might've known the real reason why she left, but I still couldn't stop thinking about how she left me.

After I waited years for her.

My heart was breaking, shattering, fucking destroying me.

Bria left me, and I wasn't doing a thing about it. I was just wallowing in my self-pity.

Someone knocked on my office door, then pushed it open. Mom grasped onto the handle for dear life as she stepped into the room. Her torso was wrapped in bandages, yet she didn't show a single bit of pain on her face.

She never did.

She closed the door behind her and frowned at me. "Callum."

"She went with them willingly, Mom," I said through gritted teeth, hands balled into tight fists. "She traded her life for our safety, because she didn't think we would be able to defeat them. And we couldn't. I fucking couldn't."

"Callum," she said, moving closer. "It's not your fault."

"I couldn't protect my mate," I said, my anger fading away and my voice becoming throaty and hoarse. My chest tightened.

If anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself. I would never be able to lead my pack as an alpha, knowing that I let my mate—who I waited decades for—trade her life to protect my people—who she barely knew—and me.

"It's what any caring and worthy luna would do," Mom said.

"She barely even knows anyone or what lunas do. She knows nothing about being a wolf. I haven't taught her enough. I should've drilled it into her. I should've forced her to learn, to train, to be with our pack more often."

Mom smiled. "She doesn't have to know what lunas do, nor the rules most alphas make their lunas follow, like caring for their pack. Strong lunas lead by example. They do what's right for the group, instead of just for her."

I shook my head and cursed underneath my breath, knowing that she was right. Bria must've thought that sacrificing herself was the only way to stop the madness, but still, it didn't feel right. I should've been there tonight, not fucking ignoring her.

She was mine.

She belonged to me. Not him.

And I refused to let Thiago torture her for eternity, to take her wolf away from her, to force her to live in fear forever. Bria might've been the luna of this pack, but she was my long-awaited mate. I would get her back, even if it killed me.

"But you're the alpha, Callum," Mom said. "Alphas might do anything to protect their pack, but they would also sacrifice everything to protect their mate. Whatever you're planning on doing, know that I support you. I want to do everything in my power to protect you, but I know you'll run off to find her either way. You're my only son. Be safe."

"I will."

Storming out of my destroyed office and to the others gathered downstairs, I faced my pack. They knew that Bria was gone, and they had probably heard me going fucking crazy upstairs, but... fuck.

Nobody dared to say a word.

"Running to The Council's pack to retrieve Bria is dangerous," I said, clenching my jaw.

Part of me wished that I didn't always lead by example, that I didn't take all those One Alpha lessons to heart, that I forced people to do what I wanted them to do. But I wasn't like Thiago, and maybe that would kill Bria. I would have to fucking live with that shit.

"Thiago's pack won't go easy on us. They'll try to kill us, and they might succeed. If you don't want to come with me, stay back. We've been attacked. I understand that you're wounded, but I'm leaving. I won't let my mate trade her life for us."

After a couple moments of silence, I inhaled sharply, pushed my shoulders back, and walked to the front door to leave my pack behind and find my mate. When I reached the door, I yanked it back with such ferocity, my wolf slowly taking control, that I ripped the door right off its hinges.

"Hey," Beta Milo shouted, following me toward the door along with a group of warriors. "You're not going alone. Bria might've not transformed into a wolf yet, but she's still our luna. She's sacrificed her life for all of us, not just you."

I glanced back at the warriors, catching Jasmine and Levi not bickering for once and standing tall beside Adan's pack warriors, who looked ready for any battle that Thiago could throw at them.

"We're coming too," Jasmine said, glancing over at Levi. "Bria's our friend."

"Me too," Adan said, glancing back at his warriors. "I know the ins and outs of that place. They're lacking security on the northern border. I've snuck in with my warriors many times before to retrieve Bria, medication, and intel. They have a science wing toward the west. And their security room is on the upper level."

After looking back at my warriors, I transformed into my wolf and turned toward the forest, howling to the moon that had risen some time ago. "Then we run, find Bria, and destroy The Council for good."