He turned and wove through the ballroom with quiet authority, people parting without realizing they had. I followed half a step behind, heart hammering.
“Vincent is not a good listener,” he said under his breath as we reached the staircase. “My beta is struggling to get him to follow her. If you could assist, that would be helpful.”
“My phone’s in the car,” I muttered, suddenly aware of how stupid that was.
He glanced at me.
“Then walk faster. You can use my husband’s.”
We climbed the stairs two at a time. By the second floor, my lungs burned.
The hallway was dark and quiet except for the sound of running water. At the end, a door stood cracked open, light spilling across the floor.
I didn’t think.
I ran.
The door slammed against the wall as I shoved it open.
And there she was.
My beautiful little doll, limp across another man’s thighs. For half a second, my brain refused to process it.
Her dress was peeled halfway down, exposing her chest. Her dark hair was soaked. The man holding her wore a white button-down and orange slacks, sleeves rolled to his elbows. One hand supported her jaw. The other pressed between her breasts.
She was completely unresponsive.
And through the bond—
Nothing.
Nofear.
No pain.
That kind of silence only came from something irreversible.
The man in orange leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers.
“Get off—”
His head snapped up. Long blond hair slid over his shoulder.
“She’s not breathing,” he snapped. “If I stop, she stops. If you’re going to panic, leave. If you’re bonded, get over here.”
The words cut through the red haze.
I dropped to my knees beside them so fast the tile bit into my skin.
Up close, she looked worse.
Her lips were dusky. Her lashes rested too peacefully against skin drained of color. Her chest only rose when he breathed for her.
My hands fumbled at my buttons.
“Violet refused to let one of our alphas mark her,” I said hoarsely. “Her bond’s been rotting.”
“I’d say so,” the man replied evenly. “She’s hypoxic. Autonomic response is unstable. If proximity helps, she needs direct contact.”
