SUN
After Anzo throws out his question, he straightens up, crosses his arms over his chest, and says,
Then he turns and walks out of the room.
I burst out laughing, but it sounds nervous and silly.
"What? I don’t have any power, Ragnar. Anzo’s completely lost it. I’m just a regular alpha!"
Ragnar’s voice is quiet. "You’re not regular."
I don’t answer, biting my lip. The truth is, if I really am a True Mate to a purple alpha, then I’m not just a normal specimen.
A rose alpha? That might not be the precise term, either.
Still, the fact that all rose omegas seem to have some kind of special ability, however faint, suggests I might have something too. But I have no idea what it could be!
Ragnar watches me like he’s trying to read my mind.
"I know he might be listening right now," he whispers, "but Anzo might not take no for an answer, Sun. This could escalate quickly."
I let out another stupid, slightly panicked laugh, because seriously, what else can I do?
"I told you the truth, Ragnar. I don’t have any power. I’ve never noticed anything unusual about myself."
"Sun, from what I know, powers don’t always show up right away.
When Moon and Summer were kids, the incidents in which they could use theirs were rare.
Things really started picking up when they hit their teens.
Moon had his first real visions at sixteen, seventeen.
And Summer’s only just gotten better at using and controlling his, and that’s been in the last couple of years.
He’s twenty now. You’re eighteen. You might just be at the beginning. "
I press my lips together. "I’m not lying to you, Ragnar.
I have no clue what it could be. I know powers take work to master, that it’s a process.
Snow once told Storm it could take him years to even get a grip on his, but he had glimpses when he was little.
I’ve had nothing. Not a single spark, hint, or sign.
Nothing. Zero. Zip." I sigh in frustration, squeeze my eyes shut, and a wave of desperation rolls through me.
Silence falls. I turn onto my side and glance at Summer.
The sight of the IV in his arm sends a cold shiver through me, but there’s nothing I can do.
Whatever Anzo’s giving him is keeping him unconscious.
I don’t know what kind of damage the drug might be causing, but the powerlessness of it all is suffocating.
I want to cry, to press my palms to my eyes and block it all out, but I just don’t have the strength.
God, I’m so done with it all!
Sleep takes over.
In my dream, I’m on a motorcycle. The road stretches endlessly ahead. The sun’s high in the sky, and the wind whips across my face. I just want to go farther. Far away. Past the horizon where a new world begins, where there’s still hope, where things are simpler, where everything starts to heal.
But only if I reach it.
Only if I cross the final line.
And I’m getting closer…
***
I wake to the sound of heavy boots, not from the hallway behind the steel doors, but from above, on the first floor. It sounds like several people are running across it in combat boots.
A jolt of nervous energy runs through me. I feel it physically; something’s changed. A spike of anxiety worms its way deeper than usual.
Ragnar has his eyes closed, but the second I glance his way, he opens them and says,
"About two hours ago, I heard a whole group leaving the building. This hall’s more or less under the garage. A bunch of cars left. Just one came back, and there are way fewer people now."
"You heard all that? I’ve got good hearing, but not that good."
"Yeah. I’m still a purple alpha, even if the color of my lines isn’t exactly purple," he grimaces. "I’ve got all the same traits."
I’m about to reply when the door suddenly swings open, and a group of men march in.
Two of them are dragging someone, and the next two are dragging another. What the hell?
Even though my body still aches all over, I force myself upright. I’m not about to miss a second of whatever the hell is happening.
Two of the cages open, and the dragged figures are thrown inside.
That’s when I recognize them.
Eliano.
And Mauro.
"What’s going on?!" I blurt, locking eyes with Matteo. He’s one of the guys who just dragged the Ferro brothers in.
But Matteo just shoots me a cold, disinterested look, then walks out with the others.
Mauro’s completely out cold. But I see Eliano stir slightly.
"Eliano!" I call out. "Wake up! What happened? Why’d they throw you in here?"
Eliano blinks and groans, then slowly sits up. There’s a red mark on his cheek. He pushes his dark, silky curls out of his face and scans the room. His eyes widen as he takes in the rest of us in the cages.
Then he exhales sharply.
"Exactly what I expected. The last bits of pretense are gone. Anzo’s crazy pissed. His stupid assassination attempt blew up in his face. So yeah, he snapped."
Ragnar and I just stare at him as if we’re seeing a ghost. Unbelievable… Anzo put his own nephews into cages!
Clearing my throat, I ask tentatively, "I heard he was organizing a hit on some public figure. You know who?"
"Oh yeah. Public Enemy Number One of every bitter-ass beta out there. The godfather and architect of the Beta Activation Program: Blue Lowen."
"Fuck!" I curse. I was so close to guessing that!
Everyone’s heard about the infamous CEO of Malden Pharmaceuticals, mostly because he supports a bunch of controversial initiatives.
Obviously, the Beta Activation Program is at the top of that list. Tons of activist groups, not just Beta Empowerment zealots, absolutely loathe the guy.
My own eco-terrorist cousin Gabriel ended up in serious legal trouble over attacking a Malden lab!
The fact that Anzo went after someone that high-profile is pure insanity.
As I’m thinking about it, I remember the conversation between Rocco and Luca. They were absolutely sure it was a mistake on Anzo’s part. And they were right. Maybe this is exactly our chance?
"So what happened? It didn’t work?"
Eliano lets out a bitter laugh.
"It didn’t work? Hah! The Ferro family has never failed like this before!
The hit went down at a matchmaking agency called Fate’s Choice , where Blue showed up to sign some kind of genetic testing contract with the owner.
Turns out the extra bodyguard the agency assigned to him, some random employee, was… wait for it… a purple alpha!"
There’s a short suspense-type dramatic pause after his words.
"Of course, Anzo’s people made sure Blue’s regular guards wouldn’t be a problem. But that extra guy wrecked everyone. Not just one, but two strike teams. They called for backup, opened fire on him, but it didn’t matter. He was armored up like a goddamn tank…"
My jaw almost hits the floor. I suddenly remember the quiet prayer I whispered to Fate, begging for the target to survive. I’m not arrogant enough to think my intervention helped, but still, it looks like someone from my bloodline actually made that miracle happen?
"I can’t believe it!" I blurt out, louder than I should. "My brother, Storm, he used to work for that exact agency. As a guard. And he’s a purple alpha!" I’m in total shock, as I stare at Eliano.
"Did you see what the guy looked like? Were there any photos in the news?"
Eliano raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised too. He scratches his chin.
"Right before they grabbed me, I was watching the news feed. Saw a glimpse of the guy. Tall, burgundy hair, kinda hot. But it was just a flash, not enough to be sure."
"My brother has burgundy hair," I whisper breathlessly, pressing my hands to my temples, still trying to process it.
This is unreal. It’s truly a miracle!
"So what now? Did he kill both teams?" asks Ragnar.
Eliano gives him a crooked smile. "That would’ve been perfect for Anzo.
The real problem is that he didn’t kill them.
He just knocked them out. There was some kind of electrical surge.
I don’t know if he triggered it or if something else happened that they’re not reporting, but all of them were captured.
All alive. And that’s a massive fuck-up for Anzo, because it wasn’t just soldiers.
Some of the arrested were outside contractors, paid mercs brought in to cover the rear.
Sure, they didn’t meet directly with Anzo, but they can pinpoint feds in the right direction.
They won’t stay loyal to anyone if they’re offered lighter sentences.
Total disaster. It was supposed to be a quick, clean job in some backwater agency with minimal security and public access.
Easy cake. Now Anzo’s totally screwed." Eliano says it almost like he’s enjoying it.
Ragnar and I gape at him as if he’s casually announcing the end of the world. My mind is racing, thousands of thoughts every minute.
"What happens now?" I ask, desperate for some hopeful answer.
But Eliano’s face hardens. He frowns.
"Anzo’s mad for real. First thing he did was order our arrest. He found the blog I’ve been running for years, where I’ve been leaking dirt on that bastard’s organization."
Attention: a moment of clarity in my head!
"Is your blog called 'The Truth Only I Know' ?"
Eliano smirks bitterly, but there’s also some pride in this. "Yeah…"
"Wow. You ran that blog right under his nose? It’s packed with thinly veiled accusations, outright implications… It’s barely even coded."
"Yep, I know! I had a hacker friend who helped me lock it down, but once Anzo found out about it, he didn’t stop until he figured out who was behind it. I’d already suspected for weeks he might be on my trail."
I glance toward his brother.
"And what about Mauro? What did he do wrong?"
We both turn to the man lying on the ground, who’s starting to come around, rubbing his eyes. Looks like he got hit harder than his younger brother.
Eliano sighs.