Aria’s POV

The operator swallowed hard, his fingers trembling slightly as he obeyed.

The footage changed.

The black-clad figure carried Jackson through the back exit. The front desk clerk glanced up once... then looked away, fear winning over responsibility.

The room fell silent...the air grew colder.

"Your hotel’s security work is really impressive," I said in a sarcastic tone, feeling frustrated.

Nathan turned to look at me then and something unreadable flickered in his eyes.

"Don’t worry yet," he said gently. "Pull up the back-area surveillance footage." He instructed the operator. His voice was steady.

My chest burned with rage, hot and volatile, my wolf clawing restlessly beneath my ribs.

But anger wouldn’t bring Jackson back.

I clenched my teeth and kept my eyes on the surveillance screen.

The black-clad man appeared again, hauling Jackson’s limp body to a car parked along the roadside. With brutal efficiency, he shoved him into the trunk and slammed it shut before driving off as if he’d done nothing more than run an errand.

My jaw tightened.

"Here. Zoom in."

Amelia’s voice was sharp and controlled. She tapped a spot on the screen with her fingertip.

The operator obeyed immediately. The image sharpened, just enough to reveal a blurry license plate.

"I’ll send the plate to Collins," Nathan said, already pulling out his phone. "I’ll have him contact Duckspire’s administrative personnel under my name and track the owner."

I pressed my lips together. I hated how powerful and efficient he was at solving problems.

I wanted to reject his help but If I were to do so and follow official channels, even with the plate, the response would be slow. Nathan’s reach was the fastest way forward, whether I liked it or not.

Half the time I’d promised the media had already slipped away. Time wasn’t just precious now, it was bleeding out.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

Nathan’s fingers paused around his phone, then tightened.

"It’s fine."He said in a low tone.

"What’s fine, Alpha?" Collins’s voice burst through the phone, my sharp ears caught it.

A dangerous cold light flickered in Nathan’s eyes.

"I wasn’t talking to you," Nathan said flatly.

There was a stunned pause on the other end.

"I’ll send you a license plate. Contact Duckspire’s administrative personnel under my name and have them track the owner immediately."

"Alpha, Alp—"

Beep.

Nathan hung up without mercy before Collins could finish.

"We’ll have leads within ten minutes," Nathan said, putting the phone away. His gaze locked onto me, intense and unwavering.

"Mm."

The sound slipped out from me without thought.

I moved to sit off to the side, trying and failing to calm my racing heart. The man in the footage had gone straight to my room. That meant he had planned his abduction and waited for my to leave before carrying out the plan.

This wasn’t random.

Why take Jackson? Was he the target or was this about me?

A dull ache bloomed at my temples. I rubbed them, irritation and worry tangling together until my thoughts felt like snarled fur.

Then, cool fingers touched my temples.

I was startled and looked up.

Logan stood behind me, his expression gentle, his presence soft in a way that felt almost unreal. His scent was clean and calming, like rain over stone. He was puzzled but not alarmed.

"You looked uncomfortable," he said quietly, his fingers moving in slow, careful circles. "Do you feel better now?"

His deep blue eyes pulled me in, like the sea. My wolf eased despite herself, tension loosening just a fraction.

"Thank you," I said, meaning it. I was about to ask him to stop, but his hands slid down to my shoulders, kneading gently.

Amelia watched from the side, her expression conflicted, as if her image of a mysterious artist was cracking right in front of her. Still... she didn’t interrupt.

The pressure on my shoulders made me stiffen instinctively.

Logan leaned closer, his voice a whisper near my ear. "Try to relax. You’ve been carrying too much stress these past two days."

His words were like flowing water.

I felt it then, Nathan’s gaze. It was sharp, possessive and burning.

I glanced sideways.

Nathan stood near the wall, his eyes narrowed. Logan looked up at the same moment and their gazes collided.

There were no words said between them, none moved either. They were just two predators measuring each other in silence.

After a long, charged second, Logan raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly at Nathan.

It was subtle and devastating.

Nathan’s jaw clenched. Even I could feel the surge of jealousy rolling off him like heat.

The promised ten minutes suddenly felt unbearably long.

Just then, Nathan’s phone rang, breaking the silence. He answered it instantly.

"Why are you so slow?" he snapped. "After all these years as my beta, haven’t you learned efficiency?"

Collins sounded miserable on the other end, apologizing repeatedly before rushing out, "We found it, Alpha. I’ve sent the car’s real-time location to your phone and to Ms. Aria’s as well."

I gently patted Logan’s hand, signaling him to stop, then pulled out my phone.

A blinking marker moved across the map.

"Based on the direction," Collins continued, "the vehicle is very likely heading toward Asterfell."

My heart slammed hard against my ribs.

I zoomed out.

The car had already reached the Duckspire border, racing along the path that led to Asterfell.

Collins was right.

My wolf snarled softly.

This wasn’t a coincidence. Whether they were targeting Jackson, the Willis family, or trying to derail my investigation, it was clear now.

Going to Asterfell meant they were coming for me.

Who was behind this? My thoughts spiraled, sharp and chaotic.

The surveillance room fell silent, the air thick with tension.

"We should head back to Asterfell first," Amelia said finally. "Since the kidnapper is going there anyway. He chose to drive across states to avoid attention, which means we might get there before him and wait."

"I agree," I said. "Let’s pack up. I’ll change our tickets."

I turned and strode out, already moving, already planning.

Jackson was out there, and whoever took him had just declared war.