Kieran had never felt fear like this before.
Not when he fought battles.
Not when he faced enemies who wanted to tear him apart.
Not even when he rejected Ace long ago, thinking it was the right thing to do.
Nothing compared to this. Because this time, it wasn't just about losing Ace.
It was about watching him become someone else, watching Ace's body move, but knowing it wasn't him inside. Lila had taken him.
For the first few seconds, Kieran couldn't breathe. His mind rejected what his eyes were seeing.
Ace stood before him, but his posture was different, his movements unnatural. And then he turned, and Kieran saw his eyes, empty, unfamiliar, wrong.
No.
He stepped forward, reaching out without thinking, but before he could touch him, Ace .. no, Lila .. smirked.
"You look devastated, Alpha," she purred through Ace's lips, tilting his head in amusement. "It's painful, isn't it? Knowing he's in here, screaming, but he can't do a damn thing about it."
