The mechanical hiss of the radio cut through the air, killing the romance instantly.
"Initiate Phase Two. Bring the hemlock gas."
That voice. It wasn't human. It was cold, metallic, and terrifying.
In a split second, Caleb changed. The man who had just been kissing me with the softness of a lover vanished. In his place stood the Alpha—a general going to war. The golden warmth in his eyes hardened into tactical steel.
"Marcus!" Caleb’s voice was a low growl that vibrated in my chest. "Kill the external vents. If they deploy hemlock, I don't want a single molecule getting inside."
He didn't wait for an answer. He scooped Leo out of the crib with one arm and grabbed my wrist with the other. His grip was tight, bordering on painful, but I didn't pull away.
"Elena, move. Now."
"Mo
