Alpha Alec's Redemption by Kathy M

"We reached out to other packs," added Elder Thorn, his tone clipped with frustration. "We thought perhaps they'd have some forgotten text buried in their vaults. But even with access granted, we came up empty."

"There's no record of Kaden," said Elder Mira, her silver braid falling over her shoulder. "Nothing about demigods. Nothing about what's keeping him locked. Nothing about how to undo it."

Each elder took a turn, each report a variation of the same grim truth: nothing. Not even breadcrumbs.

The silence after their words felt louder than before. I turned my gaze toward Raven.

She leaned forward slowly, resting her forearms on the table. Her dark hair was pulled into a low bun, strands loose around her temples. Even in stillness, she looked exhausted-more so than any of us. Her eyes were ringed with sleeplessness, her voice barely above a whisper when she spoke.

"I haven't found anything either,” she admitted. "I've followed every lead I could think of. I even reached out to some of my mother's old contacts."

She paused, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose for a second before continuing.

"As for the spell itself... I still haven't figured out a way around it. It's layered, ancient, and laced with magic I have no clue about. To unravel it safely would take more time than we have. And even then, I don't know if it's possible."

A cold hush fell over the room as her words settled in.

"Are you saying," I began slowly, "that the only way to break the spell is to release him?"

eyes flicked up to meet mine, haunted.

me. So that was it. All this time we'd been trying to find a way to weaken the

and go back to the coven. Try and

my discovery or

slowly, resting my hands flat on the table. "There's something else," I said,

head, alert. Even Micah, who rarely betrayed anything, leaned forward slightly. The elders, in contrast, looked mildly curious-but only because

a conversation with Nyx yesterday," I said carefully. "She

A pause.

right, Alec. The veiled woman is Nyx's

out a slow, quiet curse. Alec's jaw

eyes widening slightly. Only the elders remained still, their brows beginning to furrow

I continued, because I couldn't stop

I've suspected for a while, but I didn't want to bring it up until

locked

Kaden..." I took a breath, the words heavy in my throat. "They're somehow connected. Nyx didn't reveal anything,

that followed

to process it. Micah sat back in his chair, exhaling a sharp breath. Jason swore under his breath, low and

And the elders?