Few weeks later

“Get going, get going, get going!” I yell, pulling a black tarp over myself as the initial explosion blasts through the darkness. My feet struck the wet concrete, splashing through puddles that mirror the neon hues of the slums. The air is heavy with the smell of ozone and burnt flesh. I am being pursued, and this time, they are making sure I can not get away.

I stood at a corner, my heart racing and pulse beating in my throat. I do not glance back. Not a single time. I can hear the cries, but they are not mine. Not at this moment. If I pause, if I take even a moment's break, they'll seize me.

The narrow alley is cramped, filled with decaying metal containers and the remnants of past human existence. Trash bags overflow, and discarded food wrappers dance in the wind like phantoms of this location. The odor of rot is heavy, yet it's the only fragrance I rely on amid the chaos of chemicals and smoke swirling around.

I can hardly take two more steps when a voice sputters in my ear, soft and full of urgency.

“Hey, is that you?

Eris.

Her voice pierced through the confusion like a blade. I attempt to suppress the panic rising in my spine, yet it’s difficult to concentrate when everything is falling apart. “Yeah, I’m present.” "What on earth is happening?"

“They located your safe house.” Her words paralyze me.

The sad reality sinks in, and it seems as if I’ve been hit in the stomach. The safe house was meant to be unbreachable. It was intended to be my final refuge, the sole location where they couldn't reach me.

However, they did. And now it's disappeared.

"Damn," I mutter quietly. My gaze shifts to the sides, searching for any signs of pursuit. The walls of this city close in, claustrophobic, suffocating. I keep moving, every step an effort to stay ahead of whatever’s chasing me.

“Where are you?” Eris demands, voice tight with worry. “I’ll come to you, Mira. Just hold on.”

“No.” I grit my teeth, my voice cold. “You’re not coming here. You’re the one who got me into this mess in the first place. You stay the hell away.”

I hear the briefest pause on the other end, and then a heavy sigh. “Fine. But you better get out of there, Mira. Fast. This isn’t just some random hit. Whoever’s after you, they’re going to keep coming until they get you.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I mutter, but the words don’t feel right. They feel like an empty shield, like I’m pretending that I’m in control. Like I’m not already out of options.

The explosion’s shockwave hits me a second time, and I stumble forward, slamming into the wall of a decrepit building. Dust falls from the ceiling, coating my face with grime. I wipe it away, eyes narrowed in the darkness. I’m close to the back alley that’ll take me deeper into the slums. But there’s nowhere left to hide.

“The safe house wasn’t just compromised,” I tell Eris, my voice quiet, though my hands are trembling. “It was a setup. They knew where I was.”

Another explosion. This one rattles the windows of nearby buildings, and I hear the shouts of men in the distance Synthetics, most likely. They always make noise. It’s their signature. You can hear them coming from a mile away.

“No shit,” Eris replies, her voice crackling in the static. “Someone’s got a mole inside. And it’s not just the security system this time. Whoever’s pulling the strings, they’ve been tracking you for a while.”

I stop in my tracks, the blood in my veins turning to ice. “A mole?”

“You’re not the only one in this game, Mira. Someone’s leaking your location. And I don’t know who, but I’ve got a pretty good idea.”

The words hang in the air, more dangerous than the blasts echoing behind me. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. I’ve been through worse. I’ve survived worse.

But tonight… Tonight feels different.

I break into a sprint again, the pounding of my feet louder in my ears than the sound of my breath. I round the corner into another alleyway and stop dead in my tracks.

The safe house… my safe house is in flames.

The entire building is engulfed, flames licking at the sky, casting an eerie orange glow over the slums. There’s no more hiding now. It’s gone, reduced to a pile of rubble and ash. And they know I’m here.

I don’t have a second to waste. I turn back toward the alley, fingers curling around the gun tucked in my jacket. It feels lighter than it should, almost like it’s nothing more than a distraction.

Something appears in the distance. I squint through the smoke and flames. It’s a human, or close to it but there’s something wrong. The way he walks, too controlled, too measured. It’s as if he’s not even human anymore.

My instincts scream, but it’s too late to run. He’s already spotted me.

“Mira Voss,” he calls out, his voice smooth like oil, but there’s an edge to it. A warning. “You’ve caused quite a mess tonight.”

I raise the gun, pointing it directly at his chest. I can’t waste time. I can’t afford another fight. But I don’t lower it. Not yet.

“Who the hell are you?” I ask, my voice cold, controlled. I’m not giving him anything. Not yet.

The man smiles, a thin, predatory grin. “You don’t recognize me? I’d be disappointed if you did. But I’m sure we’ll be properly introduced soon enough. For now, let’s just say I’m not your friend, Mira.”

“Good. I don’t have friends.”

I squeeze the trigger, but the shot’s never fired. Before I can react, he moves too fast. In the blink of an eye, he’s at my side, knocking the gun from my hand with a flick of his wrist.

I stumble back, eyes wide with shock. I’ve faced the impossible before, but this this is different. This is something beyond human.

“I don’t kill people like you,” the man says, his tone almost bored, as if I’m nothing more than an inconvenience. “But I think you’ll find our next meeting more… final.”

He turns, walking away with the same unnerving confidence. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why he’s here, but I can feel it in my gut: He’s not just a mole. He’s part of something bigger.

And whatever it is, it’s coming for me.

I look around at the burning remnants of my safe house, my heart sinking.

No more running. This is war.

“Do you want the information or not?” I ask, leaning against the cool metal of my booth. The neon lights from the bar reflected on my glasses, casting sharp shadows across my face.

The man opposite me loud, anxious, and clutching a crumpled paper in his hand lets out a nervous laugh. He rubs the back of his neck, unsure whether to trust me. But that's the game. Trust doesn’t get you anywhere, and trust in this city? That’ll get you killed.

“Of course I do,” he says, his voice tight. “But”

I cut him off with a raised hand, the gesture sharp. “Then don’t waste my time.”

The tension thickens. His eyes darted from side to side, and I knew what’s coming. The hesitations, the second-guessing. He’s not used to dealing with someone like me. I lean forward, letting the silence press on him, then slowly slide the encrypted chip across the table. It’s a simple transaction: give me the money, get the info but to most people, this is a deal with the devil.

And they’re right. I am the devil behind every move in the black market. An info broker, a ghost of the packs, a wolf without a pack.

I watch him fumble for his credits, the scent of sweat and fear clinging to him. He doesn’t know I can smell it just like everyone else who comes to me. I’ve made a career out of knowing what they want, what they’re hiding. The smell of desperation.

“You should’ve stayed in the pack,” I murmur under my breath. But I’m not talking to him.

I stand up, my chair scraping the ground in a slow, deliberate screech. The man jumps, his hand still frozen over the credits. I don’t care about the money. I never have. It’s the information that drives me, the constant digging into others' lives, their secrets. They come to me because they can’t get it anywhere else, and when I’m done, they can’t leave without paying the price.

I don’t smile. I don’t laugh. I don’t even feel anything. It’s just business.

The man finally coughs up the credits. I take them, slipping them into my pocket without a second glance. He leaves the booth quickly, probably too embarrassed to stand there any longer. Good. I don’t need him.

I watch the door close behind him, then look out the grimy window into the chaotic street outside. It’s always raining in the city. Acid rain. A constant reminder that the world hasn’t cared about its people in a long time.

The city reminds me of that, too. A place I ran to, a place where I became something I never thought I would. A wolf without a pack.

I was born to lead, raised to be more than just another wolf in the pack. I was supposed to be everything they needed, everything they dreamed of. But I wasn’t like them. They wanted loyalty, trust, and a bond to the pack. They craved the pack structure, the hierarchy, the unity.

But me? I was never meant to be part of the pack. I was always the outsider, the one who questioned everything. And that’s why I left.

I don’t know why I’m thinking about this now. I’ve buried it all under layers of callousness, of distance. The past doesn’t matter anymore. I made my choice.

It’s just that sometimes… I wonder.

A flash of memory comes to me unbidden, a scene I’d tried to forget.

I was a child. Barely old enough to walk but strong enough to feel the call of the pack. I could still remember how it felt when my father, the Alpha, stood before me, his eyes full of pride. He had made me his heir before I even understood what it meant. His gaze had never wavered when I failed, never softened when I was broken. He expected perfection.

But it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Not for him, not for the others.

“Why don’t you stay?” My mother’s voice cuts through the silence, low and pleading. “You belong here, Mira. You’re more than just a wolf. You’re the future of the pack.”

I shake my head, unable to meet her eyes. Her words are like chains, heavy and suffocating. The weight of a life I never wanted.

“I don’t belong here,” I whisper, though I already know she won’t understand. The bond they tried to force on me was never mine to hold. The pack’s rules weren’t mine to follow. They didn’t want a leader like me. They wanted obedience, and I couldn’t give it to them.

“I’ll make you see,” she presses, voice tight with worry. “You can’t leave. You’re—”

“I’m not like you,” I snap, the words sharper than I intend. “I’m not like any of you.”

I saw the hurt flash in her eyes then, and it stuck with me. But it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t me who turned away. It was them. They had all tried to force me into their mold, to make me fit into a place I didn’t want to be.

So I left.

I left the pack and everything that came with it.

I turned my back on everything they stood for.

And I never looked back.

The memory fades as quickly as it came, and I force myself to focus. I need to stop thinking about the past, stop giving in to the old feelings that used to haunt me. I’m not that girl anymore. I’m not a wolf in their pack. I’m an info broker. I’m a shadow. I’m alone.

But as much as I tell myself that, the emptiness always creeps in. The loneliness. The hollow space where a pack should be.

I’ve been on my own for years, working like a ghost, trading secrets, never looking back. It’s easier this way. I don’t get attached to anyone. No bonds. No trust.

Except…

Except for one person.

My fingers tighten around the edge of the booth as I remember her face. Evie.

The only person I’ve ever truly trusted. The only one who ever understood why I left.

But even she couldn’t stop me from walking away. I couldn’t stay. I wasn’t built for it. I wasn’t built to be a part of something I never fit into. And Evie? She was always loyal to the pack. Always bound by the rules.

I was always different. And in the end, that’s why I couldn’t stay.

The sound of the door opening breaks my thoughts. Another customer. I glance up, but my gaze is sharp, my posture unreadable. Another day. Another deal.

“Got what you need?” I ask, my voice cold and businesslike.

The man standing in front of me hesitates, and for a moment, I wonder if it’s the same nervous guy from earlier. But no. This one’s different. His eyes are hard, calculating, and he doesn’t seem afraid. In fact, there’s something about the way he stands that feels… familiar.

“I hear you’re the one to talk to if you need something… special,” he says, his lips curving into something almost like a smile. But it doesn’t reach his eyes.

I don’t smile back. “Depends on what you need.”

I can feel the tension in the air, the weight of what’s about to happen. I don’t know who this man is, but I know he’s trouble. And trouble is the last thing I need right now.

I take a step back, ready to move, to leave this behind. But something stops me.

Maybe it’s the familiar feeling of another wolf nearby.

And that’s the problem. I can never really leave the pack behind.

I barely had time to process the strike to my side before the next wave of pain shot through me. Blood pooled under my fingers as I tried to staunch the wound, my chest heaving for air that felt like it had been sucked out of my lungs. The alleyway was a blur—rain falling in sheets, neon lights flashing against puddles, the echo of footsteps heavy on the slick concrete. The sharp, metallic tang of blood mixed with the damp, cold air.

“Not today, Mira.”

The voice was low, almost too quiet to hear over the growing thunder of approaching footsteps. But it was unmistakable.

I looked up, half-blinded by the rain, to find someone standing at the far end of the alley. She appeared like a status at first, just a shadow against the harsh lights of the city. But then, the person stepped into the dim glow, and I saw her—Rae Callen.

I hadn’t seen Rae in over a year. The last time, she had been chasing shadows, operating from the margins like me. But she wasn’t an info broker, or even an exiled wolf like me. She was worse—an operative with an agenda, someone with connections that stretched further than I ever wanted to admit.

I knew exactly what she was capable of. She was no hero.

“Did you think you could outrun this?” Rae’s voice, cold and sharp, cut through the silence, slicing into my already fragile concentration.

I tried to move, tried to get to my feet, but the pain in my side stopped me. My vision blurred again, the world tilting as my blood pooled around me. I could hear the faint hum of security drones above. The biotech lab had already gotten wind of the attack. It wouldn’t be long before reinforcements arrived, and I’d be left with nothing.

Except for Rae.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I managed to rasp, my words coming out more like a strained gasp. I tried to stand again, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate.

Rae’s face softened for just a moment, but only a moment. Her gaze flickered over me, taking in the sight of my bloodied form with the kind of detachment I’d come to expect from her. There was no pity in her eyes, only calculation.

“You’re a mess, Mira. And you’re lucky I’m in the mood to help.”

She reached into her coat, pulling out a small, sleek device. With a flick of her wrist, a holographic screen flashed to life, hovering in the air between us. The blue glow cast sharp shadows on her face, making her look even colder than usual.

“I’m not here for a reunion,” Rae continued, her fingers tapping on the screen. “I’m here for the data you stole.”

I blinked. “The data? What—what data?”

Rae's gaze narrowed. “Don’t play dumb. The lab. You broke in. You stole something, and now you’re in deep.”

I groaned, biting back the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm me. Of course, I remembered the mission. I remembered infiltrating the lab, bypassing the security systems, and stealing the encrypted files. But I hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t expected to be ambushed halfway through the job by a team of highly trained security personnel, or worse, by a synthetic Alpha who nearly tore me apart.

“Why do you want it?” I forced out, my teeth grinding against the cold as I struggled to keep my voice steady. “What the hell are you even doing here?”

Rae didn’t immediately answer. Instead, she stepped forward, crouching beside me. I couldn’t stop the flinch, even though I was too weak to fight her off. Her gloved hand reached into the wound on my side, pressing down hard enough to make me gasp in pain.

“I’m not here to chat, Mira,” she said, the sharpness of her tone unmistakable. “I’m here to finish this.”

I could feel the blood draining from my body, my pulse thudding painfully in my ears. My body was starting to feel like it was made of stone, heavy and stiff. Rae’s hand on my wound wasn’t helping. But I didn’t have much time to think about the pain, or about her touch—what I needed to think about was how to get out of this alive.

“The data is tied to my mission,” Rae continued, her eyes narrowing as if she could see right through me. “What you’ve got is more important than you realize. It’s connected to the biotech network. And that network? It’s tied to something much bigger.”

I managed a weak laugh, despite the growing panic in my chest. “You think I care about your mission, Rae? You think I’m some kind of pawn for you to use?”

Rae’s lips twitched in a grim smile. “You’ll care when you realize what’s at stake. Trust me, Mira. You don’t want to be on the wrong side of this.”

I wanted to argue. I wanted to push back, to tell her exactly how little I cared about whatever twisted web she was entangled in. But I was running out of time. My vision was slipping away, and the weight of exhaustion was pulling me under.

I gritted my teeth. “I’m not going to just hand it over, Rae. Whatever your plan is, it doesn’t include me.”

Her fingers tightened on my wound, pressing deeper into the flesh. The sharp sting of pain cleared my thoughts, momentarily banishing the fog that had been creeping in. I could still fight. I could still fight.

“You don’t have a choice,” she said, her voice cold as ice. “The choice was made the moment you stole that data. The clock’s ticking, Mira. Help me, and you get to walk away from this with your life intact. Refuse? You’ll be dead before the night’s over.”

I blinked against the rain, trying to focus. The world around me was still spinning, and the sound of security drones grew louder by the second. Rae was right—if I didn’t act soon, I wouldn’t get out of this alive. I knew the price for crossing the biotech companies, and it wasn’t something I was ready to pay. Not yet.

But Rae… I didn’t know whether I could trust her. I didn’t know if she was lying, using me to achieve her own goals, or if she really meant what she said.

“I’m not working with you,” I spat, my voice barely above a whisper. But my body was starting to betray me. My breathing was shallow, and my skin was clammy. The blood loss was starting to take its toll.

“You don’t have a choice,” Rae repeated, and this time, there was something like a spark of impatience in her voice. She straightened up, then turned and flicked her wrist again. A sleek black device slid into her palm, its surface lighting up in a series of intricate patterns.

“You’re not in a position to negotiate,” Rae said. “I’m giving you a way out. Take it, or don’t. But I won’t let you die here.”

The shadows seemed to close in around me as Rae’s figure disappeared into the darkness, leaving me to make the only decision that mattered.

To trust her, or to die.

The choice was mine, but only for a moment.