Is he okay?? Estan inquired through the link.

He's asleep. Whatever happened triggered the trauma from the past year. I am not certain what exactly happened, but I think his mate was tormenting him through a link.

Hold up, Jae. Tell me exactly what happened when you get here. Right now, just focus on getting Syri here so I can check on him.

Okay. We'll be there as soon as possible.

Estan let out a breath and leaned into the man holding him from behind as he sat in the chair in his office. "What's wrong? Is Syri okay?" Yejin inquired as he massaged his mate's shoulders. Estan rested his head against the alpha before shaking his head. "I am not exactly sure. From what Jae told me, Syri's mate is tormenting him through the link."

"What?? How is that even possible? I thought links between mates only happened when both mates marked each other. Syri's didn't mark his mate."

"I am not too sure. Maybe it's because Syri is an omega, and his mate is an alpha. Omegas don't have much power when it comes to resisting alphas," Estan pondered.

"But I haven't even heard of one-way links even in alpha-omega couples."

"That is true," Estan sighed.

"Are we even sure Syri is an omega?" Yejin wondered.

Estan looked back at his mate. "I have been wondering the same thing. His scent is sweet like an omega's, but he doesn't emit the same pheromones. If Syri is not an omega and is...something else...it could explain the abnormality of the one-way link." Estan stood from his chair and walked over to a shelf lining a wall in his office. After looking over several of the books' spines, the gamma pulled out a small, thin book with an aqua leather binding. "I have been researching a certain type of wolf that is all but extinct. If Syri is this wolf-"

"The question now would be: does Jae know?"

"Do I know what?" The prince's deep voice resounded suddenly from the entrance, making the gamma jump. Yejin and Estan turned to see Jae standing in the doorway with Syri asleep in his arms. The zeta's head was resting against the true blood's chest, and his face was turned into the prince.

Yejin took a breath before confronting his prince. "Are we sure Syri is an omega? That would be the only explanation for the one-way link." The alpha chose his words carefully as he knew Jae was extremely protective of the small male in his arms.

To the gamma and alpha's relief, Jae looked down at the male in his arms before replying, "You are correct. Syri is not an omega; he's a zeta."

Estan nodded his head. "That explains it, then. Why his mate is hell-bent on getting him, the one-way connection, and the secrecy from your parents."

"Yes," Jae nodded. "If my father knew..."

"He would use Syri ruthlessly," Yejin finished for the prince. "We will keep Syri's wolf secret. Don't worry, Jae."

The true blood nodded in thanks.

"Now, set him down, so I can take a look at him and make sure he's okay," Estan suggested.

"Zetas can withstand any alpha or true blood's voice unless it is their mate's, which explains the one-way link. Zetas are powerful wolves, but their mates have unfair advantages over them. Not much is known about zetas; all the information I could find is in this book." Estan slid the thin book across the table toward the true blood. Jae picked up the book and studied the cover. "What is the most common knowledge of zetas is their ability to enhance the strength of their mate and the ability to withstand the voice of any wolf who is not their mate."

"They would make amazing lunas," Yejin commented.

"Yes, they would," Estan agreed before continuing, "There is a lot that we do not know about zetas. They remain a mystery to the wolf world."

"I am sure Syri has had to hide for so long that he has not had the chance to find out what he is capable of," Yejin observed. The gamma, alpha, and true blood turned their gaze to the figure lying in the bed momentarily before turning back to the table.

"Poor baby," Estan sighed under his breath. "Oh! Jae, there is another thing I need to discuss with you."

Jae remained silent, waiting for the gamma to continue.

"As you know, Syri's mate did not mark him on the scent gland, which means the mark was purely for control as it only gave Syri pain and no pleasure. Also, the mate does not have complete control as the link was not complete; he did not set the mark, the mark is not on the scent gland, and Syri did not mark him back. This will make the link weak. That is why he has not been able to reach Syri until now. He has probably tried many times to get in Syri's head and got lucky this time. However, now that the mate has made a breakthrough, it will be easier to reach Syri now. I suggest you do not leave Syri alone as he has no defense against his mate's dominance."

The room grew silent as the alpha and true blood mulled over the information Estan provided. Jae was the first to break the silence. "Link Kace. Get the group together for a brief at sundown. We leave at dawn," the prince instructed the alpha as he stood to his feet.

Yejin bowed his head shortly in recognition of the order and stepped outside to contact the last member of the hunting party. Estan's eyes widened at the prince preparing to hunt down the alpha and leaving Syri alone, but the gamma knew that was the only way to solve the situation indefinitely.

"Estan, take care of him for me?" Jae requested as he started toward the door.

"Jae..." The gamma stopped the prince. Jae turned and waited for Estan to continue. "You don't leave until dawn, right? I think he should be with you tonight...in case something happens. I don't want him to wake up in the clinic. Once you leave, I will take him to my house by the river. It is outside the eye of the royals. Yejin and I don't go there often, so hardly anyone knows about it. It will take a day to get to the cabin, but he'll be safe there."

"Thank you, Estan." The true blood gave the gamma a small smile before going to the bed and gently moving a strand of hair from the zeta's face. "I'll come back for him after the brief," Jae informed Estan as he exited the clinic.

Yejin, Haikon, and Xander were already gathered in the prince's study when Jae entered the room. Only one was missing.

"He's on his way," Yejin informed the prince of the last member's status. Jae nodded in acknowledgment before studying the map of the forests, hills, rivers, and fields surrounding the castle.

"Are we finally getting the bastard?" Xander inquired as he twirled a knife through his fingers.

"What was the stability count at your last encounter?" Yejin asked the theta.

"In the negative twenties. It is most likely lower now. No telling how much he has spiraled," Haikon answered. Yejin nodded in acknowledgment of the information and lowered his head in thought.

A quick knock on the door brought the three's attention to the study's main point of access. "Enter," Jae instructed. The door opened to reveal a tall, slender man clothed in stealth attire the color of deep blue. His hair was dark navy, and his eyes were royal blue, shining through strands of hair hanging in his eyes.

"Kace," Yejin greeted as the man walked to the right of Jae. The navy-haired man shortly bowed his head to the prince in greeting before retreating to lean against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.

"Now that we are all present, let's begin," Jae commenced the brief.

The prince placed his hands on the edge of the table as Yejin began with a gesture to the map, "Last known location was in the forest north of the castle. Stability in the negative twenties, possibly lower. Rank: Alpha. Instinct is fight over flight. Highest caution is advised."

"Yejin and I will take the front. Haikon and Xander will assist in tracking, and Kace will bring up the rear." Jae informed the team of the hunting order.

"Why is Kace in the rear? Yejin usually brings us up," Xander inquired.

"The target has a tendency to ambush. I need Kace in the rear," Jae explained. Xander nodded his head in understanding before going back to twirling the knife. "We leave at dawn. Prepare yourselves. This is a kill order," Jae informed the group before dismissing them. "Kace," the prince caught the attention of the navy-haired man as he walked past.

The man turned and inclined his head in respect of his prince.

"How are your wounds? Any better?" The prince inquired of his friend. "Can you do this?" Jae questioned as Kace remained silent. The blue-eyed man closed his eyes and nodded slightly in response. "Okay. I need you on this one, but let me know immediately if it starts again." Jae took two steps closer to Kace so that he was just a breath away. Kace's eyes fell to look at the floor as the prince neared him. "Don't hide it from me like last time," Jae pleaded in a low voice.

Kace flicked his eyes up and looked at Jae in response to the prince's plea for just a split second before turning them back down. The quiet man nodded in response to the prince's request. Jae was the only person in the world who could fluster Kace, much less give him an order. Kace was known as "The Prince's Rogue," moving silently in the shadows on Jae's command. He was a loner; he did not interact with hardly anyone besides his four friends.

Raised through pain, Kace hardly spoke. It was even rare for him to use the pack link. Highly skilled and indebted to Jae, Kace remained the prince's faithful follower. He would do anything for Jae, even sacrifice himself in a heartbeat.

Kace pondered linking Jae and inquiring on how the true blood had been the past month, but the sweet scent covering the prince stopped the man from making the link. Giving a short bow of the head, Kace left Jae's side and exited the study.

Jae let out a sigh as he watched Kace leave. "What am I going to do with him?" Jae pondered aloud.

"He'll come around. Don't worry," Yejin, who was still in the study, answered Jae's loud thought. "He's still recovering. Give him some time."

The prince gave a small huff and hung his head. "You're right. It hasn't been that long since..." Jae's voice trailed off as he recalled that bloody night. "I can't go through that again, Yej. I don't want to lose him."

Yejin walked to his prince and placed his hand on the true blood's shoulder. "Kace is strong, Jae. He won't make you go through that again. He's stronger than you think."

"I wished he'd told me. I wish he'd tell me when he's in pain."

"Don't we all. You know his background. It's no surprise he doesn't talk."

"Yeah, I know. I just don't want him to have to go through it alone."

"Neither do I, but that is his choice. We can't force him to open up to us. He'll come to us when he's ready."

"You're right, Yej," Jae sighed before running his fingers through his dark hair.

"You should get some sleep. It's going to be a long couple of days," Yejin suggested.

Jae nodded in agreement and gave a couple of taps on the alpha's back before exiting the study. Jae let out a deep breath as he walked down the corridor leading to the clinic. Seeing Kace had affected the prince more than he had expected. Images from that night flashed through Jae's mind as he walked. His chest tightened as he recalled Kace's screams and cries. The prince shook his head, getting rid of the cries and bloodied images as he continued on his way.

"What happened to you? You look awful," Estan commented when Jae entered his office.

"Kace is back."

"Oh..." The gamma's teasing expression changed to a sad, knowing one. "How is he?" Estan inquired quietly.

"Better...but..."

"...But you don't really know because he doesn't want to open up," Estan finished for Jae, who nodded.

A small smile came to the prince's lips when he walked over to the sleeping zeta. Jae instantly felt at peace as he looked at Syri's sleeping face. Estan watched as the prince gingerly scooped Syri in his arms. There it is. There's that smile. Thank you, Syri, for making our prince smile again. "He's all yours. Take care of him. If anything happens, let me know," Estan said to the prince as he walked past with the zeta in his arms.

"Thank you, Estan."

"Of course. Night, Jae. Get some good sleep," Estan bid goodnight as the prince exited the gamma's office with the zeta in his arms.