Alpha's Regret After the Divorce by Christina novel Chapter 214

Flame Vow 214

The violent crash of concrete and steel jolted me into action. Dust filled my lungs as I crouched low, my werewolf instincts screaming to Nee even as my mind focused on one terifying thought: Kira was somewhere in this collapsing deathtrap.

“Kira!” 1 shouted, but my voice was swallowed by the groaning of the building’s dying structure. No answer.

I had to move. The floor beneath me trembled, threatening to give way entirely. My eyes watered from the thick dust as I assessed my surroundings. The corridor ahead was partially blocked with fallen ceiling panels and electrical cables dangling like deadly snakes. Beyond that should be the data center – our agreed rendezvous point if we got separated.

I pushed forward, covering my mouth with my sleeve. My heart hammered against my ribs, not from exertion but from gut–wrenching worry. Kira was human now – no enhanced strength, no regenerative abilities. Just fragile bones and soft flesh that could be crushed in an instant.

Shit, I should never have let her come. This is my fault.

Another section of ceiling crashed down behind me, sending me into a sprint. I ducked under a fallen beam, my shirt catching and tearing on an exposed nail. The building continued to settle around me, each creak and groan a countdown to total collapse.

My mind flashed to moments ago – Kira’s face as the floor separated us, the fear in her eyes that she couldn’t quite hide. The instinctive way I’d reached for her when I saw her stumble near that hole earlier. Her body had felt so small against mine when I’d pulled her back from the edge.

Focus, damn it. Find the data center, then find her.

I approached a junction in the corridor, trying to orient myself through the haze. Left should lead to the data center. The smell of burnt plastic and ozone grew stronger as I moved forward, suggesting some electrical systems were still operational or worse, shorting out and creating fire hazards.

–

I needed to hurry, but images of Kira trapped or injured kept invading my thoughts. Had she found an exit? Was she already outside, safe? Or was she pinned somewhere, unable to call for help?

She’s stronger than you think, I reminded myself. She survived three years thinking you wanted her dead. She’ll survive this.

Finally, I reached the data center door – or what remained of it. The heavy security door hung from a single hinge, the electronic lock violently dismantled. Not from the collapse – this was done deliberately, and recently. Someone had wanted access badly enough to force their way in.

Inside, the room was in disarray. Most of the server racks had been emptied, equipment stripped and removed. But the wall–mounted monitors were still functioning, powered by some backup system. They displayed various feeds from cameras throughout the facility – those that were still operational, at least,

The dust made it difficult to see clearly, but the silhouette was distinctly female, the build and movement pattern matching Kira’s. Relief flooded through me, followed immediately by determination. I knew where to find her now.

11:03 Tue, Oct 28

several papers scattered when the servers had been removed. I bent down to

As I turned to leave, my foot kicked something on the floor examine them, my werewolf eyes cutting through the dim light.

They were research notes, fragmented and incomplete. Words jumped out at me: “transfer protocols,” “neural adaptation,” “host compatibility.” One page contained a half–destroyed diagram of what appeared to be neural pathways.

My stomach turned cold as I realized these fragments partially confirmed what Kira and her father had told me. This was Lyra’s research my sister’s work. The sister I’d defended and avenged without question. The sister who might not be the victim I’d believed her to be.

I was such a fool. Blind and stubborn and…

Another tremor shook the building, snapping me back to the present. I folded the papers and shoved them into my pocket. Questions about Lyra would have to wait. Finding Kira was the priority now.