“No.” The word burns. “She isn’t.”
Silence stretches between us.
“Masks,” Urdan suggests. “Filtration?—”
“Won’t work.” Kelt shakes his head. “Military grade scent bombs are designed to penetrate standard filtration. Theparticles are too fine. By the time you realize you’ve been exposed, it’s already in your system.”
“Then we keep them from breaching the perimeter at all,” Rogan says.
“That’s the goal. But if they do breach...” Kelt looks at me. “Every orc on patrol needs to understand what happens next. The moment someone goes feral, the others need to restrain him immediately. Chains. Containment. No hesitation.”
“And if more than one of us is hit?”
No one answers.
“Isolation protocols,” I say finally. “If scent bombs are deployed, any orc who hasn’t been exposed needs to get clear. Don’t try to help. Don’t engage. Get distance and call for backup from the main commune.”
“That leaves Anna unprotected,” Urdan points out.
“No.” My voice comes out harder than intended. “It doesn’t. Because I won’t leave her. No matter what.”
Rogan studies me for a long moment. “And if you’re the one who goes feral?”
I meet his eyes. “Then Anna knows what a feral orc looks like. She knows to stay calm, stay still, speak softly. She watched Ellie do it with Garlen.”
“That worked because Ellie was his mate,” Kelt says quietly. “He recognized her even through the madness.”
The implication hangs in the air. Would I recognize Anna? Would my feral brain know the difference between protecting her and hunting her?
“We need to warn the entire commune,” Rogan says, breaking the silence. “Every orc needs to know what’s coming. What to do if they see canisters. What to do if a brother goes feral.”
“Agreed.” Kelt begins gathering the documents. “I’ll coordinate with the elders. Keric—” He meets my eyes. “She needs to know. All of it.”
“I know.”
“And she needs to know what to do if you can’t reach her in time. Emergency protocols. Escape routes. How to hide, how to run, how to survive until this is over.”
I nod once. My chest feels tight.
“The evidence goes public in ten days,” Kelt continues. “The lawyer, Rebecca Stein, confirms the case is strong. Ten days, and this is over. They know that too. Which means they’re running out of time.”
“That makes them desperate,” Urdan says.
“Yes.” Kelt’s expression is grim. “The plan appears to be breach the perimeter, deploy scent bombs to neutralize defenders, extract Anna.” He meets my eyes. “They’re not amateurs, Keric. These are professionals who’ve done these types of operations before. Not with scent bombs and orcs, but similar enough to be very deadly.”
I think of Anna back at the cabin. Right now she’s probably laughing with Ellie on the phone, completely unaware that people are coming to take her. To silence her. To make sure Jonas Webb’s murder was for nothing.
My hands curl into fists. “What’s our defensive position?” I ask.
“Strong but not invincible. We’ve doubled patrols, added surveillance at all access points. Motion sensors are active. But a determined team with the right equipment...” Kelt shakes his head. “We need to prepare for the possibility they breach our perimeter.” His expression is serious. “Anna needs to be able to protect herself if we can’t reach her in time.”
I’m already moving toward the door. “I’ll handle it.”
“Keric.”
I pause and look back. Kelt’s scarred face is unreadable, but his voice carries weight. “We’ll do everything we can. But that female is your responsibility. Make sure she’s ready.”
I nod once and leave.
