My focus has shifted slightly over the past week, and, while I hate to admit it, I've grown to rely on Leena more as my assistant. It isn't easy to fully get back into the routine of doing everything on my own.
“These people of interest, why do you have eyes on them?”
“They've been buying up a lot of silver,” Nate explains. “I know this isn't a lot to go on, but it's enough to warrant keeping an eye on them. But we lost track of them a few days ago.”
“What about the shooting ranges? Any activity?”
“Not from this couple,” Nate answers. “That's admittedly odd, but not enough to rule them out of our radar.”
“Hmm, I agree,” I state. “Do you have pictures?”
Graham brings out his phone and hands it to me. I stare at the two people there without recognition. They look like any regular man and woman, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something sinister just below the surface.
“Grant, the call is about to start.”
I give Graham a nod, and he begins the conference call. Various alphas pop up on my screen, spanning the entire country. We waste no time diving into the main points of the day.
“I understand that we want revenge,” I say. “A lot of your packs have been hurt or worse. My people have also had numerous altercations with the hunters. I just want you to know that if we move forward with this mass eradication, there's no going back. Are we aware of the risks?”
The men on the screen nod. However, one of the alphas speaks up. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've been asked to share this picture with you all.” He shares a picture of the couple that Graham had just shown me.
This image looks a little older, probably by a few years, but there's no mistaking them.
“Where did you get this?” I inquire.
“It's from Tom's pack. These are the people who attacked their alpha and left him wounded.”
I glance up at Nate and Graham, who've listened to every word, before directing my eyes to the computer. “Passivity has been our downfallfor years now. We've feared these hunters, and rightfully so. They're ruthless, they're dangerous, but so are we.”
The alphas nod in agreement. “We need a plan of attack.”
“Yes, we do,” I concur, “but for now, let's gather with our packs and make sure we're united enough for the fight that's coming.”
There's a bit of muttering, but ultimately, there are no arguments.
“This meeting will reconvene later,” I state. One by one, the alphas log off the call.
Once the call ends, I turn the screen over to Graham and Nate, whose eyes widen in surprise. “It's them!” Nate declares.
“Looks like you were right about these two being hunters,” I state. “We need to find them as soon as possible.”
“The fact that they haven't done anything recently makes me think this city may not be their main target,” Graham muses. “I've been thinking about this for a while, but if they're not in the city, where would they be?”
Realization suddenly hits me like a city bus. “Oh no.”
Chapter 19
LEENA
Grant was right.
The alpha has been running through my head for as long as I've been in the woods. I've been a complete mess of emotions, racing between them one after the other. Right now, I feel sadness, mixed with a little regret.
I should be in the city with Grant right now, instead of running around in the woods, aimlessly trying to escape my life. The effort I'm currently putting in is futile because it's clear I'm not going anywhere.
I stretch, digging my fingers into the dirt beneath my feet. Being in my wolf form is definitely soothing, but it's beginning to take such a toll on me.
Last time I shifted, it was much worse for me to handle for more than a few days. For some reason, I have a lot more strength this time, but I'm still starting to fade.
