“Why’d you do it?” I asked, when I couldn’t stand the silence. “Run in there, knowing what they planned?”
She didn’t look at me. “Look, I know I'm no hero. But if Maddie had gone in there, she’d have died, and I was the only one close enough to tell her to get out. She’s Bronc’s little sister. She never did anything to deserve that.”
“And if you had died?”
She shrugged, a tiny motion. “After my part in this? Wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
I hated her a little, right then. Hated her for being so ready to take the hit. Hated that she’d thought so little of herself.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Wren. Itwouldhave been the worst thing. You’re not just a random run-of-the-mill woman. You’re the woman who picks up sad little ugly starving dogs and gives them a home. You give money to the homeless guy who parks his buggy next to the little grocery store where you buy your groceries every week. You donate to homeless shelters and domestic violence centers because you have a heart for people. You put your life on the line for your brother, knowing it could get you killed. And you have made my life better in every single way that matters. So, if you had died, it sure as fuck would have been the worst thing tome.”
She swallowed hard, tears streaming down her face.
“I’m glad I didn’t stay dead.”
I had my own tears falling at the thought as I gently wrapped her in my arms.
“I’m glad you didn’t stay dead too. So glad.”
When the paperwork cleared, I didn’t let her return to her house. She curled up in my bed with Rocket against her belly and slept for a whole day straight.
I set up water, pills, snacks, and the remote within reach. Put the laptop by the bed, just in case she wanted to hack a government server for fun. I didn’t leave her side.
Not even once.
We turned my living room into a war room. The kind with rings on the table from fifty years of spilled whiskey, and all the chairs scuffed by people who couldn’t sit still. Every surface was covered in something: tactical maps, burner phones, three laptops, and a battered legal pad with my handwriting on every inch. The whiteboard I’d pulled in from the garage was already losing its magnets under the weight of bad news.
Bronc presided over it, arms crossed, beard shot with more silver than last month. Next to him, Arsenal hunched forward, a knuckle pressed to his lips, eyes flicking between the digital feed and the wall. Pearl brought in coffee, poured herself a cup, and sat with her back to the window. Only Gunner seemed relaxed, booted feet up on the ottoman and a Glock tucked into his waistband, safety off. Juliet hovered here and there.
Nobody said much at first. We watched the sunrise through the gap in the curtains, a slant of blood orange over the half-built bones of the new clubhouse. You could hear the hammering even at this hour—construction crews working two shifts, trying to raise the frame before Greenbriar could send a second wave.
When Bronc spoke, it was to the floor. “Advance said they cleared Greenbriar territory last night. Not a single wolf. Not a single soul.”
I grunted. “Everything abandoned. Looks less like they ran than just moved. It didn’t look rushed. Looked like a relocation.”
Pearl frowned, eyes sharp behind reading glasses. “Abandoned, or just hiding?”
Arsenal pointed to the map. “They’re not local anymore. They left the perimeter scattered. We tracked three separate convoys, all heading different directions. Our assumption is they met up at a central end location.”
Gunner said, “Like trailing fucking smoke.”
Bronc’s jaw flexed. “We need to hit them before they get organized. This was their big shot, but it’s not the last. They know it failed, but I’m sure they think they shook us. I’d bet they want to hit us quick while they think we’re scattered and scared.”
I sipped cold coffee, wishing it was bourbon. “We don’t even have a location. Could be Amarillo, could be Lubbock, could be fucking Mexico. We can’t chase ghosts.”
Pearl said, “You’re not going to like this, but some other packs are starting to talk. Some of the smaller ones are asking if Iron Valor’s up for the job. The Council wants answers.”
“Council can suck my dick. I’m so goddamn sick of the Council. I have fuckingkingsin my corner. These small packs forget who they’re dealing with.” Bronc’s voice rose to a growl, causing Juliet to stroll to his side. One touch of hers had an immediate effect on him.
She spoke next. “We need to let calmer heads prevail here. We are smarter than Greenbriar.Wecertainly wouldn’t have made a move that made us look as incompetent as the one they just made. That’s the message that needs to be pressed. They are a desperate renegade pack who clearly attacked a peaceful pack without cause. We’ve learned from past Council experience that going to them for aid is futile. So I say, we continue as we’re going. But we sure as fuck better collect every scrap of evidence as we go. We’ll have to prove every claim when we’re brought up on charges, as we surely will be.”
I had to point out the obvious. “They aren’t working alone. Parker knows there are demons and vampires involved as well. To what degree? She’s not sure. But she’s seen them there.”
“This just keeps getting better and better.” Bronc’s frustration was reaching an all-time high. “We have a few days until the clubhouse is finished. That’s when we’ll be most exposed. We have to assume Silas knows it.”
Pearl took off her glasses, polished them. “What’s the plan?”
Bronc looked at me. “Wrecker, you’re point on cyber as always. Get every possible feed, every data point, every sniff of a target. No mistakes.”
