Then she stops. The color drains from her face.
“The progression confirms it,” she whispers. “Alpha pair hit hardest, then their closest bonds, then outward. Following the hierarchy exactly.” Her hands tremble. “This is Faelan’s work.”
The name hits me like a blade between the ribs. I cross the room in three strides, gripping her shoulders. “You’re certain?”
She looks up at me, and despite the terror in her eyes, I feel her lean into my grip. Just slightly. Just for a moment.
“The shadow pulse—it’s not just dark magic. It’s his resonance pattern. I’ve studied fae corruption signatures my entire life.” Her voice breaks. “Callum, he’s alive. And he’s targeting our pack bonds.”
Elysia moves closer. “Explain. How did he infect them?”
Lyanna draws a steadying breath, her professional mask sliding back into place. “The Fade battle. Others were there, but Dane and Nova are the only ones who made direct contact with his circuit magic. Dane touched it physically, and Nova—her scar pulled her into the pattern. She synced with the circuit to dismantle it from the inside. They both interfaced directly with Faelan’s power.”
Harper’s hand flies to her mouth. “But they seemed fine. For months—“
“It was dormant. Waiting.” Lyanna gestures toward the unconscious pack members. “Dane and Nova are the Alpha pair—the central node of the entire pack bond network. Every wolf who bonds to this pack connects through them. When Faelan activated the contamination, it didn’t need to reach everyone individually. It traveled outward through the bond connections.”
The room goes silent.
“He turned their Alpha bond into a delivery system,” I say, fury roughening my voice.
“Months of planning,” Lyanna continues. “He let us think we’d won. Let new bonds form. Let us grow stronger—so the weapon would have more targets when he finally pulled the trigger.”
“He’s turning our love against us,” Harper whispers.
Elysia’s expression hardens. “This is revenge and ideology. The most dangerous combination.”
My hand moves instinctively to my weapon. “It’s not just a medical crisis. It’s a strategic offensive—and it’s personal.”
I pull the team into the infirmary’s side room, away from the patients but close enough to respond quickly if we’re needed.
“We’re implementing Alpha Protocol Six,” I say, keeping my voice level. “Full security lockdown, communication blackout with anyone outside our immediate allies, and complete surveillance sweep.”
The discovery of Faelan’s magical signature has shifted everything from medical crisis to coordinated attack. Harper nods sharply. “I’ll coordinate with Derek on supply chain security. We need to assume everything coming in could be compromised.”
“Good. Elysia, what resources do we have access to?” I ask, maintaining eye contact with the half-angel healer.
“Lachlan sent specialized detection tools with us—he anticipated we might need them. Plus, Isla’s seer abilities might help track how the infection got in.”
“Make it happen.” I turn to Lyanna, who’s exhausted but standing straight, her eyes clear and focused. “You’re our best defense against this. I need you to document exactly what you found and train anyone with healing ability to recognize it.”
She nods, her hands steady despite her earlier shock. “I’ll prepare detection protocols and establish triage priorities based on bond strength.”
“I want two people minimum on every critical patient,” I continue. “No one works alone. We don’t know if this can jump to healers through treatment. One non-healer with each healer.”
“External communications go through me only,” “Nothing about Faelan’s involvement leaves this room until we understand exactly what we’re dealing with.”
“Full security escorts for all healers,” I add. “Isla and Elysia, you’re considered high-value targets. Assume Faelan knows you’re here.”
I meet each person’s eyes, ensuring they understand the gravity of our situation. “This isn’t just a medical emergency anymore. It’s a strategic attack on our pack’s foundation. Faelan is targeting what makes us strongest—our connections to each other.”
“We move now. Anyone not actively treating patients meets back here in one hour with initial assessments.”
I notice Lyanna swaying slightly on her feet, though she’s hiding it well. I move closer, not touching her but positioning myself where I can catch her if needed.
As they disperse, I catch Lyanna’s arm gently. “You need rest.”
“I need to save our pack,” she counters, her eyes flashing with determination.
