“How many prisoners total?” Kitara asks.
“Unknown. The facility was compartmentalized—we couldn’t see or scent others beyond our immediate section.” The memory of those walls, the silver burns, the desperate voices in the darkness makes my wolf snarl. “Kier?”
“Conservative estimate across all facilities?” Kier looks to me, deferring to my leadership even as he provides expertise. “Sixty to eighty. But that’s based on what I could observe. The actual number could be much higher.”
“So we’re looking at hundreds of missing persons,” Elias finishes grimly.
Ryker leans forward. “What was their operation like?”
I flip to another map, this one hand-drawn from memory. “The facility where we were held had rotating shifts of twelve guards total. Three levels, heavily fortified, with silver-lined cells designed to prevent shifting.”
“Fourteen guards,” Kier corrects quietly, stepping forward to point at the map. “There were two additional rovers who moved between facilities.”
“The cells were silver-lined to prevent shifting.” I trace the escape route we took. “This was their weak point?—”
“Was,” Kier emphasizes, spreading another hand-drawn schematic on the table. “But they’ll have reinforced it by now. They always adapted after escape attempts.” His finger traces new defensive positions. “Here and here—they’ll have added guard posts. And motion sensors along this corridor.”
Elias leans forward, studying Kier’s detailed drawings. “How can you be certain?”
“Because I tried to escape fourteen times,” Kier says matter-of-factly. “Each time, they improved their security based on my attempt. By my last try, they had the place locked down tighter than a vault.”
Murmurs ripple through the assembled wolves.
“The guard rotations follow a specific pattern,” Kier continues, pulling out another sheet. “They change shifts every eight hours, but there’s a fifteen-minute window during the transition where coverage is thinner. And every third week, they run equipment maintenance that requires them to be down to only two guards for a full shift.”
“You memorized all of this?” Dane asks, impressed.
“When you have nothing but time and desperation, you notice patterns. The question is whether they maintain the same operational security at their other facilities.”
“You want to plan a rescue?” Dane asks.
“Yes,” I say firmly. “Every day we delay, more innocent people suffer.” Images of Prudence’s terrified face flashes through my mind. “I volunteer to lead the first team.”
“Absolutely not,” Levi says immediately, his hand moving to cover mine where it rests on the table. “You’ve barely recovered from your own captivity.”
I jerk my hand away, anger flaring. “I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions, Gamma.”
“Your judgment may be compromised,” he presses, his yellow eyes intense. “You’ve been through trauma. You need time to?—”
“I need to do my job,” I snap, standing abruptly. “Which is protecting this pack and the innocent people I failed to save.”
The room falls silent, tension crackling between us. I can feel every pair of eyes on us, assessing, judging. Levi’s presumption undermines my authority in front of wolves I lead.
Ryker’s voice cuts through the silence, cold as winter steel. “Beta Lithia will determine her own fitness for duty. The Alpha makes deployment decisions, not the Gamma.”
Levi’s jaw works, but he inclines his head stiffly. “Of course, Alpha.”
I resume my seat, fighting to project calm control. “As I was saying—rescue operations are a priority, but they require careful planning.” I look directly at Ryker. “We can’t afford another ambush like the one that took me.”
“Agreed,” Ryker says. “I want reconnaissance teams to scout each known location before we commit to action. Meanwhile, we’ll reach out to other supernatural communities—bears, fae, covens. If this network spans multiple species, our response needs to as well.”
“Timeline?” I ask.
“Two weeks for initial reconnaissance. If we find actionable intelligence, we’ll move sooner.” His mismatched eyes—one amber, one red—fix on me. “But I want experienced teams only. Volunteers who understand the risks.”
I nod, already mentally assembling the roster. “I’ll coordinate with our allies?—”
“I’ll assist,” Levi interrupts, leaning closer. “Betaresponsibilities are significant. You shouldn’t shoulder them alone.”
