Page 67 of Anders
After the alpha left, Anders moved with increased urgency.He gathered specialized tracking equipment, weapons designed to incapacitate without killing, medical suppliesspecific to shifter physiology, and communications gear that would allow him to stay in contact with the pack while remaining undetectable to conventional surveillance.
As he worked, he tried to ignore the steadily worsening ache in his chest.The mate bond, still forming but already powerful, pulled at him like a tether stretching beyond its limits.His wolf clawed beneath his skin, desperate to run, to hunt, to find their missing mate.
Soon, he promised it.Just a little longer.
He was certain the people who had taken Etta, who had experimented on her and other shifter children, were operating with government sanction and military resources.
Which meant Etta wasn’t just running from the pack.She was running from the full might of a black ops program with seemingly unlimited resources.
No wonder she’d run—she was trying to draw the danger away from the pack.She’d figured out that her presence threatened everyone around her, and rather than putting them at risk, she’d chosen to face the danger alone.
His lips curved in a grim smile as he continued gathering equipment.She might think she was protecting the pack by running, but she’d forgotten one crucial detail—the mate bond connecting them.No matter how far she ran, he would find her.
Just as he was finishing his preparations, a surge of pain hit him—a sensation transmitted through the mate bond.Anders clutched at the base of his skull, feeling phantom agony from the neural interface embedded in Etta’s neck.
The device was killing her, just as Dr.Mercer had warned.Without the chemical suppressants, the interface was destabilizing, sending erratic pulses through her nervous system.And now, with the Epsilon Protocol activated, that process was accelerating.
Time was running out.
Anders slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and headed for the door, only to find Quinton and Conall waiting outside.
Malcolm filled us in,Quinton said without preamble.We’ve been assigned to maintain security protocols in your absence.
The alpha also said you might need backup,Conall added.We’re ready if you call.
Anders studied the twins for a moment.Their loyalty was unquestionable, their combat skills among the best in the pack.Under normal circumstances, he would welcome their assistance.But these weren’t normal circumstances.
I appreciate the offer,he said,but this needs to be a solo operation.The fewer pack members exposed to the Chimera Program, the better.
And if you need extraction?Quinton asked.Or medical support for Etta when you find her?
I’ll handle it,Anders said, though he knew the confidence in his voice masked genuine uncertainty.Removing the neural interface would require specialized knowledge and equipment he might not have access to.
Conall didn’t look convinced.No offense, but even you can’t fight an entire black ops team alone.
I’m not planning to fight them.Anders moved past the twins toward the exit.I’m planning to outsmart them.
At least take this,Quinton said, holding out a small metallic case.Malcolm had it ready for you.
Anders accepted the case, recognizing it immediately as one of the specially designed medical kits Larissa had prepared for emergencies.It contained advanced treatments specifically formulated for shifter physiology, including neural blockers that might help manage the pain from Etta’s interface until a more permanent solution could be found.
Tell Malcolm I said thanks,Anders said, adding the case to his equipment.
The twins exchanged a glance.
There’s one more thing,Conall said.The council voted while you were preparing.They’ve officially authorized you to act on behalf of the pack in this matter.
Anders raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.That’s…unexpected.
Not really,Quinton said with a slight smile.Malcolm made a pretty compelling case that this Chimera Program threatens all shifters, not just our pack.He argued that finding Etta and stopping the Epsilon Protocol was essential to our collective security.
Basically, he convinced them that your personal mission and your guardian duties aligned perfectly,Conall added.Protecting Etta is protecting the pack.
Anders blinked as he realized Malcolm was right.This wasn’t about choosing between his mate and his duty.Saving Etta—uncovering the full scope of the Chimera Program, disabling the Epsilon Protocol, bringing down the people responsible—was the most important guardian duty he could perform.
Because the threat they posed wasn’t just to one wolf, or one pack.It was to their entire kind.
If that’s how the council sees it,Anders said,who am I to argue?
