Page 39 of Rebel for Claws
Vivian's teeth bit her lower lip—a gesture so vulnerable that it made something fierce and protective surge through his veins. When she finally looked up at him again, her eyes held a pain that made his wolf restless beneath his skin.
"I'm just missing my rebel group," she admitted, her voice but a whisper. "I keep thinking about them out there, probably risking their lives searching for me. They don't know if I'm aliveor dead, and I..." She swallowed hard. "I need to make sure they're safe. I need them to know I'm safe too."
The raw emotion in her voice hit him like a physical jab. Here was his fierce, rebellious mate—the woman who'd infiltrated Moon Hollow and faced down the High Council—brought low by worry for her people. It made him love her even more, even as it made his protective instincts roar with the need to eliminate every threat to her peace of mind.
"You can contact them now," he said immediately, his hands sliding to grip her shoulders. "I have a secured private line here in my office—completely untraceable. You can let them know you're safe."
Her eyes lit up like stars, the transformation so sudden and brilliant that it stole his breath. The smile that spread across her face was radiant, and he felt a surge of male satisfaction that he could put that expression there.
"Really? You'd let me do that?" The hope in Vivian's voice made his chest ache.
"Of course." He gestured toward his oak desk where the secure communication array was built into its surface. "But they can't know your location, and they can't join you yet. It's not safe."
"I understand." She moved toward the desk with renewed energy, her melancholy evaporating. "You can stay while I call them, since you let me stay for your conference call."
As if I'd leave you alone right now,he thought, settling into the leather chair beside his desk.Not when you're vulnerable and worried.
Vivian's fingers flew over the secure keypad, entering a frequency that was clearly committed to memory. The connection crackled to life, and within moments a voice filtered through the speaker—female, cautious, tinged with barely contained emotion.
"This is Kelly."
"Kelly, it's me." Vivian's voice carried across the connection, warm with relief and affection.
The sharp intake of breath on the other end was audible even through the encrypted channel. "Vivian? Oh God, Vivian, is it really you?"
"It's really me." Tears gathered in Vivian's eyes, and Alaric felt his own throat tighten at the raw emotion in her voice. "I'm alive. I'm safe."
"The others thought you were dead," Kelly's voice cracked. "After you vanished without a trace—we searched for three days, but your scent just... disappeared. We didn't know what to think."
Alaric watched his mate's face crumple with guilt, and he had to grip the arms of his chair to keep from pulling her into his lap and soothing away her pain.
"I had a vision last night," Kelly continued, her voice gaining strength. "I saw you alive and protected. I told the others to wait, and that you'd contact us. I knew you were out there somewhere."
"You were right to trust your visions." Vivian's voice steadied, though her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of his desk. "I'm safe and protected, but I can't tell you where I am right now. And you can't join me yet—but soon, I promise."
"We're managing here," Kelly assured her. "But Vivian, there's something you need to know. Intelligence came through the rebellion communications this morning—something that changes everything."
Alaric felt his entire body tense, every instinct screaming that whatever came next would shatter the fragile peace they'd been building in their territory. Beside him, Vivian went rigid, her knuckles white where they gripped the desk.
"What kind of intelligence?" Vivian's voice was deadly quiet.
"Human operatives are now targeting all magical shifters," Kelly said, her words falling like stones into still water. "Not just hybrids, not just specific bloodlines—anyone with even a trace of magical ability. The orders came down this morning. It's a full-scale purge, Vivian."
The silence that followed the devastating news was deafening. Alaric watched the color drain from his mate's face, and saw her violet eyes blaze with fury and fear in equal measure. The mate bond thrummed with her rage, so intense it made his own vision tinge with gold.
"What are we up against?" Vivian's question was barely a whisper.
"We don't know yet. But our contacts in the other territories are reporting coordinated strikes. It's not random—they have lists, Vivian. Specific targets."
"Are you safe?" The question tore from Vivian's throat, raw with desperate concern.
"For now. We've hunkered down and activated all our protective wards. If trouble comes, we'll move—you taught us well." Kelly's voice held grim determination. "But Vivian, they're coming for everyone like us. Everyone like you."
Alaric rose from his chair, unable to remain seated while his mate vibrated with barely contained fury. The protective instincts that had been simmering since their mate bond roared to life a week ago, demanded he shield her from every threat and eliminate every danger.
"I'm going to stop this," Vivian said, her voice carrying deadly promise. "I'm going to end Thorne and his madness for good."
"Be careful," Kelly pleaded. "Come back to us alive."
