Page 52 of Rebel for Claws
The bitter herbal antidote still coated Vivian's throat as she struggled to sit up in Alaric's bed, her violet eyes cutting through the tension that had descended upon his private chambers like a blade through silk. The silver wound in her side throbbed with each heartbeat, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the cold dread settling in her chest.
"How many of my people?" she repeated, her voice carrying a deadly edge that made even Kieran's commanding presence seem diminished.
Malcolm ran his hand through his dark hair, his diplomatic composure finally cracking under the weight of the devastating news. "We don't have specifics yet. Lena is still gathering intelligence, but the strikes were coordinated across all four territories. Rebel safehouses, pack leadership homes, anyone who's ever stood against Thorne..."
A full-scale purge.The realization hit Vivian so hard that it stole her breath and made her enhanced senses spike with predatory alertness.
While we were playing hunter and prey with Thorne at his outpost, he was eliminating his opposition back here in thePacific Northwest Cascade territory. The bastard orchestrated this perfectly, and we fell for it.
From her position against the silk pillows, she watched Alaric's hands clench tight. "Kieran," she said, her tactical mind cutting through the emotional chaos, "these coordinated strikes—they required insider intelligence. Real-time intelligence."
The eldest Silvercrest son nodded grimly. "That's what we're afraid of."
Vivian's blood ran ice cold as the full scope of their situation crystallized with terrifying clarity. "It's not just Thorne acting alone. The High Council has allies embedded throughout the rebellion. Pack leadership too." Her voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "We've been fighting Thorne and his shadows while the real enemy has been walking among us the entire time."
How many rebels trusted the wrong person? How many pack leaders thought they were safe in their own homes?
Their mate bond pulsed as Alaric's rage fed into her own, creating a feedback loop of fury that made her teeth lengthen involuntarily. Through their connection, she could feel his wolf demanding blood, demanding vengeance, demanding the right to protect what was his.
"My rebel group is still out there. They're sitting ducks," she breathed, remembering her conversation with her magical healer a few days ago.
Malcolm stepped closer to the bed, his blue eyes dark with concern. "We don't know which locations were hit. There's still hope?—"
"Hope?" Vivian's laugh held no humor and was sharp enough to cut glass. "Thorne's infiltration runs deeper than any of us imagined. He's had decades to place his pieces, to identify every threat, every reformer, every person brave enough to stand against him."
And we handed him the perfect distraction by chasing after that evidence bag.
Alaric's voice rumbled through the chamber like distant thunder, his Alpha authority unmistakable despite the raw emotion bleeding through their bond. "He's not being secretive about his intentions anymore. No more shadows, no more manipulation. This is open warfare."
"Which means," Vivian said, pushing herself fully upright despite the protest from her healing wound, "extinction of our kind isn't a distant threat anymore. It's happening right now, today, while we sit here talking about it."
The silence that followed her words carried the weight of absolute truth. Outside the windows, the winter wind howled through the evergreens surrounding the estate, but inside the chamber, the air itself seemed to hold its breath.
Thorne is willing to burn our entire shifter world to the ground to keep his power.
Kieran broke the tension first, his strategic mind already shifting into crisis management mode. "We need to get both the pack leaders and rebellion leaders together. United front, shared intelligence, and coordinated defense."
"An emergency war council," Alaric agreed, his enhanced senses already cataloging threats and allies with supernatural precision. "All pack leaders, all rebellion leaders. The neutral grand hall near Moon Hollow. This afternoon."
Vivian watched her mate transform before her eyes, the man she'd made love with last night being replaced by the legendary Alpha who'd commanded the most powerful pack in the territory for thirty years. His phone was already in his hand, speed-dialing numbers with the efficiency of someone accustomed to crisis leadership.
"Alpha Gage? Alaric Silvercrest. We need an emergency war council—today, this afternoon." His voice held the powerfulauthority of an Alpha issuing non-negotiable orders. "The grand hall near Moon Hollow. Bring everyone who's still breathing and willing to fight."
Through the phone's speaker, Vivian could hear the Tidewater Alpha's grim confirmation. "How bad is it, Alaric?"
"Bad enough that even the most resistant pack leaders will have no choice but to stand together now." Alaric's eyes met Vivian's, and she saw her own determination reflected in those storm-grey depths. "This isn't about politics anymore. It's about survival."
One by one, Alaric made the calls. Pack leaders who'd spent decades feuding with each other agreed to alliance without hesitation. Rebellion leaders who'd operated in shadows for years committed to open cooperation. Even the most traditional Alphas recognized that Thorne's systematic purge had crossed every line that existed in their shifter world.
Amazing what the threat of extinction can accomplish in terms of unity.
When the final call ended, Alaric set his phone aside and moved to the edge of the bed, his enhanced presence making the very air around them hum with supernatural energy. "The council meets in two hours. Every major leader who's still alive will be there."
"And then?" Vivian asked, though she already knew the answer.
His hands cupped her face with devastating gentleness, the contrast between his lethal power and tender touch making her breath catch. "Then we stop playing defense and start playing offense. No more chasing evidence, no more hoping to expose corruption through proper channels."
Because there are no proper channels left.
