Page 70 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
“It’s not your fault,” I tell her, stepping closer but maintaining enough distance to respect her boundaries. “There have been some developments. Things you need to know about.”
Her eyes snap to mine, storm-gray and suddenly sharp with focus. “What things?”
I glance around the empty café, extremely aware that we’re standing here exposed, that anyone could walk in. “Is there somewhere more private we can talk?”
She hesitates, then nods. After she locks the front entrance, I follow her through the door marked “Private,” past the small room where I confronted her days ago, and up a narrowstaircase to what must be her apartment above the café. It’s small and filled with books. There are shelves of them lining every available wall space, stacks on the coffee table, even a few balanced precariously on the kitchen counter. The place feels lived-in, comfortable, entirely her own.
She turns to face me, arms crossed protectively over her chest. “Talk.”
I take a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “There’s another organization forming. Not the Silver Ring, but something new. They’re gathering artificial shifters under their umbrella—those who have survived, anyway.”
Her posture stiffens. “And you think they’re interested in me.”
“I know they are,” I correct her, holding her gaze. “Michael just confirmed it. They’ve probably been watching you for months.”
“Months?” Her voice rises slightly. “That’s not possible. I would have noticed.”
“Would you have?” I ask gently. “With your wolf suppressed, your senses aren’t what they once were.”
She flinches as if struck, then turns away, moving to a window that overlooks the street below. “How do you know about this organization?”
“We’ve been hearing rumors for almost a year. Artificial shifters disappearing from monitoring—not dying, but vanishing. Safe houses we never established appearing in border towns. Then, three months ago, they made their first overt move.” I pause, knowing this next part will hit her hard. “They tried to kidnap Maya.”
Fiona spins to face me, shock evident in her expression. “What?”
“She was traveling between kingdoms, meeting with healers about treatments for the artificial shifters we’ve rescued. Her security detail was ambushed. Four guards died.”
“Is she okay?” The genuine concern in Fiona’s voice doesn’t surprise me. Despite her having cut ties with the Human Wolf Kingdom, I know she cares for Maya.
“She’s fine,” I assure her. “Griffin arrived in time. And we captured one of the attackers.” I move closer, keeping my voice steady. “They wanted Maya on their side, Fiona. They see her as a potential leader: an artificial shifter who has achieved power and stability. When she refused their previous approaches, they decided to force the issue.”
“Previous approaches?” Fiona sinks onto her couch, looking stunned. “She never mentioned any of this to me.”
“Would you have wanted to know?” I ask, taking a seat in the armchair across from her. “You left that life behind.”
She runs a hand through her hair, a gesture I recognize from our time at the palace—a sign that she’s processing difficult information. “What do they want? This new organization?”
“Recognition. Protection. Equality.” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “They believe artificial shifters deserve the same rights and respect as born shifters. They want integration within our kingdoms, social acceptance, political representation.”
“That sounds...reasonable,” she says cautiously.
“Their goals may be. Their methods are not.” I hold her gaze. “They’re creating a divide: us versus them. They’re willing to use violence to achieve their aims.”
“And Maya opposes them?”
“Maya wants harmony. She believes integration should happen naturally, through understanding and time. They see her position as weakness, as capitulation to born-shifter dominance.”
Fiona’s brow furrows. “What does this have to do with me?”
“You’re unique, Fiona. You’ve successfully suppressed your wolf for over a year. None of the other artificial shifters we know of have managed that. Most die within weeks of trying.” I hesitate, then add, “They want to understand how you’ve done it. And they want you to choose a side.”
“I don’t have a side,” she protests. “I’m basically human now.”
“That’s exactly what interests them.” I lean closer. “The humans captured by the Silver Ring weren’t random. They all had special abilities or aptitudes—photographic memory, advanced pattern recognition, enhanced intuition. They were chosen because they were already exceptional.”
Comprehension starts to show in her eyes. “And now, they’re determined to survive.”
“Yes, but it’s more than that. They want to thrive, to create a place for themselves in a world that never asked for them to exist.” I pause, weighing my next words carefully. “You’re not safe here, Fiona. If they can’t convince you to join them, they’ll consider you an enemy.”
