Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Raura

I run my damp palms nervously over the thick denim of my jeans as I step into the gathering hall, trying not to let my nerves show. It’s an imposing space – high ceilings, polished wooden floors, and a long table at the center where the members of the beta council are seated. Jagger catches my eye and gives me an encouraging nod. I take a deep breath and make my way to the front of the room, acutely aware of all the eyes on me.

“Thank you all for being prepared to hear me out,” I begin, keeping my voice steady. “I know the situation I’m about to present to you is…disturbing. But it’s something we can’t ignore.”

“Jagger tells us you have information about the abductions we’ve become aware of.” Callum is seated at the far end of the table. “Something about an organization. It seems it wasn’t limited to the Wildview pack?”

I shake my head. “That was barely the tip of the iceberg. The Consortium has been operating for years. At least ten that I’ve been told of, but I’m pretty sure it goes much further than that.”

Callum rubs his jaw, glancing at Jagger. “It’s what we were afraid of…this thing is big.”

“It’s huge,” I say, then launch into an explanation of the Chimera Consortium and its horrific operations, describing Parker’s role and the details of my captivity. As I speak, I can see a range of emotions play out across the council members’ faces – shock, outrage, grim determination.

Kieran, one of the younger betas, leans forward, his brow furrowed. “You’re saying this…Consortium is the organization that has been working in our area, working with Leadmills to abduct our kind?”

I nod solemnly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. And not just shifters. When I was locked up there, I saw other animals. Rare species. They trade in them.”

“This is troubling,” Callum says. “What would they want them for?”

“Who can tell?” I splay my hands. “I think for some, it’s just the thrill of owning an endangered species. Others use them in military applications. Specifically the strong ones, like us.”

“This is true,” Edirn chimes in. “When they were holding me at the Whispering Pines Sanctuary, the man…Parker…said that he had a buyer for me. A general who wanted a killing machine. I got the sense that I’d be used for war.”

“That’s almost like what they did with Riot,” I say, feeling a pang as I say his name. “Parker and his cronies run an underground fight circuit. He’s had Riot pitted up against all sorts of fighters.”

“Parker’s cronies?” Jagger asks. “How far does this thing go?”

I turn to him. “From what I could gather, they have powerful connections – politicians, military, wealthy elite. Their reach is far and wide.”

Tyson, one of the elders, slams his fist on the table, making me jump. “Damn cowards, preying on our kind like that!” His eyes blaze with fury. The others join in his outrage, their angry outbursts bringing my words to a halt.

Jagger watches silently. Once the uproar has died down, he speaks, “Raura has requested that we use our forces to go in and help her mate save his sister.”

“Wait… Mate?” Tarkin stares at me. I feel my cheeks flush.

“Yeah,” Casey says drily. “Lot of that going on lately.”

“I think she may have a point,” Jagger goes on, ignoring the interruption. “I think we should go after him.”

“Quite right!” Tyson barks, his fists still bunched. “They need to pay for what they’ve done.”

I feel a surge of relief as Jagger and Tyson voice their support for going after Riot. But the murmurs of dissent from some of the others remind me that this won’t be an easy battle to win.

“Why should we risk the pack against such a powerful enemy?” Kieran’s eyes narrow as he leans back in his chair. “From what Raura’s told us, these people have connections everywhere.”

Gage nods. “And let’s not forget the heat we’ve already drawn. That gunfight with Parker’s men was a close call. If it wasn’t for the defenses we’ve got up, the cops would’ve been all over us.” He turns to me. “No offense, Raura, but when you were taken out of here, it was a shitshow.”

I meet his gaze steadily, pushing aside the flicker of shame I feel. Maybe I could have fought harder. Maybe I should have taken Parker down before he got me into a weakened state. It’s too late to think about that now. “None taken. You’re right – that situation was a mess. But he can’t be allowed to think he can get away with that again.”

Callum is tipping back in his seat, his fingers interlaced on the table before him. “Come to think about it…don’t you find it odd that there’s been radio silence from the authorities since then?”

Jagger strokes his chin contemplatively. “Good point. After that kind of incident, you’d expect them to be crawling all over the area.”

“Exactly.” I lean forward, planting my palms on the table. “That’s because Parker has pull. He’s not just some random black-market goon. He’s got high-level government ties that let him sweep things under the rug.”

“You think he has more plans for us,” Greyson says. It’s been a while since our previous Alpha joined any formal meetings – the pressure of leadership had been heavy on him, but he looks a lot better after a few months of retirement. Except now, his seamed face is grim. I guess this thing has gotten everyone anxious.

“Absolutely,” I tell him. There’s a mutter of anger as I say it. I take a deep breath, steadying myself against the roiling energy in the room. “Parker’s just getting started. When he took me, he tried everything to get me to give up information about Steel Lakes. I didn’t crack, but that doesn’t mean he’s given up his plans to come for the rest of you.”

The weight of my words seems to hit them all at once. Chairs scrape back as several council members leap to their feet, their angry shouts filling the air.

“You can’t be serious!”

“That son of a bitch…”

Tyson slams his fist on the table again, the bang cutting through the cacophony. “Enough! Let the girl speak!”

Jagger’s eyes meet mine, a newfound respect flickering in their depths. I straighten my shoulders, feeling a renewed sense of determination. “We’re not just doing this for Riot. We’re doing it to protect our home.”

Jagger turns to face the rest of them. “Like it or not, they’re coming for us. I say we hit them first. Hard.”

“Fuck yeah!” Casey is grinning like a crazy woman.

The tension in the room hangs heavy as the council members consider Jagger’s words. Edirn is the first to speak up, his rough voice cutting through the silence. “I stand with my Alpha.” He nods at Jagger, then turns to Casey and takes her hand. “And with my mate.”

Tarkin rises to his feet, his auburn hair glinting under the lights. “I’m in. It’s time we put an end to this bunch of fuckers.” Callum nods his agreement, his weathered face set in determination.

Kieran remains seated, his fingers drumming on the polished tabletop. I can see the emotions warring in his sharp features. Finally, he sighs and leans back in his chair. “I don’t like it,” he says, “but I can see there’s no other choice. If they’re coming for us, we need to strike first.”

Gratitude washes over me as, one by one, the others voice their assent. Tyson grunts his approval, crossing his brawny arms over his chest. Greyson simply nods, his eyes distant, as if already strategizing.

Jagger turns to me, a grim smile on his lips. “Well, Raura, it looks like we’re going to battle.”

I nod, my heart pounding. “Thank you. All of you. I know this isn’t an easy decision.”

“Before we get too excited,” Tarkin interrupts. “How can we be certain he’s going back there?”

“Good point,” Jagger looks at me. “Are you sure Riot is going to go back to the Enclave?” he asks, his dark eyes searching mine.

I hesitate, my throat tightening.

Am I sure?

Can I really predict what Riot will do? But even as the doubts creep in, I feel a tug deep inside me, an unbreakable thread pulling me toward him. “I’m positive,” I say, my voice steady. I can feel the bond strengthening. “I can feel him, Jagger. Here.” I put a fist over my chest where a strange pressure has been building since the moment I’d learned he’d gone.

Jagger nods, accepting my words. But a new fear grips me, and I feel a knot forming in the pit of my stomach as the council discusses the next course of action. Relief and dread war within me – I’m grateful they’ve seen reason but terrified of what’s to come.

“What worries me,” I say, my voice tight as I voice the new certainty that’s building within me, “is that Riot is going to trade his freedom for his sister’s.” The words seem to hang in the air, their weight pressing down on me.

I close my eyes, letting the bond I share with Riot wash over me. The dark, gnawing ache in my chest swells, threatening to overwhelm me. “I can feel it,” I whisper, struggling against the tide of emotions battering me from within. The pain…the desperation. They’re his feelings, I know it. But it’s like it’s becoming part of me, too.

Opening my eyes, I meet Jagger’s concerned gaze. “He’s going to go back to the Enclave. He’s going to offer himself up to Parker in exchange for Willow’s safety.” My throat constricts as I voice the fear that’s been clawing at me. “We have to move fast before he does something reckless. Before he sacrifices himself.”

The silence that falls is deafening. I can see the weight of my words sinking in, their implications sending a tremor through the gathered council members. Riot may be a stranger to them, but the concept of trading one’s freedom for family is deeply ingrained in our pack values.

Jagger is the first to react, his expression hardening. “Then we don’t have any time to waste.” He rises from his seat, sweeping a glance over the others. “Get your gear ready. We move out in ten.”