20. Ryan

My wolf woke me. The scent of Derek, a mix of pine and moss, hit first, before he started banging on my door. Mai stirred beside me.

I glanced at the clock. Eight in the morning. We'd slept late. I slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before padding over to the door. My hand lingered on the cold handle, and I took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever was on the other side.

"What is it, Derek?" I whispered, not wanting to wake Mai. His familiar figure was framed in the dim hallway light.

"You need to hear this, bro," he said, his voice tight.

My stomach dropped. More bad news. I nodded, stepping back to let him in.

Mai had sat up, her beautiful brown eyes wide and alert, her dark hair a wild tangle around her shoulders. She pulled the sheet closer to her as Derek stepped inside, the chill from the open door cutting through the warm room.

"Sorry to barge in on you guys like this, but it couldn't wait," Derek said, his gaze flicking between the two of us. "I've been in contact with Evelyn. She was one of our enforcers who escaped the sweep by Brock's men. She's staying in an empty house of her cousin's for now, still inside the Three Rivers territory."

"She's got news for us?" I asked.

"Yeah, and we've got a problem."

"The problem being?" Mai questioned, her voice sleep-roughened yet alert.

"Tristan," Derek said simply, letting the name hang in the air. "I sent the photos of him to all our contacts. Evelyn's seen him. Says he's walking around Three Rivers like he's the Alpha there. That he's all tight with Brock's enforcers."

"Fuck!"

"Yeah. It was too much to hope that he'd crawl into a ditch somewhere."

"We need to warn Michael," Mai said. "If Tristan is back working with Brock, then their plans aren't finished. Tristan is still aiming to take over the Bridgetown Pack, and Brock will be helping him."

I nodded. "We'll get dressed and meet you downstairs."

Ten minutes later, we walked into Michael's study. He sat at his desk, his head buried in some paperwork. Shya was reading a book near the fireplace and picking at a plate of breakfast food. Michael looked up at our arrival, his calm exterior barely hiding the worry in his eyes.

"You have news?" he asked, pushing aside the pile of papers to give us his full attention.

"Is Camille around? She needs to hear this too," Mai said.

Michael shook his head. "She's dealing with Henry and Tucker. There was some dispute over a favorite book of Henry's found covered in mud and ice cream stains."

I smiled and made a mental note to buy Henry a book and Tucker some ice cream.

"How is Arabella doing?" I knew Mai couldn't stop thinking about her, how much she had changed from the fun, happy girl in the photos to the shell of a person she was when we found her.

Michael shook his head. "It's not going well. The detox is having some unforeseen effects. Our doctor believes that if she Shifts, we'd have a better chance of purging ripple from her system, but she is unable to Shift. We don't know why, but it's like she's lost that ability."

"Because of the drug?"

"Perhaps. She may be able to Shift when it's all out of her system, and the withdrawal has passed. But if she doesn't Shift, we're not sure she will survive that long."

"Do you have contacts in the southern Packs? They might have some ideas; they've been dealing with ripple for longer than we have. I know some people if you want me to call them."

Michael inclined his head. "Thank you, but no need. We're waiting for someone I trust to send me information. Is that what you wanted to see me about?"

I shook my head. "It's Tristan. He's been seen in Three Rivers. It looks like he's working with Brock again. Openly this time."

"That dickhead," Shya spat out, her anger erupting as she jumped out of her chair. "I knew he wouldn't just disappear. That utter cockroach! He must have had this as a backup plan all along."

"Perhaps," Michael replied. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance, as if he could see the unfolding future. "But we couldn't do anything until we confirmed where he was first." Michael looked at me. "You need to up your timetable. Strike now while they are all together."

I stared at Michael, his words sinking in slowly. "Up our timetable?" I echoed. "Just barge into Three Rivers without any clear plan?" I was a fighter, yes, but I also knew the importance of strategy.

"We don't have the luxury of time, Ryan," Michael said, his gaze never wavering. "If Tristan is in Three Rivers, it means they're preparing for something big. We need to take them by surprise."

"Michael, they have enforcers everywhere. They have all the entrances monitored. This would be suicide."

"I get it, Ryan." Michael's voice softened. "I really do. But if we wait too long, they will attack us here, and it will be war between our Packs. The loss of life will be enormous."

I looked at Mai, and when she spoke, her voice was calm and steady. "Ryan's right. We can't just go in without a plan. That's how we lose. We need to know what they're planning, how many fighters they have, where they are likely to strike, and where they are vulnerable."

"I have an idea," Shya chimed in.

"Yes?" I said, glancing at Shya. Her fingers played idly with a pendant around her neck.

"I know someone who might be able to help us," she began. "He's a bit of a shadowy character, but he deals in information. And he's had dealings with both Brock and Tristan in the past. There's no love lost between them. If anyone knows what's going on and what Brock and Tristan are up to, he'll know."

"You trust this man?"

"I trust him to honor a deal. If we can offer something he wants, he'll stick to it. Plus, he's absolutely dedicated to protecting his own skin," Shya replied. "It won't go well for him if Brock and Tristan are in charge in these parts. If he thinks we have a shot at taking them down, he'll help us."

I felt my jaw clench. We were treading on thin ice, but Shya's plan felt like the only viable option. I turned to Michael, our eyes meeting across the room. "We have to try," I said. "We need more information. Then we decide."