Chapter 12 #3
She's right, and we all know it. What started as an investigation into unusual plant mutations has evolved into something much more dangerous.
"We'll be careful," I promise. "We document everything, we build an airtight case, and we find the right people to report it to. People who can't be bought or intimidated."
"Is there anyone like that?" Ethan asks cynically.
"There has to be," Ava says firmly. "We just have to find them."
Back at my house, Rachel is waiting up, worry clear on her face. When we all walk in unharmed, relief floods her expression.
"You got the evidence?" she asks.
Ava holds up her collection kit. "Everything we need to prove contamination. Photos, samples, documentation. It's all here."
We spread everything out on the dining room table, and Rachel immediately starts organizing it with her journalist's eye for detail.
"This is good," she says, photographing each piece of evidence with her phone. "Really good. But Ava's right. We need to be strategic about how we release this information."
"What are you thinking?" I ask.
"Multiple channels. We don't put all our eggs in one basket.
The Environmental Protection Agency gets the scientific evidence.
State regulators get the documentation. And I have contacts in investigative journalism who would love a story like this.
" She looks up. "We overwhelm them with information from multiple credible sources simultaneously.
That way, even if they try to shut down one avenue, others are still pursuing it. "
"That's actually brilliant," Ava says. "They can't suppress multiple independent investigations at once."
"Plus," Rachel adds, "once it's public, once journalists are digging into it, it becomes much harder for them to retaliate against individual whistleblowers. The story becomes bigger than any one person."
We spend the next hour planning our strategy.
Ava will prepare a detailed report for the EPA, complete with her analysis and the samples we collected.
Rachel will reach out to her journalism contacts, providing them with the story framework and supporting evidence.
And I'll work with the pack's legal counsel to make sure we're protected if EnvironTech tries to come after us.
By the time everyone finally heads home, it's well past midnight. I walk Ava to her car, both of us exhausted but wired on adrenaline.
"Thank you," she says, turning to face me in the moonlight. "For letting me come tonight. For trusting me with this."
"You were right. We needed you there." I cup her face gently. “Ava, I need you to understand something. This is going to get worse before it gets better. EnvironTech is not going to go down without a fight."
"I know." She covers my hand with hers. "But we're doing the right thing, Hunter."
I want to argue, to tell her that nothing is worth putting her in danger. But I know she wouldn't accept that. She's committed to this now, to seeing it through.
Instead, I kiss her, pouring all my worry and fear and admiration into it. When we part, she's breathless.
"Be careful," I tell her. "Lock your doors, keep your phone on. If anything feels wrong, anything at all, you call me immediately."
"I will. I promise." She kisses me once more, quick and soft. "Goodnight, Hunter."
I watch her drive away, my wolf pacing restlessly. We've uncovered something big tonight, something dangerous. And I can't shake the feeling that we've just painted a target on all our backs.
Inside, Caleb is still in my kitchen, making coffee despite the late hour.
"Can't sleep?" I ask.
"Not after that." He pours two cups, sliding one across to me. "Hunter, I know you don't want to hear this, but we need to talk about worst-case scenarios."
"Such as?"
"Such as what happens if EnvironTech figures out who's investigating them. What if they connect you to the trespassing? What if they come after the pack?" He meets my eyes. "What if they come after Ava?"
"They won't," I say firmly. "We were careful. We left no trace."
"You hope you left no trace. But that camera flickered, Hunter. They're going to review that footage. And even if they don't see faces, they'll see shapes. They'll know someone was there."
He's right, and I hate it. "So what do you suggest?"
"I suggest we prepare for the possibility that this gets ugly. That we need to protect the pack, protect Ava and Rachel, maybe even prepare to defend our territory if they try to retaliate." He sets down his cup. "I'm not saying we back down. But we need to be ready for whatever comes next."
I nod slowly. As much as I want to believe we can expose EnvironTech cleanly, with no blowback, the reality is more complicated. We're threatening a powerful company's bottom line and their reputation. They're not going to accept that quietly.
"Talk to Gregory tomorrow," I decide. "Brief him and the other elders on what we've found. Get their input on security measures. And thank you. For having my back tonight."
"Always," he says simply. "That's what brothers do."