Chapter 3
Callum
An hour later I press my spine against the wall, forcing myself to stay out of Lyanna’s way. The infirmary buzzes with controlled chaos: beds filled with collapsed pack members, monitors beeping, the sharp scent of antiseptic cutting through the metallic tang of fear.
With Dane, Nova, and Ben unconscious, the pack’s safety falls squarely on my shoulders. The familiar weight of command settles over me—not the desperate control I once wished for at Shadow Peak, but the steady authority of a Gamma protecting his people.
“Arrival imminent,” Harper warns, glancing at her comm unit. “Two minutes.”
I straighten, giving silent orders to the two guards positioned at the door. Nothing gets through without my approval—no matter who’s arriving.
The air shimmers, a vertical line of silver light splitting reality. Elysia steps through first, arms loaded with containers marked with magical symbols. Isla follows behind her carrying similar supplies.
“Secure,” I confirm, allowing them to pass. “Lyanna’s in the main room.”
I follow them in, watching as Lyanna turns. Relief crosses her features for a fraction of a second before she composes herself and shifts into work mode.
“Did you bring the stabilizing agents?” she asks, taking supplies from Elysia.
“Everything you requested, plus experimental compounds Lachlan developed.” Elysia sets down her containers—supplies from the fae prince’s healing compound at Tir na Sorcha, just outside Silverwood.
“This should allow deeper examination. It’s attuned to detect magical signatures beyond normal healing range.”
Lyanna positions herself beside Nova’s bed, one hand on Nova’s forehead, the other holding the crystal above her chest. Her hands glow with subtle sage-green light, pulsing in rhythm with Nova’s labored breathing.
The crystal flares to life, projecting a network of shimmering threads through Nova’s body.
“The bonds should pulse with vibrant energy,” Lyanna murmurs, moving the crystal in a slow circle. “But they’re sluggish. Congested with something dark.”
She moves to Ben’s bed. Same scan. Same result.
Isla leans closer as she watches Lyanna work. “Same contamination pattern in all of them?”
Lyanna doesn’t answer. She’s moving faster now—Dane, then Cassie, then Kieran. Patient after patient, the crystal revealing the same darkness threaded through their bonds.
Then she stops. The color drains from her face.
“The progression confirms it,” she whispers. “Alpha pair hit hardest, then their closest bonds, then outward. Following the hierarchy exactly.” Her hands tremble. “This is Faelan’s work.”
The name hits me like a blade between the ribs. I cross the room in three strides, gripping her shoulders. “You’re certain?”
She looks up at me, and despite the terror in her eyes, I feel her lean into my grip. Just slightly. Just for a moment.
“The shadow pulse—it’s not just dark magic. It’s his resonance pattern. I’ve studied fae corruption signatures my entire life.” Her voice breaks. “Callum, he’s alive. And he’s targeting our pack bonds.”
Elysia moves closer. “Explain. How did he infect them?”
Lyanna draws a steadying breath, her professional mask sliding back into place.
“The Fade battle. Others were there, but Dane and Nova are the only ones who made direct contact with his circuit magic. Dane touched it physically, and Nova—her scar pulled her into the pattern. She synced with the circuit to dismantle it from the inside. They both interfaced directly with Faelan’s power. ”
Harper’s hand flies to her mouth. “But they seemed fine. For months—“
“It was dormant. Waiting.” Lyanna gestures toward the unconscious pack members.
“Dane and Nova are the Alpha pair—the central node of the entire pack bond network. Every wolf who bonds to this pack connects through them. When Faelan activated the contamination, it didn’t need to reach everyone individually.
It traveled outward through the bond connections. ”
The room goes silent.
“He turned their Alpha bond into a delivery system,” I say, fury roughening my voice.
“Months of planning,” Lyanna continues. “He let us think we’d won. Let new bonds form. Let us grow stronger—so the weapon would have more targets when he finally pulled the trigger.”
“He’s turning our love against us,” Harper whispers.
Elysia’s expression hardens. “This is revenge and ideology. The most dangerous combination.”
My hand moves instinctively to my weapon. “It’s not just a medical crisis. It’s a strategic offensive—and it’s personal.”
I pull the team into the infirmary’s side room, away from the patients but close enough to respond quickly if we’re needed.
“We’re implementing Alpha Protocol Six,” I say, keeping my voice level. “Full security lockdown, communication blackout with anyone outside our immediate allies, and complete surveillance sweep.”
The discovery of Faelan’s magical signature has shifted everything from medical crisis to coordinated attack. Harper nods sharply. “I’ll coordinate with Derek on supply chain security. We need to assume everything coming in could be compromised.”
“Good. Elysia, what resources do we have access to?” I ask, maintaining eye contact with the half-angel healer.
“Lachlan sent specialized detection tools with us—he anticipated we might need them. Plus, Isla’s seer abilities might help track how the infection got in.”
“Make it happen.” I turn to Lyanna, who’s exhausted but standing straight, her eyes clear and focused. “You’re our best defense against this. I need you to document exactly what you found and train anyone with healing ability to recognize it.”
She nods, her hands steady despite her earlier shock. “I’ll prepare detection protocols and establish triage priorities based on bond strength.”
“I want two people minimum on every critical patient,” I continue. “No one works alone. We don’t know if this can jump to healers through treatment. One non-healer with each healer.”
“External communications go through me only,” “Nothing about Faelan’s involvement leaves this room until we understand exactly what we’re dealing with.”
“Full security escorts for all healers,” I add. “Isla and Elysia, you’re considered high-value targets. Assume Faelan knows you’re here.”
I meet each person’s eyes, ensuring they understand the gravity of our situation. “This isn’t just a medical emergency anymore. It’s a strategic attack on our pack’s foundation. Faelan is targeting what makes us strongest—our connections to each other.”
“We move now. Anyone not actively treating patients meets back here in one hour with initial assessments.”
I notice Lyanna swaying slightly on her feet, though she’s hiding it well. I move closer, not touching her but positioning myself where I can catch her if needed.
As they disperse, I catch Lyanna’s arm gently. “You need rest.”
“I need to save our pack,” she counters, her eyes flashing with determination.
“Then we do it together. Your insight is essential to both our medical response and our defense planning. But I need you functional, not collapsed.”
She holds my gaze a beat longer than necessary. Then nods once and turns back to her patients.