Chapter 21
AXE
In the secluded conference room of Sonic Jungle, six chairs are occupied around a grey marble table.
Preston Caulder, a forensic scientist, scribbles on a notepad next to Jabir and Dom, who is clad in his finest brown suit, briefing the room on the nightclub’s security operations.
Opposite of him sits Paul Childers, the seasoned Alpha of Glacier Meadow pack, and Demitrya.
My sister perks up. “What about Sherwood’s family? Could it be a retaliation?”
I dismiss the suggestion. Colton’s relatives could be motivated by the death of their leader, but they’d never attempt a stunt this risky on human territory.
They wouldn’t go to such lengths to drug Vessa.
They’d just kill her. That being said, it would be in our interest to scope out their territory in the next few days to try and catch wind of anyone who recently went dark.
Going dark—in other words, going rogue. Monitoring lone lycans is Demi’s specialty, having acquired the skillset from years of partnering alongside Tesni.
One empty chair remains between Jabir and I, though a moment later, Vessa slips through the door.
She dips her head to me in greeting, sporting a black suede pantsuit.
The guests from other packs flare their nostrils, sharp inhales following as she settles into her seat.
Chests heave as the males silently assess the scent that has every Bleeding Sun male on edge.
Paul strains as he takes in her petite frame and smoky eye makeup. She doesn't look in his direction. It feels intentional, though there isn’t much to look at beyond a receding hairline and a nondescript face.
“I’ll be damned,” he rattles. “So, it's true then.”
Dom smiles. “Would anyone care for a drink?”
Everyone declines, so he sees to serving himself. Vessa and I both glance over at Demi at the same time as her finger tapping on the stone table grows more rapid, a nervous tic I haven’t seen since her ex broke out of prison.
Vessa leans forward. “Are you worried for her?”
Demi straightens in her chair. “Who, Tesni? Nah, she’ll be alright. The only thing that worries me is that nothing scares her.”
Clearing my throat, I address the room. “Now that Vessa has joined us, I’d like to compare our reports and see where Ludone is being sourced.
Dom and I have reached the agreement not to close the club for now.
But I want this pipeline taken down swiftly and thoroughly before the enforcers catch wind of it. ”
Paul narrows his brows. “Why are you so sure that the girl was targeted intentionally?”
Before I can answer, Jabir butts in. “She’s not a ‘girl.’ She is your Alpha Commander’s mate and since she is sitting right across from you, you will address her directly as such.”
Crossing his arms, Paul grunts. He's always steered on the side of arrogance, but something about the human in his room—something other than her scent—is clearly souring his attitude.
"Is there a problem, Childers?" Demi asks.
Vessa’s expression remains solemn. If I look closely, there’s a whirlwind of emotions churning behind those eyes, merging with a scent that is just as distracting. Annoyance, defensiveness, and what is that? A twinge of dread?
Paul averts his penetrating gaze. His shoulders roll back as he concedes.
Just to throw it out there, I suggest that perhaps the drugging was a probe.
Whoever smuggled the powder in here knows my pack leaders and their routines.
If creating chaos is the goal, infiltrating my security off pack grounds is the best strategy to expose us to the humans.
Ludone is a clever and chaotic distraction.
“What’s the current intel out of the Pen?” Paul inquires. “I heard those boys had their hands full back in November with the last uprising. Haven’t lost that many Auxiliaries since Kiersten—”
Demi slams her fist on the table. “Do not say her name.”
That shuts him up quick.
Alban Lycan Penitentiary is the largest holding facility for convicted lycans in the province.
A nasty, brutal hellhole. Either Jabir or I will visit quarterly to monitor security and interrogate groups of prisoners who are rumored to attempt an escape.
Auxes are the highly resourceful bounty hunters we deploy to track down the escapees and detain them.
Jabir takes the question. “According to January’s report, we’ve put sixteen individuals away over the last two years for distributing Ludone.
No one’s sentences have been reduced or rescinded.
Every manufacturing operation has been successfully shut down within days of detection, under the Council’s decree.
This substance must be coming from a new source. ”
Dom takes a healthy swig of his old fashioned. “Have any of you morons thought about giving Shay Belgrave a call?”
Demi rolls her eyes. By now, she looks like she could use a drink.
He scoffs. “What? You think she lacks a motive?”
Between the two of us, Dom and I have been burned by her more times than I can count. While Shay thrives on manipulation, drugs have never been her poison. I refer to this point in her defense. “Shay had nothing to do with this.”
“Of course, what was I thinking? Clearly you knew her best,” he chirps, draining the rest of his glass.
Crimson burns unabashedly on Vessa’s cheeks. Silence settles among the room as Dom pushes out of his seat. Sweat glistens on his forehead, trickling beneath a strand of hair I’ve never seen out of place. What the hell’s got his panties in a twist?
Dr. Caulder clears his throat. “Still no positive ID on the smuggler?”
“Negative.”
The forensic expert looks around the table.
Adjusting the button on his white collar, Preston turns to Vessa, prompting her to share what she remembers about the experience.
For what feels like the tenth time, the woman at my side describes the assailant.
How he spoke to her seductively, danced with her, lured her in close enough to blow the powder in her face.
Preston listens attentively, noting that while she did experience a wild high, it could’ve been worse—much worse.
According to Dr. Caulder, the early formulas of Ludone were nearly identical to ecstasy.
Humans are completely oblivious to the difference between the two.
When lycans started demanding a more powerful high, things changed on the market.
The effects of the newest strain in the human body are far more profound.
If a dose is high enough, or combined with alcohol, it can trigger a psychotic break or a hallucination so vivid that it escalates to an act of suicide.
Vessa swallows tightly. “I know it was only my imagination, but I swear, I saw these faceless demons everywhere I turned. Except the man with the scorpion on his neck. I'll never forget that face. Those fangs.”
A chuckle travels across the table, silenced when I level Childers with a growl. Preston clasps his hands, further intrigued.
“Shall we notify the Council if we stumble on any new leads?” Paul asks, carrying onward. “These are human affairs, after all.”
I answer curtly, assuring them that their involvement will not be necessary at this point. Jabir flinches. He may not always agree with decisions like this one, but his loyalty never wavers.
Preston’s eyes bulge. “Alpha . . .You haven’t notified them about your mate?”
“When I said that this meeting requires your full discretion, I meant full fucking discretion. The Council will hear nothing of this. Is that clear?”
He frowns. “But—"
Vessa speaks up, fiddling nervously with her fingernails in her lap. “What if . . .” All eyes shift to her. “What if vampires are working hand in hand with omega wolves? These rogues sometimes become mercenaries, right?”
Paul bursts into laughter.
Demi lets her down delicately, placing a hand on her shoulder. “A bold suggestion, but not very plausible. Lycans and vampires . . . we are like oil and water. Bred to hate each other at the cellular level.”
I bristle as the tide of the discussion shifts, losing its momentum. Uncertainty glazes over everyone’s faces. Realizing that everyone in this room is about to leave without a single lead, my hands ball into fists. We shouldn’t give up on pursuing organized Ludone dealers, but—
My wolf scratches beneath the surface. There’s something we’re missing.
“I agree with Preston on the urgency of locating their base of operations and confiscating it,” Jabir resumes. “Goddess only knows what new strains have yet to be unleashed.”
My sister shakes her head. “I disagree. The greater concern is vampires flocking to the north. We need to cast our nets wider in order to determine if more are infiltrating wolf country. First-generations don’t wander that deep for prey.
What was worth such a grave risk?” She glances at my mate.
“Are you sure she didn’t say anything to you before you were compelled? ”
Vessa bites the inside of her cheek. “Not to my recollection.”
My hand settles over hers. “It’s your smell, Vessa. It has to be. Maybe it differs for their kind.”
“It does.” Preston’s eyes light up. “Vessa, would you be willing to give me a small sample to take back to the lab? I’d like to see how the blood of an individual with second sight reacts to Ludone in a controlled setting. Perhaps what I find might confirm you weren’t a random target.”
She hesitates for a moment, like she’s weighing the consequences.
In a shrill voice, she consents, tugging off her coat.
At the same time, Dom’s phone vibrates on the table.
He snatches it abruptly and excuses himself to take the call.
The other men rise from their seats, giving Preston and Vessa the room.