Chapter 18 - Alanis #2
“Which we’re going to shut down,” Rael said firmly. “We will locate them, collect evidence, and bring them to justice. Gavin Caldwell and all those who were involved in his operation will be punished. I promise you that.”
Alanis looked at Rael, the determination in his eyes almost knocking the wind out of her. The Lumen had taught her how to fight her own battle and never to rely on anybody. And she’s been doing that for eight long years.
However, maybe it was time to switch things up. Maybe it was time to accept the help of someone who was sincerely willing to offer it. Maybe it was time to allow someone to stand next to her rather than for her to remain alone.
Ok,” she said. “Let’s find them. Let’s bring them down. Together.”
Rael smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Together,” he echoed.
She allowed herself to lean into him and soaked in the comfort and support he was providing. For the first time since she fled Caldwell Pack eight years ago, she allowed herself to feel something she hadn’t dared to all those years—hope.
She hoped justice was possible and that her trauma would bring something positive, like completely destroying Caldwell Pack.
And hope that maybe choosing to stay with Rael wouldn’t mean abandoning her duty. Maybe it would mean finding a new way to fulfill it.
A way that didn’t require her to carry everything alone.
***
Half an hour later, Rael’s phone pinged with August’s response, confirming their suspicion.
The company that used to own the previous location of Caldwell Pack was financially related to some of the shell companies they were following as part of the trafficking network.
Rael showed Alanis all the files August sent—bank transfers, property purchases, and communication records where a coded language was used, but there was an obvious reference to the auctions and the acquisitions.
“Unbelievable.” Alanis scoffed. “They’ve been doing this for years. Right under everyone’s noses. Profiting millions off innocent women.”
“August will find a way to coordinate with the Lumen team. They will install surveillance on the Montana property and collect additional evidence.”
“I should be there. I am familiar with the land and how the pack works.”
“You will be there when we strike. But now, we must be wise and not go in hot, risking them going off the grid again.”
He was right; however, it did not make the wait easier.
“How long?”
“A few weeks, perhaps a month. August calculates we need to have at least that much time to collect the necessary evidence and to arrange with all our allies.” Rael paused. “I know that seems like a long time when you have waited eight years to do it. But we do it right or not at all.”
Alanis nodded and swallowed her impatience. “A couple of weeks. I can wait that long.”
“And in the meantime, you should consider what you want. Where you want to be when this is over.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am talking about the Lumen. They are your family, and I’m not going to force you to leave them.
” His voice sounded completely neutral and devoid of any emotion.
Same as his face. It was almost like Rael was trying too hard not to wear his heart on his sleeve.
“When we destroy Caldwell Pack, you will have accomplished something huge.
The Lumen will be pleased to have you back.
So, you will have to choose whether you are going or not.
“And if I stay?” Alanis asked quietly. “What happens then?”
“Then we figure it out together.” He raised his hand and let his thumb slowly graze over her cheeks. “But it is your decision, Alanis. It always has been. I am not going to control you or make you feel bad or make you think you owe me anything.”
Those words were equally liberating and frightening.
Eight years ago, Alanis had a future—saving trafficking victims, women who were banished from their packs and fighting against human trafficking. It was a nice future. A significant one too.
But here with Rael, watching him look at her like she was a treasure, she thought about what it would be like to make a home with him. It was a future she had never dared to think of. And now that she was considering it, she couldn’t quite let it go.
“I don’t know what I want,” she admitted. “Part of me wants to stay. But part of me feels like I’d be abandoning the Lumen, abandoning my duty.”
“Then don’t decide yet,” Rael said. “Take the time to figure it out. I’ll be here either way.”
“Even if I choose to leave?”
His jaw tightened, but his voice remained steady. “I’d hate it, but I’d respect it. Because you deserve to choose your own path.”
Alanis knew he meant it. Rael was the kind of man who would actually let her go if that’s what she chose, even though it would hurt him.
That kind of selflessness, that kind of respect for her autonomy, made her want to stay more than any argument or pressure ever could.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “For understanding. For not making this harder than it already is.”
“Always,” Rael said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Whatever you need, Alanis. I’m here.”
They stayed like that for a moment, wrapped in each other, the weight of the future temporarily suspended.
But in the back of Alanis’s mind, a clock was ticking.
A few weeks until they moved on to Caldwell Pack. A few weeks to decide where she truly belonged. A few weeks to figure out if duty and desire could somehow coexist, or if she’d have to choose between them after all.