Chapter 23 - Rael
The healthcare institution at Shadowridge was flooded.
More than thirty women needed immediate attention, including the Lumen operatives and pack enforcers who got wounded in the raid.
But Rael could think of no one but Alanis.
She was sitting on an exam table, with a doctor wrapping her ribs. She also had bruises all over her face and the definitive outline of a hand on her throat.
“You should go to a proper hospital. These sorts of injuries need adequate follow-ups. If one of these ribs—”
“I will be all right,” Alanis replied. “It is not the first time. Just wrap them, and give me something for the pain.”
“You are stubborn,” the doctor grumbled, but completed the wrapping.
Rael stood by the wall with crossed arms, trying to seem in control. But his hands were trembling, and adrenaline was still rushing through his body. When he saw Derek press a knife against her throat, he thought he was too late. That image would haunt him forever.
“That should be all,” the doctor stepped back. “But I am serious—if you have a hard time breathing, if the pain gets any worse, or you feel dizzy or confused—”
“I will come back. Thank you.”
When the doctor left, Rael went to Alanis and held her in his arms as gently as he could with her injuries.
“Never again. Don’t ever do that to me again. Don’t ever disappear like that. I thought—You got the information we needed, and you brought down the entire network. I just wish it hadn’t cost you so much.”
“You said it was worth it.” She drew back to stare at him. “Derek is dead. Gavin is dead. The Caldwell Pack is dead. The network is dead. That’s worth a concussion and a couple of broken ribs.”
Rael would have liked to say that nothing was worth her getting hurt like this. But he could read the contentment in her face, the feeling of closure beginning to take root. She needed this—to fight her demons and triumph.
“Come on,” he helped her off the examination table. “We are going back to pack territory. You need to rest, and you need to be somewhere safe.”
“The women—”
“Handled by the Lumens team and pack medical staff. They do not need you.”
“Okay,” she inhaled slowly. “Let’s go.”
They ran into Silas, Javi, and August in the hallway.
“How is she?” Silas asked, looking at Alanis with a frown.
“Three broken ribs, a lot of bruising, and a slight concussion. She will get better after she rests.”
“She is standing right here,” Alanis mumbled dryly. “And she can speak for herself.”
Javi’s lips curved into a smirk. “Good to see you still have the sharpest mouth, even while wounded. You have more of a backbone than half our pack.”
Alanis stared at him in surprise. It was the nicest thing that Javi had ever said to her.
“What my brother means,” Silas sighed, giving Javi a look, “is that you infiltrated your old pack and collected crucial information. You played a very important part in bringing the network to its knees.”
“We could not have done it without you,” August told her. “The information you provided about everything was essential.”
Alanis felt awkward being bathed in compliments. “I only did what had to be done.”
“You did more than that,” Rael said firmly, his voice carrying a tone of pride. “And the entire pack must know it. You are not just my mate, but a warrior who saved countless lives.”
***
While they drove back to Weston Pack territory, Rael insisted that Alanis should sleep in the backseat, her head pillowed on his lap as he watched over her.
Each time she moved, each time she uttered something painful in her slumber, his hands urged him to do something, to do anything to make her feel better. But all he could do was stroke her hair and murmur that she was going to be fine.
Three additional vehicles, with the Lumen team and as many rescued women as possible aboard, followed them. The remainder would remain at Shadowridge until they were well enough to travel.
Deva had arrived at the medical facility just as they were leaving, the look on her face shifting from relief to anger when she saw Alanis’s injuries.
“What happened?” She asked, glancing between Alanis and Rael, like she was looking for who to lay the blame on.
“I infiltrated my old pack,” Alanis replied before Rael could say a word. “I got caught in the scuffle when the raid occurred. It is not Rael’s fault.”
“I know you are mad right now, and trust me, I get it. But she was brilliant, Deva. Destroying the network would have been impossible without her.”
Deva sighed loudly, addressing Alanis. “We will talk later when you are better. I am happy to see you alive.”
With Alanis still sleeping on his lap, Rael let himself think about what was next.
The mission was over. The network was broken up. Justice was served.
Alanis had accomplished her goal. The Lumen would want her back. She had a choice to make—remain with the Weston Pack, or go back to the organization that had been her family for eight years.
Deep down, Rael knew the one she was going to pick. The Lumen had rescued her and given her a new family. Why should she sacrifice that for a pack that barely accepted her? For a bond she never wanted? For him?
They reached Weston pack territory by dawn. News of their success had spread, and lots of people were waiting for them.
Elle stood with Isa, who rushed to Silas as soon as he got out of the car. Sara rocked on her heels, looking anxious.
And the members of the pack who never trusted Alanis, who had doubted her—they were all there, standing about as Rael took his time getting her out of the car.
One of them, an elderly lady called Joan—who had been especially vocal on Alanis not belonging in the Weston pack, took a step forward. “Is it true? What we heard? That she managed to get inside the trafficking network and helped to take it down?
“It is true,” Rael said, raising his voice up a notch so everyone could hear him. “Alanis played a vital role in our triumph. She risked her life to save over thirty women and helped destroy the human trafficking network that had been in operation for years.”
Joan looked at Alanis with awe. “Then the pack owes you a debt. You have my respect, and I regret ever doubting you.”
Other members of the pack nodded. But not every one of them—some still had a cynical, obstinate look. But still, it was more than Rael had ever hoped for.
“Thank you,” Alanis said softly. “That means more than you know.”
Rael gently led her to his house, ignoring the questions from the pack. She needed to rest.
He put her down on the couch with pillows to cushion her sore ribs and went to make tea, because he did not know what to do with his hands.
Alanis was staring at nothing with a blank expression when he returned.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, sitting carefully next to her.
“That it’s over. Eight years of living in fear, of being aware that they were out there somewhere. And now, Gavin is dead. Derek is dead. The pack is destroyed, and I am—”
“Free,” Rael finished. “You can forge your own path without your past having a hold on you.”
“Yeah.” She took the tea from his grasp and took a sip. “Free.”
Rael could not help but notice that she didn’t sound happy about it.
***
The Weston Pack territory was a temporary home to the Lumen operatives and the rescued women who were not well enough to travel.
Rael watched Alanis work with them, despite being injured, helping coordinate rehabilitation efforts. She had a gift for it. She knew how to communicate with trauma victims and how to make them feel safe.
She stayed up late with a woman who was having nightmares and calmed her down. She worked hand in hand with the Lumen to develop personalized care plans for every survivor.
“She is one of us,” Rael overheard someone say. “She might not be able to shift, but she has the heart of a warrior.”
The acceptance wasn’t universal. But it was growing. And Rael was hovering around Alanis. He ensured that she slept, had given her painkillers, and inspected her bandages compulsively.
“I said, I’m fine,” she argued.
“Tell that to your injuries,” Rael countered. “You are not okay. You should allow me to take care of you.”
She did, at first reluctantly, and then with increasing ease. She allowed him to hover, bring her meals, and they slept together in the same room, where he was always there to comfort her when she had nightmares.
But he could feel time running out.
Two weeks after the raid, Deva announced that it was safe to transport the survivors back to Lumen headquarters.
“We’ve got the facilities for long-term care,” she explained to the audience and rescued women gathered in the main hall of the Weston Pack. “You will receive medical care, therapy, legal aid, and job training. We will help you to restructure your lives, no matter how long it takes.”
The women whispered in excitement and relief, smiling and holding each other.
But Alanis looked conflicted. That night, Rael found her sitting on the porch of his house, staring at the forest.
“They’re leaving tomorrow,” she said without preamble. “Deva asked if I was coming with them.”
Rael swallowed hard. “What did you tell her?”
“That I had to think it over. The mission is over. The Lumen needs me back to help these women.”
“I know.”
“But I do not want to go,” she blurted. “I want to stay here, with you, with the pack. I want to see if I can build something real here instead of just... existing between missions.”
Hope flared in Rael’s chest. “Then stay.”
“It’s not that simple.” Alanis twisted her hands.
Rael grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. “I love you.”
Her head snapped up, her eyes wide. “What?”
“I love you,” Rael repeated, his voice thick with emotion. “I am in love with you, Alanis. I have been in love with you for months, maybe longer. I tried not to be. God knows, I tried. But you may be leaving tomorrow, and I cannot let you go without telling you the truth.”
“Rael…”
“I love you. You are so strong and stubborn. You care so much about people, even when it hurts you. I love the fact that you’re a fighter. You never give up. I love all of you.”
Alanis was crying now, silent tears streaming down her face. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” Rael brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. “But I need you to know—whatever you choose, I’ll support it. If you need to go back to the Lumen, if that’s where you’ll be happy, then go. I’ll hate every second you’re gone, but I’ll understand.”
“And if I stay?”
“Then I’ll spend every day proving that you made the right choice. Building a life with you that’s everything you deserve.”
“That’s not a fair compromise,” Alanis said through her tears. “You’re offering to sacrifice everything for me.”
“Not everything.” Rael smiled, though it hurt. “I’d still have my brothers, my pack, my purpose. I’d just be missing the most important thing—you.”
He took a breath. “But there’s another option. If you can’t choose between the Lumen and the pack, if you need both—then I’ll come with you. I’ll join the Lumen, work their missions, and be wherever you need me to be. I’m good at what I do, and they could use someone with my skills.”
“You’d leave your pack?” Alanis looked stunned. “Your family?”
“For you? In a heartbeat.”