Chapter 22 - Skylar
The silver collar falls away from my neck, and I gasp as my wolf comes roaring back to life.
Luna’s magic pulses through me like a wave of warmth, washing away the static that’s been blocking my connection for the past two days.
My wolf rushes forward with a howl of triumph that echoes through every fiber of my being, and I have to brace myself against the nearest wall to keep from collapsing.
The relief is so overwhelming that tears spring to my eyes before I can stop them.
“Easy.” Luna steadies me with a hand on my arm. “The bond was suppressed for a long time. It might take a few minutes for everything to settle.”
“I’m okay.” My voice comes out shaky, but I mean it. Having my wolf back feels like finding a piece of myself I didn’t realize was missing until it was gone. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Luna smiles and moves to Dina, who is trembling beside Caleb with her own collar still burning against her skin.
The poor woman flinches when Luna raises her hands, but she holds still while Luna works the same magic.
A moment later, Dina’s collar clatters to the floor, and she lets out a sob of relief.
“Three weeks,” Dina whispers as she touches her neck. The skin beneath where the collar sat is red and blistered, just like mine. “Three weeks without my wolf. I thought I’d never feel her again.”
“You’re safe now,” Luna promises. “Both of you.”
We’re standing in the pack house’s main hall, surrounded by wolves who rushed to meet us the moment we crossed the border.
Nic and Thomas flank Luna while James paces near the door with his phone pressed to his ear.
Ruby hovers at Luna’s elbow, ready to assist if her magic is needed.
Connor disappeared a few minutes ago to find Fern, and Dylan is coordinating with the patrol teams outside.
Bryan hasn’t left my side since we arrived.
He’s standing close enough that I can feel his body heat, and every few seconds, he reaches out to touch me—a hand on my shoulder or fingers brushing my arm, like he needs constant reassurance that I’m really here.
I understand the impulse. I keep catching myself doing the same thing.
Nic’s voice pulls my attention back to the present. “I know you need rest, but we don’t have much time, Skylar. Tell me everything. Rafe said about the explosives.”
I take a breath and organize my thoughts.
The past two days are a jumble of fear and pain and desperate hope, but the information Rafe gave me stands out clearly.
He wanted me to know what he was planning.
He wanted me to suffer with the knowledge that Silvercreek would burn while I rotted in his cell.
“He said the explosives are already planted,” I begin. “The medical center, the pack house, the school—he mentioned all three. His wolves placed them while our patrol teams were distracted by the attack on the eastern border. He said it’s happening soon. A few hours, maybe less.”
Thomas swears under his breath. “The attack was a diversion. We played right into his hands.”
“How many explosives?” Nic asks. “Did he give you numbers?”
“No. Just that there were enough to do serious damage.” I glance at Dina. “Did you hear anything else? You were there longer than me.”
Dina is still rubbing at her neck where the collar sat as she replies, “The guards talked when they thought I was asleep. I heard them mention something about a detonator. Remote-controlled, I think. Rafe wants to trigger the explosives himself. He wants to watch.”
“That gives us a chance.” James has ended his phone call and joined the group. “If we can find the explosives before he triggers them, we can disarm them. Or at least evacuate the blast zones.”
Nic turns to his mate. “Can you locate them, Luna? The way you found Skylar?”
Luna frowns and chews on her lower lip. “Maybe. Explosives don’t have magical signatures like people do, but if Rafe’s wolves planted them, there might be residual traces I can follow. Ruby, I’ll need your help channeling the spell.”
“Whatever you need,” Ruby agrees without a second thought.
The two women move to the center of the room and join hands.
Luna closes her eyes and begins mumbling words in a language I don’t recognize.
They’re using old magic, the kind that predates the pack system itself.
Ruby’s lips move in silent accompaniment, and I can feel the power building between them like static electricity before a storm.
Bryan inches closer to me while they work. His hand finds mine, and he laces our fingers together without looking away from Luna and Ruby.
“How are you holding up?” he asks in a whisper.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You were held captive for two days, drugged, beaten, and locked in a cell with silver burning your skin. There’s no way you’re fine.”
I turn to look at him, and the concern in his eyes makes something crack inside my chest. “I’m alive. You came for me. Right now, that’s enough.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but the door swings open before he can speak. Fern rushes in with Connor close behind her, and her eyes run over the room until they land on me.
“Skylar!” She rushes across the room in seconds and pulls me into a hug. Her pregnant belly nudges against my abdomen, and I’m suddenly reminded of everything that’s at stake. Fern. Her baby. All the children at the school. Everyone I love could be dead within hours if we don’t stop Rafe’s plan.
“I’m okay,” I promise as I return her embrace, patting her back as I do. “I’m okay, Fern.”
She pulls back and studies my face with the critical eye of a trained therapist. “You’re covered in bruises, your wrists are a mess, and you’re shaking.” She takes my arm and steers me toward a chair. “Sit down. Let me look at those wounds.”
“There are others who need care more than me—”
“There’s no one else here right now, and you’re my patient.” Fern’s voice brooks no argument. “Sit.”
I sit.
Bryan stations himself beside my chair while Fern retrieves a first aid kit from somewhere.
She kneels in front of me and takes my hands, turning them over to examine the damage to my wrists.
The ropes left deep grooves in my skin, and some of the wounds are still seeping blood. She clicks her tongue disapprovingly.
“These need to be cleaned and bandaged,” she declares. “You should have had them treated hours ago.”
“We were a little busy escaping from an underground compound.”
“That’s not an excuse.” She begins dabbing antiseptic on my wrists, and I wince at the sting. “Just because you’re a healer doesn’t mean you get to neglect your own health.”
I don’t argue. Partly because she’s right, and partly because the simple act of being fussed over feels good after two days of nothing but fear and pain. Bryan watches Fern work, though his hand never leaves my shoulder.
Across the room, Luna and Ruby finish their spell. Luna opens her eyes and sways on her feet, and Nic catches her before she can stumble.
“I found them,” Luna announces. “They’re scattered across all three locations Skylar mentioned.
The medical center has two devices planted.
There’s one in the basement near the furnace and one in the supply closet on the second floor.
The pack house has one in the eastern wing, buried in the wall behind the kitchen.
And the school...” She pauses and swallows hard.
“The school has three. One under the main staircase, one in the gymnasium, and one in the cafeteria.”
“That’s six explosives total,” Thomas tallies. “Can they be disarmed?”
“I don’t know enough about explosives to say, but I can guide teams to each location so they can assess the situation.”
Nic nods and turns to James. “Coordinate the evacuation. I want every building in the blast radius emptied within the hour. No exceptions, and no delays. Anyone who argues gets carried out by force if necessary.”
“On it.” James is already pulling out his phone. “I’ll have teams at each location in fifteen minutes.”
“What about Rafe?” Dylan has returned from his patrol coordination and stands near the door with his arms crossed. “He’s not going to sit back and let us dismantle his plan. The moment he realizes we’re evacuating, he’ll attack.”
“Then we fight.” Nic declares, his voice hard as steel. “Thomas, rally the combat teams. I want every capable fighter ready to defend the evacuation.”
The room erupts into organized pandemonium.
James issues orders into his phone while Thomas strides out to gather the fighters.
Luna and Ruby huddle together, refining the locations Luna sensed.
Dylan disappears to brief his patrol teams. Even Fern pauses her fussing to look around for some way she can help.
“Go,” I tell her. “The medical center needs to be evacuated, and you know the layout better than anyone. I can finish bandaging my own wrists.”
Fern bites her lip. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Go help people. That’s what you do.”
She squeezes my hand once, then hurries out with Connor at her heels. He won’t let her out of his sight, I know. Not with Rafe’s wolves still out there and explosives planted throughout the town.
Bryan crouches in front of me and takes over where Fern left off, wrapping clean bandages around my wrists with surprising gentleness. His hands are large and calloused, scarred from years of fighting, but they handle the gauze with care.
“You should be out there,” I tell him. “Helping with the evacuation. Preparing for the fight.”
“I’m exactly where I need to be.”
“Bryan—”
“I almost lost you.” He ties off the bandage and looks up at me, and the emotion gathering in his eyes steals the breath from my lungs. “I spent two days not knowing if you were alive or dead, not knowing if I’d ever see you again. I’m not leaving your side until this is over. Not for anything.”
I reach out and take his face in my hand, running my thumb along his cheekbone. He leans into the touch like a man starving for contact, and my heart aches at everything we’ve been through to get here.
“Okay,” I whisper. “Okay.”
Across the room, Nic approaches us with Dina trailing behind him. She looks steadier now, though exhaustion still shadows her face.
“Bryan,” Nic begins, “Dina has been filling me in on what she observed during her captivity. There’s something you should know.”
Bryan rises to his feet but keeps one hand on my shoulder. “What is it?”
Dina is wringing her hands together nervously. “I told Skylar already, but... My father was Black Ops. Wade Marchetti. He worked with you for years before he retired to Ridgewood.”
Bryan goes very still, and he cranes his neck to look at her. “Wade is your father?”
“Was.” Dina’s voice cracks on the word, and she looks down at the ground. “Rafe’s wolves killed him when they attacked our pack. Him and most of our fighters. I’m the only one from my family who survived.”
Something transforms in Bryan’s face—recognition, then grief, then a fury so hot it makes me shiver. “Wade trained me during my first year with the agency. He was one of the best operatives I ever knew.”
“He spoke of you sometimes.” Dina manages a watery smile. “He said you were too stubborn for your own good, but that you had good instincts.”
“He was right about the stubborn part.” Bryan reaches out and rests his hand on Dina’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about your father. He deserved better than what Rafe gave him.”
“Help me make sure Rafe pays for it,” Dina replies. “That’s all I ask.”
“You can count on it.”
Nic clears his throat. “Dina, we’ll find you somewhere safe to rest. You’ve been through enough.”
“With respect, Alpha, I’d rather help.” Dina squares her shoulders despite her obvious exhaustion. “I may not be at full strength, but I can still contribute. Put me where I’m needed.”
Nic eyes her for a moment, then nods. “Fair enough. Report to Thomas. He’ll find a place for you.”
Dina gives me one last grateful look before following Nic’s directions. I watch her go, thinking about everything she’s lost and everything she still has to fight for.
“She’s strong,” Bryan muses from beside me.
“She had to be.” I rise from my chair and test my legs. They hold steady beneath me, though my entire body aches from head to toe. “Just like the rest of us.”
The first gray hints of dawn are beginning to seep through the windows. We’ve been back in Silvercreek for less than an hour, and already the pack is mobilizing for war. Outside, I can hear the sounds of wolves shouting orders and vehicles starting up. The evacuation is underway.
“I want to help,” I announce. “With the medical response team. If there’s fighting, there will be wounded. I should be there.”
Bryan’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “I’d much rather you—”
“I’m a healer. This is what I do. I’m not asking to fight, but you can’t ask me to sit on the sidelines while our people are in danger. You wouldn’t do it, and neither will I.”
He stares at me for a long moment, and I can see the war playing out behind his eyes. The desire to keep me safe battles with his understanding of who I am and what I need.
Finally, he exhales. “Fine. But you stay behind the front lines, and you don’t take any unnecessary risks. The moment things get dangerous, you fall back. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
He pulls me close and rests his forehead against mine. We stay like that for a moment, breathing together, drawing strength from each other, and then I whisper, “Let’s go save our home.”