Chapter 59
Elara's POV
I stared at Warren. My throat felt tight. The weight of his so-called protection for my family hung in the air between us
"Pack-level protection." I repeated his words slowly. "What does that actually mean?"
Warren pulled out a tablet from his backpack. Swiped the screen. Turned it toward me.
"Twenty-four hour rotating guards. Warding arrays around the residence. Rapid response team for emergencies." He scrolled through what looked like an official document. "Your family would be under Council protection. Same level as high-ranking pack members."
My heart hammered against my ribs.
He kept going. "Starting salary is two hundred thousand annually. Custom combat equipment. Access to the Council intelligence network."
Two hundred thousand dollars.
Guards watching my family.
Information networks that could help me track Wild Hunt before they found us.
Everything I needed. Right there.
I forced my face to stay blank. "And what would I have to do for all this?"
"Join the Division. Complete training. Execute sanctioned operations when called upon."
I looked down at the tablet screen. The contract template had the Council seal at the top. Official. Binding.
My mind raced through possibilities.
Joining meant oversight. Questions. People watching me. But it also meant resources. Protection for Marcus and Emily and Ethan while I figured out how to deal with Wild Hunt.
"I have conditions," I said.
Warren's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Go on."
"Three of them." I met his eyes. "First—protection starts today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today."
"That's—"
"Second. I want full details on who's assigned to guard duty. Names. Backgrounds. I need to know who's watching my family."
Warren frowned but didn't interrupt.
"Third." I paused. Let the weight settle. "I won't disclose details about the threat. That's my business. Non-negotiable."
"Elara." Warren's tone sharpened. "I need at least a reason to justify emergency protection to my superiors. You can't just—"
"A werewolf clan put a kill order on my family."
The words came out flat. Cold.
Warren's expression shifted. His whole body went still.
"What clan?" His voice dropped low. Dangerous. "Why?"
I shook my head. "That's the part I won't tell you. But I can promise—if your protection isn't solid, whoever comes for them won't give your guards time to react."
I wasn't threatening him. Just stating facts.
Warren studied my face. Ten seconds of silence. I didn't look away.
Finally he exhaled. Ran a hand through his hair.
"Alright." He pulled the tablet back. Started typing. "I'll submit an emergency request. But you sign a confidentiality agreement. And you accept regular mission evaluations."
"Fine. But no field missions until my family is secure."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. "You drive a hard bargain for a seventeen-year-old."
"Do we have a deal or not?"
He stopped typing. Looked at me again. Something shifted in his expression—maybe respect, maybe wariness.
"Deal."
Warren opened a new document on the tablet. "Temporary contract. Official paperwork arrives within seventy-two hours."
I scanned the terms quickly. Confidentiality clauses. Basic training requirements. Nothing that screamed trap.
I pressed my thumb to the signature pad. The screen flashed green.
"As of now, you're a probationary member of the Council Special Operations Division." Warren pocketed the tablet. "Two guards will report to your residence by eight PM tonight."
"They better."
I turned to leave.
"Elara."
I stopped. Didn't look back.
"Whatever you're running from—" Warren's voice was quiet. Serious. "The Council can help. But only if you let us."
I thought about Wild Hunt. About Fenrir and his team tracking me across state lines. About Lynette's enemies who'd kill anyone connected to her.
"The guards," I said. "That's all I need from you right now."
Then I walked away before he could push further.
---
My legs felt shaky by the time I reached the main road.
The adrenaline from confronting Warren was wearing off. My body remembered the drug Sophia had slipped me. The cliff fall. Everything.
I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Ethan: On my way home. Had to talk to a teacher.
His response came immediately: You okay?
Yeah. Just tired.
Want me to pick you up?
I smiled despite myself. I'm fine. See you soon.
I pocketed the phone and kept walking.
The residential area was quiet. Street lights flickered on as twilight deepened. Normal families doing normal things behind lit windows.
I wondered what that felt like.
To not worry about assassins. To not carry the soul of a dead Alpha. To just—exist.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I almost didn't answer. But something made me swipe.
"Hello?"
"Miss Grey." A woman's voice. Professional. Clipped. "This is Agent Torres from Council Operations. I'm calling to confirm guard deployment at your residence."
I stopped walking. "That was fast."
"Coach Warren flagged your case as urgent. We take threats seriously." A pause. "Two agents will arrive at eight PM as promised. They'll introduce themselves to your family as private security hired by a concerned relative."
Smart cover story.
"What do I tell my parents?"
"The truth—partially. You received threats at school. The Council is providing temporary protection while we investigate." Her tone softened slightly. "Your family doesn't need to know about werewolf politics. Just that you're safe."
"Okay."
"Agent Stone and Agent Wood will be your primary detail. "
"Anything else?" I asked.
"Yes. Coach Warren will contact you tomorrow regarding your training schedule. Welcome to the Division, Miss Grey."
She hung up.
I stared at my phone screen.
This was real. I'd actually done it.
Joined the Council. Put myself on their radar. All to protect a family.
Lynette would've called me insane.
But Lynette was dead.
And I—whoever I was now—couldn't let Wild Hunt destroy the only people who'd ever treated me like I mattered.
I started walking again. Faster this time.
Home was three blocks away.