Chapter 152: The Exchange

The coordinates led to an abandoned factory. Outside the city. Isolated. Perfect for an ambush.

“I don’t like this. Too many hiding spots. Too many angles. Too much could go wrong.” Cole studied the location on the map.

“I know. But I don’t have a choice. Mom’s life depends on this.” I loaded silver bullets. Checked my knife. Prepared for anything.

“We’ll follow. Stay a mile back. Move in when you signal.” Nina coordinated the backup team. Fifty wolves. Twenty vampires. All ready.

“No. Too close. Catherine will sense you. Will detect you. Stay two miles back. Wait for my signal. If I don’t signal within an hour assume the worst and attack.” I corrected.

Through the bond Sarah and Maya sent strength. Love. Fear. They wanted to come with me. Wanted to fight beside me. But couldn’t. Too risky.

“If anything happens to me. If I don’t make it. You take care of Luna. Of Thomas. Of the pack. Of everything.” I hugged Cole. Long. Tight. Maybe last time.

“Nothing’s going to happen. You’re coming back. We’re all coming back.” Cole kissed me. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Always.”

Thomas and I got in the car. Drove to the factory. Just us. No backup visible. Following Catherine’s rules.

We arrived early. Wanted to scout. To see the layout. To prepare.

The factory was huge. Old. Crumbling. Dangerous.

“Stay close to me. Do exactly what I say. If I tell you to run you run. Understand?” I instructed Thomas.

“I understand. But I’m not leaving you. We survive together or not at all.” Thomas was stubborn. Like his mother. Like me.

“You’re too brave for your own good.” I smiled despite the fear.

“I learned from the best.” Thomas smiled back.

Catherine appeared right on time. Alone. Or seemed alone. She held a remote. Probably a trigger for something.

“You came. Good. Smart choice.” Catherine looked at Thomas. Studying him. “He looks so much like Luna. So much power. So much potential. Such a waste.”

“Where’s my mother? Where’s Margaret?” I demanded.

“Safe. For now. Bring Thomas closer. Let me see him properly.” Catherine gestured.

We walked forward. Slow. Careful. Watching for traps.

Catherine pulled out a collar. Same kind Cassandra tried to use on Luna. Magic suppressing. Power binding.

“Put this on him. Then I release Margaret. Simple exchange.” Catherine held it out.

“No. You release Margaret first. Then we talk about the collar.” I refused.

“That’s not how this works. You don’t make demands. You don’t negotiate. You comply or Margaret dies.” Catherine pressed the remote. A screen appeared. Showing my mother. Tied to a chair. Bomb strapped to her chest. Timer counting down. Ten minutes left.

“You’re insane. She’s your family too. Your daughter in law. Mother of your grandchildren.” I tried to reason.

“She chose supernatural beings over humanity. Chose magic over morality. Chose monsters over family. She deserves this.” Catherine was cold. Certain. Lost.

“Fine. I’ll put the collar on Thomas. But you disarm the bomb first. Show me Mom is safe.” I tried to negotiate.

“No. Collar first. Bomb second. That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.” Catherine was firm.

I looked at Thomas. Through our eyes we communicated. He understood. He was ready.

“Okay. I’ll do it.” I took the collar. Walked toward Thomas.

“No tricks. I’m watching. Any magic. Any attempt to break it. Margaret explodes.” Catherine warned.

I put the collar on Thomas. Clicked it closed. Felt his power suppress. Lock away. Gone.

“Good. Now step back. Let me verify it’s working.” Catherine approached Thomas. Checked the collar. Smiled. “Perfect. The great grandson of Luna Triad. Powerless. Helpless. Mine.”

“Now release my mother. That was the deal.” I demanded.

“The deal was I’d let Margaret go. And I will. Eventually. After I’m done with Thomas. After the New Order completes their mission. After everything.” Catherine laughed. “You really thought I’d just let you both walk away? How naive.”

“You lied. You betrayed us. Again.” I shouldn’t have been surprised. But I was.

“I’m doing what’s necessary. What’s right. What Thomas Crane would have wanted.” Catherine pressed another button. The factory doors closed. Locked. Trapping us inside. “Now. The New Order. Come out. Take the boy. Kill Lita.”

Soldiers appeared. Everywhere. Twenty. Thirty. Forty. All armed. All aiming at me.

I was surrounded. Outnumbered. Outgunned. Alone.

Thomas was collared. Powerless. Vulnerable.

My mother had eight minutes left before the bomb exploded.

And Catherine was winning. Again.

“Signal them. Signal your backup. It won’t matter. We have anti-wolf measures. Anti-vampire defenses. Anti-magic wards. Whatever comes. We’re ready.” Catherine was confident.

I reached for my phone. For the signal device. For anything.

A soldier shot it out of my hand. Gone. Destroyed.

No signal. No backup. No help coming.

“Now. Before we kill you. Before we take Thomas. Before we end this. Any last words?” Catherine asked. Mocking.

I looked at her. At the grandmother who kept betraying us. Kept choosing hate. Kept destroying family.

“Yeah. I have last words.” I smiled. “You lose.”

Thomas moved. Fast. Impossibly fast. The collar fell off. Broken. Fake. Trick.

He’d been faking the power suppression. Waiting for the right moment. Just like we planned.

Thomas exploded with power. Magic. Strength. Fury.

He knocked down soldiers. Disabled weapons. Created chaos.

I shifted. Silver wolf. Attacked Catherine. Knocked her down. Grabbed the remote.

“Where’s the real trigger? Where’s Mom really being held?” I growled. Wolf voice. Threatening.

“You think this was the only plan? The only trap? The only bomb?” Catherine laughed even while pinned. “The New Order has Margaret. Not here. Somewhere else. Somewhere you’ll never find in time. You won. This battle. But you lose the war. You lose your mother. You lose everything.”

The timer hit five minutes. Wherever Mom was. Whatever bomb was attached to her. It was counting down.

And I had no idea where to look.