Chapter 67 Territory Under Siege
Jolie POV
The celebration lasts exactly twelve minutes before everything goes to hell.
I'm sitting on our couch, finally relaxing into Ryder's warmth, when Cass bursts through the door without knocking. His face is pale.
"We've got a problem." He doesn't waste time with greetings. "Big one."
Ryder's on his feet instantly. "What happened?"
"Steel Serpents hit the eastern perimeter an hour ago." Cass runs a hand through his hair. "But they're not alone. They've got three other gangs with them. Crimson Riders, Black Chain, and the Devil's Bones. They're coordinating, boss. This isn't a raid—it's a siege."
My stomach drops. I stand up, moving closer to Ryder. "How many?"
"Maybe two hundred wolves." Cass's jaw tightens. "They've cut off the supply roads. Got snipers on the ridge. They're not trying to break through—they're trying to starve us out."
Ryder's growl fills the cabin. "When did this start?"
"Two days after you left." Cass meets his eyes. "Someone knew exactly when you'd be gone and how long you'd be away. This was planned, Ryder. Someone gave them intel."
I reach out with my new senses, the empathic abilities Elena trained me to use. The compound buzzes with fear and anger, but underneath it all, there's something else. Guilt coming from somewhere near the main building.
"There's a traitor." I don't mean to say it out loud, but the words escape anyway.
Both men turn to look at me.
"You can sense that?" Cass asks.
I nod slowly. "Someone's terrified. And guilty. The emotions are practically screaming."
Ryder's hand finds mine, squeezing tight. "Can you tell who?"
I close my eyes, focusing on that thread of guilt. It leads toward the communications building where Phoenix works as my heart sinks.
"Phoenix." I say. "It's coming from Phoenix."
"That little shit." Cass starts for the door, but Ryder stops him.
"Wait." Ryder looks at me. "Are you sure?"
"The guilt is coming from him." I open my eyes. "But Ryder, it doesn't feel like willing betrayal. It feels like fear. Like he was forced."
Cass crosses his arms. "Forced or not, he sold us out. Two of our wolves are dead because of those snipers. Three more injured."
The words hit me like a punch. Dead. Because someone leaked information. Because Phoenix—sweet, nervous Phoenix who helped me feel welcome—gave up our secrets.
"We need to talk to him." I head for the door. "Before we do anything else, we need to understand what happened."
Ryder catches my arm. "Jolie, if he betrayed us"
"Then we need to know why." I meet his eyes. "Please. Let me try to reach him first."
He studies my face for a long moment, then nods. "Cass, round up Knox and Doc. Meet us at the communications building in five minutes. And Cass? Tell everyone to stay calm. No one touches Phoenix until we know the whole story."
Cass doesn't look happy, but he leaves.
Ryder pulls me close, pressing his forehead to mine. "Your compassion is going to get you killed one day."
"Maybe." I breathe in his scent, letting it steady me. "But it might also save us."
We walk to the communications building together. The compound is buzzing with activity—wolves reinforcing defenses, moving supplies, preparing for extended siege. Everyone we pass stops to stare at me, and I feel their hope.
They think I can save them but what if I can't?
The communications building is small, tucked behind the main garage. Phoenix is inside, hunched over his computer screens. He doesn't notice us enter.
"Phoenix." Ryder's voice makes the young omega jump.
He spins around, and I see it immediately. Red eyes with a tear-stained cheeks. Hands shaking so badly he can barely hold his coffee mug.
"Alpha." Phoenix stands quickly, nearly knocking over his chair. "I didn't hear you come in. I was just—I was monitoring the perimeter frequencies. They're using encrypted channels, but I think I can"
"Stop." I step forward, keeping my voice gentle. "Phoenix, we need to talk."
His face crumbles. "I'm sorry." The words rush out in a sob. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to. I swear I didn't want to, but they said they'd kill her. They sent me a picture of her tied up and they said if I didn't tell them when you left, they'd—they'd"
He can't finish. He just sinks to the floor, crying so hard his whole body shakes.
I kneel beside him, ignoring Ryder's warning growl. "Who did they threaten, Phoenix?"
"My sister." He looks up at me with devastated eyes. "Emma. She's human. She doesn't know about wolves. She's just a college student in Seattle, and they grabbed her off campus. They sent me proof. Photos. Videos of her crying. They said if I didn't cooperate, they'd mail me pieces of her."
The raw fear in his voice makes my chest ache. I reach out, touching his shoulder, and the full weight of his terror crashes into me. Days of agonized decision-making. Nights spent staring at photos of his sister. The horrible moment he made the call that sealed our fate.
"It was Gio." Phoenix's voice breaks. "Your brother contacted me through a burner phone. He said he just wanted to know when the alpha and his mate would be traveling. Said he wanted to talk to you privately, away from the pack. I thought—I thought maybe he wanted to apologize. To make things right."
"And you believed him?" Cass appears in the doorway, Knox and Doc behind him.
"I wanted to!" Phoenix looks at them desperately. "He's her brother. I thought family meant something. I didn't know he'd" His voice cracks. "I didn't know he'd do this."
The silence that follows is suffocating.
Knox speaks first. "Where's the sister now?"
"Still hostage." Phoenix pulls out his phone with shaking hands. "They send me updates every six hours. Proof she's alive. The last one came twenty minutes ago."
He shows us the screen. A young woman, maybe nineteen, tied to a chair in what looks like a basement. She's crying but unharmed.
"They said they'll release her when the siege is over." Phoenix's voice drops to a whisper. "When the Iron Fangs are destroyed and you're dead. Those were the exact words."
I look at Ryder. His face is emotionless, but I can feel the rage burning underneath, his wolf wants blood. Wants to rip Phoenix apart for the betrayal that cost pack members their lives.
"Ryder." I stand slowly. "He didn't choose this."
"Two wolves are dead, Jolie." His voice is cold. "Because he gave away our position."
"I know." I move between him and Phoenix. "But killing him won't bring them back. And his sister is innocent in all this."
"So we're just supposed to forgive him?" Cass demands. "Pretend he didn't sell us out?"
"No." I shake my head. "We're supposed to use this. Gio thinks he's won. He thinks he's broken our defenses and isolated us. But he made a mistake."
Ryder's eyes narrow. "What mistake?"
I look down at Phoenix, then back at my mate. "He gave us a target. He's holding a hostage, which means he has a location. And he's assuming we're too busy defending to go on offense."
Understanding dawns on Ryder's face.
"We break the siege and rescue the girl." I lay out the plan as it forms in my mind. "Hit them from the inside while they're focused on the perimeter. Use my abilities to locate their command center through pack bonds and empathic sensing. Get Emma out, bring her back here, and make Gio realize he can't use innocent people as weapons."
"That's insane." Doc steps forward. "You're talking about walking into enemy territory during an active siege."
"I'm talking about saving an innocent girl and turning their trap against them." I meet each of their eyes. "I'm Luna's vessel. I can sense wolves from miles away. I can heal injuries instantly. And I can make our enemies feel every ounce of pain they've caused. We have advantages they can't predict."
Knox grins slowly. "I like it."
"It's suicide," Cass argues.
"It's strategy." Ryder's hand finds mine. "And it might be our only shot. We can't win a straight fight against two hundred wolves. But a surgical strike? Taking out their leadership and rescuing their leverage? That changes everything."
Phoenix looks up at me with desperate hope. "You'd do that? Even after what I did?"
"You're pack." The words surprise me, but they're true. "And pack protects each other. Even when it's hard."
Ryder pulls me aside with his voice low. "If we do this, you're the primary target. Every wolf out there wants to capture or kill Luna's vessel. You'll be walking into the biggest trap of your life."
I touch his face gently. "Then it's a good thing I have the most dangerous alpha in the territory watching my back."
His eyes search mine, looking for doubt but finding none.
"Alright." He turns back to the group. "War council in ten minutes. Everyone who can fight meets in the main hall. We're going to break this siege, rescue the hostage, and remind these bastards why you don't fuck with the Iron Fangs."
Phoenix scrambles to his feet. "What about me?"
Ryder studies him coldly. "You're going to use every piece of tech in this building to track their communications. Find out where they're holding Emma. Give us everything you can on their positions, numbers, and weapons. And Phoenix?" His voice drops to a lethal whisper. "If you betray us again, I'll kill you myself. Sister or no sister."
Phoenix nods frantically. "I won't. I swear. I'll make this right."
As we leave the building, I feel the weight of what's coming settle on my shoulders. Two hundred enemy wolves. A hostage situation. A siege that's already cost lives.
And somewhere out there, my brother is watching and waiting for me to fail.
I squeeze Ryder's hand as we walk toward the main hall, where our pack waits for orders.
"Ready for war, Luna?" he asks quietly.
I think about about the pack that's depending on me to be more than the weak wolf I used to be.
"Ready or not," I say, "it's time to show them what the weakest wolf can really do."