Chapter 16: The Collector's Web

Emma's POV

The blast knocked me flat on my back just as I was about to tell everyone where Aldric's facility was hidden.

"Emma!" Kai shouted, breaking free from his kidnapper as debris rained down around us.

But this wasn't Aldric's doing. Through the smoke and chaos, I could see new helicopters approaching—ones that looked different from the government planes. These were sleek and black, with no marks at all.

"Who are they?" Zara yelled, helping her father to his feet.

Aldric looked just as confused as the rest of us. "This wasn't part of the plan," he snarled, raising his hand to cast some kind of magic.

But before he could finish, a net made of glowing silver wire dropped from one of the black planes and wrapped around him. The moment it touched his skin, Aldric screamed and fell.

"Pure silver netting," Sarah breathed in wonder. "It blocks magical energy completely."

The government troops were scattering in panic as more silver nets fell from the sky. Whatever was happening, these new arrivals weren't on Aldric's side.

A woman's voice boomed from speakers on the black helicopters. "Stand down immediately. You are interfering with a sanctioned collection effort."

"Collection operation?" I repeated, a chill running down my spine.

The helicopters landed, and people in expensive-looking suits started climbing out. They moved with military efficiency, but something about them felt wrong. Too quiet. Too cocky.

The woman who seemed to be their boss walked straight toward me, ignoring everyone else. She was middle-aged with perfectly styled blonde hair and cold blue eyes that reminded me of a snake.

"Emma Chen," she said pleasantly, like we were meeting at a coffee shop instead of in the middle of a supernatural fight. "Or should I say, Emma Bloodfang? We've been looking for you for a very long time."

"Who are you?" I demanded, backing away from her.

"Dr. Victoria Hayes, Director of Supernatural Asset Acquisition." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You can think of us as... collectors."

Behind her, her team was quickly capturing everyone with those silver nets. Even Kai couldn't break free once the wire touched him.

"Let them go," I said, golden light starting to flash around my hands.

"Oh, I don't think so," Dr. Hayes said evenly. "They're all quite valuable. Especially the outcast alpha with the rare bloodline." She gestured toward Kai. "Do you have any idea how much governments will pay for a werewolf who can't be tracked by traditional pack bonds?"

My blood ran cold. "You're selling them?"

"Selling is such an ugly word," Dr. Hayes responded. "We prefer to think of it as... redistributing supernatural resources to those who can make the best use of them."

Sarah fought against her silver net. "You're talking about slavery!"

"We're talking about progress," Dr. Hayes corrected. "For too long, supernatural beings have hidden from human society, hoarding their powers. We're simply ensuring those abilities are put to good use."

"By forcing werewolves to work for governments?" Zara spat.

"Among other things," Dr. Hayes said with that terrible cool smile. "Werewolf healing skills are quite useful in military applications. Vampire speed and strength make great special forces operatives. And witch magic... well, the options are endless."

I felt sick. "You're talking about people, not resources."

"Are we?" Dr. Hayes tilted her head like she was truly curious. "Because from what I hear, your kind doesn't even consider exiled wolves to be people anymore. You cast them out to die alone in the desert."

Her words hit like a slap because they were partly true. The pack system was cruel to outsiders.

"That doesn't give you the right to capture them," I said furiously.

"Actually, it does," Dr. Hayes responded. "You see, we've been working with different pack leaders for years now. They've been very helpful in providing us with their... unwanted members."

The truth hit me like a freight train. "The pack leaders are in on this."

"Of course they are. It's a mutually beneficial deal. The packs get rid of their troublemakers, and we get test subjects. Everyone wins."

"Test subjects?" Kai's voice was full of fear.

"How do you think we learned to build moonstone weapons?" Dr. Hayes asked conversationally. "Trial and error, mostly. Though I must say, werewolf regeneration skills made the error part much less permanent than we initially expected."

I wanted to throw up. "You've been torturing werewolves to learn how to hurt them."

"We've been conducting necessary research," Dr. Hayes corrected. "And now we're ready for the next phase of our project."

She pulled out a tablet and showed me a map covered in red dots. There were hundreds of them, spread across every continent.

"Each dot represents a supernatural community we've identified," she explained. "Werewolf packs, vampire covens, witch groups, fae courts. We know where they all are."

"How?" Sarah demanded.

"Because their own leaders told us," Dr. Hayes said with obvious pleasure. "You'd be amazed how quickly supernatural beings will betray each other when faced with the right incentives."

Zara's father looked terrified. "You're lying. No pack leader would—"

"Alpha Moonhowl," Dr. Hayes interrupted, checking her tablet. "Yes, we have quite detailed files on your pack. Courtesy of Beta Mason Rivers, who's been giving us with patrol schedules and territory maps for the past three years."

Alpha Moonhowl's face went pale. "Mason? But he's my most trusted friend."

"He's also quite fond of human technology. Amazing what people will do for the right price." Dr. Hayes swiped to a new screen. "Alpha Bloodfang was similarly cooperative, though he preferred to receive protection guarantees rather than money."

"No," Sarah whispered. "Marcus would never—"

"Oh, but he did. Who do you think told us about the moonstone shrine? About Kai's exile? About Emma's true nature?" Dr. Hayes smiled bitterly. "Your husband has been our most valuable informant."

The world seemed to spin around me. Marcus—Sarah's mate, Kai's alpha—had been working with these people all along.

"You're lying," I said desperately.

"Am I?" Dr. Hayes pulled up a movie file on her tablet. "This is from last week."

The video showed Marcus sitting in what looked like a government office, talking to someone off-camera.

"The girl has returned," Marcus was saying. "Just as you expected. She's with the exiled wolves now, which makes her easier to separate."

"And her powers?" asked a voice I recognized as Dr. Hayes.

"Growing stronger every day. She healed scars that should have been permanent. If your theories are right about her bloodline..."

"They are. The Moon Daughter will be the key to controlling all magical beings. Continue monitoring her position, and we'll handle the rest."

The video finished, and Dr. Hayes put away her tablet. "Your own pack leader sold you out, Emma. Just like dozens of others have sold out their useless members."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. Everything I thought I knew about the werewolf world was collapsing around me.

"Why are you telling us this?" Kai asked quietly.

"Because we want Emma to understand the situation," Dr. Hayes responded. "Her people have already betrayed her. Her adopted parents are our prisoners. Her biological mother kept her presence secret for twenty-two years. Everyone she's ever trusted has lied to her or abandoned her."

She walked closer to me, her voice becoming almost gentle. "We're offering you something different, Emma. A chance to use your skills to help both humans and supernatural beings work together. No more hiding. No more abuse. No more exiles dying alone in the woods."

"In exchange for what?" I asked, though I feared the answer.

"Your help. Help us understand and replicate your healing powers, and we'll ensure supernatural beings are treated fairly in our new world order."

"And if I refuse?"

Dr. Hayes's smile turned cold again. "Then we continue with our original plan. Mass captures of supernatural communities abroad. Your friends here will be the first test subjects for our new compliance methods."

She nodded to her team, and they began loading the silver-netted prisoners into the black helicopters.

"You have twenty-four hours to decide," Dr. Hayes said, getting into her aircraft. "We'll be in touch."

As the helicopters took off, carrying away everyone I cared about, I noticed something that made my heart stop.

In the distance, more aircraft were coming. But these weren't government planes or Dr. Hayes's collection teams.

They were pack planes, flying the banners of every major werewolf territory in North America.

And leading them was a helicopter carrying the Bloodfang pack symbol.

Marcus was coming. And after what I'd just learned about his betrayal, I had no idea if he was coming to rescue me or catch me himself.