Chapter 17: Jake's Confession

Emma's POV

Jake tackled me to the ground just as the sniper's bullet whizzed over my head.

"Stay down!" he shouted, covering me with his body as more shots rang out from the trees around us.

I was alone in the bush after Dr. Hayes's people had taken everyone else. At least, I thought I was alone until Jake came out of nowhere to save my life.

"Where did you come from?" I gasped, rolling behind a fallen log for cover.

"I've been tracking the collectors' helicopters," Jake said, breathing hard. "Emma, there's something I need to tell you. Something terrible."

Another bullet split the wood above our heads. These weren't moonstone weapons—just regular guns. But they could still kill me.

"Can it wait until we're not being shot at?" I asked.

"No," Jake said desperately. "Because the people shooting at us are here because of me."

That made me look at him more carefully. Jake's face was pale and drawn, like he hadn't slept in days. His clothes were torn and dirty, and there was something in his eyes I'd never seen before—guilt.

"What do you mean?" I asked, though I was starting to get a sick feeling in my stomach.

Before Jake could answer, a voice called out from the trees. "Beta Rivers! We know you're out there! Return the item immediately!"

Asset. They were talking about me like I was a thing, not a person.

"I'm not going back!" Jake shouted. "The deal is off!"

"What deal?" I whispered, grabbing his arm.

Jake's face crumpled. "Emma, I'm so sorry. I never meant for it to go this far."

The truth hit me like a punch to the gut. "You're working with them. With the collectors."

"Was working with them," Jake corrected miserably. "But not anymore. Not after I saw what they really planned to do."

More shots fired around us, causing us to crawl deeper into the underbrush.

"Start talking," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "Now."

Jake took a shaky breath. "It started five years ago. These government spies approached me after a pack meeting. They said they knew about werewolves, about all magical beings. They had photos, movies, everything."

"They threatened to expose everyone," I guessed.

"Worse than that," Jake said. "They said they'd already leaked some information to certain human groups. Anti-supernatural organizations that would hunt us down and kill our families if they knew we existed."

I felt cold despite the warm forest air. "So you agreed to help them."

"I thought I was protecting everyone!" Jake's voice broke. "They said all they wanted was information. Pack locations, territory borders, population numbers. Just info for their files."

"But it wasn't just data, was it?"

Jake shook his head. "At first, it was. But then they started asking for more. They wanted to know about exiled dogs, about pack outcasts who wouldn't be missed."

The pieces were falling into place. "Like Kai."

"Like Kai," Jake stated. "They said they just wanted to study supernatural powers. Find ways to help humans and werewolves live peacefully."

"And you believed them?"

"I wanted to believe them," Jake said desperately. "But then I started noticing things. Exiled wolves who disappeared totally instead of just leaving the territory. Requests for information about specific werewolves with rare powers."

A new voice joined the first one in the trees. "Rivers! You have sixty seconds to produce the Moon Daughter, or we start the purge process!"

"Purge protocol?" I repeated, not liking the sound of that.

Jake went even paler. "That's new. They never mentioned anything about a purge before."

"Forty-five seconds!" the voice called.

"We need to move," Jake said, starting to crawl away from our hidden spot.

But I grabbed his arm again. "Finish the story first. I need to know everything."

Jake looked split between wanting to run and wanting to confess. "The real wake-up call came three months ago. They asked me to plan for you to be alone and vulnerable."

"They knew about me three months ago?"

"They've known about you for years," Jake said sadly. "Ever since Sarah gave birth. They've been watching, waiting for you to show your powers."

My mind reeled. "How did they know Sarah gave birth if everyone thought I died?"

"Because I told them," Jake whispered. "I was there that night. I helped Sarah escape to the human world, and I thought I was doing the right thing by reporting that the Moon Daughter was safely hidden."

"Thirty seconds!"

I felt sick. Jake's good motives had led the collectors straight to me.

"But you're trying to help me now," I said, looking for some reason to trust him.

"Because I finally learned what they really wanted," Jake said quickly. "Emma, they don't want to study your powers. They want to remove them. Permanently."

"What does that mean?"

"They've figured out how to remove supernatural powers from their original owners and transfer them to other people. They've been using the trapped werewolves as test subjects."

The horror of it hit me full force. "They're stealing people's abilities."

"And once they take your healing power, they can use it to keep other magical beings alive during the extraction process. You're the key to stealing everyone's skills."

"Twenty seconds!"

Jake grabbed my hand. "There's more. The purge process they mentioned? It's a backup plan. If they can't capture you, they're going to release proof of supernatural existence to the most violent human hate groups."

"They'll start a war," I breathed.

"A war they're prepared for, with stolen supernatural powers and armies of modified humans. They'll wipe out every pack, every coven, every supernatural group on Earth."

"Ten seconds!"

"We have to run," Jake said desperately.

But before we could move, the forest around us exploded in gunfire. Not aimed at us—aimed at the owners.

Through the chaos, I saw werewolves in their wolf forms charging through the trees, attacking the human spies. But these weren't pack dogs I recognized.

"The exiled wolves," Jake breathed in wonder. "They came back."

Leading the charge was a huge silver wolf that I knew had to be Kai. Even in wolf form, his heterochromia was visible—one golden eye, one blue.

The fight was fierce but brief. The exiled wolves had the benefit of surprise and superior knowledge of the forest. Within minutes, the collector agents were either caught or fleeing.

Kai changed back to human form and ran toward us. "Emma! Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," I said, relief rushing through me. "But how did you escape? Dr. Hayes took everyone."

"Magnus helped us," Kai explained. "Turns out he's been working against Aldric this whole time. He freed us while the collectors were busy."

"Where is everyone else?"

"Safe, for now. But Emma, we have a bigger problem."

Before he could explain, Jake stepped forward. "It's my fault," he said to Kai. "All of it. The hunters, the captures, everything. I've been giving them information for years."

Kai's eyes flashed dangerously. "You did what?"

"I thought I was protecting everyone," Jake said quickly. "But I was wrong. And now they're planning something called the purge process."

"What's that?" Kai asked.

Jake opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, the air around us shimmered and Dr. Hayes materialized like she'd stepped out of thin air.

"Teleportation technology," she said pleasantly, as if she hadn't just come from nowhere. "One of the benefits of studying fairy magic."

She wasn't alone. Behind her stood dozens of people who looked like humans but moved too neatly, too quickly. Their eyes glowed with stolen magical light.

"Enhanced humans," Jake whispered in fear. "They actually did it."

"Did what?" I asked, though I feared the answer.

"They've been giving humans supernatural abilities," Dr. Hayes explained cheerfully. "Vampire speed, werewolf power, witch magic. We've made the perfect soldiers."

One of the enhanced people stepped forward, and I gasped. It was Marcus—but his eyes now glowed with an eerie blue light.

"Hello, Emma," he said, his voice strangely monotone. "I've come to bring you home."

"Marcus?" Kai stared at his previous alpha in shock. "What did they do to you?"

"They improved me," Marcus answered in that same flat tone. "I can think more clearly now. I understand that cooperation with Dr. Hayes's group is the only logical choice."

Dr. Hayes smiled. "The compliance modification was quite good. Alpha Bloodfang was one of our first free test subjects."

"Volunteer?" I said in shock.

"Oh yes. He came to us willingly once we described the benefits. Enhanced strength, extended lifespan, immunity to most supernatural threats. All he had to give up was his free will."

The enhanced humans began surrounding us, moving with inhuman synchronization.

"It's over, Emma," Dr. Hayes said. "Your friends can't help you anymore. The pack leaders are either working with us or have been changed to ensure compliance. The exiled wolves are outnumbered and outgunned."

She gestured to Marcus. "Even your own family thinks this is for the best."

But as Marcus stepped toward me, his bright eyes flickered for just a moment. In that short flicker, I saw something that gave me hope.

The real Marcus was still in there, fighting against whatever they'd done to him.

And if he could fight it, maybe the others could too.