Chapter 292 Strawberry Extra Thick
When the Alphas had arrived just days ago, it had been done under a carefully constructed lie. The official, public cover story was a grand celebration for Iggy’s birth. While the packs drank and partied in the main halls, the fifteen Alphas had quietly snuck off to the secure war room to discuss the High Council's overreach.
But before they could even formulate a solid plan, the illusion of safety had shattered. Damon had kidnapped Leela, dragging her down into the bunker. Fennigan had been forced to descend into the dark and rip the monster to pieces with his bare hands to get his mate back. It was only in the bloody aftermath, while Fennigan was carrying his traumatized Queen out of the subterranean hell, that Jax had delivered the absolute, horrifying truth about Damon to the visiting Alphas.
Fennigan pushed off the desk and began to slowly pace the length of the room.
The last summit had been built on a lie to avoid the Council's suspicion. But as the Alpha King paced, a bold, incredibly dangerous strategy began to take shape in his mind.
No more cover stories, Fennigan thought, a low, feral rumble vibrating deep in his chest. No more hiding behind baby showers and fake celebrations.
They needed to call for another summit, but this time, they wouldn't sneak through the mountains or hide their intentions. They would hold it completely in the light.
Fennigan envisioned a massive, open gathering of the most powerful Alphas in the country, standing shoulder-to-shoulder on Blackwood soil for the entire supernatural world to see. It wouldn't just be a tactical meeting; it would be a glaring, undeniable show of force.
It would be a unified, blood-sworn message broadcasted directly to the corrupt politicians in the capital: We are not under your power anymore. We are not your puppets. And if you want a war, you know exactly where to find us.
The heavy, bulletproof doors of the Blackwood SUV closed with a solid, comforting thud, sealing them inside the plush, temperature-controlled cabin.
Jax effortlessly guided the massive vehicle down the winding, pine-lined mountain roads, his thick, heavily scarred hands resting lightly on the steering wheel. He drove with a smooth, practiced ease, actively trying to ensure the ride was as gentle as possible.
In the passenger seat, Sarah rode shotgun. Looking at her profile, it was almost jarring for Leela to remember that the girl was only eighteen years old—and currently pregnant. Despite her youth, Sarah had fought her way to the absolute top of the Blackwood guard. Aside from her heavily scarred mate, Toby, the teenager was undeniably one of the deadliest, most gifted warriors in the entire pack. Yet, as Leela watched her continuously scan the passing tree line with lethal, hardwired instincts, she found it incredibly hard to believe that just a few short months ago, this same fierce protector had been happily chasing the twins around the packhouse yard, blushing and desperately trying to hide the fact that she and Toby were falling for each other.
In the spacious backseat, the atmosphere was intentionally, aggressively light.
Leela and Ginny sat on either side of the massive, rear-facing baby seat strapped securely in the middle. Little Iggy was currently wide awake, his dark eyes blinking up at the ceiling of the car as he happily sucked on a pacifier, completely oblivious to his mother's lingering exhaustion.
Ginny sat with her head resting against the tinted glass, watching the dense mountain forest give way to the paved roads of the lower valley. She was still pale, and she was still tired, but as the miles rolled by, a quiet sense of relief began to settle over her.
She would never admit it out loud—especially not to her fiercely stubborn best friend—but she knew she desperately needed to see a doctor. Her mortal body was dragging, and the faint tremors in her hands were scaring her more than she cared to show. It was just incredibly hard to admit human frailty when everyone else around her could practically regrow a severed limb in an afternoon.
But Leela knew. She had known Ginny since they were teenagers navigating the completely mundane, human world. She knew exactly when her best friend was trying to tough it out.
To keep the heavy reality of the past week from creeping into the car, Leela actively steered the conversation toward the delightfully mundane.
"So," Leela said brightly, reaching over to gently adjust the small, knitted blanket tucked around Iggy’s legs. "Since we're officially breaking out of the packhouse and heading into civilization... does anyone else suddenly have an intense craving for actual, greasy diner food? Vannie's cooking is incredible, but I would commit a minor crime for a plate of awful, deep-fried onion rings right now."
In the driver’s seat, Jax let out a low, rumbling chuckle. His golden eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror, meeting his mate's tired gaze with a warm, reassuring spark.
"I can absolutely make that happen," Jax promised smoothly. "There's a diner right around the corner from the hospital. The food is terrible, the coffee tastes like battery acid, and the booths are older than I am."
"It sounds like heaven," Ginny smiled, a genuine, albeit faint, laugh finally breaking through her exhaustion. She reached out, letting Iggy's tiny fingers wrap securely around her thumb. "If I survive getting poked and prodded by human doctors today, you are absolutely buying me a milkshake, Jax."
"Strawberry, extra thick, with the cherry on top," Jax confirmed without missing a beat, reciting her exact order from memory. "Whatever you want, Gin. It's yours."
Sarah glanced back over her shoulder from the passenger seat, offering Ginny a rare, small smile that briefly made the fierce warrior look her actual age. "I'll secure the perimeter of the diner while you get your milkshake. Nobody will interrupt your onion rings."
Ginny rolled her eyes playfully, though the deep affection for the young, pregnant bodyguard was evident on her face. Between her best friend refusing to let her suffer in silence, her mate catering to her exact cravings, and an elite teenage warrior offering to guard her deep-fried food, the heavy, suffocating anxiety of the hospital visit finally began to fade. They were taking care of her, and for the first time in days, Ginny allowed herself to just let them.