Chapter 81 On the Right Side
LUCA
She was right. I hated it, but she was right.
“Caspian, Sage, Ryker—go. Find out what they want. But stay armed and ready to retreat at the first sign of trouble.”
“Yes, alpha.”
They left immediately. The rest of us watched the monitors tensely as they approached the coalition group.
“Can we get audio?” Arya asked.
“Working on it,” one of the tech specialists said, fiddling with controls.
Static crackled before it cleared and we heard voices.
“—here to defect,” a female voice was saying. “We were told the summit was about unity, about giving everyone a voice. We want to be part of that.”
“Why should we believe you?” Sage’s voice was hard and skeptical.
“Because we’re tired. Tired of Theron’s extremism, tired of the endless conflict, tired of fighting for a cause we’re not even sure we believe in anymore.” The female sounded young, earnest. “When the invitation came, when you offered even the coalition a seat at the table, some of us realized that’s what we actually want. A seat. A voice. A choice.”
“How many?” Ryker asked.
“Fifty here. Maybe two hundred more still in the coalition camps who feel the same but are too afraid to leave.”
“Two hundred,” Caspian said quietly to Sage. “That would cut their forces in half.”
“It could also be a lie. A way to get inside our defenses.”
“Let me talk to them,” Arya said suddenly. “Let me go out there.”
“Absolutely fucking not,” I said immediately. “No. that is not happening. It not even a possibility, don’t mention it.”
“Luca—”
“No. I am not going to let you walk into a potential trap. You are not exposing yourself to coalition warriors who might be assassins. You are not—”
“I’m the only one who can do this.” She gripped my arms. “They came here because of the invitation. Because I offered them a choice. If I don’t meet them, if I send others to speak for me, it undermines everything we’re trying to build.”
“I don’t care. Your safety is more important than—”
“Than our entire mission? Than the message we’re trying to send?” She shook her head. “I’m going. You can come with me, you can surround me with guards, you can hover like an overprotective nightmare. But I’m going.”
I felt her absolute determination. There was no talking her out of this. Nothing I said or did would change her mind.
“Fine. But—” I held up a hand before she could celebrate, “—you wear full armor under that dress. You stay behind me at all times. And if anything feels wrong, something as little as someone’s breathing, we’ll retreat immediately.”
“Deal.”
I stared at her, knowing she has me wrapped around her fingers and i would have it no other way. As much as I hated this, I would only do it for her.
Ten minutes later, we approached the coalition group. I’d brought twenty of my best warriors, positioned them strategically, and personally inspected Arya’s armor three times.
‘Still not enough,’ my Lycan complained. He was not happy that i gave in and he’s been grumbling and mumbling in my head. ‘Should have locked her in the vault.’
‘You know–’ I paused, what he said registering in my head. ‘We don’t even have a vault.’
‘Then we should have built one.’ He retreated to the back of my mind, where he kept sulking.
The coalition warriors looked ragged up close. Exhausted and uncertain. Some of them barely more than kids. That pissed me off.
Children shouldn’t be forced to fight in wars that had nothing to do with them. Especially one that is easily avoidable.
The woman who’d spoken was maybe twenty-five, with scars covering her arms and a look in her eyes that looked a lot older than her age.
“Luna Arya,” she said, dropping to one knee. The others followed suit. “Thank you for seeing us.”
“Please stand. We don’t require that here.” Arya’s voice was gentle but firm. “Tell me your name.”
“Kira. I’m—I was—a lieutenant in Theron’s forces.” She stood slowly. “I joined the coalition because I believed in species purity, in Lycan superiority. I grew up believing wolves were weaker and lesser and I accepted it.” her head was bowed. She seemed almost embarrassed bu her words.
“And now?”
“Now I’ve watched Theron order the execution of a twelve-year-old wolf child because her mother mated with a Lycan. I’ve seen him burn villages that refused to join him. I’ve heard him plan to slaughter everyone at this summit just to prove a point.” Kira’s voice shook. “That’s not strength or superiority. That’s just cruelty and cowardice.”
“So you’re here to…”
“To ask for asylum. To pledge loyalty to the unity movement. I’ve been fighting on the wring side of years, now, I want to fight for something that actually matters instead of against people who don’t deserve it.” Kira gestured to the others. “We’re not asking for forgiveness. We know what we’ve done. We’re just asking for a chance to do better.”
Arya looked at me, communicating through our mindlink.
‘What do you think?’
‘I think it could be genuine or it could be the most elaborate trap in history.’
‘That’s helpful.’
‘I think we can’t afford to turn away people who want peace. But we also can’t afford to trust blindly.’
She nodded slightly, then turned back to Kira.
“If we accept you, you’ll be monitored closely, and reports will be taken. You’ll be subject to magical binding that prevents violence during the summit. You’ll be questioned, verified, and watched constantly.” Arya’s tone was commanding. “If this is a trick, if any of you pose a threat, the consequences will be severe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Luna. We understand. And we accept those terms.”
“Then welcome.” Arya extended her hand. “Welcome to the beginning of something new.”
Kira took her hand, and I saw tears forming in her eyes. When she blinked, a few slid down her face. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
She addressed her team, letting them know they were on the right side now. After we led the group back to the temple, Sage fell into step beside me.
“That was either the bravest thing I’ve ever seen or the stupidest,” she murmured. “I genuinely can’t tell which.”
“Both,” I said grimly. “It’s always both with her.”
“You love it.” She looked up at me from under her lashes, he lips forming a smile that stole my breath.
“I hate it. It’s going to give me a heart condition.” I grumbled, while trying to hide my smile.
Seeimng her making decisions and commanding a room was sexy as hell. She really power.
“Lycans don’t get heart conditions.”
“I’ll be the first.” her sweet laugh made my smile break through.
The tightness in my chest alleviated a little.