Chapter 70 Moonfire War Council
Jolie POV
Ten minutes later, we're back in the main hall with every single pack member crammed inside. Even the injured ones have dragged themselves out of the medical building.
I stand at the front beside Ryder, and the weight of their expectations presses down on my shoulders like a force.
"Here's the situation." I project my voice to reach the back of the room. "Emma is being held at an abandoned mining complex twenty miles northeast. Intelligence suggests thirty armed guards, multiple buildings, and underground tunnels. It's not just a hostage situation—it's the enemy's command center."
Murmurs ripple through the crowd.
"We're outnumbered." I don't sugarcoat it. "Two hundred wolves surrounding our territory, thirty more at the complex. We've got maybe fifty fighters total. The math says we should lose."
"So why aren't we running?" someone calls out.
"Because we're Iron Fangs." Ryder's voice cuts through the doubt. "We don't run. We don't surrender. And we sure as hell don't let them use innocent people as weapons."
I pull up the satellite imagery on the projector. "Their advantage is numbers. Our advantage is knowledge, mobility, and abilities they can't predict. Plus, they think they're hunting the weakest wolf."
My eyes glow as I let the moonfire show.
"They have no idea what's actually coming for them."
The pack howls in response, the sound fierce and hungry.
Doc stands up from the side. "Let's talk strategy. We can't fight them head-on, but we can hit them where it hurts. Take out command and control, their whole operation falls apart."
"Exactly." I zoom in on the mining complex. "Phoenix traced the encrypted communications back to this location. Whoever's coordinating the siege is operating from here. We take them out, the four gangs lose their leadership."
Cass studies the map with a critical eye. "That's a lot of ground to cover. Multiple entry points, plenty of places for ambush."
"Which is why we're not going in blind." I close my eyes, reaching out with my empathic senses. The ability Elena trained me to use. "I can feel them. Every wolf in that complex. Their emotions are like beacons."
The room goes quiet as I concentrate.
"Thirty-two guards total. Most are bored. A few are nervous. Three are terrified." I open my eyes. "The terrified ones are near Emma. They know if something goes wrong, they're dead first."
"Can you pinpoint locations?" Knox asks.
I nod slowly. "Give me a minute."
I close my eyes again, diving deeper into the empathic web. It's overwhelming at first—hundreds of emotional signatures all screaming at once. Fear from the compound. Aggression from the siege forces. Desperation from the mining complex.
But I filter through the noise, focusing on the building layouts Phoenix provided. Matching emotional signatures to physical locations.
"Emma's in the western building. Basement level. Two guards with her, both scared shitless." I trace the path on the map. "The Broker—whoever's running this—is in the main office building. Second floor. Corner room. There's anger there. And satisfaction. They think they've already won."
"How many around the Broker?" Ryder asks.
I searched carefully. "Eight guards. Their emotions are controlled, disciplined. Ex-military maybe."
"Shit." Cass runs a hand through his hair. "That's a hard target."
"Not as hard as you think." I open my eyes. "Because I can do something they don't expect. I can make them feel what their victims feel. Every wolf they've hurt, every innocent they've terrorized. I can flood them with that pain all at once."
Mara leans forward. "You can weaponize empathy?"
"Elena called it judgment." I remember the training sessions. The way she made me understand that compassion could be a blade as sharp as any knife. "I touch someone and they experience every moment of suffering they've caused. It's not killing them, but it drops them fast."
"How many can you do at once?" Knox's eyes gleam with tactical interest.
"I don't know." Honest answer. "I never pushed that far. But I'm willing to find out."
Doc's frown deepens. "What's the cost? Every time you use your healing power, you almost pass out. What happens if you judge thirty wolves at once?"
This hit me because I don't have an answer to that.
"Then we make sure she doesn't have to." Ryder's hand finds mine. "We thin their numbers before Jolie gets close. Stealth kills. Silent takedowns. By the time she reaches the Broker, there's maybe five guards left instead of eight."
"I like it." Knox cracks his knuckles. "I'm good at silent work."
"Me too." Luna—the tracker, not me—steps forward. "I can mask my scent. Get close without triggering alarms."
"Good." Ryder starts assigning roles. "Knox and Luna are advance team. You take out perimeter guards quietly. Doc, you're on standby medical. Cass, you lead the defense here in case this is a diversion."
"What about me?" Mara asks.
"You're with the main strike team." I look at her. "I know we've had our differences, but I need someone who can fight without hesitation. Someone who won't freeze if things go bad."
Mara's expression shifts from surprise to fierce determination. "You got it, Luna."
The title still feels strange coming from her. From any of them, really.
Phoenix pulls up a new screen. "I've been monitoring their patrol schedules. They rotate guards every four hours. Next rotation is in ninety minutes. That's our window—they'll be tired from their shift but not fresh enough to be sharp."
"Ninety minutes." Ryder checks his watch. "Everyone gear up. Light and mobile. No heavy weapons—we need speed over firepower."
The pack starts to disperse, but I hold up a hand.
"Wait. There's something else you need to know." I take a breath. "They're not here to kill us. They're here to capture me. Someone is paying for Luna's vessel, and Gio is delivering the product."
Shocked silence.
"We already knew your brother was scum." Mara's voice echoes. "This just confirms it."
"It means their tactics will change." I meet each person's eyes. "They'll use non-lethal force on me. Tranquilizers, nets, restraints. But they won't hesitate to kill anyone protecting me. So if this goes wrong, if I tell you to run."
"We don't run." Knox's voice is absolute. "You're our Luna. We fight for you or we die trying."
Murmurs of agreement echo through the hall.
My throat tightens with emotion. These wolves—rogues and outcasts and broken warriors—are willing to die for me. For the girl who was once too weak to defend herself.
"Then let's make sure nobody dies." I straighten my shoulders. "We go in fast, hit hard, and get out before they can coordinate a response. Rescue Emma, eliminate the Broker, and break their command structure. Simple."
"Simple." Doc snorts. "Right. Because nothing ever goes wrong with simple plans."
"If it goes wrong, we improvise." Ryder grins, feral and dangerous. "That's what we do best."