Chapter 36 Quiet Warning
Tasha:
“Neel… are you sure they’ll listen?” I asked, my fingers brushing against the rim of the coffee mug, though the liquid inside had gone cold long ago. My eyes never left his face, watching for even the smallest flicker of doubt.
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “They will, Tasha. They have to. Harris and the others… they know what we’ve found. They know what the Snow Pack has been doing.”
I leaned back slightly, letting a small smile curl at the corner of my lips. That part of me, the part that always thrived in chaos, stirred. Quietly, meticulously, we were beginning to turn the tables. The humans were going to know the truth.
Dr. Harris, tall, sharp-eyed, and precise as ever, adjusted his glasses as he shifted in the seat across from us. “The challenge,” he said slowly, “is framing it so that the right people take notice, without the public panicking. If the media got even a hint, it would be chaos. The government will need to act, but discreetly.”
I nodded, letting my mind dance with the possibilities. “And the Snow Pack?” I asked softly. “What happens when they realize someone is digging into their operations?”
Harris gave me a long, calculating look. “They’ll be scared, and that’s what we need. We can’t expose them openly yet. But when the classified files reach the right people, the top-level officials, the military, the intelligence divisions… the Snow Pack will realize they’re no longer untouchable.”
Neel’s jaw tightened. “So, we’re talking about a quiet warning, but one strong enough to make them reconsider their moves?”
“Exactly,” Harris said. “We’ll present the Snow Pack as a potential bio-threat. A controlled disclosure. The government will see the medical opportunities....the chance to study a non-human biological population, perhaps even use it for advancements. But they’ll also see a security liability. If these werewolves aren’t contained, if they continue operating unchecked… there’s risk. That’s the angle we use. It’s precise, tactical, and, importantly, secret. No public panic.”
I could feel my demon stirring beneath my skin, reacting to the words, eager to push further. My eyes flicked toward Neel. He didn’t see it, not the way I felt it. That burning need to control, to manipulate, to ensure that this move would shake the foundations of the Snow Pack. My fingers tapped lightly against the table, almost absentmindedly, as if I were waiting for the moment to strike.
“Neel,” I whispered, almost hesitant, “do you think they’ll understand what we’re really trying to do? That this isn’t just… research, but a warning? That we’re making them accountable?”
He took my hand across the table, holding it firmly. “They’ll understand. Harris and the others… they get it. And they trust you.”
A thrill ran through me at his words. Trust. Such a fragile thing. And yet, here I was, using it to shift the very world around us.
Dr. Harris leaned forward, his tone turning more serious. “The plan will be in three phases. First, we provide all the evidence, compiled, verified, and framed carefully. No gaps, no holes. They’ll see the pattern...illegal human blood harvesting, experiments conducted on unknowing humans, the feeding operations.
Everything will be packaged as a classified, non-human biological population posing a future risk. No panic, no media leaks.”
“And the second phase?” I asked, keeping my tone light, almost casual, while my mind raced ahead, imagining how the Snow Pack would react.
“The second phase is delivery,” Harris said, his voice deliberate. “We go directly to the top-level officials. Military, intelligence, federal research divisions. The goal is to make them see Snow Pack as a controlled liability. There’s power in secrecy. The moment the Snow Pack realizes we’ve gone this high, they’ll hesitate in their operations.”
Neel leaned back, concern creasing his forehead. “And what about retaliation? You know they’ll try something if they feel cornered.”
“Exactly why the third phase is precautionary,” Harris said, his sharp eyes meeting mine. “We prepare containment protocols, potential extraction operations, and rapid intervention measures. But the key is that the Snow Pack won’t know until it’s too late. We give them the threat of oversight without giving them the specifics.
They’ll be watched, and they’ll know it.”
I felt a smile tug at my lips, and my demon purred with anticipation. There was so much satisfaction in watching them squirm, knowing the truth was coming for them. “And the human authorities?” I asked, soft and careful, almost as if I was concerned. “They won’t… panic?”
Harris shook his head. “No. They trust Neel and the evidence he’s presenting. By keeping the scope narrow, only the top officials see it, they have no reason to alarm the public. But it will send a ripple through the werewolf community. Snow Pack will know...they’ve been exposed to the right eyes.”
I let my fingers slide along the edge of the table, tracing invisible patterns, feeling the thrill of power beneath my calm exterior. My heart beat steadily, but my demon seethed beneath, urging me to push further, to see how far we could twist this.
Neel’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Tasha… are you okay?”
I blinked, forcing myself to lift my gaze to him. “I’m fine,” I said softly, but I could see the worry still etched into his face. I let my voice take on a shade of vulnerability, the kind that made him protective, made him trust me without question. “It’s just… a lot. Knowing what they’ve been doing. Knowing how close it got.”
He squeezed my hand, his thumb brushing lightly over my knuckles. “You don’t have to carry this alone. We’ll handle it. Together.”
I smiled, letting the warmth of his words mix with the ice of my internal schemes. He didn’t know, but soon, the Snow Pack would feel the consequences. The human world was about to become a weapon against them, and I would make sure it hit their most vulnerable points.
Dr. Harris finally spoke again. “Once the files reach the officials, we maintain surveillance. Any suspicious movement from the Snow Pack is documented, monitored, and countered. They’ll know they’re being watched, but they won’t understand the full extent. By the time they figure it out, we control the narrative.”
I nodded slowly, letting each word sink in.
My mind raced ahead, calculating, planning, imagining how Alexandra and her allies would falter when even the humans saw them as a threat. My fingers tightened around my mug, feeling the heat of anticipation, the thrill of watching their dominance crumble without them understanding how or why.
Neel leaned back in his chair, exhaustion flashing across his face. “I just… I can’t believe we’re doing this,” he said quietly. “The risks are huge, but I trust you. We both know what’s at stake.”
I gave him a soft, reassuring smile. “I’ll handle it, Neel. I’ll make sure nothing touches you. Just… watch, and follow my lead.”
My demon purred at my side, satisfied. The plan was in motion. Snow Pack had no idea that their empire was about to crack from the inside, that their secrets would be laid bare to those who could strike with precision and discretion.
And I, hidden in plain sight, would be the one to guide the blow.