Chapter 269

Chapter 269
 Xavier's POV

The moment my beta and warriors pulled me out of that ditch, I was already making calls. Every second that passed was another second Mia and my brothers were in enemy hands, and I wasn't going to waste a single one.

"How many men do we have combat-ready?" I asked Marcus as we sped back toward pack territory.

"About sixty warriors, Alpha. But if we mobilize everyone, we'd be leaving the pack defenseless."

Sixty isn't enough. Not for a facility that size, with that level of security.

"We need reinforcements from allied packs," I said, pulling out my phone. "Get me Alpha Richardson, Alpha Chen, and Alpha Volkov. Tell them it's an emergency."

Within an hour, I'd secured commitments from three neighboring packs - another hundred warriors combined. But even that might not be enough against the military-grade operation I'd witnessed.

I need someone with real power. Someone they won't expect.

The thought hit me like lightning. Mia's uncle - Daisy's father, Alpha Marcus Thornwood. He commanded one of the largest and most powerful packs in the region, and more importantly, he'd do anything to protect his family.

But I couldn't just call him up and tell him Mia was in mortal danger. That would cause panic, and worse, it might alert our enemies if they had any spies in his pack.

I need to be subtle about this.

I dialed Daisy's number instead.

"Xavier?" she answered on the second ring. "What's going on? Where's Mia?"

"Daisy, I need your help, but I need you to trust me and not ask too many questions right now."

"That's not ominous at all," she said dryly. "What do you need?"

"I need to borrow some of your father's warriors. About fifty if he can spare them. Tell him it's for a joint training exercise."

There was a pause. "Xavier, what's really going on?"

"Please, Daisy. I promise I'll explain everything later, but right now, I just need the men."

Another pause, then a sigh. "Fine. But you're going to owe me a massive explanation. And if anything happens to Mia..."

"I know. I'll get them back to you."

Within two hours, I had commitments for nearly two hundred warriors from various packs. It still felt like it might not be enough, but it was the best I could do on short notice.

There's one more option. One I really don't want to consider.

Liam.

The Alpha of the Shadowmoon Pack had resources, men, and most importantly, he had a personal stake in rescuing Mia. If what she'd told us was true, if he really wasn't the enemy we'd thought he was, then he might be our best ally in this fight.

But can I trust him? After everything?

I didn't have a choice. I needed every advantage I could get.

The drive to Shadowmoon territory took three hours, and what I found when I arrived was chaos. The compound gates were damaged, there were bodies scattered across the grounds, and I could hear fighting coming from inside the main building.

"What the hell happened here?" Marcus muttered beside me.

We approached cautiously, weapons ready, but the fighting seemed to be internal - pack members battling each other rather than defending against outside attackers.

In the center of it all was Liam, bloodied and furious, fighting against what looked like members of his own pack.

"Stand down!" he roared, his alpha command rolling across the compound. "I am your rightful Alpha, and I will not tolerate this rebellion!"

He's trying to retake control of his own pack. This must have been brewing while he was away.

One of the rebels lunged at Liam, and I watched as he dispatched the attacker with brutal efficiency. Whatever else he was, Liam was a formidable fighter.

As the last of the rebels either fled or surrendered, Liam turned and saw me standing at the gates. His expression darkened immediately.

"You," he snarled, stalking toward me. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I need your help," I said, forcing the words out despite every instinct telling me to attack him instead.

"My help?" He laughed bitterly. "After you and your brothers beat me half to death? After you've done nothing but treat me like garbage? Now you want my help?"

"It's for Mia."

He froze mid-step. "What about Mia?"

"She's been captured. So have my brothers. By the real rogue organization - the one that's been using your pack's reputation as cover."

I watched as various emotions flashed across his face - shock, fear, rage, and something that looked like guilt.

"How?" he demanded.

I quickly explained what had happened - the trap, the crash, my escape, and the facility where they were being held.

"You idiots led her right into a trap," Liam said when I finished, but there was no satisfaction in his voice, only fury. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"We were thinking we needed to protect her," I shot back. "But you're right - we fucked up. And now she's paying the price for our mistakes."

"Damn right she is." He paced back and forth, clearly struggling with his emotions. "And you expect me to just forget everything and help you rescue her?"

"I expect you to do what's right," I said. "You claim to care about her. Prove it."

Liam stopped pacing and looked at me, really looked at me. "If I help you, when this is over, we're settling things between us. No more bullshit, no more games. Just you and me."

"Fine," I agreed. "But first, we get her back."

He turned to address his pack, his voice carrying across the compound. "Listen up! I know we have internal issues to resolve, but right now, there's something more important. The Supreme Luna has been captured by the same organization that framed us twenty years ago. The same bastards who've been using our name to commit atrocities while we've been living in exile."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

"This is our chance," Liam continued, his voice getting stronger. "Our chance to prove we're not the monsters everyone thinks we are. Our chance to rescue someone who believed in us when no one else would. And our chance to finally expose the real criminals who've been hiding behind our reputation."

He paused, letting that sink in.

"Who's with me?"

The response was immediate and overwhelming. Warriors stepped forward, dozens of them, all ready to fight.

"We need to move fast," I said. "They're expecting me to try something, so we won't have the element of surprise for long."

"Then we hit them hard and fast," Liam replied. "Overwhelming force, multiple entry points, extract the hostages and burn the whole facility to the ground."

As we began coordinating our attack plans, combining Liam's forces with the warriors I'd gathered, I felt something I hadn't expected.

Hope.

We're coming for you, Mia. All of us. Just hold on a little longer.