Chapter 20 The unthinkable
Maya Pov
Heavy footsteps pounded in the hallway outside. Not just one person, but several, their boots hitting the wooden floor in synchronized rhythm. Guards. Marcus's personal security team.
They appeared in the doorway behind Sienna—six large men in black uniforms, their expressions hard and hostile. They fanned out, blocking the only exit from the room, their hands resting on weapons holstered at their belts.
We were trapped.
The lead guard stepped forward, his eyes scanning the scattered documents, the open wall panel, the folders Kade held. "Alpha Marcus has been notified. You're to remain here until he arrives."
"We're guests of the Moonstone Pack," Owen said calmly, though I could see the tension in his shoulders. "We have every right to be in this packhouse."
"This is a restricted area. You're trespassing." The guard's hand moved to his weapon. "Put down the documents and step away from the wall."
Kade didn't move. "These documents are evidence of crimes committed against pack members. We're taking them to the Council."
"You're taking them nowhere." Another guard moved forward, his intention clear. They were going to take the evidence by force, were going to destroy everything we'd found.
I looked at the men blocking our exit, at Sienna's satisfied smile, at the blood stain on the floor that proved Marcus's cruelty extended far beyond what he'd done to me. We'd found the truth, found proof that could destroy Marcus's reputation and expose him for what he really was.
But we were surrounded, outnumbered, with no way out and no way to call for help. Kade's phone was still in his hand, but he couldn't use it without the guards seeing, without them taking it and destroying the photographs he'd already captured.
The footsteps in the hallway grew louder. More people coming, drawn by Sienna's scream and the guards' presence. I could hear voices, concerned pack members wondering what was happening, why there were armed guards in the servant quarters.
And then, cutting through all the other sounds, I heard Marcus's voice. Calm, controlled, absolutely furious.
"What is going on here?"
The guards parted, making way for their Alpha. Marcus stepped into the room, his eyes taking in the scene with a single sweep—the open wall panel, the scattered documents, the three of us cornered like prey. His expression never changed, never showed surprise or concern. He'd known this compartment existed. He'd probably expected us to find it eventually.
"They were trespassing in restricted areas, Alpha," the lead guard reported. "Attempting to steal confidential pack documents."
"Is that so?" Marcus's gaze settled on me, cold and assessing. "Maya, I'm disappointed. After everything we discussed, I thought you understood the importance of respecting boundaries."
"Boundaries?" The word came out as a harsh laugh. "You documented years of abuse. You kept records of every person you hurt, every crime you committed. These aren't confidential pack documents—they're evidence."
"Evidence of what, exactly?" Marcus moved closer, his presence filling the small room. "Evidence of a pack Alpha maintaining detailed medical records for his members? Evidence of thorough documentation in case of legal disputes or insurance claims?"
He was going to lie. He was going to twist everything, make it sound innocent, make us look like the criminals for exposing him.
"We photographed everything." Kade held up his phone. "Medical experts will be able to tell the difference between legitimate treatment and systematic abuse."
Marcus's eyes narrowed. "Give me the phone."
"No."
The single word hung in the air between them. A direct refusal, a challenge to Marcus's authority in his own territory. The guards tensed, their hands moving to their weapons.
"That phone contains stolen property," Marcus said quietly. "Images of confidential documents taken without permission from a restricted area. By pack law, I have every right to confiscate it."
"By Council law, we have every right to report suspected abuse and collect evidence." Owen stepped forward, positioning himself between Kade and the guards. "You can try to take the phone, but it won't matter. The images are already backed up to the cloud. Destroying the device won't destroy the evidence."
I didn't know if that was true or not, but Owen said it with such confidence that even Marcus hesitated. For a moment, uncertainty flickered across his face, quickly hidden but unmistakably there.
"You have no idea what you've started." Marcus's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Those documents are part of an ongoing investigation. By interfering, you've compromised years of careful work."
"What investigation?" I demanded. "Into your own crimes?"
"Into modified wolves." Marcus's eyes locked on mine. "Into subjects like you, Maya. Every person in those files shares your genetic markers, your enhanced capabilities. I've been tracking them, studying them, trying to understand what your parents created before it's too late."
The room went silent. Even the guards looked confused, uncertain about what their Alpha was saying.
"You're saying all those people were experimented on?" Kade's voice was carefully neutral. "That there are more modified wolves?"
"I'm saying your mate isn't unique. She's part of a larger pattern, a genetic experiment that affected dozens of children. And they're all starting to activate now, all starting to become dangerous." Marcus gestured to the folders Kade held. "Those medical records document the early signs—increased aggression, unexplained injuries, violent episodes. I've been trying to help them, to find a way to suppress the modifications before people get killed."
It sounded almost reasonable. Almost like Marcus was the hero, trying to protect his pack from a genetic time bomb. But I'd lived under his control for five years. I knew how skilled he was at making cruelty sound like compassion.
"If you were trying to help, why hide the records?" Owen challenged. "Why keep them secret instead of reporting to the Council?"
"Because the Council would panic. They would order all modified wolves destroyed, including Maya." Marcus's expression softened, became almost paternal. "I was protecting her, protecting all of them, by keeping this quiet and searching for a cure."
He was good. Even knowing he was lying, I could almost believe him. The guards certainly seemed convinced, their hostile expressions softening into confusion and concern.
But then I remembered the blood on the floor. I remembered the burns on my arms, the storage closet, the endless nights of pain and fear. Whatever Marcus claimed he was doing, it wasn't protection. It was torture.
"We're taking the evidence to the Council," I said firmly. "They can decide if your explanation holds up."
Marcus's mask of compassion cracked. "You'll regret this, Maya. When the truth comes out, when everyone knows what you are, you'll wish you'd stayed under my protection."
"I'll take my chances."
The standoff stretched on, tension building until the air felt thick with it. The guards waited for Marcus's orders. Kade kept his phone clutched tight, ready to fight if necessary. Owen positioned himself to protect us both. And I stood there with my birth certificate in hand, proof that nothing about my life was what I'd thought it was.
Then, from the hallway, a new voice cut through the silence.
"Let them go."
Everyone turned. Leo stood in the doorway, his expression grave but determined. Behind him were other pack members, drawn by the commotion, witnesses to whatever happened next.
"This doesn't concern you, Leo," Marcus said coldly.
"It concerns all of us." Leo stepped into the room, his eyes sweeping over the documents, the open wall panel, the surrounded guests. "These people are under Council protection. If you harm them, interfere with them, or prevent them from leaving, you'll answer to more than just Alpha Ryker."
Marcus's jaw tightened. "They're trespassing. They stole private documents—"
"They found evidence of crimes." Leo's voice was steady, unafraid. "Let them take it to the Council. Let the truth come out, whatever it is. If you're innocent, you have nothing to fear."
The other pack members murmured agreement. I could see the calculation in Marcus's eyes, the weighing of options. He could order the guards to attack, could try to take the evidence by force. But not with this many witnesses, not with Leo openly defying him.
Slowly, deliberately, Marcus stepped back. "Very well. Take your evidence. Present it to the Council. But remember, Maya—I warned you. What you unleash today, you cannot control."
The guards parted, creating a narrow path to the door. Kade moved first, his phone still clutched in his hand, the folders tucked under his arm. Owen followed, then me, my birth certificate crumpled in my fist.
As we passed Leo, he met my eyes briefly. There was something in his expression—sadness, maybe, or regret. "I'll vouch for them," he said to Marcus. "Whatever they found, I'll testify it existed."
Marcus said nothing, but his silence was more threatening than any words.
We walked down the hallway, surrounded by curious pack members, making our way back toward safety. My heart pounded so hard I thought everyone must be able to hear it. We'd done it. We'd found evidence, escaped Marcus's trap, gained an ally in Leo.
But Marcus's final words echoed in my mind. What you unleash today, you cannot control.
What did that mean? What truth was I about to
expose that scared him so badly? And why did part of me, some deep buried instinct, fear he might be right?