Chapter 82 LOGAN'S RETURN
ALICIA'S POV
I knew Logan was back before anyone else did.
The bond between us burns hot with pain and exhaustion. I ran without thinking and did not tell anyone where I was going.
Guards called my name, but I ignored them. My wolf pushed forward, and my speed increased.
I found him collapsed against the outer wall. Blood soaked through his jacket, and his face was pale.
"Logan." I dropped to my knees beside him. "What happened?"
"Got the blood." He pulled vials from his jacket with shaking hands. "But Alicia, there is something you need to know."
"Tell me later." I helped him stand, and his weight nearly took us both down. "We need to get you to the healers."
"No." His grip on my arm tightened. "You need to hear this now."
I had never heard Logan sound scared before.
"Morrison let me take the blood." The words rushed out of him. "It was a trap, but not the kind I expected."
My stomach dropped. "What do you mean he let you?"
"He was waiting for me in the forest after I escaped. He said he wanted me to steal his blood. That everything was planned."
Kai appeared beside us, and his face went hard when he saw Logan's condition. "Get him inside."
"Wait." I held up my hand. "Logan says Morrison let him steal the blood."
"That does not make sense. Why would Morrison give up valuable resources?"
"Because he wants Alicia stronger." Logan's voice cracked. "He said everything that had happened was planned to push her past her limits."
I grabbed the wall to stop myself from falling. Every attack was orchestrated to force me to evolve.
"What exactly did Morrison say?" Kai's voice was deadly calm.
We moved Logan inside while he talked.
"He said he needs you at your absolute strongest." Logan winced as we laid him on a bench. "Weak power dilutes what he already has."
"That is insane." I paced the room. "He could have killed me a dozen times by now."
"He does not want you dead. He wants you desperate enough to attempt mass resurrection." Logan grabbed my wrist. "He is going to attack with everything he has. Force you to choose between saving yourself or bringing back everyone we lost."
"He knows I will choose them."
"That is exactly what he wants." Kai pulled me against his chest. "The power required would either kill you or transform you into something he can consume."
I wanted to scream at the manipulation, but we had no time for breakdowns.
"Get these to the healers." I handed the vials to a guard. "Save Monty. We will deal with Morrison's games after."
"What about his warning?" Kai asked. "We cannot just ignore what he said."
"We are not ignoring it." I straightened my shoulders. "We are using it. He thinks he knows how I will react, but he does not know everything."
Elara appeared in the doorway. "I heard Logan returned. What did you learn?"
I told her everything Morrison said. Watched her face shift from concern to anger.
"He is ten moves ahead." Elara crossed her arms. "But he made one mistake. He told you his plan."
"How does that help us?" Leo demanded. "He still has overwhelming force."
"It helps because now we know what he expects." Elara moved to the strategy table. "Morrison thinks Alicia will defend desperately when he attacks. So we change the game entirely."
"Evacuate the vulnerable and set a trap." I caught her meaning immediately.
"Exactly." Elara traced routes on the map. "We make him think he is winning while we position forces he does not know about."
A guard burst through the door. "We noticed movement in the northern sector. A bout fifty wolves are rushing this way."
My heart stopped. “Did you see who their leader is?"
"Jake." Kai's wolf rose in his eyes.
"Everyone to positions." I grabbed my weapons. "This might not be Morrison's main attack, but it is connected."
Elara grabbed my arm before I could run. "This is too convenient. Jake attacks right after Logan returns with Morrison's blood?"
"You think it is a diversion."
"I think Morrison is orchestrating this." Elara's eyes narrowed. "Jake keeps you busy while something else happens."
"The caves… Monty is being healed in the caves with Morrison's blood."
"I will take half the resistance fighters to reinforce the caves." Elara was already moving. "You handle Jake. Do not let him keep you pinned."
I ran toward the northern wall with Kai beside me.
Jake led his wolves, and his face twisted with hate when he saw me. "There she is. The false Luna who thinks she can lead us."
"Jake," I called back. "This does not have to happen."
"I am done talking." His wolves spread out in formation, too coordinated to be random.
"Morrison trained them," Kai growled beside me. "Gave him everything he needed to be a real threat."
Jake raised his hand, and his wolves charged. Our defenders met them at the outer perimeter, and the clash of bodies filled the air with snarls.
I jumped from the wall and shifted mid-air. My wolf landed hard and immediately tore into the nearest attacker.
The battle consumed everything.
I fought toward Jake, but something felt wrong. His wolves kept pushing me away from the caves.
Elara's voice crackled through the emergency channel. "Explosions at the medical wing. Jake split his forces. Half are underground."
I turned to run back, but Jake's wolves blocked my path. There were too many of them, and all focused on trapping me here.