At this point… I must not push any further.
Provoking him or mentioning Luna Ember again might trigger him and this time, he might actually kill her.
She must stay alive until I find the truth. No, until we all uncover it.
Luna Ember cannot be foolish enough to betray King Valtor, right?
No. It better not be true.
I desperately convinced myself she would never hurt him like that.
But even now… her life hangs by a thread. King Valtor could end her at any moment.
I walked out in silence.
If there is a truth, then I must help uncover it and hunt down that bastard Henry myself.
Anger pulsed through me as I headed to my room, trying to plan my next steps.
Next Day
King Valtor POV
News had spread faster than expected, not surprising.
I forced myself to focus on the big day ahead.
“Elder Brown wants to see you,” a messenger announced.
“I am not interested,” I dismissed coldly.
I knew exactly what he wished to ask about and I will not speak about her or that night.
To begin with if I dare think too deeply about it, she will die faster by my hand.
Soon enough, George stepped into my office.
“Sir… we analyzed the signal Henry generated, and it is truly authentic,” he reported with a slight bow.
“So what else did the intel contain?” I asked.
“It includes stolen data from their server,” he continued.
“There are thirty Shellers in the Shell Windsor hideout… and among those thirty, five newly recruited Black Shellers arrived twelve days ago.”
I stretched my hand toward him.
“Yes.. I nearly forgot,” he murmured, handing over the folder.
“This contains the comprehensive details on their base.”
I scanned through the pages.
The hideout itself produces Shellers, except for the Black Sheller variant, that formula is controlled by the main branch. No information on its process appeared here.
“The Black Sheller experiment facility is within the main branch,” I muttered.
“And they currently have fifty test subjects brought in yesterday… innocent children.”
“So what should we do, sir?” Rho asked, fully recovered now, entering the room.
“I was going to suggest bombing their hideout completely but what do we do about the fifty children?” He paused.
“The safest strategy without losing our own is to wipe everything,” I declared. “Bomb them all, minimal risk to us. But”
A sharp pain stabbed through me.
Ember.
Her will cutting into mine, the irony that she would oppose killing those innocents.
Left to me?
It costs nothing to eliminate them. At least my warriors and forces remain unharmed.
I remembered the vow I made against the Shell organization.
“I think I need to kill Ember,” I said suddenly.
They all flinched.
Silence swallowed the room as I turned the blueprint.
My eyes froze over a section, the exact location of the fifty test subjects.
“Good… their chamber is isolated at the rear,” I observed, mentally tracing approaches.
Rho stepped forward to have a look.
“Since Rho is here, let me give you an idea.”
“So, my plan is simple. Extract the fifty children first. Avoid unnecessary combat. Once you’re far enough from the base, we send missiles.” I declared.
“Understood, Your Majesty. We will refine and execute it,” Rho replied.
I handed him the folder.
“You are dismissed,” I concluded, leaning back into my chair.
So… Henry prepared this elaborate breakdown.. the fall of the Shell Base… as payment for taking Ember.
Like compensation.
The thought curled my lips into a dark smile. How foolish?
I needed to leave for the meeting regarding the Southern Werewolf Territory.
Rho POV
“Hello… prepare air support. Operation briefing Intel will follow shortly,” I instructed, forwarding intel after cutting the call.
“You will require my physical presence?” George asked as we reviewed the strategy.
“Not necessary. Be our eyes from the pack,” I replied.
“Interesting… Henry left instructions on how to hijack the CCTV grid easily. No hacking required, just input a code,” George said, scrolling through.
I nodded.
“I cannot believe the bastard already did most of the work,” George muttered.
“He is obviously trying to compensate,” I thought.
King Valtor never said it directly, but it was clear, Ember must have betrayed him with Henry and tried to run with him.
Whether that is true or not… I have no proof.
I placed calls to Ravan and the assistant head warrior.
Soon, the hall filled with needed warriors under my command, and I began briefing them on each tactical step.
King Valtor POV
I rose from my chair and headed to my chambers.
After dressing properly, I departed with my men toward the Royal Palace, the ceremonial center of Windsor city.
Traffic thickened as we approached.
I scrolled through my phone, ignoring the scenery, until we finally arrived.
My driver pulled in through the guarded entrance.
I glanced out some Alphas were obviously already present.
Just as I stepped forward, two convoys drove in.
Since I had no interest in greetings or pointless conversation, I walked straight to the private chamber behind the throne room.
Flashback
Royal Palace (Throne Room)
“Bro, why do we have two throne rooms?” Willow asked. “One at home and one here?”
“It’s because we cannot allow foreign Alphas into our pack territory for meetings… that’s a security risk,” I explained. “That’s why this palace exists.”
“Alright, brother,” she replied.
Flashback End
Just as I sat waiting for updates on the arrival of all Alphas under the Werewolf Territory, a knock broke the silence.
Rho POV
Ravan and I sped down the road toward the target location.
This mission demanded precision, extract the children quietly, destroy the base with one calculated strike, and avoid unnecessary attention.
We drove through Windsor City until we reached the outskirts, where the Shell Base was hidden.
Our team was already positioned.
“Listen carefully… quick briefing,” George’s voice came through the comms.
“You will infiltrate through the rear entrance it has fewer guards.
Take down all visible guards and Shellers simultaneously using silent pistols.
There are six guards and four Shellers at the back. Make sure all are in sight before executing the joint strike.”
“I’ll hack their systems, door access and CCTV takeover included.
We have one hour before they hijack it back.
You have thirty minutes to complete extraction.”
As he spoke, we advanced through shadows toward the back gate.
“There are three doctors with the children,” he added. “Eliminate them before they trigger any alarm.”
“Move fast. Good luck.”
We reached position. Ten of us lined up our targets.
On command, one breath, we fired silenced shots and dropped the guards instantly.
“CCTV is hijacked,” George confirmed.
We dragged the bodies into cover and proceeded.
These pistols were our saving grace, without surprise kills, Shellers could dodge bullets.
Not all, but most.
From here, only Ravan and I entered while the rest held position.
“It helps that they believed this base was undetectable because of the fewer security,” I murmured.
“Yes,” Ravan muttered.
“Guide us,” he ordered George after we reached a two-way fork.
“Left,” George replied.
We followed.
“Two guards approaching from your rear corner, hide in the room to your left,” George declared.
We slipped inside, empty, as expected.
“When they pass, we will eliminate them. we don’t want them giving us trouble later,” I ordered.
Minutes later:
“They’re past your room,” George whispered.
We moved out, silently killing them, dragged their bodies into the same room, and Goerge locked the door.
“Take a left.. you’ll reach the lab.”
We followed to a door at the end of the passage.
I turned the knob, unlocked. George had already disabled the security.
“Inside, three doctors with the children. They’re about to begin the experiments. Take them before they trigger alarms,” he instructed.
We stormed in and dropped two doctors instantly.
The third darted for the alarm, we shot her, but she slammed her palm on the button before falling dead.
A piercing siren erupted.
“This is bad,” I growled.
“You must get the children out now,” George urged. “They’re mobilizing.”
“I’ve already released the seals on fifteen experimental containment glass chambers.. just open them. The kids are conscious.”
“Ravan.. go to the far door. On opening, You’ll hear crying, that’s the remaining group. They’re kept in darkness and monitored with night vision.”
He rushed off.
I forced a smile, the hardest expression of my life and held my hand out to the first child.
“It’s okay. Your parents sent me,” I whispered.
A trembling twelve year old boy grabbed my hand and I helped him down.
Soon the children were freed.
“Call in backup.. you’ll need more hands,” George suggested.
“Three warriors.. move in now,” I commanded.
Ravan POV
The moment I opened the storage door, cries erupted.
“It’s okay,” I soothed. “Your mother and father sent me to bring you home.”
Their sobs softened.
“Come. We must leave now before the bad guys try to stop us.”
They rushed forward, terrified but hopeful.
Rho POV
Ravan met me with the last group.
We prayed the headcount was correct but no time to verify.
“I will take the rear, take the frontal as we move” I instructed.
“If you increase pace, you’ll exit before enemy forces converge,” George urged.
We moved as fast as possible.
Suddenly, urgency in his tone: He spoke again.
“Three Shellers closing in fast. I blocked one using a sealed door. Two remain.”
“Children… keep going. People are waiting outside,” I yelled and they followed my instructions all encouraging themselves forward.
“Wait… one of them is a Black Sheller,” George warned.
I glanced at Ravan.
“I’ll take the Black Sheller. You handle the normal one.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Go all out,” I warned. “Do not underestimate them.”
The children gained distance from us and we stood waiting for the Shellers.
They approved fast as shadows.
We fired.
They dodged effortlessly rushing straight at us.
“Get ready!” I shouted.