Chapter 106

Alyson

"Please, Marshal," I beg, tears falling at a rapid pace down my cheeks. "Tell me you wouldn't allow it—you're suppose to be protecting all wolves, Marshal, the whole board of elders is there to—"

"I know why we exist," he grumbles, his oak eyes pointed elsewhere. "We also exist to protect the major packs and clans from unforeseen problems, Alyson. That means we have to adjust to certain circumstances. More so, we have to start somewhere with testing and unfortunately the marginalized group for that would be rogues."

I trade a panicked look between Olivera and Marshal, unsure what this truly means, and what the extent of this damage is. Olivera spoke of rogues being tortured and tested on. It was a worry of mine, a reason to help the rogue Alpha, but now I fear it may be bigger than I anticipated. It's got to be if I'm hearing it from Marshal.

"So it's true?" I weep. "You're hurting wolves? Killing rogues?"

"Not intentionally," he huffs. "There are always casualties in medical advancements. We have managed to deter major viruses and unbelievable blockades in our evolution, Alyson, it's not like we slaughter them for fun."

"No, not all of them," Olivera chimes in. "Just the she-wolves, right? The rogues."

Marshal stammers, shaking his head. "I didn't come here to reveal our atrocities, dammit. Olivera, I wanted to call a truce on our Wilshire mountains facility. There were some very ill wolves there in critical shape. They aren't meant for free roam yet."

"Even if I had released them," the rogue Alpha says, "I wouldn't help you gain them back. You've done this for nothing, if that was your intent today."

"Then what of her mate, Olivera?" Marshal cuts. "You've got him, don't you?"

My brow furrows, my heart stammering to a halt. "Wh—what?"

Marshal peers down to me with saddened eyes. "We have lost track of Ryan's scent, Alyson. We tracked it back to the battle against Fritz and the others, but no one has seen or heard from him since; not even his own pack."

I dare to stand, sent back to my knees on the cave floor, Olivera pinching my neck in intense warning. "Please, Marshal, tell me that isn't true—tell me he is okay—"

"Enough!" Olivera snaps. "I wouldn't hurt a hair on lover-boy's head, per the agreement I made with my new intake here," he snarls, shaking me slightly, as if showing off his new prize. "I want what I came here for, if you have nothing but false accusations to hurl in my direction, dammit. Otherwise you've greatly wasted my time in destroying you and your brothers."

"Good," Marshal murmurs. "I want to avoid this conflict as much as possible. That means returning the Luna to her rightful pack so someone can rule over them in absence of their Alpha. This charade has gone on long enough, Olivera."

My heart drops. Ryan would never leave the pack, not even in search of me.

"I want to leave," I cry, overwhelmed by all of this information.

Marshal seems prideful as he adds, "see, rogue, the Luna wants to return home—"

"No," I cut in, shaking all over, Olivera's hand still tight behind my neck. "I won't return home until you fix this, Marshal. I can't go home until it's finished; until every rogue you've tested on or hurt is set loose."

He gives me a long, sharp look of detest. "Alyson, that just isn't possible."

I inch back into Olivera's legs, pressing into the rogue Alpha. "Then I can't return."

"What of Ryan?" Marshal wants to guilt me into submission.

"I'm sure he is fine," I say, swallowing the fear that bursts up my throat. "He will be okay as long as he continues trying to do the right thing. That means, avoiding you and the other elders. You dare lie to any wolf again about what you're doing to the rogues, you'll only make this worse, Marshal."

He looks aside, everyone going silent and still for a long minute. Olivera moves first, forcing me to stand and pushing me into his shifted warriors, the wolves helping me back to the surface outside the cave. My hands are still bloody from my fall in there, but they are wiped clean on the grass outside.

For the moment I am without Olivera on my hip, I lean down and sob into the forest. It feels freeing, almost hopeful, to think that I could save wolves and she-wolves that are trapped like I once was, but it will be against the elders, the closest advisors I've had in this lifetime, and close friends of my mate, who is missing.

It hurts more to think of Ryan missing or trying to make things right but in turn having to leave the pack vulnerable. I know the beta and the other warriors will keep everyone safe, but it's impossible to know for sure unless I were to lay eyes on it and seeing as Olivera breaches the surface soon and grabs me haphazardly to walk, I can tell I won't get any reassurance.

I struggle to keep up with the rogue Alpha, his beta behind me, kicking at my heels and ankles when I tumble and trip through the woods. I glance back at him hatefully. He gives me a similar look. For now though, we walk in silence, the words of the elder still ringing through us all. I don't even have to be a rogue to know this wasn't a compromise of a talk.

If anything, it proves these rogues have a lot more work to do to overtake the elders. It will take more than cave talks and fancy suits; it will be war. It will be more war and more bloodshed and more violence. I just hope to withstand it long enough to survive.