Rise of the Immortal

Chapter 18: The Alpha's Gambit

The crisp night air carried the scent of pine and determination as our search team gathered at the edge of Red Moon territory. Nine volunteers stood ready, their faces painted with the focused intensity that came before a dangerous mission. Commander Hayes had equipped everyone with night-vision gear, emergency medical supplies, and communication devices that would keep us connected even if we were separated.

I adjusted the tactical vest that Sarah had insisted I wear, feeling the weight of the responsibility I carried. These wolves were risking their lives because I had asked them to, because they trusted me as their Luna. The thought should have been overwhelming, but Ruby's steady presence in my mind kept me grounded.

They believe in us, she reminded me. And we won't let them down.

Jenkins, Morrison, and Cruz—our scouts—were already checking their equipment one final time. The Blackwood twins, Rodriguez, and Chen had their weapons secured but accessible, ready for whatever we might encounter. Dr. Sarah carried a medical pack that could handle everything from minor injuries to major trauma, her face set with professional determination.

"Final communications check," Hayes announced, his voice carrying the authority of years of military training. One by one, we tested our earpieces, confirming clear channels and emergency frequencies.

I was about to give the order to move out when I caught a familiar scent on the wind. My heart clenched as I turned to see Kale approaching through the trees, a tactical pack slung over his shoulders and full gear strapped to his powerful frame.

No, I thought immediately, reaching out through our mate bond before he could even speak. Absolutely not.

His golden eyes met mine across the clearing, and I felt his determination crash against my own through our connection.

I'm coming with you, he said through the bond, his mental voice as stubborn as I'd ever heard it.

You can't, I shot back, not caring that the rest of the team was watching our silent standoff with barely concealed interest. The pack needs their Alpha. What if this is a trap? What if Marcus attacks Red Moon while we're gone?

Kale's jaw tightened, and he closed the distance between us with measured steps. To anyone watching, we probably looked like we were having a calm conversation, but through the bond, I could feel the force of his emotions—fear for my safety, desperate love, and an Alpha's instinct to protect what was his.

I left the pack before to search for you, he reminded me, his mental voice gentler now but no less resolute. Sarah and Hayes's second-in-command are perfectly capable of maintaining security. They have their orders, and they know what to do if Marcus makes a move.

That was different, I argued, though even as I said it, I knew he was right. You searched alone then. This is a coordinated mission with multiple pack members at risk.

Exactly. His hand moved to cup my face, thumb brushing over my cheek as his physical touch reinforced the emotional connection flowing between us. Which is why I need to be there. These wolves are following you into danger because they trust you, but they're also my responsibility. I won't send my mate and my pack members into the unknown while I sit safely at home.

The raw honesty in his voice, both mental and spoken, made my chest tight. Through the bond, I could feel layers of his reasoning—the Alpha's duty to his pack, the mate's need to protect his beloved, and underneath it all, the memory of five years spent searching for me while drowning in guilt and regret.

You found me once, I said softly through our connection. You don't have to prove anything.

This isn't about proving anything. His other hand moved to rest on my shoulder, his touch warm and steadying. This is about being partners. We're stronger together, Talia. You know that.

I looked around at our assembled team, noting how they all watched our interaction with respect but also clear curiosity about what decision their Luna would make. Hayes in particular looked like he approved of Kale's presence, probably already calculating how an Alpha's combat skills would improve their odds.

Ruby stirred in my mind, her opinion clear. He's right. We are stronger together. And his pack management skills extend beyond Red Moon territory—he'll be an asset in coordinating the team.

That's eleven people instead of ten, I pointed out, grasping for logical objections even as I felt my resolve weakening.

The right eleven people, Kale replied, and I caught the faint smile that tugged at his lips despite the seriousness of the situation. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on you. Elena was right that you know Marcus's facilities better than anyone, but that also means you might take risks the rest of us wouldn't consider.

He had me there, and we both knew it. I was planning to do exactly that if it meant finding my parents faster.

Fine, I conceded through the bond, though I made sure he could feel my exasperation along with my relief. But Hayes leads the tactical aspects of this mission. You're here as backup and support, not as the Alpha giving orders.

Agreed, he said immediately, and I realized he'd probably been prepared to make that concession from the beginning. Hayes has the field experience for this kind of operation.

"Sir," Hayes addressed Kale formally, "if you're joining us, I need to know your weapons and medical status."

"Standard tactical loadout," Kale replied, shrugging the pack off his shoulders to show Hayes the contents. "Combat trained, current on all certifications, and cleared by Dr. Whitman as of this afternoon."

I shook my head, realizing he'd been planning this all along. "You had this approved by medical?"

"I had contingency plans approved," he corrected with a slight grin that reminded me why I'd fallen in love with him in the first place. "Including the plan where my mate convinces me to stay home like a good Alpha, and the plan where she realizes we work better as a team."

Despite everything, I felt a laugh bubble up in my chest. "You're impossible."

"I'm thorough," he corrected, moving to take his place among the team as Hayes redistributed some of the equipment to account for an additional member.

Two hours later, we were still moving through the forest in formation. Hayes had positioned himself at point, with the scouts spread out in a loose perimeter around our main group. Kale and I moved in the center with Dr. Sarah, while the fighters maintained rear and flank security.

The first location on our list was an old logging facility about forty miles northeast of Silver Fang territory. According to the intelligence Dr. Crane had provided, Marcus had used it as a secondary holding facility for "special prisoners" in the past. It was isolated, defensible, and had the kind of infrastructure needed to keep someone imprisoned long-term.

We traveled in wolf form for the first part of the journey, covering ground quickly and silently through terrain that would have been challenging for humans. Ruby reveled in the run, her joy at finally being free to stretch her legs mixing with the focused determination of our mission.

This feels right, she observed as we leaped over a fallen log, landing gracefully and continuing without breaking stride. Running with our pack, our mate beside us, working toward something important.

It does, I agreed, glancing over at Kale's dark wolf form as he paced easily alongside me. Even in wolf form, his presence was commanding, protective, and reassuring.

As we approached the target area, Hayes signaled for us to shift back to human form and switch to tactical mode. We changed quickly and efficiently, muscle memory from training sessions taking over as we checked weapons and communication equipment.

"Visual confirmation of the facility," Jenkins reported through our earpieces, his voice barely above a whisper. "Two buildings, main structure and what looks like a generator house. I count four sentries, but there could be more inside."

"Life signs?" Hayes asked, consulting a handheld scanner.

"Picking up multiple heat signatures in the main building," Cruz added from her position on the eastern approach. "At least six, possibly more. Could be guards, could be prisoners."

My heart hammered against my ribs. Could be my parents.

Hayes looked at me, and I saw the question in his eyes. As Luna, this was ultimately my call, even though he was running the tactical aspects.

"We go in," I decided. "Quiet approach, neutralize the sentries if necessary, but priority is intelligence gathering. We need to know who's in there before we commit to a full rescue operation."

"Understood," Hayes replied, then began coordinating our approach through the comm system.

What followed was twenty minutes of the most intense, careful movement I'd ever experienced. We approached the facility like shadows, using every piece of cover the forest provided. The Blackwood twins moved with lethal grace, while Rodriguez and Chen covered our flanks with military precision.

When we were in position, Hayes gave the signal. I watched through night-vision scopes as our team neutralized the external guards with swift, silent efficiency. No one was killed—Hayes had made sure everyone was equipped with non-lethal takedown methods—but the four wolves would be unconscious for hours.

"Building secured," Rodriguez reported. "Ready for entry."

My hands were shaking as we approached the main structure. This was it—the moment we'd find out if all our planning and risk had been worth it.

Steady, Ruby whispered in my mind. Whatever we find, we face it together.

Hayes tried the main door and found it unlocked, which immediately put everyone on high alert. Facilities like this weren't supposed to be easy to enter.

As we moved through the dark corridors, following the layout Dr. Crane had described, my enhanced senses picked up familiar scents—fear, pain, antiseptic, and underneath it all, something that made my heart race.

Family, Ruby said, her mental voice tight with excitement and terror. That's our family.

We reached a reinforced door at the end of the main corridor, and Hayes gestured for silence as he worked on the electronic lock. It clicked open after thirty seconds of careful manipulation, and we moved inside to find—

A storage room. Empty except for some old equipment and the lingering scent of wolves who hadn't been here in weeks.

My heart sank, but Hayes was already directing the team to search the rest of the building systematically. If my parents had been here, there would be evidence. And if they'd been moved, we might find clues about where they'd gone.

It was Chen who found the real prize—a hidden basement level accessible through a concealed door behind what looked like a supply closet.

"Heat signatures are coming from down there," she reported. "Multiple people, and at least one of them is moving around."

This time, I didn't wait for Hayes to finish his tactical assessment. Ruby and I moved as one, heading for the stairs that led down into darkness, with Kale right behind me and the rest of the team following in formation.

Whatever we found down there, we were ready for it.