Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Threat
Victoria
Carson tapped another control, bringing up financial records. "We’ve traced unusual fund transfers between shell companies associated with River Valley Alpha Gabriel Thornwood and offshore accounts linked to Marcus."
"How recent?" I asked.
"The largest transfer was three days ago—just after your confrontation with Marcus at the Lunar Ball."
The pieces clicked into place. "He’s accelerating his timeline because of me. Because of what he discovered about my heritage."
Leo’s jaw tightened. "Your Forest connection makes you valuable—and dangerous. If you can indeed command the forest as you did yesterday, you represent a power he didn’t account for."
"And he’s still holding Enzo," I reminded them. "Why keep him alive if he’s planning all this?"
"Leverage," Leo replied grimly. "Insurance against Howlthorne Pack loyalty. As long as he has your Alpha—"
"He thinks the pack won’t fully commit to me," I realized. "He’s counting on divided loyalties."
Carson looked impressed by my quick understanding. "Exactly. Marcus is many things, but stupid isn’t one of them."
I traced the map with my finger, thinking aloud. "If we assume River Valley is involved, that changes our approach. We can’t just focus on extracting Enzo—we need to disrupt their entire operation."
"That’s why we needed you here," Leo said. "This isn’t just about Howlthorne Pack anymore. This is about preventing a territory war that could devastate multiple packs."
The weight of responsibility pressed down harder. Lives—hundreds, maybe thousands—now depended on decisions we made in this room.
"Show me everything you have on River Valley’s defenses," I requested, straightening in my chair. "If they’re Marcus’s allies, they’re our enemies too."
Carson nodded approvingly and brought up detailed satellite imagery of River Valley territory. We spent the next hour analyzing potential weaknesses, discussing strategy, and forming contingency plans.
I was in the middle of suggesting a diversionary tactic when the screens suddenly flickered. Carson frowned, typing rapidly on his keyboard.
"What’s happening?" Leo demanded.
"Someone’s penetrating our security protocols," Carson replied tensely. "Sophisticated attack—they’re bypassing firewalls faster than I can rebuild them."
The screens went black momentarily, then flared back to life with a single image—Marcus Grimwood’s scarred face filling the display.
"Well, well," his voice rasped through the speakers. "The wolf king and his forest princess, plotting in their secret lair. How predictable."
Leo’s posture shifted instantly to predatory alertness. "Trace this," he ordered Carson in a low voice.
Marcus laughed. "Don’t bother, Carson. By the time you pinpoint the signal, we’ll be long gone."
I stood, staring directly at the screen. "What do you want, Marcus?"
His single good eye seemed to find me through the camera. "There she is—the half-breed miracle. Or should I say, the Forest Child? Your mother would be so proud."
Ice slid down my spine. "My mother is dead."
"Is she?" Marcus’s smile was cruel. "Are you certain about that, Victoria?"
Leo moved to stand beside me, his shoulder touching mine in silent support. "Enough games, Marcus. You’ve violated neutral territory and abducted a pack Alpha. Release Enzo Howlthorne or face the consequences."
Marcus’s laugh was genuinely amused. "Always so direct, Leonard. It’s refreshing, if futile." His gaze shifted back to me. "I don’t want to speak to the attack dog. I want to speak to the Forest fairy."
Leo growled low in his throat, but I placed a restraining hand on his arm. "I’m here, Marcus. Say what you came to say."
Marcus leaned closer to his camera, his scarred face filling the screen. "I knew your mother, Victoria. Knew her quite.. She was something far more precious—something that could have saved our kind from extinction."
"My mother was human," I insisted.
"Your mother was Forest Fairy," Marcus stated flatly. "One of the last purebloods."
I felt Leo tense beside me. This wasn’t news to him—he’d suspected my heritage since witnessing my abilities—but having Marcus confirm it changed everything.
"If what you say is true," I replied carefully, "then you know harming an Alpha breaks the ancient pact between wolves and Forest Fae. You’ve already violated the code by taking Enzo."
Marcus’s expression darkened. "Enzo is no true Alpha. He’s a pretender who got lucky by birth. But you—you have the blood of both worlds running through your veins. That makes you valuable... and dangerous."
"Where is my brother?" I demanded.
"Safe. For now." Marcus shifted, revealing a glimpse of what appeared to be an opulent office behind him. "I’m prepared to return him, unharmed, in exchange for you."
Leo’s growl became audible. "That’s not happening."
"I wasn’t asking you, Shadow King," Marcus snapped. To me, he said, "One life for hundreds, Victoria. Isn’t that the burden of leadership? Sacrificing for the greater good?"
My mind raced. There was more to this than a simple exchange. "What exactly do you want from me, Marcus? Not just my presence—you want something specific."
His smile was almost appreciative. "Clever girl. Yes, I want your allegiance. Your hand in mating. And your abilities harnessed for the good of wolf-kind."
"You want to breed me," I translated coldly. "Create more half-breeds with my abilities."
"I want to save our species," he countered. "The old bloodlines are failing. Birth rates dropping. The Forest connection could reinvigorate our kind."
"By forcing her?" Leo’s voice was deadly calm—the calm before a violent storm. "You forget who you’re speaking to, Marcus."
"I know exactly who I’m speaking to," Marcus replied. "A territorial Alpha who’s forgotten the bigger picture. Our kind is dying out, Leonard. The humans encroach further every year. We need the Forest alliance."
"Not like this," I said firmly. "Not through coercion and kidnapping."
Marcus sighed as if disappointed. "I had hoped you’d be reasonable. Perhaps you need motivation." He moved aside, revealing a figure slumped in a chair behind him—Enzo, bloody but conscious, his eyes widening when he saw me on the screen.
"Victoria," he gasped. "Don’t—"
A hand appeared in frame, delivering a vicious backhand that snapped Enzo’s head to the side. Blood spattered from his split lip.
"Stop!" I cried out, my heart racing despite my complicated feelings toward my brother. "Don’t hurt him."
Marcus reappeared on screen. "You have twenty-four hours to surrender yourself at the northern border of Grimwood territory. Come alone, and your brother lives. Bring forces, and he dies. Ignore my offer..." He shrugged. "Well, I’ve always wondered how long a werewolf can survive without his skin."
The screen went black.
The room erupted into motion. Carson frantically worked to trace the signal while Leo barked orders into a phone that had materialized in his hand.
"Victoria." Leo’s voice cut through my thoughts. He stood before me, his hands gripping my shoulders. "Look at me."
I raised my eyes to his, finding fierce determination there.
"You are not sacrificing yourself," he stated, each word precise and unyielding. "That’s not an option."
"He’ll kill Enzo," I whispered.
"No, he won’t." Leo’s certainty was absolute. "Enzo is his only leverage. He needs him alive."
"You don’t know that," I argued, pulling away to pace. "You saw what he did—"
"I saw a calculated display designed to manipulate you," Leo countered. "Marcus is cruel, but he’s not stupid. He won’t throw away his advantage."
Carson looked up from his console. "Alpha, I’ve narrowed the signal location to a twenty-mile radius north of Silver Lake. It’s River Valley territory, as we suspected."
Leo nodded grimly. "Notify the security teams. I want surveillance on every access point to that area."
I pressed my hands to my temples, trying to think clearly through the storm of emotions. "We need to move faster than he expects. If we wait the full twenty-four hours—"
"We won’t," Leo assured me. "We’ll strike tonight."