Or maybe we’re all just paranoid now, Conall thought, but the reassurance felt hollow.
Speaking of which—Malcolm turned to Anders—what’s the status of the Stardust Pack delegation?They’re supposed to arrive today to discuss their identified assets, right?
Anders shook his head, his expression turning grim.I received a message this morning.They’re not coming.
What?Sarah exclaimed from her seat.Why not?
Their message was vague,Anders replied.Security concerns, they said.But it feels off.
Could be related to this Nadine Torrance,Larissa suggested.If she’s going around to other packs with her accusations…
We need to know more about her,Malcolm said, his tone decisive.Anders, put together everything we have on Gregory Torrance from the Vincent era.If he had a daughter, there must be some record.And increase security patrols, especially along the eastern border.
Will do,Anders said.I’ll recalibrate the southern sensors as well.If she returns, we’ll know.
What about the Epsilon Protocol?Etta asked, her voice tense with worry.
Una nodded eagerly.Etta’s right.If Chimera is accelerating their timeline, all those people they placed in other packs could be in danger.
Too eager, some traitorous part of Conall’s mind whispered.She’s too eager to keep the focus on external threats.
All the more reason to push forward with the asset recovery initiative,Malcolm said.We’ve identified the one Chimera’s records called Asset D3 in the Stardust Pack and contacted the Ironwood Pack about their journalist.We’re still waiting on responses from Blackthorn and Cross Timbers.
And Dr.Chen?Sarah asked.Have we made contact?
That’s the geneticist, right?Nick asked.
Yes, and we haven’t heard back from him yet,Larissa answered.Dr.Weiss is our go-between there.He’s proceeding cautiously, given Chen’s history with Chimera.
Conall listened to the discussion, aware that he should be fully engaged but finding his thoughts repeatedly straying between Nadine’s accusations and the unexpected number of pack members who seemed suddenly interested in gathering detailed security information.
They’re just being responsible, he told himself again.When your pack is threatened, everyone steps up.
But in the back of his mind, Nadine’s conviction that someone inside Sunburst was working against other packs refused to be silenced completely.
And below that, a persistent awareness of her existence somewhere out there tugged at him, distracting him.Was she still in Sunburst territory?Had she fled back to wherever she came from?Was she safe from the operatives, or had they captured her after they’d been separated?
He shouldn’t care.She’d accused him and Quinton of betraying their pack, had all but proclaimed them enemies.
Yet he couldn’t stop the low-level worry that hummed beneath his skin—or the growing unease about whether her accusations might contain more truth than he wanted to admit.
Could I use that awareness to track her?
And more troubling,What if she’s right about there being a traitor, even if she’s wrong about who it is?
Conall?Larissa’s voice snapped him back to attention.Are you with us?
Yes, sorry,he said quickly.Just processing.
I asked if you’d be willing to help Anders analyze the security footage from yesterday,she repeated.We need to identify those operatives if possible.
Of course.Conall ignored the look Quinton shot him.
Dammit.He was never distracted during pack meetings.Never lost focus when pack security was being discussed.
And Quinton had noticed.
The rest of the meeting proceeded with updates on pack business—the upcoming full moon run, training schedules for the younger wolves, maintenance issues at the Old Packhouse.
