Conall hesitated for a moment, then pulled up a new set of files.We’ve identified five assets so far.Etta—she was placed here in Sunburst.Had her memories suppressed, a neural interface installed.We got her out, but it was difficult.
Nadine studied the medical reports, the photos of the neural interface before and after removal.The technology was more advanced than she’d expected, more invasive.
I’ve seen these interfaces before.
Where?
My mother had one.She managed to disable it somehow, but I remember the scars.Nadine traced a finger along the edge of the screen, following the technical schematics.This is how they manipulated the assets.Not just memory suppression—behavioral modification.Emotional manipulation.
Right.We learned that from Etta.And it means anyone could be compromised.We really do need to combine what we know,Conall said.Your intelligence about the other attacks, my knowledge of pack politics and territory.If we’re going to figure out who’s really behind this—
Nadine nodded curtly and moved to the chair beside him.Close enough to see his screen clearly, far enough to maintain some semblance of professional distance.
Or so she told herself.
The moment she sat down, the mate bond flared between them like a struck match.Her wolf responded to his proximity with an enthusiasm that made her teeth clench.
Conall’s scent seemed stronger here, cutting through the other smells in the converted office.She found herself breathing deeper without conscious thought, her body betraying her in ways that made her want to snarl.
Start with the timeline,she said, forcing her voice to remain steady.When did you first notice unusual activity?
Conall pulled up a calendar view, dates marked in different colors.After Vincent died and Malcolm and Larissa took over.
Nadine leaned closer to study the timeline, her shoulder brushing against his.The contact sent a shock down her arm, and she saw him tense in response.
Ignore it, she told herself.Focus on the job.
These dates,she said, pointing to a series of entries marked in blue.They correspond to attacks on other packs.Look—Ruby Range was hit two days after your security breach here.
Conall’s fingers moved across the keyboard, cross-referencing data.And Creek Bend three days after that.Someone was coordinating these attacks based on intelligence from multiple sources.
Not just intelligence.Operational support.Let me pull down my files and I can show you.
Conall leaned across her, typing on the keyboard at her terminal, and Nadine had to fight not to move even closer, to touch him.
When he was done, Nadine pulled up her own files, her movements quick and precise, saving them in the shared folder Conall had set up.The weapons used in the Blue Stone attack were specialized.Military grade, designed specifically for shifters.Not something you pick up at the local gun shop.
They worked in focused silence for the next hour, building a comprehensive picture of the conspiracy that had been growing around them.Nadine found herself falling into a rhythm with Conall, their different approaches complementing each other in ways that surprised her.
He was thorough where she was intuitive, methodical where she was creative.When she’d point out a pattern in the data, he’d dig deeper to find the supporting evidence.When he’d get bogged down in details, she’d step back and see the bigger picture.
It was effective.More effective than she wanted to admit.
There,Conall said, highlighting a series of connections on the display wall.That’s our answer.Look at the communication patterns.
Nadine studied the web of lines and nodes, her mind working to process the implications.All the attacks were coordinated from a central command structure.Someone with access to intelligence from multiple packs, with the resources to deploy paramilitary teams, with detailed knowledge of shifter physiology and pack dynamics.
Someone inside the shifter community but working for Chimera.
An activated asset, maybe?Conall suggested.
Slowly, Nadine nodded.Maybe.But it would have to be one with connections to multiple packs.
She felt him watching her for a long moment before he turned back to his computer.
The remaining assets,Conall said eventually.If we can find them before Chimera activates whatever they’re planning—
The Omicron Protocol.Nadine pulled up encrypted files she’d never shared with anyone.I might’ve had the name wrong, but I’ve been tracking their plan for months, since before Gregory died.It’s not just about the assets—it’s about triggering a war between all the major packs.Mutual destruction.
