"Are you really doing this?" Rick's voice carried through the line, low and skeptical.
Emerald pressed the phone harder to her ear, her eyes flicking toward the tent flap where Kieran had just walked out. "I am," she replied steadily. "But if we're going to do this, it has to end here. No more blood. No more games."
The silence on the other end was long, tense.
—
"Alpha?"
He turned. His Beta, Darius, was standing just ahead of him, arms crossed, sharp eyes catching every detail.
"You've ordered a covert unit to prepare. What's going on?" Darius asked, his tone clipped.
Kieran exhaled heavily. "We have a new plan."
The words hung like a stone dropped into still water.
Darius narrowed his eyes. "Why do I feel like I'm not going to want to hear it?"
"You won't," Kieran answered simply. His voice carried no room for argument. "And you're not going to hear it. No one is. You'll follow orders when they come, step by step, without questions."
