LOGINChapter 341 LUMINA"Promise," I said firmly.Footsteps on the stairs announced Ollie and Shawn's return. Shawn looked transformed—clean, dressed in borrowed clothes that were slightly too short but infinitely better than what he'd been wearing. His hair was still damp from the shower, and some of the haunted look had faded from his eyes."Thanks," he said awkwardly. "For the clothes and the shower and... everything.""You're pack now," Ollie said matter-of-factly. "Or you will be once this mess is sorted out. Daddy said anyone who survives trauma with our family automatically gets adopted. It's like a rule.""Is that actually a rule?" Riley asked skeptically."It should be," Ollie defended. "We've adopted like six people in the last year.""Three," Riley corrected. "Me, Lake, and Carol. That's not six.""Plus Lyn and Lynn and Zade if you count alliance families," Ollie argued."That's not adoption, that's alliance formation.""Same difference."I listened to them bicker with fond amu
Chapter 340LUMINAI wrapped my arms around him, holding him close while he cried against my shoulder. "They know," I said softly. "They're very aware of the danger they're in. But they also know that showing fear would give their captors power over them. So they chose to be defiant instead. To show strength through humor.""But what if they die?" Ollie asked, his voice muffled. "What if the last thing I ever see is Grandma making jokes about caskets?""Then you'll know she died on her own terms," I said. "Still herself, still strong, still protecting her family the only way she could in that moment. That's not nothing, Ollie. That's everything."Riley had moved closer, his expression carefully controlled but his hands shaking slightly. "What are the actual odds of a successful rescue? Based on available intelligence and our current resources?""I'm not going to lie to you," I said. "It's dangerous. There are a lot of variables we can't control. But your father is brilliant, Zade is e
Chapter 339LUMINAThe moment Xenois ended the video call with Jerome, the office erupted into controlled chaos. Everyone started talking at once—Zade coordinating with his team, Rivers pulling up maps, Marcus checking weapons inventory. The energy in the room shifted from tense anticipation to focused determination.I stayed where I was for a moment, processing what I'd just witnessed.Samuel and Silvia Blackwood—the two people who'd made my life hell for years, who'd rejected me as unsuitable for their son, who'd blamed me for Xena's death and tried to destroy my relationship with Xenois—had just faced down their captors with jokes about makeup and arthritis.They'd refused to cooperate. Refused to show fear. Refused to do anything that might compromise their son's vision for a better pack.And Silvia had used her limited time on camera to check on Shawn. A werewitch teenager she barely knew, but who she'd taken in and protected when he had nowhere else to go.I didn't know how to r
Chapter 338XENOISJerome made a sound that might have been a growl or might have been the verbal equivalent of throwing his hands up in defeat. "You are both insane.""We're elderly," my father corrected. "There's a difference. Insanity implies we don't understand what we're doing. We understand perfectly well. We're choosing to be difficult because it's more entertaining than cowering.""And because you haven't actually told us what you want," my mother added. "You keep making vague threats about justice and revenge, but you haven't specified demands. What exactly are we supposed to be cooperating with? Your fashion crimes? Because I'm not apologizing for pointing those out. That was a public service."I saw several of my own team struggling not to laugh. Even Zade looked torn between horror and admiration at my parents' complete refusal to behave like proper hostages.Jerome took a deep breath, visibly trying to regain control of the situation. "We want Alpha Xenois to reverse his
Chapter 337XENOISMy blood turned to ice. Beside me, I saw Zade tense, clearly picking up on my reaction through body language and scent."What do you want?" I asked, keeping my voice level even as my wolf howled with rage."Oh, this isn't a negotiation call," Jerome said pleasantly. "This is more of a... courtesy. A chance for you to see your parents one last time before we proceed with justice. I'm sending a video connection request now. I suggest you accept it."The phone buzzed with an incoming video call notification. I looked at Zade, who nodded grimly. We moved quickly to my office, everyone following. I set up my laptop to receive the call on a larger screen so everyone could see.When I accepted the connection, the image that appeared made my heart stop.It was unmistakably a cell—stone walls, minimal lighting, the kind of place designed to break prisoners through sheer bleakness. And in the center of the frame, sitting on crude wooden chairs, were my parents.Samuel and Sil
Chapter 336XENOISI was in the middle of coordinating with Thorne about equipment needs when my phone rang. Zade's name flashed on the screen, and I answered immediately."What's the update?" I asked."We have Shawn secured and he's been debriefed," Zade said. "But instead of driving another three hours to your territory, I was thinking we could use Lake's portal abilities. Think he could handle opening a gateway for six people plus supplies?"I glanced toward the living room where I could hear the kids setting up their makeshift command center. "Let me ask him."I found Lake arranging laptops and tablets on the coffee table with the careful precision of someone who needed everything to be perfect. Riley was testing communication equipment while Ollie organized maps and reference materials."Lake," I called. "Can you open a portal large enough for Zade's team to come through? Six people plus equipment?"Lake's eyes lit up with the eager determination I'd come to recognize. "Where are







