Page 40 of Crave

Dallas swore. “The vamps took a goddamn kid?”

“Born in captivity, we think. The mother isn’t talking. Calgary’s working on her.”

I turned to Guillermo. “You said last month that the vampires were trying to work up a genetic profile of the lycan virus. Could that be connected to whatever they drugged me with last week?”

“We don’t know. Our team of Tracers recovered a massive amount of information both from the lab and off the computers. It will take days, perhaps even weeks to catalog everything.”

“But they had males and females in the lab? Based on everything we knew before, it was only female shifters who were being targeted.”

Which wasn’t entirely true. They’d taken Topher. We’d gotten inconsistent intel on this from the start and the Council holding back wasn’t helping.

“For the moment, that information is classified.” Guillermo dipped his head. “I’ll tell you more if and when I can.”

Dallas took a swallow of beer. “Two undeads came into our territory, tried to abduct Lacey using some drug or infectious agent we know nothing about, and you don’t think it’s crucial we be let in on this? And while we’re on the subject, why the hell didn’t Aleksandr get any warning before the attack two nights ago?”

Aleksandr was one of the oldest members of the Council, having been one of the humans originally infected with lycanthropy by wild wolves during the Yukon Gold Rush.

“Seers don’t have a crystal ball into the future. They get specific visions that like with any gift are tied to the cycle of the moon. Aleksandr has been invaluable to us in thwarting raids and covert operations we otherwise wouldn’t have uncovered. Countless lives have been saved because of his visions, which unfortunately, only come a few days every month, and only when he’s in wolf form. The vampires are, of course, aware of our limitations and plan major strikes when we may not have adequate warning.”

“What can you tell us?” Dallas cut in.

Guillermo considered his answer. “Given the level of sophistication and the timing… almost certainly we’re looking at an operation coordinated between multiple covens.”

River’s eyes flicked to mine across the table. No one mentioned the mole. I had no doubt August had brought River up to speed. But with someone on the Council potentially leaking information to the undead, sharing suspicions, even with Guillermo, was a risk. My thoughts drifted to Ben. Abducted on an empty stretch of road. With no trace of his whereabouts after almost a year and a half.

“We have a public relations problem,” Guillermo continued. “The last forty-eight hours have seen footage of bombings, terrorist threats, and roadblocks being erected with no-refusal blood draws. All of it being broadcast across mainstream media. Before, humans were aware we existed, but other than a few grainy images, werewolves were something of an unknown. All that has irrevocably changed.”

“Your average person makes no distinction between werewolves and vampires,” Brody said flatly. “Not when we’re talking major events like this. We’re all something to be exterminated. Monsters. Other. We have to counter that messaging. And fast.”

“You’re talking about going public,” I said. “Outing us for real this time.”

“We’re going to be exposed,” Cal said on speaker. “It’s only a matter of time. This is our chance to control how the story breaks.”

“So how do you see that playing out exactly?” Dallas asked. “In stages? A tell-all interview on one of the networks?”

“Fuck, no.” River lowered his head.

“It would be safer to leak it slowly,” I said.

“How?”

“If we’re going to shift public perception, we have to give this a human face. Shifters with families. Everyday community members—cops, teachers, baristas.” I let my gaze travel around the table. Brody nodded. West looked resigned. Ethan, as usual, was impossible to read. “But before we take that step, we’re going to need allies who will flood social media, go to the news stations, raise absolute hell at the idea of us being annihilated.”

August tossed a bottlecap at the trash. “Not following. Sorry, Lace.”

Dallas shot me a WTF look. He knew where I was going with this. I felt the breath squeezed from my lungs, heart thundering in my chest.

“We allow Bittens from human families to tell their loved ones the truth. And we send the Tracers in to release their memories.”

Silence fell. Guillermo laced his elegant fingers. It wasn’t the first time he and I had engaged in this particular conversation, though admittedly, I’d never tried this angle. Challenging the most powerful werewolf in North America when he’d already told you no (twice)? Epic level crazy. But I was out of options. My mom’s attacks were spiraling out of control. I wouldn’t rest until I found a way to save her.

“Say we did this,” he said at last. “You do realize that once the government learned their identities, they would become the ultimate bargaining chips? Is that a price you’re willing to pay?”

Dallas met my eyes from across the table. He was keeping strangely silent.

“We keep things under wraps until enough families have been told. Half the shifter population in North America is made up of Bittens—”

“Yeah. Picture the epic freak out when they put that statistic on daytime TV,” River cut in.