"Are you sure about telling him now before finding out anything else?" As they neared the door, Lana asked nervously. "We haven't even done any research on the paperwork."
"Positive," Janet replied, her voice steady. "We need to tell Alpha Ethan what we found immediately, so we can figure out our next moves."
Deanna nodded in agreement as they stopped in front of the heavy wooden door. With a deep breath, Lana knocked firmly, and after a moment, the door creaked open, revealing Ethan seated behind his desk and the pack doctor, Brian, with him.
"Come in," Ethan said calmly. "I am happy to see that we didn't have casualties."
"Thanks to Lana. She was right about those traps," Deanna said as she entered the room, followed by Janet and Lana. "We have a report on the base we found."
"Go on," Ethan prompted. "What did you find out?"
"Not much. The base was pretty much destroyed," Deanna answered.
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.
"It's not just us that have a problem with the hunters. When we got there, all the hunters were dead and dismembered," Deanna explained. "We couldn't decipher anything from the security footage. Movements were too quick. I am guessing an elite task force. They didn't even leave a scent trail. With the Summer Solstice only a few days away, I don't think it's a coincidence. It felt like we were set up, and if we weren't, whoever did was truly stirring the pot."
Ethan frowned in thought, his brow furrowing. "I agree, but we can't cancel the festival. It would attract unwanted attention. We have to act like nothing has happened."
"I don't think it would be wise to have it this year," Deanna countered. "This feels a lot like it could be a repeat of the Moonlight Sanctum. I don't think we can handle another attack on our people before we fall apart."
"Then, we won't hold it on pack grounds this year. We'll move it to the city," Ethan declared.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Janet asked skeptically, her eyes wide with concern. Ethan had been making a lot of rash decisions lately, and it was beginning to stress her out as the constant voice of reason. "The city is not as secure. We don't have enough people to secure a whole city. What if something goes wrong?"
"Actually," Lana chimed in, her voice strong and confident, "I think it's a perfect idea. The city is neutral ground. If the hunters dared to attack, all the supernaturals within the city would band together."
"Very well," Ethan said, making up his mind. "We'll hold the festival in the city."
"We will prepare the pack for the changes and keep an eye out for any signs of trouble," Janet reluctantly says.
Ethan continued, turning his attention back to the investigation: "Did you find anything about the pills? Did you find any of our missing people?"
"No, we only found corpses. All of them were humans," Lana stated. "We're still investigating the statues and markings we found at the base, but it's clear that dark magic has been used." The mention of dark magic raised the hair on the back of Ethan's neck, sending a shiver down his spine. He involuntarily snarled at the mention.
"Dark magic? Are you sure?" He growled, his voice low and dangerous. Lana pulled photos from the folder she was holding. She offered it to Ethan and Brian. Brian looked at the picture and frowned. It was indeed dark magic. He had seen those symbols before.
"Is it fae magic?" Ethan asked.
"I'm not sure. It has been a long time since I've seen symbols like these. I will have to go through my records," Brian replied.
"Is there anything else?" Ethan questioned.
Lana reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with a glowing blue liquid. "It seems the scientists have progressed from pills to an injection," she explained, holding the vial up for everyone to see.
"Wait, what are we talking about here? What pills?" Deanna demands. She felt as if she was missing vital information. Janet looked to Ethan for approval, and Ethan nodded.
"Hunters have been creating pills that could turn a human into a lycan," Janet clarifies, and Deanna's eyes widen. "That was one of the reasons why we raided the base."
Brian interjected, not giving Deanna an opportunity to ask any questions. "We should research the liquid as soon as possible. If it does have the ability to turn humans, I need to work on creating an antidote."
"I agree," Lana said, her eyes locked onto the vial in her hand. "But I think I should be the one to test it."
Ethan's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing in concern. "Absolutely not, Lana. You have no idea what that is or what it could do to you."
"You can research this all you want to, but you won't truly know what it does until you test it. I'm the only one who can take it and find out what it does," Lana argued.
Deanna stepped forward, placing a protective hand on Lana's shoulder. "You've already proven yourself a loyal pack member, Lana. You don't need to put your life in danger for our sake."
Lana gently removed Deanna's hand and stepped away from her. "Do you think I'm that shallow?"
"No, I was just saying..." Deanna started, and Lana raised her hand to stop her from speaking.
"I'm not doing it for recognition or to prove anything. I'm doing it to stop the Hunters from harming more people."
Ethan didn't like the idea, but he had to admit that Lana made good points. As he hesitated, Janet's voice filled his mind,
speaking telepathically.
"Alpha, you have to forbid her from doing this. It's too dangerous. Think about your relationship with Kasia. If anything happened to her, Kasia would never forgive you," Janet pleaded.
"Alright, Lana," Ethan said finally, ignoring Janet's insistence. "You can test it out, but not until after the Summer Solstice."
Lana nodded, grateful for his trust in her abilities. "I understand, Alpha. I promise I'll be careful."