188 Chapter 188 The Perfect Charade
Briar’s POV 1
The decision to extract me from the base the previous night had been necessary. Shifting in front of everyone in the barracks would have sealed my death warrant immediately.
Blackwood finally pivoted toward us, giving Corbin a curt nod. Corbin moved to unlock the door with practiced efficiency.
Two armed guards escorted Elena into the room. Battle–worn and bloodied, she still carried herself with fierce determination. Her clothes were torn and dirt streaked her face, but her eyes blazed with unbroken spirit.
She scanned every face in the room with withering contempt before her gaze found mine. Only then did her expression soften slightly.
“I believe introductions are unnecessary,” Blackwood announced coldly.
“Luna Elena,” I stated flatly. “The one who interfered with my artifact retrieval mission at her pack territory.” 1
“You realize that entire mission was fabricated nonsense, don’t you? The orb they sent you after wasn’t their real objective,” Elena shot back, her voice cutting through the tension.
“Explain yourself,” I demanded, feigning confusion.
“They orchestrated the whole charade to put you in my path. A distraction tactic while they launched their real assault on my pack during my absence. They knew I’d abandon everything to track you down,” Elena revealed.
Her voice suddenly echoed in my mind. “Play along. Act like we’re strangers.”
“What possible significance could our meeting have?” I asked aloud, maintaining my bewildered facade.
Elena’s eyes held mine with intensity that made my chest tighten.
1/4
188 Chapter 188 The Perfect Charade
“Your ignorance about your own identity shouldn’t shock me. After all, what weapon is more effective than a wolf trained to hunt other wolves?” Her words carried layers of meaning I pretended not to understand.
“Wolf?” I repeated, letting genuine confusion color my voice.
Nyx’s encouraging whisper filled my thoughts. “Perfect performance. Keep going.”
“These two were discovered in a remote cabin nearby. Apparently plotting your extraction,” Blackwood interjected, studying our interaction carefully.
“Why would I accompany strangers?” I challenged, injecting skepticism into
my tone.
Elena gave an almost imperceptible nod of approval that went unnoticed by
our captors.
They were clearly fishing for some slip–up, some crack in my performance, but I wouldn’t give them satisfaction. Not with Elena and Nyx silently coaching my every word.
Maintaining this charade meant survival. Any deviation would land me in a
cell beside Elena or worse.
you
“You know exactly who we are, Briar. They’ve simply brainwashed into forgetting,” Elena declared boldly.
“My designation is Dawn,” I corrected firmly.
“That’s their fabrication. Nothing these manipulative bastards have told you contains truth. They’ve built your entire existence on lies,” Elena’s voice cracked with emotion.
“What is she implying?” I asked Blackwood, turning away from Elena’s penetrating stare.
“Enough of this circus. Return Elena to her cell. And remember what leverage we maintain over her cooperation,” Blackwood commanded, his meaning crystal clear as he gestured toward me.
188 Chapter 188 The Perfect Charade
Corbin roughly seized Elena’s arm and dragged her from the room. Her eyes never left mine until the door slammed shut.
“I genuinely don’t comprehend any of this, sir,” I said once we were alone.
“Clarity will come soon enough,” Blackwood replied with a chilling smile.
My escort guided me from Blackwood‘ office, but our route took us past another room that made my blood freeze. Through the glass window, dozens of children sat in organized rows. No parents anywhere, just small faces staring blankly ahead.
Women moved between them, the same women who had raised me during my earliest years on various military installations. Their faces triggered memories I’d buried deep.
Recognition hit like a physical blow. These children were being groomed for the same fate I’d endured. Transformed into Hunters, programmed to destroy their own species without question or mercy.
The sight paralyzed me until my guard shoved me forward impatiently.
Outside the facility, Asher waited beside a military vehicle. His expression shifted the moment he saw my face, noting how the color had drained from my skin.
“What happened in there?” he asked as we began walking toward base housing.
“They captured Elena,” I said simply, but my voice carried the weight of everything I couldn’t yet reveal.
The implications crashed over me like waves. Elena risked everything to reach me, and now she was imprisoned because of my false identity. Meanwhile, innocent children faced the same psychological warfare that had shaped my entire existence.
The game had grown more dangerous than I’d imagined, but backing down wasn’t an option anymore.
188 Chapter 188 The Perfect Charade
Comment
Leave the first comment for this chapter.
图
Send Gift
Swipe left to continue >
