Chapter 48

Swift River warriors executed their defense with practiced precision. Warriors moved in coordinated units, securing vulnerable entrances and shepherding non-combatants to protected inner chambers. The contrast with our own pack's chaotic response was striking—where Swift River moved with seamless cooperation, our warriors looked to different leaders for direction.

Raymond attempted to take command, shouting orders that contradicted Swift River's established protocols. "Secure the eastern approach!" he called to a mixed group of warriors. "Establish a perimeter around the treaty hall!"

His commands went largely unheeded as Alpha Marcus and Dominic implemented coordinated strategies that both packs' warriors immediately followed without question. "Defensive formation three," Marcus ordered calmly. "Swift River warriors to outer perimeter, Blood Moon to inner ring. Protect the elders and vulnerable first."

I lost sight of Giana in the chaos but caught a glimpse of movement near the ceremonial vault—a secluded chamber where Swift River kept their most valuable artifacts and sacred items. The flash of blonde hair disappearing around the corner was unmistakable.

Following at a distance, I watched Giana use Raymond's stolen key to access the secure artifact vault. Instead of rushing for valuable treasures, she moved methodically through the chamber, examining specific shelves and containers with surprising knowledge of the layout.

I slipped inside, keeping to the shadows as she bypassed priceless ceremonial weapons and ancient scrolls, focusing instead on a small wooden chest tucked behind larger artifacts.

"Looking for something specific?" I asked, stepping into view.

Giana whirled around, her mask of innocence abandoned entirely. "Aurora. Always where you're not wanted."

"What are you doing, Giana? People are fighting—dying—outside while you raid a vault?"

Her smile was cold and calculating, nothing like the vulnerable expression she typically wore around Raymond. "Smart Luna. Always watching, always investigating. Too bad no one listens to you."

"What are you planning? Why coordinate with rogues?"

"You really think you understand what's happening?" She laughed, the sound chilling in its coldness. "This is so much bigger than your petty concerns about position or Raymond's attention."

"Then explain it to me," I challenged. "What could possibly be worth endangering two entire packs?"

A massive explosion rocked the building before she could answer, dust and debris raining down from the ancient ceiling. In the momentary distraction, she slipped past me, clutching something small that glinted silver in the dim light.

I moved to follow her, but another explosion sent a supporting beam crashing down, blocking my path. By the time I found an alternate route out of the vault, Giana had disappeared.

Outside, chaos reigned. I caught glimpses of Kane fighting alongside Swift River warriors, his combat skills earning impressed nods from veteran fighters. His movements were fluid and precise, taking down two rogues simultaneously with practiced efficiency.

Raymond had joined the defensive line as well, fighting with the bravery I remembered from our younger days. Despite his recent behavior, he showed genuine concern for the pack members under attack, placing himself between danger and less experienced warriors.

"Stay behind me!" he ordered a group of younger pack members, his claws extended as he faced down an advancing rogue. The attacking wolf lunged, but Raymond countered with a powerful strike that sent the rogue tumbling backward.

The rogues' attack pattern was unlike anything I'd witnessed before. They targeted specific weaknesses with unusual precision, focusing on communication points and defensive choke points rather than valuable resources. Their movements suggested professional training rather than the disorganized raids typical of rogue packs.

"They're targeting our signal towers," a Swift River warrior called out. "They're trying to isolate us from calling reinforcements!"

I found Luna Elena organizing a medical response in the main hall. Together, we turned the space into a functional field hospital, treating wounded warriors as they arrived from the battlefield.

"Apply pressure here," I instructed a young wolf assisting with a wounded fighter. "The sacred moss stops bleeding almost immediately."

"Your knowledge of field medicine is impressive," Luna Elena observed as she skillfully bandaged a warrior's arm.

"I studied healing traditions anticipating situations like this," I replied, applying a poultice to another wound. "Though I never expected to use them under these circumstances."

"This attack is too coordinated," Elena observed, her hands never stopping their careful work. "Too precise."

I nodded grimly. "And the timing was perfect—just as every key pack member was gathered for the treaty signing."

"She wanted us all in one place," Elena noted, her voice low with realization. "A single strike to eliminate multiple leaders."

"I saw her in the vault," I said quietly. "She took something small—silver, possibly ceremonial."

Elena's expression grew troubled. "Swift River holds many ancient artifacts of power. In the wrong hands..."

When the fighting temporarily subsided, I found Raymond directing warriors at the eastern perimeter. His clothing was torn and bloodied, his expression grimly focused.

"Raymond," I called, approaching cautiously. "I saw Giana in the vault during the attack."

I expected immediate dismissal, but to my surprise, his expression turned troubled. "Show me."

We returned to the vault together, finding scattered artifacts and clear signs of purposeful searching. Several specific items were missing—while valuable treasures remained untouched.

"These are empty," Raymond said, examining spaces where smaller items had clearly been stored. "What were they?"

Elder Walsh joined us, his aged face creased with concern. "The ceremonial bonding chalice," he said, pointing to one empty space. "And the ritual daggers used in ancient mate ceremonies."

"Why would she take these particular artifacts and leave more valuable ones?" Raymond wondered aloud, genuine doubt crossing his face as he processed the evidence.

Before I could respond, a messenger arrived with puzzling news: the rogues had suddenly withdrawn despite having tactical advantage in several areas. Swift River warriors pursued briefly but returned confused by the abrupt retreat.

"They disengaged on some signal," the security chief reported. "All at once, as if following orders."

"Just like their attack began," Alpha Dominic observed grimly.

Kane slipped away to track the retreating rogues, promising to report back once he'd discovered their destination. As night fell, Swift River secured their damaged compound, warriors establishing double guards at all entry points.

I found Luna Elena tending to Alpha Marcus, who had sustained a minor injury defending a group of elders. "Nothing serious," he assured me, though his breathing seemed labored. "The excitement of battle awakens the wolf spirit, even in aging bones."

Elena caught my eye over her mate's head, her expression conveying silent concern about his condition. Despite our preventive measures, Marcus's health remained compromised.

As darkness settled over the damaged compound, I stood at the window of my chamber, staring into the night. Giana had vanished completely—neither among the injured nor among those helping with recovery efforts. Whatever she had stolen from the vault, she had escaped with it successfully.

I found myself staring into the darkness beyond the walls, wondering what Giana had taken from the vault—and why it had been worth orchestrating such a devastating attack. The ceremonial items held significant cultural value, but were they truly worth endangering dozens of lives?

The pieces remained frustratingly disconnected: poisoning Alpha Marcus, weakening territorial boundaries, stealing ancient ceremonial items related to mate bonds—what connected these seemingly disparate actions into a coherent plan?