Chapter 204


    #Chapter 204 – Damon Plots


    3rd Person


    When James started transporting refugees from the embattled continent to the hidden territories, his


    job had seemed simple – dangerous, but simple. He wouldnd his ne on the coast and hide it as


    best he could, taxiing into the forest and covering the aircraft with tarps and ntlife. He would then


    travel ind on foot. It was twenty miles to the nearest vige, so James would often trek through the


    night until he came to the modest inn where Sinir’swork of spies were ferrying hunted shifters to


    safety. Once they were handed over into James’s care, the spies would disappear back whence they


    came, and James would lead his new charges to the coast.


    On a few asions things had gotten dicey, like with Sadie’s parents. They had unknowingly been


    followed by Damon’s agents, forcing the entire group to scatter while James and some of the abler men


    stayed to fight. When Sadie’s father fell, her mother hadn’t been able to stay away, and the decision


    cost her life. Thankfully that sort of drama was a rarity, though every refugee was consumed by near


    constant adrenaline on their journey, only able to rx once the nended in the hidden territories.


    At least, that’s the way things started, back when he’d had the time to learn every face and name, hear


    every harrowing escape story.


    Everything changed when the humans learned about shifters. Now the once-empty coast was crowded


    with bodies as far as the eye could see. There was no longer any need to travel to the vige, because


    the refugees came straight to him. Landing had be something of a gauntlet, as the terrified people


    were too busy mbering to the front of the queue to clear an adequatending strip. James was


    terrified that he was going to hit someone one of these days. Even with the extra nes and pilots


    Gabriel had provided to make these runs, there was never enough space for everyone. At best they


    could take a hundred people a day, but thousands were gathered – exhausted, starving, and injured.


    James was also well aware that the operation was growing toorge to stay secret, and he lived in


    constant fear of the day that Damon would send his army to ughter the fleeing shifters. The only


    silver lining– if it could be called such a thing – was that his forces were so busy trying to manage the


    havoc they’d wreaked across thend, that there weren’t any soldiers to spare.


    So as he helped the most urgently injured shifters and families with the youngest children board the


    ne, he was so distracted answering the pleas and cries from those who wouldn’t be able to travel


    this day, that he didn’t notice an extra man sneak onto the ne. He didn’t catch the way the shifty


    character slunk to the very back and huddled on the ground, wrapped in an emergency nket. James


    didn’t see the dangerous glint in his eye as he surveyed the quaking passengers, and when they


    eventuallynded in the hidden territories, he didn’t realize that one of his passengers hadn’t thanked


    him for his rescue.


    The man prowled off into the triage tents, his hungry gaze taking in every detail, listening to every word


    spoken by his relievedpanions. When he reached the intake tables, he gave a false name,


    epted his tent assignment, and disappeared into the camp– as silent as a ghost.


    ____________________


    “They’re here.”


    Damon – now better known as Emperor Damon (as he insisted everyone call him) or the Usurper (for


    which he threatened to kill anyone caught calling him) or His Royal Fuckwit (his least favorite name of


    all) – swore violently, smashing his fist into his desk. “I knew it! That bastard Gabriel must be hiding


    them.” Heined, speaking so loudly into the phone receiver that the man on the other end of the


    line flinched. “Have you seen them?”


    “No, I’m still in the refugee camp.” His spy replied. “But I have plenty to tell you regardless. This entire


    ce is abuzz with intel, the idealistic fools never saw meing.”


    “Well get on with it then.” Damon ordered gruffly, pacing in his rooms.


    “To start, Sinir is apparently traveling around the Vanaran territories building alliances with the


    Alphas here, and the rest of his delegation stayed behind. Word is that the old man and Sinir’s Luna


    visit the camp most days, and the King and that traitor Roger are busy trying to find local families to


    host the refugees.” The spy reported, derision heavy on his tongue.


    “What else?” Damon growled, bing more and more furious with every moment that passed. “Do


    you know if the alliances are sessful? Are they building an army?”


    “I don’t know, but there’s going to be a huge political summit next week. Every Alpha on the continent is


    going to gather in the Capital to either pledge or deny their support.” He answered. “They’ve made it


    into quite avish affair, with excursions, opportunities to hear from the survivors of the conflict, feasts


    and even a grand ball.”


    “Trust Sinir to wine and dine grown men like one of his fucking girlfriends. Does he understand


    nothing about war?” Even as he said it, Damon was grinding his teeth with barely contained worry. If


    Sinir seeded in his efforts, there was no telling the damage he and the Vanarans could inflict.


    With their next-generation technologies, they could probably wipe out his armies in a single stroke. “I


    can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. I thought they’d just gone to ground. I should have


    remembered how far back he and Gabriel go!”


    “Well the Vanarans aren’t your only problem.” His spy remarked reluctantly. “They might not even be


    your biggest.”


    “What the hell are you talking about?” Damon hissed.


    “By far the biggest rumor swirling around this ce is that they’ve figured out his Luna is the long lost


    daughter of King Xavier.” The spy shared, trying to hide the excitement in his own voice.


    “That’s nonsense, Xavier and Reina never had children. Everyone knows that.” Damon argued, though


    he rubbed his neck, trying to remember if there had ever been a failed pregnancy or still-birth. “There is


    no way they could have had a pup without anyone knowing, let alone that the bitch would have ended


    up in a human orphanage.”


    “Apparently it was by the Goddess’s own orders that she be hidden.” The spy exined, rting the


    events of the hypnosis session, which were now all over the city.


    “What absolute nonsense.” Damon dismissed the tale before thest words were even out of the man’s


    mouth. “That sounds like the sort of fairy tale a child makes up tofort themselves. People can’t


    possibly believe that shit.”


    “But how could a tiny human child know about wolves? How could she know about a King and Queen


    when she didn’t even know monarchies still existed? That anything existed outside of the human


    world?” The spy questioned.


    “I don’t know, kids are creative.” Damon scoffed, “Last week my son was talking to an imaginary


    cowboy all day long, the little idiot.”


    “They’re calling her a demi-goddess.” The man revealed, “they believe she was sent to save them.


    She’s even more popr than Sinir.”


    “Then get rid of her.” Damonmanded sharply. “If they lose their hope, they lose their will to fight.


    Put an end to the bitch before it’s toote.”


    “Do we even know if she can be killed?” The spy asked uncertainly, “if she’s truly the go–”


    “Everyone and everything can be killed, one way or another.” Damon snapped. “Sinir isn’t there to


    protect her and from the sounds of it, she’s running around the refugee camp without a care in the


    world, so just get it done.”


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    “I didn’t sign up to assassinate anyone.” The man countered. “This was just supposed to be information


    gathering.”


    “Oh like you haven’t killed for me before.” Damon reminded him. “Don’t tell me you’re balking because


    she’s breeding.”


    “No… but I’m not eager to kill the child of the Goddess.” He corrected.


    “You can’t honestly believe that nonsense.” Damon exploded.”She’s not a fucking unicorn, she’s a


    regr she-wolf with a grandiose personality disorder.”


    “I won’t do it.” The spy protested, gritting his teeth. “Even if I wanted to, she’s constantly surrounded by


    people. I might be able to get to her but it would be the end of me. Can you imagine what they would


    do to the man who murdered their savior.”


    “Fine, if you’re too much of a coward to do what’s necessary, then at least kill Sinir while he’s away


    from his reinforcements.” Damon suggested. “If he’s traveling then he’s vulnerable – meeting countless


    shifters he doesn’t know, moving through unsecured areas with minimum security. There are advanced


    technologies in Vanara, weapons and tools we don’t have. It could be as simple as nting an


    explosive on the road to intercept his car.”


    “That’s assuming I can get my hands on their weapons and track him down in time, to predict his


    movements well enough to ensure he fell for the trap.” The spy exined.


    “Is that a no?” Damon snarled.


    “No,” the spy rified. “It’s a question of how much you’re willing to pay. If you want me to kill an Alpha,


    my price just went up.”