Wolf Heart

Chapter 53

"I'm heading out into the field for a week or so," General Falae said. "I'm going to be doing some hunting."

Black Wolf raised an eyebrow. "If it's hunting you need done, you can send Urtanes and I. Are we not specialised for that?"

Maia pursed her lips at his blatant disrespect to their superior officer.

"You're being kept off the mission due to the nature of who we're hunting," he said. "We want this one alive."

Black Wolf frowned, and General Falae folded her arms. "I'm hunting down Rayan Falae. I want to know what the First Insurgency intends and why they've acted over the radar."

Hatred shielded the flaming abandonment within the hazel when Black Wolf choked his own hands behind his back. It was a tricky emotion, one she struggled to gauge between resentment and despair.

"From what I gathered of Meryn's masterful dodging of my questions, my son has joined the ranks of the First Insurgency." General Falae pushed her finger against her chin. "I feared that might be the case, and would explain their efficiency against Strike Force tactics." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and a mother's exhaustion filled the blues. "Which also means he's gotten close to the leader."

"Excuse my rudeness, Ma'am," Black Wolf said with a tone which screamed he didn't care at all if he was rude. "If I am not allowed to do my job then you shouldn't be able to due to the nature of who it is."

"James," Maia hissed.

General Falae considered Black Wolf. "I'd rather you stayed off the mission. Aelius Matthey will be coming soon."

Maia understood the implication. She's worried their reunion will cause an emotional charge.

He ignored her from the shake of his head. "I disagree, Ma'am. I'm one of your best Elites."

"You may be my best, but you're definitely not as practised at listening to authority," General Falae responded flatly. "If I give you this mission, Ranier, I want you to follow my every order. Is that clear?"

Black Wolf met her stare. "Crystal, but tell me one thing."

"Of course," General Falae said.

"What happened that day?" Black Wolf asked, and Maia frowned when his voice shrank. "During the attack on Eastpoint."

Her heart skipped, but Black Wolf never flinched. General Falae tipped her head. "Between your sister and my son?"

Black Wolf nodded, calm.

General Falae huffed. "Ava arrived at the manor, where she mentioned that you and your father had a fight. When the attack began, I was forced to leave them to send out a manual warning as they took down the communications first. After that, I can only assume what happened between my departure and my arrival at the Ranier house — she ran back to your house believing her family remained and needed her. As for Rayan... my hoverbike was taken, so I guessed he made an escape through one of the unaffected back streets in time before it closed off in the flames."

James pressed his lips together. "Understood, Ma'am," he said. "You have no need for your concern. I'll bring Rayan Falae alive."

"I still need some more information so take the time to rest," General Falae said. "We're leaving early." General Falae disappeared into the corridor, while Commander Beckett sat down and tugged out a capsule of water.

"Either of you need a drink?" he asked.

Black Wolf clenched his fists with a fractured heaviness creasing his brow. Maia dared not touch him to give him her support when the explosion rippled underneath the magma flow. He took in a shuddered breath while the hazel filled with unfocused fog while his attention drifted from the capsule to the trash compactor at the side of the desk. He went still, where his heartbeat broke in uneven flow within the air.