I Am The Luna

VALERIE.

Zade's hands clamp over my ears as the shrill, ear-splitting noise feels like it will tear my head right apart. His hands take the edge off but it's excruciating, making it hard to breathe.

What about his ears!

Turning, I'm about to cover his ears when he shakes his head, his eyes trained ahead. He doesn't seem affected, or he's able to bear it really well.

How?

'Are you alright?!' I ask through the mind-link, my heart thumping.

'Yes. Stay alert. We are not alone,' he says. I nod, turning towards the masked man.

For a moment I don't recognise him until I tilt my head, and take in the small things. Trying to pay attention to the things that one would usually miss just as Zade has instilled in me to do. To analyse everyone I ever meet, so if I see them in a different setting... I'd recognise them.

And I recognise the man before me. The slight tilt in his walk, even if he's wearing a long jacket now, I recognise those shoulders...

Cassian.

'It's-'

'Cassian. You recognised him,' Zade says quietly.

I nod. Reaching up, I take hold of Zade's hands and remove them from my ears. For a split second, the increased sound makes my vision blink dots and my head throb violently, but I'm doing my best to not focus on it.

'Pull forward your power and will a barrier around yourself,' Zade guides me and I obey, pulling at the power that is in my heart. The light glow swirls around me as I glare ahead at Cassian.

"What is the meaning of this, Cassian?" I ask sharply.

"Your people broke the law by destroying all access to those microchips, Valerie. By bringing that entire system that cost this country millions of dollars, you have caused severe losses! For the safety of our people, all werewolves must be apprehended. And we need to get to the bottom of this disease that is being carried and spread by your kind," Cassian says, his voice far louder than it needs to be.

From the corner of my eyes, I can see a few people trying to escape stop and look towards us.

He's trying to instil fear in them. How low.

"That is a lie! I have been helping you research the disease. There is no proof it comes from us!"

"Is it? I don't think that's true, Valerie."

Anger ripples through me. "It seems to me it's manmade. I wonder who has access to such power to create something like that!"

'Close off the entrance and get the lights turned back on! We need people to witness this. Anthony, send the signal out for backup,' Zade says. 'Anthony?'

His voice is connecting to all our pack members in the area, me included, but the fact he's got no answer worries me. Zade is calm, but if he can't contact to our people, it means we are alone in here.

'Zade, is anyone replying?' I ask as Cassian watches us intently.

'No. But we got this. You know what to do. We go to plan C.'

'Got it,' I reply. I don't question why. If he says so, it means we have no other option.

"What's wrong? Tell me, can no one hear you? You see, we know how to disrupt that mental link I've heard about. That and any outside connection. Now do you see why no one is replying? Turn it up!" He signals to someone else and the intense, shrill sound rips through my head a thousand times stronger.

Zade's aura flares as I glance between him and Cassian. I see the flash of metal from the left and both Zade and I jump back just as a gunshot goes off, followed by screams as I duck behind a table.

I need to turn the lights back on and I need to give the signal to Sebastian and Atticus's men! If they've done something to this room, then I need to get outside and signal the warning.

"Don't harm us, we have done nothing!" Cassian says, and I glance at him sharply. He's taking advantage of the darkness to spread fear in those trapped inside of this hall to blame us for the shooting.