"Then on the way back to Wolford, Brittany came across a snare," Lucas announced.
I heard a couple of sharp intakes of breath as the other Guardians turned their attention expectantly to me. As much as I wanted to lie about it, I knew doing so would put Shifters in danger. "I don't know if Bio-Chrome set it," I admitted.
"They did," Connor said. "I checked it out last night. Picked up a scent."
Panic caused my stomach to flutter. How was I going to explain why I hadn't picked up the scent? Was I going to have to come clean about what hadn't happened during the full moon?
"Mason's?" Kayla asked. She and Mason had been friends earlier in the summer before she discovered what they planned for the Shifters.
"No," Connor answered, before meeting Lucas's gaze. "It was the scent of one of the mercenaries Bio-Chrome hired to help them find us. I figure Brittany didn't recognize it because she wasn't with us when we were captured."
I fought not to reveal how relieved I was with that explanation. When they'd been captured, I'd been with a group of girls camping in the forest.
"I found three other snares," Connor continued. "They followed the river. I didn't find any evidence of them scouting nearby, but it's just a matter of time."
Lucas nodded. "Good work, Brittany."
Normally I enjoyed praise, but I felt like a fake accepting it for something I'd simply stumbled across. "I just got lucky."
"Lucky Bio-Chrome wasn't around," Daniel muttered.
"So what are we going to do about the lab?" I asked.
Lucas gave me a patient smile. He, too, was dark, but his hair was a medley of colors: brown, black, silver, white. It made him a very easily identifiable wolf to humans. "Best case scenario: We destroy the lab, but that's tricky. We can't burn it without risking the forest. Even though it's not located inside the national forest itself, it's still surrounded by trees. A fire doesn't respect property lines. But we do know a Shifter who owns a company that implodes buildings for demolition. I'm going to meet with him. See what he recommends."
My granddad, my mom's father, had once taken me to watch an old hotel being taken down. It was in the middle of a city, buildings all around it. They'd reduced it to rubble without damaging anything else in the vicinity. It had actually been pretty cool to watch.
"Don't suppose it's too much to hope that their lab geeks will be inside when it goes down," Connor said.
"Do we want their deaths on us?" Lucas asked. "That's something we have to think about."
"If all we do is destroy the building, they'll just build another one somewhere else—maybe one that's more difficult for us to get to," Connor pointed out. "And they'll still come after us."
"Maybe we should out ourselves," Kayla said.
A bold comment from someone who'd only just discovered that our kind existed.
"I don't know that the world is ready for that," Lucas said. "Could just bring us more trouble."
"I say, bring it on," I stated emphatically.
Beside me, Connor chuckled and I had another one of those feel-good moments when I thought maybe if I could make him completely forget about Lindsey that I might have a chance of hooking up with him.
Lucas looked toward the elders as though seeking their counsel.
Elder Wilde stood. "It is possible that the time has come to reveal our existence to the world, but it is not a decision that can be made in haste. And it will carry consequences. We cannot forget how we were persecuted in the ancient world when our existence was known. Well-trained hunters were charged with destroying us. We went into hiding for so long that our kind is only remembered as a myth. We cannot deny that the world has since changed, but has it changed enough to accept us? We cannot yet say, but we will take your suggestions under advisement." He sat and folded his hands on top of the table as though to signal he'd finished.
Lucas turned his attention back to us.
"When do you anticipate we can take action?" Rafe asked, and I felt Connor stiffen beside me. I admired him for not growling. I couldn't imagine how much courage it took for him to be here, knowing that everyone in the room had expected Lindsey to be his mate. Our kind had rituals. For Lindsey to be with Rafe, everyone would know that Rafe had challenged Connor—and Connor had lost.
I hadn't considered that before. I'd always thought they were well matched. Would Connor have thrown the fight intentionally? I hadn't thought to ask last night. Since it was supposed to be a fight to the death—well, someone had shown mercy. I wanted to believe it was Connor.
"I'm thinking that our best chance for success will come during the dark of the moon," Lucas said. "We have night vision on our side."
"And they have night-vision goggles," Connor pointed out.
"Possibly. But a moonless night will give us the best chance of cover."
Connor nodded, as though he reluctantly agreed.
"Okay then, I'm going to divide us into smaller teams. Some of you will stay here at Wolford, some will scout the forest searching for any more signs of Bio-Chrome, and another team will head to the lab. For now you can all relax. I'll post assignments later this morning. Tomorrow we get to work. Are there any questions?"
I glanced around. Everyone appeared determined. Tension radiated on the air but I sensed it was because we were all anxious to protect our kind.
"All right, then," Lucas said. He then nodded toward Elder Wilde, relinquishing control of the meeting.
Elder Wilde stood. "You all carry a heavy burden. We've always turned to our youth for protection because you're stronger, hungrier, more eager to prove your worth. But wisdom comes with experience. If you need counsel, come to us." His eyes fell on me and I fought not to look guilty. "We are here to serve and guide. But you are our guardians from the darkness that can be humankind. Go forth." He moved his hands in a widening circle, giving us permission to leave.
As everyone started to get up, I took my time, trying to think of something clever to say to Connor. I felt a tug on my braid and looked over at Daniel.
He smiled at me. "You're one tough Dark Guardian."
"Thanks."
I didn't have to look to know that Connor had moved on. I strongly felt his absence. I was a mess: hopeful one moment, facing reality the next. Sooner or later a situation might arrive in which I would have to shift. What would Connor think of me and my deception then? Was I simply delaying his inevitable disgust? If he fell in love with me, would he forgive me? Or would he simply hate me all the more?