Gunfire ripped through the fog.
The pier exploded into chaos.
Silver bullets slammed into the wooden planks, tearing splinters into the air. One shot grazed the railing beside Vivian, sending shards across her face.
Jamo moved first.
His massive wolf form launched forward like a storm breaking loose. He slammed into two armed men at once, sending them crashing through a stack of crates.
Lucas grabbed Vivian's arm.
"Down!"
He pulled her behind a steel container just as another burst of gunfire sprayed across the dock.
The snipers were everywhere.
Hidden in the fog.
On rooftops.
On the cranes overlooking the water.
Vale hadn't come to negotiate.
He had come to erase them.
Lucas peeked around the edge of the container, calculating angles and movements.
"Too many," he muttered.
Vivian wiped blood from a small cut on her cheek.
"You think?"
Another shot cracked.
A bullet struck the metal container inches from Lucas's head.
He pulled back quickly.
Jamo roared somewhere across the pier.
The sound was brutal.
Violent.
Vivian knew that roar.
The Alpha wasn't holding back anymore.
Lucas looked toward the sound.
"He's going to get himself killed."
Vivian frowned.
"He's winning."
Lucas shook his head.
"That's not the problem."
"What is?"
Lucas's eyes hardened.
"Vale isn't trying to win."
Vivian's stomach dropped.
"Then what is he doing?"
Lucas answered quietly.
"Stalling."
As if on cue, a deep rumble rolled through the docks.
Engines.
Multiple.
Heavy.
Lucas's expression darkened.
"Oh no."
Vivian followed his gaze toward the fog-covered road leading to the pier.
Three massive armored trucks rolled slowly out of the mist.
Each one carried the same mark painted on the side.
BLACK UNIT.
Vivian felt her pulse spike.
"That's not good."
"No," Lucas agreed.
"It's worse than that."
The trucks stopped near the entrance to the docks.
Their back doors opened.
Dozens of armed soldiers stepped out.
Not rogues.
Not traffickers.
These men moved like trained hunters.
Each carried silver weapons.
Each wore tactical armor.
Vivian whispered, "That's an army."
Lucas nodded.
"Vale brought his cleanup crew."
Across the pier, Jamo had noticed them too.
His wolf turned toward the new arrivals.
Golden eyes burning.
Vale stepped calmly through the fog toward them again.
He looked perfectly relaxed despite the battlefield around him.
"I do love a dramatic reunion," Vale said.
Lucas stepped out from cover slightly.
"You've lost your mind."
Vale smiled.
"Not at all."
He gestured toward the arriving soldiers.
"I simply decided to remove every problem tonight."
His eyes moved slowly between Lucas… Vivian… and Jamo.
Lucas's voice turned sharp.
"You'll start a pack war if you kill him."
Vale shrugged.
"Only if someone survives to tell the story."
Jamo's wolf growled deeply.
Vivian stepped beside Lucas.
"We're not getting out of this peacefully."
Lucas shook his head.
"No."
His hand moved slowly toward the small device still in his pocket.
Vivian noticed.
"What is that?"
Lucas hesitated.
Then said quietly,
"My insurance."
"What kind of insurance?"
Lucas looked at her.
"The kind that burns everything."
Vivian blinked.
"You planted explosives."
Lucas didn't deny it.
"I wired the entire dockyard."
Her heart dropped.
"Lucas…"
"If Vale takes control of this port, he'll move hundreds of wolves through here every month."
"So your solution is to blow it up?"
"Yes."
Vivian stared at him.
"There are people here!"
Lucas's voice turned cold.
"There are traffickers here."
"And Jamo's pack!"
Lucas hesitated.
That hesitation said everything.
Vivian felt anger rise inside her.
"You're willing to sacrifice them."
Lucas didn't answer.
Across the pier, Vale seemed amused by the conversation.
He called out calmly.
"Running out of options, Lucas?"
Lucas's thumb hovered over the device.
One press.
That was all it would take.
The entire dockyard would become fire.
Vale's soldiers.
The traffickers.
Maybe even Jamo.
Gone.
Vivian grabbed Lucas's wrist.
"You can't do this."
Lucas looked at her.
"If I don't, Vale wins."
Jamo suddenly appeared beside them in human form, breathing hard from the fight.
His eyes locked onto the device in Lucas's hand.
"You planted explosives."
Lucas didn't bother denying it.
"Yes."
Jamo's voice turned dangerously quiet.
"You're insane."
Lucas shrugged.
"Effective."
Vale's soldiers were closing in now.
Rifles raised.
Laser sights flickering through the fog again.
Vivian looked between them.
Lucas ready to burn the docks.
Jamo ready to fight an army.
And Vale watching everything like a chess master.
Someone had to choose.
Her voice cut through the chaos.
"Give me the detonator."
Both men turned toward her.
Lucas frowned.
"No."
Vivian stepped closer.
"You trust me, don't you?"
Lucas hesitated.
Jamo spoke immediately.
"Absolutely not."
Vivian held out her hand.
"Lucas."
After a long moment…
Lucas placed the device in her palm.
Jamo swore under his breath.
Vale's soldiers stopped about twenty feet away.
Rifles aimed.
Vale watched Vivian carefully.
"Well," he said.
"This is interesting."
Vivian raised the detonator.
Her thumb rested over the button.
Lucas spoke quietly.
"Do it."
Jamo stepped forward.
"Vivian, think."
Vale tilted his head.
"You won't."
Vivian looked at him.
"Why not?"
Vale smiled.
"Because you're not like your brother."
The fog swirled around them.
The pier creaked under the weight of the armed soldiers approaching.
Vivian's heart pounded violently.
One choice.
One button.
Lucas whispered again.
"End it."
Jamo's voice came lower.
"Or change it."
Vivian looked down at the detonator.
Then…
She pressed the button.
For half a second
Nothing happened.
Vale laughed.
"I knew"
Then the ground beneath the dock shuddered violently.
Somewhere deep beneath the pier…
Something exploded.
And Vivian realized in horror
She hadn't triggered all the explosives.
Only one.
The wrong one.
A massive cargo crane began collapsing toward the pier.
Directly toward them.
And Vale was still smiling.