Luna. Chapter 148

(Lyra's POV)

The next morning, I called an emergency meeting of our core team. Not at the safe house this time—somewhere more secure. Somewhere we could speak freely about what needed to happen next.

We met in the basement of Victor's veterinary clinic, a space that had been warded against supernatural surveillance years ago.

"I've made a decision," I announced as soon as everyone was assembled.

"What kind of decision?" Magnus asked.

"We're moving to phase two."

Derek frowned. "What's phase two?"

"The part where we stop defending and start attacking."

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed what I was saying.

"Attacking how?" Orion asked carefully.

"By taking the fight to them. By exposing what they're doing to the supernatural community and the human world."

"Lyra, that's incredibly dangerous," Sally warned.

"More dangerous than letting them take Asher? More dangerous than allowing them to continue kidnapping and experimenting on children?"

"Fair point," Magnus admitted. "What exactly are you proposing?"

I stood up and moved to the map Derek had spread across the table. "We've been gathering evidence for months. Emma's testimony about the royal estate. Documentation of the illegal experiments. Proof of the threats against our family."

"Evidence isn't enough. We need a platform to present it."

"We have a platform. The Alpha Council meets in two weeks for their quarterly session."

"The Alpha Council that's been intimidated into silence by royal pressure?"

"The Alpha Council that's made up of pack leaders who have children and grandchildren. People who understand what's at stake here."

Derek was nodding slowly. "If we can present the evidence publicly, in front of the entire Council..."

"Then the royal family can't suppress it or make it disappear."

"They can if they eliminate us before we get to the Council meeting," Magnus pointed out.

"Which is why we need to move fast and smart."

"What does that look like?" Sally asked.

I pulled out a notebook where I'd been planning for most of the night.

"First, we document everything. Every threat, every attack, every illegal action the royal family has taken against supernatural families."

"That's a lot of documentation."

"It's a lot of crimes. We find the other families who've been targeted. We get their testimony. We build a case that's too big and too public to ignore."

"Second?"

"We find the missing children. Emma gave us enough information to locate the royal estate where they're being held. We need proof that active experimentation is happening."

"You're talking about breaking into a royal facility."

"I'm talking about rescuing kidnapped children."

"Same thing, different motivation."

"Third?" Derek asked.

"We go on the offensive. Instead of waiting for them to threaten us, we start threatening them."

"How?"

"By making it clear that if anything happens to Asher, if anything happens to any of us, the evidence goes public immediately. Through every channel we can access."

Magnus was shaking his head. "This is essentially declaring war on the royal family."

"They declared war on us months ago. We're just finally admitting it."

"And if they retaliate?"

"Then at least we'll be fighting back instead of just trying to survive their attacks."

Orion spoke up from the corner. "There's something else to consider. If we do this, if we go public with evidence of royal crimes, we can't go back. There's no diplomatic solution after that."

"There's no diplomatic solution now. Cassius made that clear yesterday."

"You're right," Sally said suddenly. "We've been trying to find a peaceful way out of this situation, but there isn't one. They want complete submission or total destruction."

"So we give them neither."

"We give them a war they can't win," Derek added grimly.

"Can we win?" Magnus asked. "Realistically?"

I thought about that question, about the resources and connections the royal family commanded.

"I don't know if we can win in the traditional sense. But I know we can make the cost of victory higher than they're willing to pay."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning we make this public enough, messy enough, expensive enough that continuing the fight becomes politically impossible."

"A publicity war instead of a military one."

"Exactly. We turn this into a referendum on royal authority. We make the supernatural community choose between supporting child experimentation and supporting family rights."

Derek was studying the map again. "It could work. If we move fast enough, if we get enough evidence, if we present it at exactly the right moment..."

"Then we might actually save Asher. And all the other children they've taken."

"Or we might get everyone we care about killed," Magnus warned.

"They're already threatening to kill everyone we care about. At least this way, we go down fighting."

"Alright," Victor said suddenly. He'd been quiet through most of the discussion, but his voice carried absolute authority. "You have my support."

"Dad—"

"No, Lyra. You're right. We've been trying to negotiate with people who have no intention of honoring any agreement. We've been trying to find peaceful solutions to a situation that was never going to be resolved peacefully."

"This is going to get dangerous."

"Everything worthwhile is dangerous. And protecting my grandson is worth any risk."

I looked around the room at the faces of people who'd become my family, people who were willing to risk everything for a child they loved.

"So we're doing this?"

Every head in the room nodded.

"Then let's start planning a revolution."