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He walks back over to the counter and I stay at his side. He picks up the coffee, cups it in both hands.

“The wolf you thought was Samuel?” Helena asks, her gaze laser-focused on Ray.

Ray stiffens. “Yeah?”

“One of their own. They sacrificed him to forward their plan—which is darker than anything I could have imagined in my worst nightmares. They’ve allied with a human,” she says, voice low. “And he wants every last shifter dead.”

Her words hit like stones dropped in still water—sudden, jarring, impossible to ignore.

“A human?” Ray echoes, squinting. “Is that even possible? The humans who know about us… they’re all here. And they’re not what I’d call hostile.”

“It’s a big world,” Helena says. “You can’t truly think only the people of Dawson know the truth. I didn’t get a name, just the initials. H.E.”

“What do they stand for?” Ray asks.

“Human Exterminator,” Helena says, not a hint of mocking in her tone.

Ray lets out a dry chuckle. “That sounds like a damn cartoon villain.”

Helena snaps her fingers, shaking her head.

“No jokes. You need to take this seriously, Raymond. He may be human, but he’s dangerous. He’s clearly smart and has incredible resources. That facility and how fast they built it are testament enough to that. And you’ve seen the lengths he’ll go to get what he wants. Do not underestimate this opponent.”

Ray bows his head with a low growl, coffee forgotten. His fists clench, chest heaving. I feel his muscles twitching beneath my hand—taut and ready to snap. For the briefest of moments I think he’s about to shift which makes my skin turn cold. Thenit’s over. He looks up, picks up the coffee, and sips as if nothing happened.

“You’re right,” Ray says, bowing his head. “Sorry.”

“Do Raul and Sam know about this?” I ask.

“I was just at Raul’s,” she says, placing her empty cup on the counter with a final clink. She squares her shoulders and looks at Ray. “I asked him the same question I’m going to ask you. This looks personal to Dawson, to your family. Who outside Dawson knows what you are? Who else might he target?”

Ray frowns, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No clue. We’ve always been careful—no shifting unless absolutely necessary. We keep a low profile.”

“Well, someone saw through the act. Damage is done,” Helena says grimly. “Now the question is—how do we contain the fallout?”

Ray sighs, sips his coffee, then tilts it back and drains the cup. He sets the cup down, rubs his face and rolls his shoulders before answering.

“Contain what, exactly? If this guy’s been running his mouth, it’s already out there. What do you want us to do—track down every human he’s talked to and pray it’s not too late?”

Helena narrows her eyes. “Doubt it. He’s smart. If he wanted exposure, there’d be a viral video already. A press conference. Headlines. But there’s nothing. Which means he’s playing a longer game.”

“He told the scientists at least,” I add. “They wouldn’t be out there otherwise.”

“They’re dead,” Helena says, her tone cool but satisfied. “Erica outdid herself. Set the whole place ablaze—no spells, just old-fashioned fire. Natural enough not to raise suspicion. I’m impressed.”

“Conley!” Ray exclaims, eyes lighting up as he slaps the counter. “The guy from Roman Security—remember? He was guarding the lab. We pulled his name when we started digging. We were gonna go after him before Sam’s howl…”

“Then what are we waiting for? He has to know more. He’s clearly the next link in the chain,” Helena says.

“Easy,” Ray says, gesturing to the window. “It’s early. Raul and Sam are probably still hungover—I know I am. And we’re talking about a human. We can handle him. You don’t need to come.”

“What, you miss the thrill?” I tease.

“Hell yes,” she fires back. “Mercer was boring. Masking scent, sneaking around. I’ve had enough of that. I’m ready for something real.”

Ray frowns. “I think Erica wanted to seduce the info out of him. You planning the same?”