Page 41 of Anders (The Sunburst Pack #2)

T HE EARLY MORNING SUN cast long shadows across the Old Packhouse grounds as Anders made his final adjustments to the perimeter sensors.

Three weeks had passed since Etta’s surgery and acceptance into the Sunburst Pack—three weeks of recovery, planning, and preparation for the battle they both knew was coming.

Anders secured the casing of the newly installed motion detector, his mind focused on the task at hand.

This was the twelfth sensor he’d installed this week, part of a comprehensive security overhaul designed to detect the specific electromagnetic signature emitted by Chimera’s surveillance equipment.

If the organization sent more operatives to replace the ones they’d neutralized, the pack would know immediately.

Anders sat back on his heels, scanning the surrounding desert with practiced precision. His enhanced senses detected nothing out of the ordinary—just the familiar sounds and scents of pack territory at dawn.

But experience had taught him that absence of evidence wasn’t evidence of absence. Chimera had proven themselves experts at concealment.

Sensor array online, he murmured into his communications device. Quadrant secure.

Confirmed, Quinton’s voice responded from the command center. Signal strength at ninety-seven percent. Better than the south array.

I’ll recalibrate the southern sensors this afternoon, Anders said, already mentally prioritizing the work that remained. Has Conall finished mapping the underground access points?

Completed at 0200. He’s sleeping now, but the schematics are ready for your review.

Anders nodded, though the gesture was unnecessary for the radio communication. I’ll be there in twenty.

As he gathered his equipment, a familiar scent reached him—Eliana. Etta. His mate.

After a week of confusion within the pack, she’d finally announced that she preferred to stick with the name Etta when in her human form and Eliana for her wolf.

Initially, the decision had worried Anders. But he’d quickly realized that using both names was a way to claim all parts of herself for herself—using the name she’d been born with for her wolf and the name she’d had for decades as a human was a means of integration, not separation.

And if she still occasionally differentiated between her identities—Etta the human and Eliana the wolf… Well, the distinction was becoming less pronounced as she continued integrating the fragmented pieces of herself.

Anders turned to see her approaching from the direction of the new clinic—for which they still didn’t have a doctor, though Greg Weiss had started visiting once a month for basic checkups.

Etta’s white-blonde hair caught the morning light as she moved toward her mate. The sight of her still affected him physically, a tightening in his chest that he was beginning to recognize as happiness rather than tactical alert.

You started early, she called, her smile visible even at this distance.

Security doesn’t sleep, he said.

She reached him, and he automatically scanned her for signs of distress or pain—a habit formed during her recovery that he couldn’t quite break. But her movements were fluid, her eyes clear, and the bond between them hummed with vitality rather than discomfort.

Dr. Weiss removed the stitches, she said, turning to show him the back of her neck where the neural interface had been. A small, neat scar was all that remained of the device that had nearly killed her. He says the nerve regeneration continues progressing faster than he expected.

Relief washed through him.

Any lingering numbness? he asked, professional concern overlaying his deeper emotions.

None since yesterday, she assured him. I’m officially cleared for all normal activities. Including patrol duty, if that suspicious look on your face is any indication.

A small smile tugged at his lips. She was learning to read him too well. I wasn’t going to suggest—

Yes, you were, she interrupted. And my answer is yes. I’ve been cooped up in recovery for three weeks. I need to be useful.

He recognized the stubborn set of her jaw. It was the same expression she’d worn when insisting on participating in their investigation into Chimera, when volunteering for the dangerous surgery to remove the interface, when standing before the pack council to explain who and what she had been.

His mate was nothing if not courageous.

Conall mapped the underground access points, he said. We could use another set of eyes on the schematics.

Her smile was worth the compromise. Lead the way, Guardian.

The command center was a hive of activity when they arrived.

Quinton was monitoring the security feeds while several other pack members analyzed data from the surveillance sweeps.

All of them nodded respectfully to Anders and Etta as they entered—acknowledgment of both his position as head guardian and her newly official status as his mate.

The formal recognition ceremony had taken place at the last full-moon gathering atop Sunburst Mesa, with Malcolm and Larissa presiding.

The pack had welcomed Etta/Eliana with unexpected warmth—partly due to Anders’s standing among them, but equally because of the courage she’d shown in facing her past and choosing her future.

The schematics are up on the main display, Quinton informed them, gesturing to the large screen dominating one wall. Conall found three access points we weren’t aware of, including one that connects directly to the old water treatment facility.

Anders studied the detailed map, immediately identifying potential vulnerabilities and defensive positions. This changes our patrol patterns. We’ll need to adjust the rotation to cover these areas more thoroughly.

Already drafted new assignments. Quinton slid a tablet toward him. Just waiting for your approval.

Anders reviewed the proposed schedule, making minor adjustments based on his knowledge of each pack member’s strengths and the terrain challenges. Etta leaned in beside him, her shoulder brushing his as she studied the rotations.

Sarah should take the northwest sector instead of the northeast. She pointed to the relevant section. Her tracking skills would be better utilized in the more wooded area, and she knows that territory from her childhood. She mentioned it during her interview with me—before.

Anders nodded, making the change without question. Her insight into pack members, gathered during her time as an unwitting observer, had proven invaluable in their security planning.

Good catch, he acknowledged. Quinton, implement these changes effective immediately. And have Conall walk the southwestern access point with me this afternoon. I want eyes on that entrance before dark.

Yes, sir, Quinton said with a hint of a smile. The twins had taken to addressing Anders more formally since his mate bond with Etta had become official—a good-natured ribbing he tolerated because it amused her.

As Quinton moved away to relay the instructions, Etta turned her attention to a separate display where data streamed in from pack allies across the Western territories.

Any response from Blackthorn? she asked, her voice carefully neutral, though Anders could feel her tension through their bond.

Nothing yet, he answered honestly. Not from Cross Timbers either. But Ironwood confirmed they’ve identified their asset—a journalist like you, working for their local paper. They’re proceeding with caution, as we advised.

Etta nodded, her expression tight. And Stardust?

Malcolm spoke with their alpha yesterday. They’re sending a delegation to meet with us, arrives tomorrow. Anders hesitated, then added what he knew she needed to hear. We’re making progress. Slow, but steady.

She drew a deep breath, squaring her shoulders in that way he’d come to recognize as her gathering strength. I know. It’s just—every day that passes, the interfaces in those other shifters continue to damage their systems. We don’t know how much time they have.

The fear behind her words was palpable—not for herself, but for others suffering as she had. It was one of the many qualities that had captivated him: her capacity for empathy, even after everything she’d endured.

We’ll find them, Anders promised, allowing his hand to rest briefly on the small of her back—a public display of affection that would have been unthinkable for him a month ago. All of them.

Their eyes met, silent understanding passing between them.

This wasn’t just about stopping a government black ops program anymore.

It was about saving lives—the lives of shifters who, like Etta, had been used without their knowledge or consent.

It was personal in a way few missions had ever been for Anders.

I need to get to the newspaper office, Etta said after a moment. The shipment of specialized equipment is arriving this morning, and I want to set it up before the meeting with Malcolm and Larissa.

Anders nodded, mentally reviewing the security protocols he’d established for the newspaper office.

After a lengthy discussion, the council had approved their plan to convert the Herald into a central hub for their investigation into Chimera.

With its existing infrastructure and public facade, it provided ideal cover for the sensitive work ahead.

I’ll join you there at noon, he said. The Stardust delegation will want a complete briefing when they arrive tomorrow, and we should be prepared.

I’ll have everything ready, she assured him, then hesitated. Do you need help adjusting the southern sensors first?

The offer warmed him—both her willingness to assist with his responsibilities and her understanding of what those responsibilities meant to him. But he shook his head.

Take care of the office. That’s where your expertise is most needed.

She smiled, the bond between them humming. Commander and investigator, working as one.

Precisely, he agreed, allowing himself a rare moment of levity. Though, I believe the proper term is ‘mate.’