Page 42 of Anders (The Sunburst Pack #2)

Her laugh, still somewhat uncommon but increasingly frequent, lightened something in his chest. I’ll see you at noon, then, mate .

As she turned to leave, Anders found himself watching her go—the confident stride so different from her hesitant movements during those first days of recovery, the straight shoulders that carried burdens no one should have to bear.

His wolf stirred with pride and possessiveness but also something deeper, something that honored her strength rather than seeking to shelter it.

Quinton cleared his throat discreetly, reminding Anders of their audience. With practiced discipline, he refocused on the security schematics, though a small part of his awareness remained attuned to Etta’s presence through their bond, tracking her progress as she left the packhouse grounds.

The bond itself had strengthened considerably since her surgery, the removal of the neural interface eliminating the interference that had distorted their connection.

Now it flowed between them like a steady current, allowing for a depth of communication Anders had never experienced before.

Sometimes he still marveled at it—at how quickly it had become essential to him, a man who had prided himself on self-sufficiency.

Southern sensor array needs your attention, boss, Quinton reminded him, tactfully not commenting on his momentary distraction.

Anders nodded sharply, gathering his equipment with efficient movements. I’m on it. Have Conall meet me there when he wakes up.

The morning passed in a blur of technical adjustments and security protocols.

Anders lost himself in the work, the methodical precision of it steadying his mind as it always had.

By the time he finished recalibrating the southern sensors, the sun was high in the sky, indicating he had just enough time to clean up before meeting Etta at the newspaper office.

He arrived precisely at noon, noting with approval the new security measures installed at the entrance—discreet but effective, capable of detecting both conventional threats and the specialized technology Chimera employed.

Inside, the Herald ’s main workspace had been transformed, the dusty remnants of its former life replaced by cutting-edge equipment arranged in organized workstations.

Etta stood at the center of it all, directing the final placement of a sophisticated communications array that Anders recognized as military-grade.

He didn’t ask where Malcolm had obtained it; some questions were better left unasked, especially when the answers might involve connections from his own past in Special Forces.

She sensed his presence immediately, turning to greet him with a smile that still made his heart rate quicken. Right on time.

Always, he said, scanning the room with habitual thoroughness. Impressive setup.

We’ve repurposed the printing equipment room for secure communications, she said, leading him through the transformed space. The basement has been completely reconfigured for intelligence analysis—all evidence of Chimera’s surveillance equipment removed and replaced with our own systems.

The efficiency of the operation reflected her journalistic organizational skills combined with the tactical training Chimera had unwittingly provided.

Anders followed her down to the basement, noting the reinforced door, the advanced lock system, the subtle defensive measures incorporated into what appeared to be ordinary office fixtures.

And this, Etta said with undisguised pride, is our intelligence hub.

The basement bore no resemblance to the cluttered archive room where he’d found her having a seizure all those weeks ago. Instead, it had been transformed into a state-of-the-art command center that rivaled his own setup at the Old Packhouse.

Multiple workstations faced a central display wall, each equipped with specialized analysis software. Maps covered one section, marking known Chimera facilities and suspected operations with color-coded pins and notations.

You’ve been busy, Anders observed, genuinely impressed.

I had help, she said. Sarah’s cousin works in information technology. He set up the secure networks without asking too many questions.

Anders moved to examine the central display, where a complex diagram traced the organizational structure of Chimera as they currently understood it. Names and positions were connected by lines indicating reporting relationships, areas of responsibility, known associates.

This is new, he noted, indicating a section he hadn’t seen before.

Etta nodded, her expression turning serious. It came in this morning from our contact in Denver. Confirmation that Chimera’s influence extends beyond military and intelligence circles into civilian research institutions.

She tapped a command on the nearest keyboard, bringing up additional documentation. Three major universities have received funding through shell companies we’ve now linked directly to Chimera. All three have genetics research facilities with focuses that could be applied to shifter physiology.

Anders studied the information. They’re expanding their research base, creating plausible deniability through academic partnerships.

Exactly, Etta confirmed. Which means their operation is larger and more sophisticated than we initially thought.

She pulled up another file, this one containing personnel records.

But we also found this. Dr. William Chen, geneticist at Colorado State University.

His research was funded by one of Chimera’s shell companies, but six months ago, he abruptly terminated the relationship and relocated to a private research facility in New Mexico.

The significance wasn’t lost on Anders. A defector?

Potentially. Etta highlighted a section of the report. His last published paper before disappearing from academic circles focused on noninvasive suppression of genetic traits—exactly the kind of research that could lead to the chemical suppression Chimera used on me and the other assets.

If he developed the technology and then had a crisis of conscience—

He could be a valuable ally, Etta finished. Or at least a source of information on how to counteract the suppression in the other assets.

Anders nodded slowly, analyzing potential approaches. We need to locate him, make contact cautiously. If Chimera suspects he’s defected, they’ll be watching him.

Already working on it, Etta assured him. I’ve traced his movements to a private medical research facility near Santa Fe. It’s officially focused on degenerative neurological conditions, but its security measures suggest something more sensitive.

The thoroughness of her investigation impressed him, though he wasn’t surprised. Etta approached their mission with the same methodical dedication she had once applied to journalism—enhanced now by the wolf’s instincts she was learning to integrate.

This is excellent work, he acknowledged. When the Stardust delegation arrives tomorrow, we’ll have substantive leads to share.

Etta’s expression softened slightly, a hint of vulnerability showing through her professional demeanor. Do you think they’ll trust me? After they learn what I was?

Anders stepped closer, allowing himself to breach the professional distance he typically maintained during operational discussions. They’ll trust you because I do. Because Malcolm and Larissa do. And because you’ve earned it through your actions since breaking free of Chimera’s control.

She nodded, though he could sense her lingering uncertainty through their bond. With a gentleness few outside their private moments ever witnessed, Anders cupped her face in his hands.

You are not what they made you, he reminded her, echoing words he’d spoken to her before. You’re Etta Barone and Eliana Thornwood, mate to Anders Hamilton, member of the Sunburst Pack. And you’re the strongest person I know.

Thank you, she whispered, leaning briefly into his touch before straightening. We should finish preparing for the council meeting. Malcolm and Larissa will be here at three to review our findings before tomorrow’s delegation arrives.

Anders recognized the shift back to professional focus and respected it, stepping back to examine the central display again. We should organize the intelligence chronologically rather than by source. It will make the pattern of Chimera’s expansion clearer.

They worked side by side for the next hour, arranging information displays, preparing briefing materials, discussing security arrangements for the visiting delegation. The easy rhythm they’d developed over the past weeks made the work flow smoothly.

Anders found himself appreciating the partnership in a way he wouldn’t have thought possible before meeting her. His previous approach to security had been solitary, with him shouldering the burden alone out of a sense of duty and a belief that connection meant vulnerability.

Now he understood that the right partnership could be a source of strength rather than weakness.

The thought of another shifter facing what Etta had endured—the neural interface burning through their nervous system, their very identity being erased—sent a cold fury through Anders’s veins.

But he channeled the emotion into focused action, developing emergency protocols for exactly that scenario.

The pack was unified, their defenses strengthened, their intelligence network expanding daily.

Most importantly, they understood what they were facing—no longer blind to the threat as they had been when Etta first arrived as Asset E5.

The odds against them were still daunting. Chimera had resources and reach that exceeded their worst estimates.

But standing in the transformed basement of the Sunburst Herald , with his mate at his side and their pack united in purpose, Anders felt something he had rarely experienced in his duty-driven life.

Hope.

Not the fragile optimism of the naive, but the steely determination of warriors who understood their enemy and believed in their cause.

Let them come , Anders thought. We’re ready for them .

And they were.