BOUND TO THREE ALPHAS
Chapter 63: THE DIPLOMATIC MISSION

Chapter 63: THE DIPLOMATIC MISSION

Chapter 63: The Diplomatic Mission

The special council meeting stretched past midnight. Maps covered every surface, marking Coalition areas in angry red ink. Food stores would last two weeks. Medicine, maybe less. "We could break through their northern border," Alpha Marcus suggested, jabbing his finger at the map. "Hit them before they expect it." "That’s exactly what Shadowbane wants," Kael answered firmly.

"The moment we attack, he’ll claim we started the war." "So we just sit here and starve?" Beta Thompson’s voice cracked with anger. Liana stood by the window, watching the rain streak down glass. Behind her, voices rose in heated debate. Fear made everyone desperate. Desperate people made bad choices. "There’s another option," she said quietly. The room fell silent. "Diplomacy," she continued, turning to face them.

"We go to the Coalition leaders. Talk to them directly, not through Shadowbane’s effect." "Absolutely not," Kael said instantly. "It’s too dangerous." "More dangerous than war?" "They tried to kill you three hours ago!" "No, Shadowbane tried to frighten us. The Coalition wants to negotiate—otherwise they would’ve attacked instead of blockading." Elder Mira nodded slowly.

"The girl has a point. Blockades are political tools. Violence is what comes after talking fails." "I’ll go," Kael said. "As future Alpha, I have the authority to make deals." "They won’t respect you the same way," Liana replied. "You’re just another Alpha to them. But I’m the image they’re fighting against. If I show up ready to talk..." "They’ll see weakness," Rowan ended. "Or courage." Liana’s chin lifted. "When was the last time an omega walked into enemy territory to save her people?" Jace leaned back in his chair, grinning despite the stress.

"Never. Which is exactly why it might work." "This is insane," Kael grumbled. "Sanity isn’t working." Liana moved to the map, tracing the way to Coalition lands. "Give me three days. If I can’t break through to at least one of their leaders, we’ll consider other choices." "You’re not going alone," Jace said, standing. "I’ll take a small team. Fast and quiet." "I should—" Kael started.

"You should stay here," Liana interrupted softly. "If something happens to me, the union needs its next Alpha. And if Coalition forces attack while we’re gone, Rowan will need your help defending everyone." Kael’s jaw clenched, but he nodded. The reasoning was sound, even if he hated it. Two hours before dawn, Liana stood in the stalls with her small team. Jace had picked five warriors—enough to handle trouble, not enough to look threatening. Their horses stamped nervously, feeling the tension. "Remember," Jace said to his team, "we’re diplomats, not attackers. No guns drawn unless absolutely necessary." "And if they attack anyway?" asked Marcus, a young fighter with worried eyes. "Then you get Liana out. Everything else is secondary." Liana hugged Kael and Rowan goodbye. Kael held her extra tight. "Promise me you’ll be careful," he whispered against her hair.

"Promise me you’ll keep everyone together while I’m gone." They rode out as the sun painted the sky pink. The first day passed without incident, though they spotted Coalition scouts tracking them from faraway ridges. The scouts never approached—just watched and reported. "They know we’re coming," Jace noted as they made camp. "Good. Maybe they’ll be ready to talk." But on the second day, everything changed. They were crossing through neutral territory—a stretch of forest between pack lands where humans sometimes hunted. The trees grew thick here, blocking out most of the sunshine. "Something’s wrong," Jace said suddenly, pulling his horse to a stop.

Liana felt it too. The forest was too quiet. No bird songs, no moving leaves. Even the insects had gone quiet. "We should turn back," Marcus whispered. A branch snapped to their left. Then their right. They were trapped. "Dismount slowly," a harsh voice ordered. "Keep your hands visible." Men stepped out from behind bushes, at least a dozen of them. They wore military gear and carried weapons Liana had never seen before—guns that hummed with electric energy, nets that sparkled silver, and strange devices that beeped steady. "Humans," Jace breathed in shock. The boss was a tall man with scars covering half his face. His eyes held the cold focus of someone who’d killed before. "You’re the monsters," he said, not asking. "The ones planning to attack innocent people." "We’re not monsters," Liana said slowly. "We’re trying to prevent a war." "Liar!" The man raised his weapon.

"We know what you are. Shape-shifters. Killers. You’ve been feeding on humans for ages." "That’s not true—" "Enough talking." He pointed to his team. "Silver nets. Take them alive for questioning." The hunters moved fast, but Jace moved faster. He changed mid-leap, his wolf form crashing into two men before they could fire. Chaos burst through the forest. Liana tried to shift but nothing happened.

Panic shot through her as she stayed stubbornly human. "Luna!" she called to her wolf spirit. "I need you!" Silence answered her. One of the shooters fired a net at her. She dodged, but barely. The silver strands sizzled where they hit the ground, leaving black lines on the earth.

"The artifact’s working!" the scarred leader yelled. "She can’t change!" Artifact? Liana spun around, looking for whatever was blocking her powers. There—one of the hunters carried a strange stone pendant that glowed with dark energy. It hurt to look at directly. Jace’s wolf form darted between trees, trying to protect his scattered team. But there were too many hunters, and their weapons were designed especially for fighting werewolves. A silver bullet caught him in the shoulder. He yelped and stumbled, blood soaking his fur. "Jace!" Liana ran toward him, but another net cut her off. "Got her!" A hunter grabbed her arms, forcing metal shackles around her wrists.

The metal burned her skin, and what left of her connection to Luna vanished completely. Jace tried to stand, tried to reach her. Another bullet hit his leg. He fell, shifting back to human form. Silver poisoning was already turning his face gray. "No!" Liana fought against her captors, but the shackles made her weak as a normal person. "Load them up," the leader ordered. "The Coalition wants them alive, but just barely." As they dragged her toward a waiting truck, Liana caught sight of Jace being raised by two hunters. His breathing was shallow, his pulse obvious and racing. Silver shots could kill a werewolf if the metal stayed in too long. "Please," she begged the scarred boss. "He needs medical help. He’ll die if you don’t remove the bullets."

"That’s the idea, monster." They threw her into the back of the truck. Through the metal mesh window, she watched Jace being loaded into a second truck. His eyes found hers for one desperate moment. "Tell... Kael..." he whispered before losing consciousness. The trucks roared to life.

As they pulled away, Liana saw the bodies of three fallen warriors scattered in the bush. Only Marcus and one other had fled. The pendant-wearing hunter climbed into her truck, keeping the item close. Every time she tried to reach for her wolf skills, the stone pulsed brighter and her connection grew weaker. "What is that thing?" she asked. The hunter smiled coldly. "Ancient magic. Older than your lovely Moon Goddess. It strips shape-shifters of their supernatural powers, makes them as helpless as regular humans." "Who gave it to you?" "Someone who understands the danger you pose. Someone who’s been preparing for this war longer than you’ve been alive." Liana’s blood cooled. Not Shadowbane—this felt different. Older. More calculated. "The Coalition hired you?" "The Coalition thinks they hired us. But we serve a higher cause." His eyes gleamed with fanatic loyalty. "Humanity’s survival depends on eliminating your kind completely." The truck bounced over rough roads, carrying her deeper into unknown country.

Behind them, another vehicle transported Jace—if he was still living. Liana pressed her face against the cold metal mesh, watching the trees disappear. Somewhere back home, Kael and Rowan were waiting for her return. They had no idea their foreign mission had become a trap. Worse, they had no idea that the real enemy wasn’t just the Coalition or even Shadowbane. Someone else was playing this game. Someone who wanted all werewolves dead, not just beaten. And now they had her exactly where they wanted her—powerless, captured, and totally cut off from everything that made her strong.

The truck hit a bump, jolting her back to the present. Through the window, she caught a glimpse of a road sign: "Blackwater Falls - 50 miles." She’d never heard of the place. But something deep in her bones told her that whatever waited there would change everything. Again.