Chapter 40
40 Chapter 40 Harvested from the
Chaos
Faye’s POV This update is available on ⓝovelFind.net
The storm had passed, leaving behind air so thick and heavy it felt like breathing through wet cloth. Inside the command tent, dampness clung to everything-the canvas walls, the wooden table, even my skin beneath the dark cloak I wore to stay hidden.
Hardy occupied the head of the scarred table, fresh bandages wrapped around his torso despite the fact that I had completely healed his wounds hours ago in the carriage. Not a single mark should have remained on his body. Yet here he sat, letting Allen bind him with clean white cloth in full view of his officers.
I couldn’t decide if this was tactical deception, personal habit, or something else entirely. The question burned in my throat, but I kept silent. Too much blood had been spilled today. Too many questions already demanded answers.
Maps of the northern territories stretched across the table’s surface, held down by bloodied daggers and empty tin cups. Red stains marked locations where battles had been fought, where lives had been lost.
Since ordering his men to deliver their reports, Hardy hadn’t spoken a single word.
I remained in the shadows behind him, hood pulled low to obscure most of my face. He hadn’t dismissed me, so I stayed. Even if he had tried, I wouldn’t have obeyed. Not tonight. Not after what we’d discovered.
Allen stood beside the flickering oil lamps, sorting through pages of a field report that bore dark crimson fingerprints along the edges. When he finally spoke, his tone was flat and clinical, but every word made my stomach twist tighter.
“Twenty-eight confirmed dead,” he began without preamble. “Three of our lieutenants were poisoned with the same compound we traced back to those Raven Deon traps. One didn’t survive the morning. The other two are hanging on, but barely. Our medics haven’t found anything that counteracts the toxin p>
He paused to flip a page, never looking away from his
notes.
“Twenty additional casualties with various injuries. Blade wounds, burn damage, broken bones.
Manageable for now, but those numbers will double if we face another assault tonight p>
Hardy’s voice was steel when he responded. “We will p>
Allen acknowledged this with a curt nod before continuing his grim inventory.
“The children we recovered are physically stable, thanks to Lady Faye’s intervention,” he said, casting a brief glance in my direction. “No visible wounds or infections. But they’re severely malnourished. Ribs showing through their skin. Muscle tissue almost completely wasted away. Several haven’t uttered a sound since we found them. The ones who do speak flinch whenever an adult moves too quickly p>
My chest felt like it was being crushed slowly.
“We provided food and clean clothes as instructed. They’re housed in the medical tent under guard, but…” Allen hesitated, something flickering across his
weathered features. “They won’t relax. Even while eating, their eyes dart toward the tent entrance
constantly. They devour their meals like wild animals, like they expect someone to snatch the food away any
second p>
Finally, Hardy lifted his head from the maps. “Go on,” he ordered, his expression unreadable. “She risked everything to save them. She has the right to hear all of it p>
This time, Allen didn’t hesitate.
“We believe these children are survivors from smaller
settlements and isolated packs that fell victim to previous Raven Deon raids,” he explained. “That was our initial assessment. However, new evidence suggests otherwise p>
He produced a folded document and placed it carefully on the table. “Blood tests revealed traces of foreign substances in their systems. Compounds not found naturally in this region. I need more time for complete analysis, but whatever was administered to them happened gradually, over weeks or months p>
“What exactly are you implying?” Hardy’s voice dropped dangerously low.
“I believe these children weren’t simply imprisoned. They were being systematically prepared. Broken down and rebuilt for a specific purpose.” Allen’s expression hardened into something cold and merciless. “There’s a thriving black market for exactly
this kind of merchandise p>
Every muscle in Hardy’s body went rigid.
“Human trafficking?” The words scraped out of my throat like broken glass.
Allen confirmed my worst fears with a single nod. “An extensive underground network that specializes in trading fae and witch captives. But werewolf children, particularly those carrying Alpha bloodlines, are considered extremely rare and valuable commodities. The younger and more malleable they are, the higher their selling price. Witches prize them above all others for ritualistic purposes p>
Ice water seemed to flood my veins.
“We’re beginning to suspect these children weren’t
random casualties of Raven Deon violence,” Allen continued relentlessly. “Someone else orchestrated those attacks, using the chaos and destruction as cover to harvest the survivors p>
“And my father kept them,” I whispered, the words tasting like poison on my tongue. Everything was falling into place now. Hardy had known about the children from the beginning. That’s why he’d manipulated me into stealing that map. He wasn’t just after territory or strategic information. He knew exactly what horrors were hidden in that compound.
Allen remained silent for several heartbeats. When he finally spoke again, his words hit like physical blows.
“Rowan Stormhaven is one of several Alpha leaders we’ve long suspected of conducting illegal business with witch covens,” he revealed. “Our intelligence indicated his involvement in trafficking rare artifacts, forbidden herbs, and dark magical components, but we had no evidence linking him to child trafficking. That aspect was completely concealed from our surveillance p>
He shifted his gaze between Hardy and me, jaw
clenched tight with barely contained fury.
“Based on what we’ve uncovered today, this operation is far more extensive and horrific than our worst projections. We’re dealing with something that goes beyond anything we prepared for p>
I couldn’t respond. Words wouldn’t come. My throat felt like someone was slowly strangling me. Under the concealing cloak, my hands balled into fists, nails cutting deep enough into my palms to draw blood. Rage and shame battled for dominance in my chest.
Turning away so no one could see my face, I forced out a broken confession. “I had no idea any of this was happening p>
During my years in the pack, I’d followed every omega protocol perfectly. I collected firewood, carried water, scrubbed laundry until my hands bled. My herb-gathering expeditions took me all over our territory, sometimes close to the restricted zones, but I never witnessed anything suspicious.
Or perhaps I simply chose not to see it.
Hardy said nothing, just leaned back in his chair with
his eyes fixed on the tent entrance like he was already calculating our next move.
After an eternity of silence, he finally issued new orders. “Bring the wounded here immediately. Faye will heal them p>
Allen nodded and headed for the exit, but before he could push through the canvas flap, a soldier burst inside. His face was white with terror, chest heaving like he’d run for miles.
“We found another body,” he gasped. “This one wasn’t killed by Raven Deons p>
Hardy shot to his feet instantly. “Explain p>
The soldier swallowed hard before answering. “Northern army soldier. Throat cut clean through. No defensive wounds, no signs of fighting back. And someone left this on his chest p>
Morh Lucia
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.