Page 83 of The Order: Rise of the New Empire

"Hey, not here!" Bekah yells, shoving us both apart from one another. "We are not doing this shit here-"

"Oh, go to hell, Bekah!" I yell, turning my attention toward her. "The person you love is safe and sound in some fucking underground community that you are too fearful to tell me or Xavier about. I don't want to fucking hear it-"

"Kai," Aaron whispers, wrapping his arm around me, his head settling on the crook of my neck. "Calm down. Everyone here is trying to find a way to help your sister," Aaron whispers, the accelerated beat of my heart slowly dwindling. "Take a breather and let Mason speak."

Letting Aaron pull me away from the conversation, I lean into him, taking paced, shallow breaths.

"As you can see, many of us are reaching our limit-"

"The boy spoke of an underground community," the Shifter hisses. "What did he mean?"

"We're calling it the Underground," Bekah sighs, running her hand through her short hair. "A place to keep Marked and Shifters alike safe, training the youth to utilize their abilities to their full potential."

"A safe haven for both of our kinds?" the Shifter questions, Mason's head slowly nodding.

"Had you let me get to that part, I would have explained many of the Marked down there right now have been willing to sacrifice blood to satiate all of you if you choose to take refuge with us. All we ask is that when the time comes, you aid in our fight. Are you willing to stand with the Marked?" Mason pushes, all of the Shifters looking at one another, waiting for the largest one's response.

"What do you need from us, Mason?"

"We are going to infiltrate New Haven and the Precipice, grabbing as many Marked as we can. Once we make our way into the cities, that's when we grab those confined behind their wards. This will kick off a battle that we will need as many people as we can possibly have for. You back us, and we give you a homethat isn't a murky cave. Once we have Forest, and we know she is no longer a threat, we can begin to use her in aiding in all of your transitions," Mason smirks, the whispers in the room ramping up.

"And if she doesn't choose our side?" one of the Shifters yells, Aaron's grasp tightening.

Glancing my way, Mason's eyebrows crease.

"Then we will find another solution," he mutters. "We always have another solution."

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

"So, you want us to infiltrate the cities?" the Shifter questions, silencing the whispers in the group.

"It will be a simple in and out. We have all the tools you might need. You'd have at least four hundred people, many Marked on your side-"

Tuning Mason out, Aaron's lips graze my ear.

"I know this is all a lot, but I promise it is all going to be okay, Kaiden," Aaron whispers, my head leaning further into his chest.

"This is a war no one will be able to come back from, Mason," the Shifter warns, his head cocking.

"Do you think any of us make it out of this? You think this cave is enough to protect all of you if Forest decides it is lights out for everyone?"

Ready to tackle the man for the way he is speaking about my sister, it takes all of my strength not to go over there and drag him to the ground.

"So, either we get her back, and she joins our side, or we exterminate the problem from the source?"

"Wait, no-"

Clamping his hand over my mouth before I can shout in protest, Aaron holds me still, my body thrashing against him, doing its best to get away.

"That's exactly what I am insinuating," Mason whispers, holding out his hand.

Hesitantly looking over Mason's offer, the Shifter shakily raises its hand, their hands curling around one another, embracing in a firm grasp.

Screaming into Aarons hand, he gets Bekah's attention, her hand fidgeting in her bag.

"I'm sorry, Kaiden," she whispers. "It's Forest or the survival of the Marked. I'm not willing to let all my people die just to keep her out of the crossfire."

Feeling the sharp point of a needle slam into my thigh, I look at the clear syringe, feeling my legs give out, the sedative quickly flooding through my veins.

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