Free Haulcon's Revenge by Yvette Hines

me when I say it is good to be alive. I’m glad you all were able to come. How do you know you were not followed?” He asked looking around the small group of male and female valfs, some of their best defenders.
    “ We all went out different directions in pairs at different times then regrouped,” Friedol answered.
    He nodded. “Good. Nyca, did you fill them all in?”
    “ Yes.” Nyca confirmed.
    “ I was able to sneak into your room, and get you some things.” Larina handed him a black bag.
    He peered inside and saw his black pants, shirt, boots and his long coat. The valf female had thought of everything. “Good work, Larina.”
    Tison leaned over and kissed his mate on her temple.
    “ Now we want to know how we’re going to take out the fucking murderous usurper.” Tison, who had been a member of Ridok’s protection making him now head of Haulcon’s protection detail, growled out.
    Haulcon could see by the darkening of his pale, golden eye color the valf was more than ready to fight.
    “ Precision and team work. I will explain my plan but I want one thing to be clear.” He met each of their gazes before saying “I want to be the one to kill Jacin.”
    “ Our word, Alpha.” They all chanted.
    Filled with pride at their loyalty, Haulcon began telling them his idea. Time was of the essence and he wanted the job done today.
    “ There’s something you should know, Alpha,” Chrysen began after they had made plans for the attack on Jacin and his followers.
    The disconcerting look on her face gave Haulcon pause. “What’s that?”
    “ There are valfs that are still disappearing.” Chrysen glanced around at all the other faces of those gathered around Haulcon seated in a circle before she continued, “We thought that was what had happened to you—the vanishing.”
    “ It is the reason we had been taking shifts scouting the areas where other bodies had been found,” Nyca added.
    “ It is possible that Jacin is behind those disappearances too,” Haulcon pondered. Before he’d been duped by Jacin and his supporters, he’d been in the process of trying to uncover the mystery behind why there were members of his clan that came up missing and then were found dead on the outskirts of the human city.
    “ Jacin is using their deaths as a reason for us to rally together and take the human city,” Tison informed him. “His plan is for that to happen in the next few days.”
    “ After his offering ceremony tonight,” Nyca said.
    “ What he hopes will be his offering ceremony. When in fact, the night will belong to the rightful leader of the South-East Valfs--Haulcon.” Friedol placed a hand on Haulcon’s shoulder.
    Accepting his words, Haulcon gave him a nod. “These disappearances cannot continue to happen. Is it still those that are weak that have gone missing?”
    “ Yes. The old, young or frail,” Tison confirmed.
    Haulcon sighed heavy. This appeared to be something that Jacin was behind, but he’d never been able to figure out why his foe would do it. What would be his gain?
    “ I’m sure you are correct, Alpha. Once Jacin and his poison are eradicated this issue will also go away.”
    Haulcon remained silent. His heart was weighed down with the loss of those that counted on him for their safety. He made a silent vow to himself that he would protect his people no matter the cost.
    ~YH~
    “ Welcome to James Ellis Research Laboratory, how may I help you?” There was a red-headed woman at the desk in the front lobby. It was a small area. Not many people had reason to visit a research lab. To the right was a security door that had a passcode as well as a badge swipe to get into.
    “ Hi, I’m Adair Ellis, I’m here to see my father.”
    The small woman’s lids stretched with shock. Adair could understand. She didn’t look anything like her dad. She was the spitting image of her mother though. Her father was tall, lean to the point of emaciated from his lack of nutrition, and he had a