Derren blinked. “You don’t know?”
“There’s a website that provides a list of people or packs that have bounties on their heads,” explained Nick. “Anyone interested in collecting on any of those bounties simply has to do the deed and prove it afterward. The problem is that whoever runs the website protects the identities of the people who submit requests for a name to be placed on the list. Only the person behind the website knows their identities.”
“So we need to find this person,” said Bracken.
“Donovan tried.” Nick leaned back against his desk. “There’s actually a group of shifters already working on it. But the site is run on some kind of high-tech, super-fucking-advanced anonymity network that protects the creator’s identity. To make matters even harder, the site also has all kinds of ‘trip wires’ that sense anyone trying to hack into it and immediately delivers viruses that crash whatever computer is being used.”
“Shit,” Eli bit out. “This isn’t going to be like the problem we had finding the jackals; we can’t rely on hackers to trace the servers or IP addresses.” At his brother’s nod of agreement, Eli asked, “So what now?”
“Donovan said he’d keep trying, but his opinion is that it would take him years to get past those trip wires—mostly because the trip wires keep changing, like a moving labyrinth. He said he’s never seen anything like this before. The hit on us could have been placed by one shifter, an entire pack, or some kind of organization. All he knows at this point is that they’re also responsible for the hit on the Phoenix Pack.”
Bracken scratched his nape. “They want every single member of both packs dead?”
Nick nodded. “Every single last one.”
Jesse whistled. “Then this is very personal.”
Eli folded his arms across his chest. “So the question is . . . who hates both packs so damn much?”
“Someone who both packs thoroughly pissed off.” Marcus exhaled heavily. “That should make it easier to work out who it is.”
“It could still be hyenas,” mused Bracken. “I mean, plenty of them died here at our hands after they accompanied the jackals in the recent battle. The Phoenix Pack joined us for the fight, and they killed plenty of hyenas too.”
Roni inclined her head, but she didn’t appear convinced. “Who else could be responsible?”
“The extremists.” At the skeptical expressions directed his way, Jesse added, “Think about it. Who better to use to kill shifters than other shifters? Especially when no one would expect the extremists to do it.”
Frowning, Shaya shook her head. “The extremists like the violence, they enjoy hurting us. They wouldn’t have someone else do it for them.”
“We should consider the council,” Derren claimed. “We know too much. We have evidence that one of their members was using the jackals as their very own attack dogs.”
Shaya nodded. “The council doesn’t like to get their hands dirty. Putting a hit out on us—that’s their style.”
Nick sighed. “Until we find out who this is and eliminate them, we need to step up security and defend our territory rather than disperse to go hunting the culprits.”
“We can’t afford to separate,” said Shaya, her worry reflected in her voice. “Especially when our pack is so small.”
“And if we leave our territory to go hunting, it makes us easier targets.” Nick curled an arm around Shaya. “On our own territory, we’re more powerful. So we don’t make it easy for anyone hoping to collect on the bounty by separating. We make them come to us. And then we kill each and every person who tries to come at us. Word will soon get out that anyone who attempts to collect on the bounty will disappear.”
“The Phoenix Pack will probably do the same,” Marcus told them.
“I’ll notify Trey of what’s happening,” said Nick. “After that, we need to inform the rest of our pack. We need them to be vigilant.”
So, having called everyone into the kitchen of the main lodge for a meeting, they did just that. Kathy, Kent, and Caleb were clearly worried. To Derren, Ally seemed more pissed than anything else. When he saw her pinch the bridge of her nose while her brow creased in pain, he cursed himself for not considering that being around a bunch of shifters who were currently vibrating with rage would be hard on her.
Leaning into her, Derren asked in a low voice, “Need to get out of here?”
“I’m fine.” Her expression smoothed out as she strived to hide her pain, but she didn’t fully manage it.
“Come on.” He cupped her elbow as he rose, bringing her to her feet. “I’m taking Ally back to her lodge,” he told Shaya.