Chapter 496
I left them to process that and returned to where Lumina was still fussing over the boys.
“They need to be checked by medical, she was saying. “All three of you. You fought in a battle-”
“We’re fine, Mom,” Ollie protested. “Really.”
“You’re not fine,” Lumina corrected. “You’re exhausted and possibly in shock and definitely need professional medical assessment.”
“Riley already used his precognition to determine we have no serious injuries,” Lake pointed out. “So medical assessment would be
redundant.”
“Precognition doesn’t replace actual medical examination,” Lumina said firmly. “Lynn is going to check all three of you and that’s
final.”
The boys recognized Luna authority when they heard it and stopped protesting.
I caught Lynn’s attention and he came over, still looking tired from healing the more critical patients.
“Three more for you,” I said, gesturing to the boys. “Full examinations. They won’t admit if something’s wrong.”
‘I’ll handle it,’ Lynn assured me. “Come on, terrors. Let’s make sure you’re actually as fine as you claim.”
He herded the boys toward the medical area while they continued insisting they were perfectly healthy.
Lumina leaned against me, and I wrapped my arms around her.
“They could have died,” she said quietly. “All three of them. If Shawn hadn’t been there, if they hadn’t been as trained and powerful as
they are-
“But they were there, I interrupted gently. “And they were trained. And they survived. That’s what matters.
“Jerome tried to kill our children, Lumina said, her voice hard now. “Deliberately targeted them. That’s-there’s no coming back from that. No negotiation, no prisoner exchange, no diplomatic solution.”
“I know,’ I said.
“We have to stop him,” she continued. “Permanently. Whatever it takes. Because as long as he’s out there, as long as he’s planning attacks, our family isn’t safe.”
“I know,” I said again. “And we will stop him. We have prisoners now, intelligence, patterns of operation. We’ll find him and end this.
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Chapter 496
“Promise me, Lumina said, pulling back to look at me directly. “Promise me you’ll do whatever is necessary to protect our children. That you won’t let principle or progressive policies or moral concerns stop you from eliminating this threat.”
I looked at my mate, saw the fierce determination in her eyes, and recognized that she was giving me permission-or maybe a
command-to become the kind of alpha I’d been trying not to be.
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‘I promise,” I said. ‘Whatever is necessary. No more restraint, no more measured responses. Jerome declared war on our family today.
We’re going to finish it.”
“Good,” Lumina said, then kissed me hard. “Now go coordinate with Zade and your parents. Figure out how to turn this defeat into
Jerome’s last mistake.”
I found Zade, Thorne, and my parents gathered near what had been the school’s administrative building. They were reviewing tactical maps on tablets, marking attack patterns and coordination points.
“Xenois, Zade said as I approached. “This was sophisticated. Multiple entry points, coordinated timing, magical weather manipulation, inside knowledge of security protocols and student schedules. This wasn’t improvised-Jerome’s been planning this for
weeks.
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