Chapter 126: The Whisper of Miracles

Lucien inclined his head though, accepting the logical constraint with a faint nod. “I am well aware of Aegis’s division protocols. However, you know the handlers who briefed you, the cell commanders who armed you, and the regional contacts you were cleared to liaise with here in Europe. Those are the names I require. Begin.”

Elena drew in a shaky breath and began to speak. She detailed the structure of her local tactical unit, the names of her immediate officers, the logistics drop points in Berlin and London, and the supply lines that delivered their specialized munitions. Dave chimed in nervously, offering squad numbers, regional frequency bands, and the aliases of two field handlers operating out of the Pacific Northwest.

He also supplied the names of researchers he had encountered during weapons training and describing the restricted facilities where recruits were introduced to specialised ammunition. He explained that the new weapon used against Lucien had been developed by a researcher named Bill, whose work had attracted considerable attention among the organisation’s senior leadership.

“Did you see the weapon being tested?” Lucien asked.

Dave hesitated to answer him. “Not against an Original Lycan.”

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

Dave sighed. “I saw demonstrations. We were shown the results of several tests, but the researchers controlled the entire process. We weren’t permitted to examine the weapon ourselves or question the people who developed it.”

“And yet you trusted their conclusions enough to bring it into my home.”

“We were told the results had been verified.”

“By whom?”

“Senior officials. I don’t know their names.”

Lucien stared at him for a moment, then he gave a soft, almost appreciative laugh, thinking that all Aegis recruits acts like mindless fools.

“Extraordinary. You were sent to kill one of the oldest supernatural beings in existence with a weapon you had never independently examined, based on reports from people whose identities you apparently don’t know. I begin to understand why your organisation has such difficulty keeping its operatives alive.”

Dave’s cheeks coloured, but he said nothing. The conversation continued for several minutes. Elena and Dave gave him everything they could remember, from the structure of Aegis’s training programme to the rules governing field operations.

They described how recruits were taught to identify supernatural creatures, how the organisation collected reports of unusual activity, and how weapons were classified according to their effectiveness against different species.

Lucien listened with the patience of a man enduring a meeting he had already attended. Every so often, he glanced toward the fireplace or adjusted his cuff. Once, he picked up a glass of water from the table, took a sip, and returned it to precisely the same place.

Lucien listened in complete silence, occasionally sipping his drink. But as the minutes bled on, the quiet intrigue in his eyes slowly dulled. He let out a soft, heavy sigh, resting his head back against the leather cushion with a look of profound, unadulterated boredom. When they finally fell silent, he looked at them with an expression of mild disappointment.

“Everything you have just recited,” Lucien interrupted smoothly, cutting Dave off mid-sentence, “Is information I already possess. I know how Aegis recruits its operatives. I know how your training programmes are structured, how your field assignments are distributed, and how your organisation classifies supernatural threats. I was aware of the weapons research long before you arrived at my estate, although I confess I hadn’t expected your superiors to become quite so enthusiastic about testing their latest invention on me.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So you see my dilemma. I’ve spared your lives because I thought you might provide something useful. Instead, I’ve spent the better part of an hour listening to two people repeat information I could have obtained without inviting anyone into my home.”

Elena’s face tightened. “But we’ve told you everything we know.”

“Yes, and that is precisely the problem.” Lucien glanced toward the phone recording their conversation, then returned his attention to them.

He closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head with a faint, disappointed smile. “It appears keeping the two of you alive was an exercise in utter futility. You aren’t tactical insiders; you are simply mindless, dewy-eyed drones executing orders handed down by men who considered you entirely expendable. I am honestly beginning to wonder if it is too late to retract my merciful offer, execute you both right here on the carpet, and pour myself another drink.”

Elena and Dave went stone-still, the air leaving their lungs as the temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees.

Elena’s fingers dug into the fabric of her trousers, while Dave’s shoulders stiffened, and he swallowed hard enough for Lucien to hear it.

Lucien watched their reactions with the faintest smile, while his posture remained relaxed, but the dormant, predatory shadow swirling beneath his aristocratic face threatened to swallow them whole.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I haven’t decided anything yet. Although, if either of you has suddenly remembered a particularly interesting detail, this would be an excellent time to mention it.”

Neither answered. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the soft ticking of the clock above the fireplace.

Before the silence could break into violence, the heavy double doors of the drawing room swung open, shattering the suffocating tension.

Two men stepped into the hall, their heavy leather shoes echoing against the hardwood. Both wore tailored suits, their postures sharp and military-precise.

Leading them was Daniel Philip, Lucien’s Beta for this generation—a tall, sharp-featured man with dark, calculating eyes—followed closely by Mark Morgan, his Gamma, whose broad shoulders and stoic demeanor marked him as a seasoned enforcer.

“Sir,” Daniel addressed his progenitor, inclining his head in a swift, formal bow. “The perimeter has been cleared. Every Aegis operative involved in the breach has been eliminated and their gear secured for analysis.”

“Mmm,” Lucien hummed lazily, not even bothering to shift his gaze from the fireplace.

Across the table, Elena and Dave closed their eyes in silent, hopeless grief, the finality of their squad’s total destruction washing over them.