Nix sniffed the air and then turned to me.She is right. The magic is…
Familiar.Megan finished for Nix, but then nudged me.Answer him, but make it look like you’re struggling. Like Nix is trying to stop you from answering, but his magic is too strong not to refuse him.
I shook harder and opened my mouth. I forced a grunt and then flashed my eyes again. I finally screamed and huffed out a labored answer. “Yes. When she doesn’t agree with me…she will take over…forcing me to sleep.” I made my eyes widen. I turned to Vince and sighed. “How?”
He just smiled. “You are stronger than you think.” But Vince thankfully turned away to Morgan. “I think my hands are tied here.”
Morgan looked at me, and I let my teeth descend again, snapping in his direction. He flinched, but recovered. “Ainsley please. Is there no other way?” He looked at me. “If your mom agrees to work on things, will you let the challenge go?”
I nodded. “If she agrees. She makes her own decisions.”
Morgan turned his hopeful eyes to my mother, but she just leaned in. “I would rather see you dead on the ground than spend another day with you.” His eyes filled with tears, and then he turned to leave.
“Wait.” Vince called and Morgan froze. “As Alpha of the Oakenfang pack, I declare the bond between Beta Morgan and Ainsley Maclean dissolved. The marriage is void, and both are single to bond again.” He had opened the mind link to every pack member, making his decree and dissolving the marriage for the pack to see.
We made it back to the house and my mother was ecstatic, dancing her way to my room. We shut the door, and she twirled. “Where do I go?” She turned to me and I just gave her a look. “I know I’m going to the cabin. I just mean how? Won’t the pack notice if I don’t leave?”
I waved my hand. “I’ll use magic to pretend to drive you away and I’ll leave your car at the airport and run back. Just pack your essentials and we will go over.” I kissed her temple. “But let’s be quick.”
“Why?” She sat on my bed and I pulled out black clothes. She just lifted her eyebrows. “What are you going to do? Rob a bank?”
I laughed. “I need a shower and descenting spray.” I rummaged through my bathroom, but my mom stood and went into my closet. “What are you doing?”
“I put the extra spray in here, foolish girl.” She came out with a bottle. “Now tell me why.”
“Rick.” She just twirled her finger.
“Rick what?” She handed me the bottle, and I put it on my counter.
“When he told me to go home for the day. He told me to go for a run.” I looked at her, but she was just staring at me expectantly. “Rick hinted that something was going to be happening in the woods today. Or tonight.”
“How do you know? And why didn’t he just say that?”
“There are cameras in our offices. I don’t know where, and I don’t know who watches them. But Vince knows stuff he shouldn’t.”
“So that’s why you told me to not say anything about Alannah being pregnant.”
I nodded. “There is a whole disgusting reason behind that, I’ll tell you later. Go pack. We don’t have a lot of time.”
She stared at me. “You feel something?”
I stopped and let myself feel whatever I was feeling. And then I nodded. “Something is happening. Something important that I have to see or stop. Something.”
She pushed up. “Then I better move.” She walked out of my room. She called back to me, knowing that Morgan had set up microphones in here to listen. I found the cameras a long time ago and got rid of them, but we pretended I didn’t see the sound recorders. “I’ll be ready to leave in five minutes. I’m not taking shit from this fucking house. Just get me to Toya’s pack.”
Then there were a few slamming drawers and packing. I took a shower and descented myself. Then I dried my hair, putting it up into a slick bun.
Are you ready?I called back to my wolves. Nix fluffed her fur and settled down on the ground.
Yup.She called back and I laughed. Megan looked at her, confused.
You look ready to sleep.Megan snorted.
I am.She cleaned her paw.I’m not the one going out into the woods. You are.
Megan turned to me.What?
I nodded.Nix is known. We need obscurity, not notoriety. It’s your time to shine. Sneak in, find out what is going on, stop whatever we have to stop and then get out. Quick, easy, and silent.
