"Kendrick's guy—you know how he's getting in?"
"No clue. Kendrick didn't share."
Orion traces his thumb along his lip, gaze distant. "Deidre's second—Pierre. You met him before?"
"No. But he's a sadist, from what I've heard."
"Aren't they all?"
I hum in response, remembering this story about Deidre my father once told me. She had her sights on a married man. Turned the whole town against the wife, eventually marking the poor woman's entire female line as pariahs. Mother, sisters, aunts, cousins. The townspeople tortured all of them as Deidre fanned the flames of hysteria. Ironically, accusing the women of witchcraft. In the end, she bewitched the husband, only to grow bored of him a few months later. Killed him, then left town.
An entire family line, slaughtered on a whim.
I wait for Orion to move his queen. We're quiet for a few minutes, moving swiftly. I take two of his pawns.
Orion smirks. Then his smile fades. "And Silas?"
I hesitate. "If he's there, we get him out. No matter what."
He nods. "Even if he's working with them?"
"You think he is?" I ask, surprised. He's always believed Silas was taken against his will. Or killed, though neither of us would accept that, not without a body. But it's possible his feelings have changed since Mona came into our lives as she did. Covered in half-moon scars from Silas's teeth.
But he shakes his head. "No. I don't. But… who knows, really? It's been years. It's hard to imagine they'd be able to spell him, let alone for this long."
We finish our game and set up the board for another night. I wonder if Mona's dreaming of Silas and Lily again. Or if she's seeing something else, something that could be useful to us.
"Get some sleep," I tell Orion. "Tomorrow we'll go through the plan. Every angle." Kellen and Eli will stay behind, in charge in my absence. Eli is my third and stronger than most. His mate Kellen is one of my best enforcers—not the strongest, but well respected and loved—they will stay with my mate while we're away.
Orion claps my shoulder, then heads up the stairs, slow and heavy. I hear him pause outside Mona's door. I can picture him, ear pressed to her door, like a simp.
Like I'm any better.
A minute later, though, he continues down the hall toward his room. I sit in the dark a while and listen to the house settle.
I glance over. Like I can see the memory. Me and Silas, shoving each other down the stairs. My father lecturing us about honor and duty. My mother, carrying a basket full of wildflowers, fine lines framing her warm smile.
I want my brother back, but I'm afraid of what I'll find. If he's even still him.
I head for the stairs. There's no light coming from under Mona's door. I consider knocking, despite my earlier insistence she get some sleep.
This isn't at all how I thought having a mate would go.
When I see other couples around town, they look happy. They don't seem to argue or get annoyed with each other. Granted, I'm not looking behind closed doors.
But I can't say anything to Mona without shoving my foot in my mouth. I don't even mean to do it, I just don't have a gentletouch. I never have. I've never had to hope someone would listen and do as I say. They just do.
Hell, most of our clan can barely argue with me. My alpha is too strong, too dominant. And while my alpha bark would likely work on her, every other tactic I usually employ does nothing. She just flips me off and ignores me.
She's all fire and defiance. It's frustrating. Makes me want to pull my hair out. Tie her up, force her to listen.
It's annoying.
Maddening.
It's… fuck.
It's exhilarating.
