Nadia smiled, happiness spreading through her. “Of course.”
Emily sighed. “We’ll get you safe. I promise.”
Nadia’s gaze stayed on the screen as she watched the code fill in the blanks. “I don’t want any of those males to die.”
“If you want to run,” Emily said gently, “Jackson’s pack will protect you.”
“I know,” Nadia replied. “But then the packs will go to war.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again and went back to the screen. Some things cost too much.
Suddenly the window blew open and cold air rushed in. Caidrik jumped inside, shoulders wide, face pale, eyes lit with that unnatural glow. Snow scattered across the sill and the floor, melting into dark specks on the wood.
Nadia’s hand jerked off the laptop keys. “Um, Em? I have to go.” Her body warmed up head to toe in a heated flush.
“What’s going on?” Emily gasped.
“Nothing. Everything is fine, and I’ll call you tomorrow. Trust me.” Nadia ended the call with her thumb tight around her phone. “Caidrik, what are you doing?”
He reached back and shut the window, checking the latch with a rough push as if he didn’t trust it to hold. The chill lingered anyway, creeping over the room and settling against her skin. His breathing sounded thick. “Checking in to make sure you’re okay,” he said, his voice so low it sounded like he’d been chewing on pinecones all night.
Nadia sat up straighter, the blanket sliding to her waist. She watched him the way she’d learned to watch everything lately, with suspicion first. “How are you?”
“I’ve been better.” He kicked off his boots by the wall, brushed snow off his dark shirt, and dragged a hand over his face. “Is Dax dead?”
“Yes. Solomon said he had the body removed.” Sorrow hit her again. She didn’t know Dax well, but he hadn’t deserved to die for somebody else’s power play.
For a second, something hot crossed Caidrik’s face. Anger, maybe. It made the bones of his cheeks stand out and deepened the shadows under his eyes. “Did you find out who poisoned the tea?”
“No. Solomon has no idea.”
Caidrik moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped toward him, tugging her slightly in his direction. He didn’t touch her, but his presence filled the space. “I think you should go to Jackson and Emily’s territory while these trials are going on.”
Holy crap, the male was on her bed. Close to her in a way he’d never tried before. Why was her body short-circuiting? Yeah, he was hot, but come on. She’d seen sexy males before.
Back to work. Concentrate.
She glanced at the laptop again. The screen was still there, lines of code and half-built output. The solution wasn’t coming fast. Hopefully she’d figure it out. The code had come from a scientist in Jackson’s pack who had been happy to help. Of course, if she did create a formula, she still needed to type in the actual words from the grimoire, and Solomon would have to allow her to do so. “I can’t leave the pack.”
Caidrik stared at her. “Because of the rules?”
“Yes, and I love this pack.” She swallowed, hating how small her voice sounded. “We can’t turn back.”
Caidrik lifted his chin, eyes narrowing. “You sure we can’t create our own rules?”
Warmth slid through her at the way he said it, at the intent behind it. She didn’t want to feel anything right now, but her body reacted so strongly to him. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m positive. At least that’s what Solomon says.”
Caidrik scratched at the rough shadow covering his jaw. “I find it interesting that Luca didn’t drink the tea, especially since he’s from the Ravencall Pack with all of their spices.”
“Yeah, Emily said the same thing.” Nadia shut the laptop with a soft snap and set it on the antique white bedside table. She placed it carefully, avoiding the pretty pink glass lamp, also antique. “I just don’t see Luca as somebody who’d poison people, based on our brief interactions.” She hesitated. “Although he did attack Isaac when he was down.”
“Yeah,” Caidrik said, and his voice dropped. “He did.”
Nadia rubbed her shoulders. The room had cooled fast and her skin goosebumped. She was only wearing a camisole and shorts. She thought about pulling the blanket up, thought about covering herself because he was there, because her body was reacting, but she didn’t want to give him that advantage. “You shouldn’t be here,” she said. “We’re not supposed to have communication outside the trials.”
“I don’t care.” He leaned forward with his forearms on his thighs, and his gaze locked on her. “I don’t trust anybody else to keep you safe.”
Nadia’s chin lifted. “Why do you want me safe so badly? So you can be the Alpha?”
His eyes flashed. “I want you safe because I want you safe.” The words came out hard. “And yeah, I fully plan on becoming the Alpha.”
