Not only were the Ravencalls out there and probably pissed off, so was Bulwark. He was no doubt getting ready to attack. Caidrik could feel it in the back of his mind like pressure before a storm, and he was sick of storms. “Do you understand me?” he asked.
Nadia gulped. “Yes.”
“Good.” He needed to get his ass into the Alpha position before the next wave of attacks came, and every instinct he owned promised it would be soon.
Chapter 24
Nadia read one of Gail’s journals as she walked through the kitchen, munching happily on a strip of strawberry licorice. She’d found a box of different kinds shoved in the back of the pantry behind a half-empty bag of flour and a box of baking soda that might have expired sometime last decade. She slowed when she reached the counter and finally stopped, her head aching.
Apparently she couldn’t learn a new language in a couple of days.
Still, something nagged at her. It sat just out of reach, irritating in the way unfinished thoughts always were. She couldn’t put her finger on it, and it was driving her crazy.
The house was too quiet. Bussy and Margaret were at a school play, like most of the pack. Nadia had tried to go with them, and they’d both refused, saying she needed to stay home and be safe.
She was about to be an Alpha wolf, damn it. It was too bad Emily and Philip were gone. Hopefully Philip would be home soon, even though Em had now moved.
Nadia glanced around the kitchen. Stainless steel appliances reflected softly off the white marble countertops. Everything was clean but lived in. Comfortable. It was a good room. A safe room. She tapped her foot against the tile, once, twice. The irritation didn’t fade.
What was bothering her?
Her memory finally kicked in. Oh yeah. At the football field, she’d caught something. She tugged her phone from her back pocket, sliding the journal onto the sparkling counter, and pressed a button.
Gail answered immediately. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Nadia. Real quick. Do you have a second?”
“Of course. You caught me right during intermission at the school. It has been such a wonderful play so far,” Gail said. “Do you need help with the journals?”
Not unless Gail could transplant her brain into Nadia’s. “No, but I do need to find Solomon. Have you heard from him?”
“Oh, honey. He’s giving both Caidrik and Luca trial after trial tonight, remember?” Gail asked. “They wanted to get them all finished.”
“I know. I just wondered if he was free. It’s not like he goes on the challenges.”
Gail chuckled. “That’s true. Perhaps these trials wouldn’t be so difficult if Solomon had to attend.”
That was a fair point. “He said something earlier out at the football field.”
There was cacophony of voices through the line, followed by a muttered apology. “Sorry about that. Everyone is in line for the wine bar.”
“It’s fine,” Nadia said. “Solomon said something interesting.”
“That’s new for Solomon,” Gail chuckled. “What did he say?”
Nadia closed her eyes, replaying the moment. “I think he said something about having to get further instructions from the museum to go along with some sort of challenge.”
There was a short pause on the other end. “Huh. I don’t remember that, but he might have.”
Nadia opened her eyes. “We don’t have a museum.”
A beat passed.
“Do we?” It was true Nadia had only been in the territory for a couple of months, but still. She would have noticed a museum. Everyone noticed museums. They weren’t exactly subtle.
“You know, we were starting a museum about fifty years ago, but then it was decided we didn’t want a bunch of humans coming through town anyway.” Gail paused. “So yes and no, I suppose?”
Nadia closed her eyes and dug deep for patience. “All right. Where would the museum items be located?”
