"Do you know that he told me he killed you?" Cole asked, his eyes never leaving her face. He said it conversationally but clearly meant the revelation to drop like a bomb.
"I do," Elise said, and was very thankful that Nico had mentioned that little tidbit earlier, because if this was the first time she had learned about it, she probably wouldn't be keeping her cool.
"You're taking all of this extremely well."
She wanted to shrug but forced herself to stay still. "In our world, things are always a bit extreme. I'm glad to see you're healthy," she continued, and it was true. "I was doubtful there for a while."
"My pack healer can't explain what was wrong with me." Cole's jaw ticked. "Would you care to?"
He gave Nico a challenging expression, but Nico remained silent.
Elise had spent nearly a week trying her hardest to hide the reality of her identity. Saying it out loud felt like a betrayal of that past self. But Cole already knew she was a witch. Javi had been the messenger because it was better to be honest and prepare him than spring it on him now. Lying about this would doom them both.
Elise explained about how the silver had been embedded in him and how she didn't know the cause, but that she had been able to use her magic to get the silver out of his system.
"But no one knew you were a witch," he pressed. "Nico didn't know."
"That's correct."Just the facts,she told herself. She had to keep completely cool and calm. "No one knew when I started working on you. And Nico didn't know when he first kidnapped me."
Now he looked at Nico again. "When did he find out?"
"We didn't come back here for you to hurt him," Elise said, her voice firm. The coolness wasn't going to last for long if Cole started laying down threats.
"I am his alpha, and that is my right." Cole's words were ice.
"I'm hismate,and you're going to have to go through me." She didn't really know what the word meant, but Nico had been throwing it around, and now it was her turn.
Behind her, Nico made a rumbly sound of satisfaction, and a growl escaped from Cole's throat. Nico put his hand back on her shoulder.
Cole stared at them for several beats before relenting.
"I owe you a debt," he said, posture softening slightly. "You healed me and that you were held prisoner here. It was not done under my command, but I am still responsible for what happens in this house. But I can't give a witch free rein in my house, so you had better keep your magic to yourself."
"I can do that." She nodded, maybe a little too fiercely. It wasn't like she used magic all willy-nilly. And this was her only option right now.
"Good. I think Javi was going to make some dinner. Why don't you go to the kitchen while Nico and I have a chat?"
Elise wanted to argue. She didn't want to leave Nico alone with this man, especially when she could sense the anger simmering beneath the surface. But she wasn't a member of this pack, and Nico was this man's second in command.
"It's okay," Nico assured her with a trail of fingers down her arm that almost made her shiver.
Elise stood up and kissed Nico right there in front of his alpha before she pulled away. "You better come back to me with all fingers and toes attached or I am going to turn everyone in this pack into frogs," she promised, tossing a look at Cole for emphasis.
Nico smiled and kissed her forehead.
As she walked out of the room, she thought she heard Cole chuckle and say, "I like her."
In the kitchen, Javi was standing at the stove and stirring things in a large pan. It looked a bit like spaghetti. It smelled a lot like spaghetti, so she hoped it was spaghetti.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" She hovered near his shoulder, peeking into the bubbling red pot.
"Just take a seat." Javi nodded towards the benches along the counter. "Would you like some wine?"
"I think water might be a better idea right now." She slid onto one of the benches.
"No fun. Got it." But Javi offered her a bottle of water.
Then Reece walked into the kitchen and froze. "What the ever-loving fuck?" He sounded truly surprised.
