“But don’t mistake my gratitude for trust.”
His eyes didn’t flinch. They were an odd color, almost washed out, a storm-pale gray.
“So, here’s what I want to know,” I said, leaning forward just enough to make the challenge unmistakable. “Not why you bit her. You did what you had to do, and we all have to thank you for that.”
His jaw tightened.
“I want to know why you’ve been hiding.”
Silence spread throughout the room.
“You didn’t just survive inside the Watch by accident,” I continued. “You worked for them while knowing exactly what they do to wolves like us. To wolves like you.”
Elias’s eyes flicked briefly toward Tamsin, toward the others, then back to me.
“I was born like this,” he said finally.
“That’s not an answer,” I said. “But it’s a start.”
His mouth tightened, but he nodded once.
“I learned early that being visible meant death,” he said. “The Watch gave me a place to hide in plain sight. They thought they owned me. They made assumptions.”
“And you let them,” I said.
“Yes. I did. Until now.”
At least he was honest.
Nox shifted slightly in the other room, the soft scrape of metal on stone resuming after a moment. Bishop dried his hands, listening without interrupting.
Elias went on. “I watched how they operate. How they hunt. How they think. I learned where they move wolves, how they disappear people, which orders come from where and whom. And I kept information out of their hands when I could.”
Eamon’s gaze flicked to him, his expression thoughtful.
“And when you couldn’t?” I asked.
Elias didn’t answer right away.
“When I couldn’t,” he said finally, “people died.”
He didn’t look proud. He didn’t look ashamed either.
He looked tired.
Eamon cleared his throat gently. “Griff.”
I didn’t take my eyes off Elias. “What?”
Eamon’s voice stayed steady. “You’re not wrong to question him. And you’re not wrong to be angry, but we need to think about Tamsin. If this turns into a fight right now, it won’t help her.”
My jaw tightened.
Eamon was right.
I looked back down at her.
Her skin had more color now, not much, but better than it had been. Her breathing had deepened, no longer quick and frantic. She was improving, albeit slowly.
