“The important thing is no one got hurt.” He rubbed my shoulders. “Things could have been much worse if you and Sloane hadn’t been so quick to act. The fact you remembered to save samples of the food and drinks for Burdock to test gave us even more information we wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
A jolt zinged through me at how out of it I must have been to not recall doing that much. “Does that mean we’re at a dead end?”
“Too soon to tell.”
“Do you think Becca will remember anything helpful?”
“Hard to say.” He cut his head to the left when an enforcer checked in. “We should get back in there.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? My plan?”
“It’s not a choice I can make for you. I’ve told you before that I won’t clip your wings.” His lips twitched, tugging on his scar. “You’re stepping into the role of magna as if you were born for it.”
“Thanks to our mothers, Iwasborn for it, right?”
“They wished for us to be mates, but they couldn’t design you from top to bottom. No magic is that powerful. We could have been a terrible match, or you could have refused to leave your pack for the clan. There are infinite ways a wish can go wrong, and theirs almost did.”
His conviction soothed something in me I hadn’t noticed prickling.
“Hey. Magna? I almost missed that.” I rubbed my hands together. “Does it mean I get a title too?”
“Yes.” He chuckled. “Like the sound of that, do you?”
“Packs tend to have alpha couples, but the power is rarely distributed equally. Most of the time, the male in the couplehas the real influence.” I considered Fayne and the respect she garnered from the clan. “Though something tells me the Walshes have other ideas about women’s roles within clan management.”
“You would be right.” He cut his eyes back to the enforcer. “Your influence will be equal to mine.”
“That’s a terrifying thought.” I swallowed hard. “Good thing you’re the one holding the reins.”
“For now.”
A tremor shook me that was one part excitement and two parts anxiety, but I reminded myself, “All in.”
“All in,” he repeated softly, his expression gentling as the words sank in.
“Stop flirting,” Sloane called out. “Or at least do it in here so we have some entertainment.”
“And snacks.” Liam stood in the doorway behind her. “Really, I would prefer just the snacks.”
Shaking my head, I led the way back into the living room, praying the others hadn’t gotten an eyeful too.
As I passed him, Liam said hopefully, “Snacks?”
“The reason we’re here—” Rían ignored his cousin’s whining, “—is to discuss how to use Ana’s bond to Sartori to apprehend him.”
The announcement sent a ripple of shock through the room, and two of the enforcers rocked forward on reflex like they would bundle one or both of us up and make a run for it.
“It was my idea.” I wasn’t sure if they were more worried for me or for him. “I want to do this.”
Yeah. That didn’t make them blink. They were too locked in on Rían. Not that I could blame them. They had seen firsthand what the prospect of losing me had done to him. They would want to avoid a repeat at all costs. Especially since this time would be for real.
“Prior to her death, Mindy intended to return to Sartori. He’s either gathering those who are still loyal to him, or he’s tying up loose ends. We can’t wait around to find out his intentions. He’s no less of a threat, even without the strength of his pack behind him. Anyone who stayed with him has proven they’re willing to sacrifice everything to remain in his service. That makes them more dangerous than ever. They have nothing to lose, and that means they’ll take greater risks. That gives them an advantage over us.”
“Sir…” One of the men rubbed his nape. “Are you sure it’s wise to risk Ms. Ana?”
As his subordinates, that was as close as they would get to outright reminding Rían about his breakdown without throwing it smack dab in his face. Hard as it was for him to support my choices, as afraid for me as he was, I wouldn’t put him on the spot to defend them.
“I was told my whole life that I was latent. That meant I had no place in my pack. I existed on the fringes. I would have been okay with that, for the most part, except I was also the alpha’s daughter. I believed that was the reason why my peers challenged me, despite my not having a wolf spirit of my own. I thought it was that feral soul driving them to subjugate me and prove their worth, to rise in the ranks.”
