I wasn’t a huge reader, admittedly, and the tiny, hand-scrawled pages made my vision swim. But… if something in there could ease our transition into our roles as guardians, it would be worth making the effort.
Regardless of the sword, I was eager to bond, but didn’t want to push Elodie into discussing it. She was going through a lot of change right now, so I was trying to wait a while. Let things settle, then make a plan that felt right to her. Let her lead it at her own pace.
The last time I assumed I knew what she wanted, I’d royally fucked it up. Live and learn, and don’t do the same dumb shit twice. Words to live by.
“Welcome, welcome,” Reed said, gesturing for us to take the two seats next to him and Fiona.
Elodie did, nervously tucking her hands under her thighs after she sat.
I wrapped my arm around the back of her chair, giving her shoulder a squeeze. She glanced my way, so I mouthed,It’s going to be okay.
A nervous smile, but then she was back to business, focusing on what Reed was reporting.
“We’ve had a good response from the packs, but not complete.”
“Still?” Kane asked, leaning forward, rubbing his face wearily. “Who’s missing?”
“That’s the thing. It’s mostly smaller packs from one geographic area. Mostly in and around France, but we’re not getting responses as far east as Austria.”
“France?” Kane repeated. “Have we done something to anger the French packs, or…” He trailed off with a sigh. “Are they angry at any of the packs already here? I don’t keep up with wider European politics as much as I should.”
Dirge snorted from his seat. “Who does? Boring.”
“Duchesses are not boring,” Shay said, elbowing him in the ribs.
“As far as I’m aware, there are no current dustups, political tensions, or wars that should prevent them from coming. But further, they would typically be answering the phone and very loudlytellingme what they’re upset about. Currently? Radio silence. It’s like they’ve fallen off the face of the planet.”
“Something’s happened there. Keep trying, and give me an update every twelve hours until the missing packs arrive or are in contact.”
“Consider it done.” Reed whipped out his cell phone and went back to work as the meeting moved on.
“Any update on the stone?” Lucien asked.
“Unfortunately, no,” Brielle answered, pulling it out of the pouch at her belt she now carried it in.
The stone was angrily pulsing, which seemed like an escalation from preheat, when it just looked fractured.
Now it seemed like a war was being waged within.
“Hey, guys…” Leigh said, pausing to bite her lip and look anxiously around the room. “The packs in France have gone dark, the stone is angry, and the PackNet news said they’re tracking two omegas. We assumed the second one was Poppy.” She protectively dropped a hand to her belly. “But why is PackNet reporting an ODL operation happeningright nowin France?”
“What?” Reed spluttered, squinting at the screen she held up.
There was a live raid happening, some reporter filming as one of the pack mansions in the French countryside was raided by uniformed enforcers in broad daylight.
“It’s not Poppy they’re after, then,” Fiona said, shooting Leigh a triumphant grin. “You’ve still got time.”
“So it would seem. But who’s the other omega?” Leigh asked, genuinely confused like the rest of the pack.
“I think I might know,” Elodie said softly at my side, and the room fell silent. Across the room, Galyna stiffened, and I knew she knew what Elodie was about to say. I studied her, watching the internal struggle play across her face in real time. In the end, she stayed silent, resigned.
“I… wasn’t allowed to tell you before, and honestly? Probably still not supposed to, but… I’m not a maiden anymore. I was planning to ask about officially joining the Hungarian pack,” she said, nodding to Lucien and Oli, who grinned from ear to ear at the news. “But I wouldn’t feel right joining and holding back what I know.”
“It’s okay. Do what you have to do,” I murmured, and felt her straighten under my arm.That’s my girl.
“It may be Narcissa.”
Silence fell over the room as thick as a down quilt, suffocatingly thick.
