“I agree. Thank you both. Reed will text you where to go see the collared wolf. Before you go, though, I have another bit of news.”
Valens and I exchanged a loaded glance.
“We think the ODL retreated last night because they thought they’d killed me. Without Brielle’s skill, your power supplementing her, and possibly even the influence of the stone… they very well may have.”
Anger simmered in my veins as I connected the dots. “So they thought they took care of the omega problem, which means they got intel from someone that you and Brielle are the ones they’ve been hunting.”
He inclined in agreement. “We knew it was a risk spreading the news so widely, but it was time. We can’t ask people to rally and risk their lives without all the information. After the announcement, some did leave. For now, we’re choosing tobelieve it was one of them rather than someone who decided to stay and fight with us.”
Valens shrugged. “It makes sense.”
“Lucien and I had a discussion earlier this morning, and he’s going to use this opportunity to notify the ODL that I’m dead.”
“But… you’re very much not dead. Isn’t that easily verifiable?” I blurted, confused why they would lie.
“It is, but that’s not what they’re going to do. We will stay hidden inside the castle for the time being. Lucien suspects that someone in leadership at the ODL has been corrupted by the pixie king, or perhaps is even wearing one of his mind-control devices. No one saw their general during the battle, which was odd for an attack of that scale. The true ODL mission to subdue omegas would be satisfied if the two of us were dead, and the attacks should stop, at least temporarily, until they realize we’re actually alive. However, if they come back and attack us again tonight after the IGC calls them off…”
“We’ll know the pixies are involved with the attacks.”
“Exactly.”
“Smart,” Valens said, crossing his arms. “That will also give Lucien proof that someone’s gone rogue who’s in power that he can take back to the IGC and ask for backup with the attacks. It’s brilliant, honestly. Who all knows this plan?”
“We’re keeping the circle small, since there was a leak. Just our closest allies. Now that you two are filled in, everyone knows who needs to.” He smiled, looking unusually tired as he settled back into his chair.
We hadn’t even made it out of his office before he fell fast asleep, head against the back of the chair.
Thus dismissed, we finally got breakfast. We were just finishing when the text came through, and Valens practically vibrated with excitement by the time we got down to the dungeon. It occupied a small section of the footprint beneath thecastle, most of it being reserved for the bunker. Only two cells, it wasn’t exactly expansive.
But one of the cells held a shaggy gray wolf with orange eyes who snarled viciously and flung himself repeatedly at the silver bars. It was eerily similar to the vampire I’d seen in Rubix’s office cell. The one who’d been mortally wounded when they tried to remove the collar.
“How are we going to get him to hold still long enough for you to examine the collar?” I asked, saddened by his mindless state. He wasn’t our pack, but he was somebody’s pack, and that was enough for me to care about his fate.
Oh, Goddess. What if he had a mate, pups?
I white-knuckled the strap of my staff’s sling. It was one of the few pieces of equipment I got to keep since I’d upgraded it myself. “We need to identify him before we try to take it off. What if…” I shook my head, unable to utter the terrible possibilities out loud. “He may have family that would rather see him alive than have the worst happen when we try to remove it.”
“That’s a good point. I’m going to need to speak to Brielle anyway about something to tranquilize him so I can inspect the collar without him hurting himself.”
“Good idea.”
“Also, do we think it might catch fire? Should we be trying to remove it outdoors?”
“I’ll also ask Reed to call Rubix.”
I nodded, too sad for conversation as we left the dungeon. As I shut the door behind us, I could still hear his body colliding with the metal bars from the top of the stairs.
Chapter 62
Valens
No pack present had a missing wolf, and after two hours of spreading word around the grounds and all the attending Alphas helping to call others, it was determined that our captive was a lone wolf, packless, and, as far as anyone could determine, without a family. Kane made the call for us to go ahead and try to get the collar off him, since all attempts to communicate with him directly about his wishes had been fruitless. He snarled and snapped and clanged against the bars.
So, I stood back in the dungeon with Brielle and Olivia at my side. Elodie had been unsettled when she’d seen him before, so I’d encouraged her to spend some time in the bunker with Bence and Patty and get to know them. Councilwoman Rubix had assured Lucien that once Ransom was dead, the collar clicked open uselessly, with no fire. It had also gone dark, as if the magic had evaporated from it, which meant I needed to read it before we removed it.
Brielle lifted the dart gun, which held the carefully dosed tranquilizer she’d prepared. “Say when.”
I exhaled, lifting my hand to the latch on the cell door. “When.”
