“They bond in sleuths. Three males, one female.”
“I don’t think I could handle three mates. One is already overwhelming.”
“Same,” she muttered, giving the three in question a cautious wave.
We watched until the gates closed behind the last dwarf, and I tried not to worry about the fact that we needed all these friends to fight with us, or the fact that it still might not be enough to stop the pixie king, let alone Narcissa.
After lunch, since there was a pack meeting I needed to attend, I took Bence back to Leigh in the bunker. I frowned when I realized Valens hadn’t come, probably still holed up in the forge, but actually… most of the couples were split, with only one or the other in attendance. It seemed I was the lucky one in our relationship. I texted him quickly.
Elodie: You coming to the meeting? Or meeting us for dinner?
I took a spot by Galyna near Kane’s desk out of habit. “How’s the little guy?” she asked as the last few people filtered in.
“Sad, of course. He doesn’t really have the words to express everything he’s feeling, but we’re trying to help him with that as best we can. But he’s been so strong.” I pressed my lips together tightly, trying to hold back tears as I remembered his nightmares in the early morning hours. “No kid should have to be that strong.”
She gripped my shoulder, her solemn expression saying it all. Bence wouldn’t be the only orphan when this war was over.
“Thank you all for coming,” Kane said from behind his desk, gesturing for us all to sit in the chairs scattered around the office. As the most dominant, he was the last to take his seat.
“Based on our latest intelligence, Narcissa’s army is moving closer. Reports are still thin on the ground because they’re mostly staying off grid, and we suspect they’re traveling in wolf form. But every few days, someone spots them or the destruction left in their wake. Last night, they razed a pack city to the ground. At least they seem to be leaving human cities alone. From what we know of history, Narcissa didn’t see humans as a threat, so she largely focused on conquering the supernatural world. We’re on high alert, but we still believe staying near the ley lines is the best move, given the stone and our ancestral connection to the power here.” Kane looked frustrated, as if he wanted nothing more than to go out and meet the attack head-on. “Lucien also has an update for us on the ongoing communication with the Interspecies Governing Council. Lucien?”
Lucien nodded, raking a hand through styled blonde hair as he pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against to speak. “Yeah, it’s not going well. They called off further action by the ODL after the first attack and Kane’s reported death, but that obviously hasn’t stopped the attacks. The Defense League’s leader is Bastian, a powerful psychic. His gift allows him to communicate with the troops from anywhere in the world, but he’s gone dark after the attacks were called off. The IGC has basically fractured in the aftermath. Everyone’s pointing fingers at everyone else, but nobody wants to take the blame for the loss of control over the ODL. Any of you who were outside for the procession might have noticed that the goblins arrived en masse, as did a troupe of bear shifters. The goblins were first to formally break ranks with the council, offering us aid in battle against the Omega DefenseLeague.” He cleared his throat, casting a nervous glance Kane’s way before continuing.
“Vampires were next. Obviously, it won’t be unanimous given the way they govern in separate nests, but Councilwoman Rubix has already lost a nest mate to a collar, and she was adamant that her nest would fight alongside us. They arrive tomorrow, and I’m expecting word from the centaurs any day. The others are still conversing with their people, but I can’t guarantee more support from what’s left of the council.”
“The centaurs are siding with us?” Gael asked, evidently shocked by this news.
“Not necessarily. They are coming to monitor, but haven’t promised to fight alongside us. I don’t think they’ve made a unanimous decision to join a battle that’s not affecting them.”
“Yet,” I muttered under my breath, and Lucien sighed.
“I know, trust me. We all know this only starts with us. It doesn’t end until we’re all enslaved or conquered. But trying to convince the centaurs when they are so removed from the rest of society… It’s tough. By the time they decide this affects them, it will probably be too late for their help to matter.”
Goddess, I hated politics. But I was glad Lucien and Reed had handled it so the rest of us could focus on our own strengths. There wasn’t much else to discuss after that, and after questions, the meeting broke up quickly. I checked my texts. Still crickets from Valens, which I didn’t like. But I also didn’t want to interrupt him if he really was close to a breakthrough. So I made my way back down to the bunker to spend the afternoon with Bence before I had to suit up for the evening’s battle.
But even as I played with the little guy, I couldn’t stop myself from checking my phone for a text that never came.
Chapter 64
Valens
Iknocked on the door of Kane’s office, unsure if he was still there after I missed the pack meeting earlier. I hoped he was, because I had big news.I did it.My heart pounded with excitement to relay what I’d discovered. It had taken nearly a full week of late-night reading to figure out what I was missing, but I’d finally found what I needed in the guardians’ journals.
“Come in,” the high alpha called.
I stepped into the office, surprised to find him alone, bent over a map, covered in pins in various colors. He waved me into the chair across from his desk, and I sank into it.
Kane looked up from the map, focusing his full attention on me. “How is your project coming?”
I pulled the palm-sized silver device I’d created from my pocket and slid it over to him.
He picked it up, turning it over in his hands. “This is it?”
“It is. And it works.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You successfully removed a collar?”
I nodded. “From a cheetah shifter. And he had someinterestingthings to say once the fog cleared.”
