He sighs. “Power can’t be left completely unchecked, or the strongest and cruelest will claw their way to the top and everyone beneath them will suffer. Worse, by keeping everyone isolated,moresuffer because there’s no one to hold their abusers accountable. That’s when we step in, and it’s a fine line we’ve been dancing for centuries. We have no desire to replace our predecessors as close-minded dictators, but we also can’t just leave everyonecompletelyto their own devices, since they inevitably tend to fall into an animalistic hierarchy that only benefits the highest rank’s interests. Can’t do elected council members, because the strongest in each pack would threaten the weaker ones into submission for votes. It’s a mess we still haven’t figured out a good solution for, but we try.” He scrubs a hand over his face with a derisive scoff. “Gods know we try, but it’s never enough.”
My lips press into a thin line as he drifts into silence, and I draw him back to the key point he conveniently avoided. “Where does Malcolm fit into all this?”
Beside me, Kodi sighs in defeat. “We know him as Mason Devlin; the douchebag that’s risen in the ranks and gathered a cult-like following of people to give Raiden a run for his money. He exploits their baser instincts, fanning the flames of dissent and making us out to be these awful, power-hungry bastards that want to control everyone’s lives.”
Raiden snarls, and I jump in surprise at the volatile sound. “He sniffs out the men that want to go back to the old ways; when women were commodities to be fought over and claimed. Something to be broken and bred. He’s developed-” he scowls “- a significant backing. If we were to kill him, it would only turn him into a martyr and play right into his narrative. His followers would come out of the woodwork, and with as tenuous as things have been the last several years, we’d launch a war... with us as the primary targets. Unless you want to spend the next few decades living in a bubble becauseeveryoneis trying to hurt you to punish us, or worse, they find out about our mate marks and target you specifically to kill us all in one fell swoop, we have to handle this situation delicately.”
I was right. Things lately were too good to be true and could never last.
Watching the scenery zoom past, I wet my chapped lips. “What happened to your face... was it my fault? Because I set off Malcolm and the wolves by running?”
Raiden jerks in his seat like I’d slapped him. “Gods, no, Amara.”
Fingers digging into my thigh, Stone awkwardly clears his throat. “That’d be my fault.” Beyond surprised, I tilt my head in question, and he scrubs his free hand sheepishly over his jaw. “I’ve been distant over the last several decades, focused on my own work. So I didn’t realize what was going on and let my anger get the better of me, blamed him for you leaving us.”
I blink, then blink again, looking at the deceptively kind doctor in a new light. “You punched Raiden in the face for me?”
“Twice,” he replies without an ounce of remorse, a small, satisfied smirk teasing the corner of his lips. “Once before he brought me up to speed, and the other after for making you doubt us.”
My throat constricts. “I figured there was a reason, but I couldn’t stand to listen to Malcolm’s voice anymore, and I didn’t want to break down in front of all of those people. So I just... ran to the nearest safe place I could think of.”
Trailing his fingers over my jaw, Stone looks at me with a riot of emotions swirling in his opalescent gaze. “You never should have had to make that choice to begin with.” Placing a chaste kiss on my forehead, he glowers at Raiden. “Now that we know who he is, what’s our next step?”
The steering wheel groans under Raiden’s murderous grip. “I need some time to create an effective plan. Until then, I think we can all agree that the main house is safer.” Meeting my eye in the mirror, the grey smoke in his irises churn like a building storm. “I know you had a horrible experience with Khalida, but please; give me the chance to prove that it was a fluke. If you’re truly not comfortable after seeing our home, we’ll leave, but,” he trails off.
I sigh in defeat. “But you think it’s safer. And while I know Malcolm, I haven’t actually been around him in nine years. You have.” I swallow, my stomach a riot of nerves. “A safe house sounds pretty good right about now.”
Chapter 4
Amara
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“This isn’t a safe house, it’s a fuckingcastle.”
The city of Khalida is nestled inside a valley surrounded by a ring of mountains, optimized to be an easily defendable location. With a road leading in from between every mountain, there’s no issue getting supplies in, but it’d be simple enough to block them off if there were ever a need. People could still access by hiking, but the terrain wouldn’t make it easy. With the river flowing in from the west, the only weak points would be someone contaminating the water, raining down fire from above, or dwindling supplies with such a massive population.
