“We should still plan for them to come here,” Cillian said. “Even if they change their pattern, we should assume this is their destination.”
“Of course,” Camden said. “But I’m not going to spread panic or rush into a decision when I don’t have enough information to go on.” The alpha glanced pointedly at Cillian, but at least had the decency not to bring up his mistake. Instead, he turned back to the map and scowled.
“How long do we have until they get here? Assuming they’re coming this way,” Camden asked.
“Based on the dates of the attacks, they’re traveling slowly,” Franco replied. “Probably because they’re trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. We’ve got some time.”
“That’s assuming we have a good idea of their movements.” Camden pointed to the most recent mark, only about thirty miles from the Silverrose pack. “The last report wasfive days ago. They could be lying low for a few days while they figure out their next steps.”
Cillian stared down at the map, still kicking himself for his stupidity. He should have known better. He’d let himself get hotheaded, both in going after Chase on his own and during the fight, getting angry enough to the point of distraction. This was all his fault. His mess.
“No use dwelling on it right now,” Camden barked.
Cillian raised his head to look at his alpha. Camden wasn’t happy with Cillian, not in the slightest. But they had more important things to deal with at the moment. They didn’t have time to waste going for one another’s throats.
Cillian gave a curt nod, which Camden returned before glancing over to Franco. “I want you to double patrols,” he told Franco. “Triple them in the west, if possible. Look for anything out of the ordinary. Go after anyone you don’t recognize. If anyone complains, they can take it up with me.”
Franco nodded, then walked out the door, followed by Jasper.
“You all right?” Camden asked.
Cillian tugged his attention away from the table to look at his alpha. Though he could still sense the frustration lingering beneath the surface, the leader had a look of concern on his face.
“Yeah,” Cillian lied. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
After another moment of scrutiny, during which Cillian kept his expression neutral and even, Camden nodded.
“All right, then,” he said. “We’re going to figure this out.”
“At least you didn’t say ‘we’re going to fix your mistake,’” Cillian retorted.
Camden smirked. “Seems pretty obvious that you don’t need me to berate you anymore,” he said. “I think it’s better if we just move on and get this taken care of. We’re a team. I just want to know what caused you to be that reckless in the first place.”
Cillian shrugged. He wasn’t going to tell him everything that Amber had told him in confidence. He wasn’t going to betray her like that. Not after everything.
“I just wanted to find Eric,” he finally said. “Amber has told me enough about him to know that he’s bad news, and the sooner we take him out, the better it’s going to be for everyone.”
“Well, hopefully we’ll be able to end this soon and on our terms,” Camden said.
Cillian bobbed his head curtly in agreement. When Cillian continued to remain mute, Camden headed toward the door.
“Keep me updated when you find anything out,” Camden said before slipping out the door.
Alone, Cillian stared down at the map, still kicking himself for his mistake. He should have been more careful. He’d let his anger and thirst for revenge get in the way, and now he’d put the entire town in danger. More importantly, there was every chance that he had inadvertently brought Eric to Amber’s doorstep.
His thoughts drifted to Amber, and more guilt began squirming through him. How was he going to explain this to her? She had only recently stopped having nightmares, and the two of them were finally on good terms. They hadn’t spoken much about the other night. When they had woken up, Cillian had checked to make sure she was all right, and she had said she was. She’d looked it, too.
He was waiting for her to address it first, if she felt there was more that needed to be said about the topic, but he hadn’t missed the bounce in her step, the way her shoulders had uncoiled, and the fact that she didn’t jump out of her skin whenever he came in the room. She smiled more easily and laughed more. She had seemed more relaxed and happy than he had seen her since this whole mess began.
Groaning, he rubbed his face. How the hell was he supposed to break this to her? She was going to be terrified, and it was all his fault. He should have been more careful.
For a wild moment, he wondered if maybe keeping it from her would be better, at least until they knew more about their situation. He dismissed the thought almost immediately. She would never forgive him if he knew and didn’t give her any warning. He wasn’t going to leave her in the dark. She was strong, and he knew she could handle it.
That didn’t make the prospect any more appealing.
After another moment of standing motionless, his head tilted toward the map without him really seeing it, he took a deep breath and walked out the door, already rehearsing what he was going to tell Amber.
Chapter 16 - Amber
