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I sent a sharp glare his way, which only made him smirk.
“I don’t think we should have her stay with anyone who has pups,” Kai said. “That would put them and their families at risk.”
I agreed.
Mom cleared her throat from where she stood near the sink. I had been so focused on the discussion that I’d forgotten she was there.
“Bryn can stay with me,” she said. “I’ll be able to keep an eye on her.”
I stared at her. It was one thing to speak with Bryn and have breakfast with her every morning, but it was another thing for my mom to keep Bryn in her home.
“What are you planning, Mom?” I sent to her.
She crossed her arms and stared at me, refusing to answer. I sighed. It was obvious that she wasn’t going to budge on the issue, and I didn’t feel like trying to convince her otherwise.
“Alright, she can stay with you. But she isn’t allowed to leave your home. She is our prisoner and a necessary part of our plan. She can’t have free reign of the village.”
Mom frowned. She looked very much like she wanted to scold me for the way I talked about Bryn, but she wouldn’t contradict me in front of my team. Instead, I’d get an earful later.
“I agree to those terms. I assume she can move in as soon as I have a room prepared for her?”
“That’s fine. When you’re ready, let one of us know. We’ll escort her to your cabin.”
Mom nodded with a sigh before walking out of the room. I looked at Dom, who gave a slight shrug. Once Mom had closed the door behind her, we began to work out the details of getting the letter drafted and having it sent to Troy by nightfall.
I knew my mom was frustrated with me, although I had the impression that there was more to her frustration than just the rules I’d set. But for now, that didn’t matter. My most trusted wolves and I were on the same page, and best of all, Bryn would soon be out of my home. With her gone, my wolf would settle down, and I’d finally be able to enjoy some rest. I could hardly wait.
17
BRYN
I bit my lip as I crouched by the window. I had been busy since I woke this morning. Violet was later than normal, and that made me uneasy. With a burst of inspiration, I had leapt out of bed to try yet again to pry open the window.
I had managed to form one of the wax candles into a wedge that just fit under the slight gap between the window and the sill. It had taken a while to get the wax hot enough for me to mold the candle into the right shape, and I’d really believed that it might work. But as I forced the wax into the small space, the candle chipped apart. Some of the wax was too soft to take the abuse, and the part that had hardened simply wasn’t strong enough to force the window open. I stepped back with a frustrated sigh. Was there anything else in the room that I could try?
Suddenly, the door opened. I jumped and tried to stand in front of the remains of my most recent escape attempt.
“Oh! I’m glad to see you awake,” Violet greeted. She looked from the window to me and then gave a knowing smile. “And I see you’re pretty active this morning.”
I decided not to acknowledge her comment. After all, anything I said might further incriminate me. Instead, I looked at Violet’s empty hands. “No breakfast this morning?”
Violet’s expression brightened. “That’s the good news,” she said, clapping her hands. “Starting today, you’ll be living with me!”
I paused, blinking. “Wait, really?”
“Yes! Night and his men decided it would be best for you to live somewhere more comfortable.”
I resisted the urge to smirk. I doubted that Night would ever make a decision for me that would make me “more comfortable,” but I wouldn’t argue with her.
Violet is a nice enough woman, but this is a problem. Now, I’ll have to get used to a whole new environment. I had a few other escape plans in development, but if I was leaving this room, I’d have to rethink everything.
“Is there anything you want to bring with you?” Violet asked.
I had literally nothing to pack, but the pillow I’d been sleeping on was the nicest one I’d ever had, so I plucked it off the bed and held it against my chest like a shield. It had absorbed many of my tears, and if I pushed my face into it, I could almost smell Night. It wouldn’t have been comforting for Night to be there himself, but his scent was another story. Something about it soothed my nerves. I told myself it was because it was the only consistent and therefore familiar aspect of my abduction, but in truth, I couldn’t explain it.
“Just this,” I replied. “If I can bring it?”
“Of course you can! If that’s all you want, let’s head to my cabin.”
