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Her eyes flash red, her wolf coming to the surface for a split second. The air feels charged, and I steel myself in case she decides to attack Ayden, but then she steps back. Ayden sucks in a breath, but I see gratitude as he glances in my direction.
My face gives nothing away, and my attention shifts as Hester squares up to me. The top of her head barely reaches my chin, but she gets in my face as if she’s two feet taller. “Why are you defending him? Do you have any idea what his kind does?”
“He’s just a kid, Hester.”
Her eyes narrow. “Just a kid? I saw babies ripped apart by corrupted magic wielded by tau males. I watched hundreds—thousands—die screaming in agony because of his kind. Don’t tell me he’s just a kid.”
I understand her anger, and while it might feel righteous, it is hypocritical. The girls were hunted simply for being different, while the boys were murdered because everyone thought they were dangerous.
“You want to talk about horror? You guys broke an innocent woman’s mind with your power.” I speak softly, but my voice carries enough that everyone in the room hears me.
“We were trying to fix her,” Halle says, her voice wobbling. “We would never hurt Dove intentionally.”
I snap my head toward her, unable to stop the anger rippling through me. When she steps back from me, I know I have to calm myself. “But you did hurt her. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get her back.”
“Jackson.” Warning snaps in Cade’s voice. I should heed it, but I don’t. I’m so done with this shit.
“Magic is dangerous. Power can destroy no matter who is behind it.”
“You’re right,” Roux says. “We’ve seen that first-hand.”
“Do you know what the Order is doing with the females they take?” Halle pulls free of Cade, kneeling down in front of Ayden. Her eyes are brimming with tears, desperation lining her face. They have her mom, after all.
Ayden searches her face for a moment. “You have no idea what is happening around you, do you? How have you all gotten this far without dying?”
I don’t know if anybody else senses the change in the air, but it is as if we are standing on a precipice, waiting to fall over the edge. The tension swirls through the room, making it hard to breathe. It’s clear that Ayden knows things.
“Please tell us what you know,” Halle pleads.
His eyes soften slightly as he takes her in. “Why should I?”
Her red hair tumbles around her shoulders as she hangs her head. “They took my mom. I know she’s still alive. I’ve seen her, but I can’t bear to think about what they are doing to her.”
Ayden glances at me as if for confirmation, and his features relax just a fraction. “I’ll tell him, but only him.”
I didn’t expect him to say that. It’s obvious no one else did either. I should have. I’ve been the only person in this room to show him any kindness, even though I’m still holding him here.
“You tell all of us,” Hester snaps, clearly not used to being dismissed.
“If you want information from me, then those are my terms.”
“We’ll wait in the kitchen,” Cade states, his tone firm enough to make Hester turn to him. “We need answers,” he tells her, ignoring the way her jaw clenches.
“You may be the alpha of your pack, but this is my domain, Cade.”
“This stopped being your domain the moment it started affecting my mate.” His gaze leaves hers. “Everyone out.”
Halle touches my bicep softly as she passes me on the way out. It’s a small gesture, one designed to tell me she cares. It thaws a little of that ice around me.
When we’re alone, I stand in front of Ayden. He seems smaller when it's just the two of us, and the way his tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip tells me fear still has a hold on him.
“Why do you want to speak to me?” I ask him when it becomes clear he’s not going to say anything first.
“You’re the only one who doesn’t seem to want to kill me.” He shifts his shoulders as if this doesn’t bother him. “I don’t trust the others.”
“I’m not sure I trust you,” I admit. “The last time we faced off, you tried to scramble my brain.”
His mouth flattens, and there’s a flash of anger that overrides his fear. “You had just killed two people I care about. I thought I was next. I won’t apologize for protecting myself.”
