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When they see us sitting on the steps, they don’t look surprised. In fact, their eyes settle on us fearfully, like they’re scared to get too close.
They stop in front of town hall, their voices growing louder. I see more than one angry glare settle on Isolde. Muttered words behind hands. Long, curious glances at me and Stella. There’s excitement in the air. A buzz. And through it all, one word rises above the gentle hum of conversation…
Witch.
Isolde watches them, her eyes wide and serious, her face calm.
“Isolde,” I choke out. “Do you know what’s happening?”
She sighs and doesn’t move her eyes from the crowd. “I think they’re here for me, dear.”
Her eyes are still glued to the crowd and her tone is light and dismissive, not reassuring in the least.
“Well, I’m getting us out of here,” I say as I begin struggling again, pulling at my hands as I fruitlessly attempt to loosen my bindings.
“Don’t you omegas move,” a familiar twangy voice calls out behind us.
Cass comes bounding down the steps between us, stopping in front of the growing crowd. He looks between us eagerly, a boyish Look What I Did! expression marking his face.
“Cass! You did this?”
“Yep.” He shrugs and smirks. “I followed you here. Knew you two were up to no good.”
“Let us go! Please,” I plead, fruitlessly fighting my bindings.
“Nah, the boss has plans for you.”
“The boss?” I ask frantically. “Rill did this?”
“Not Rill,” he scoffs, his expression turning grave as he stares at me. There’s so much anger in his bearing. I shudder, reminded again of the scene in Stella’s room.
“Then who?” I ask, my voice weak. “Rill won’t be happy about this.”
He shrugs insolently. “I don’t care. He was encouraging that pretty-faced alpha of yours to kill me. What the hell?” He sticks out his lower lip, frowning at the ground.
“Let us go,” I say fervently. “I’m sure Rill will be pleased if you do.”
“Nah. After I found you, I ran into some alphas outside the big house. They were comin’ for her.” He nods at Isolde. “I wasn’t gonna let them have any of you, but they offered me a pretty great life here if I’d hand her over—a prime omega, a big house, anything I want. So, I said okay and threw in you and your friend, too. Now, I got a new boss.”
I swallow, my throat dry. “Who?”
“Me,” says another voice, deep and commanding from the crowd.
Cass moves to stand behind us as the crowd parts to allow an alpha to approach us. Small-statured with fading blond hair and wide-set blue eyes, he looks mildly familiar. But I don’t know his name.
Isolde knows who he is, though. She was relatively quiet while I spoke with Cass, but now she eyes the new alpha cynically, locking gazes with him as something about her switches. Out of nowhere, she groans, her head swinging back dramatically.
“Marcus,” she laments loudly. “What have you done this time?”
My head jolts up. Is this Marcus Catmint? The alpha that Noah planned to speak with?
He tilts his head, a complacent smile glued to his face as he stares at Isolde. “What does it look like I’m doing, Solly?”
“Honestly, I can’t say,” she admits, shrugging as best as she can with her hands bound tightly on her lap. Sniffling, she keeps her eyes glued to the crowd. “But I don’t think this behavior is right with the Order … or that my son, the Administrator, would approve of all of Goldenrod gathering on Dogwood Street in their night clothes.”
Stella shifts gently at the sound of Isolde’s loud proclamation but doesn’t wake up.
Lucky.
