“She won’t lead Savages here,” Saxon said. “Or get in contact with them. She wants nothing to do with them.”
The amount of understanding in Ronan’s eyes astonished him almost as much as Ronan intending to bring Elyse into Savage territory.
“I know that,” Ronan said. “I believe what she says, and I trust your faith in her”—Killean grunted again as Ronan pointed to the X on the map—“but this is a vast expanse of land. We could spend weeks in these woods and only accomplish attracting attention to ourselves. She has to guide us.”
Saxon understood his reasons for bringing Elyse with them, but he wouldn’t let it happen. “You want to takemymate, a mortal, into what could be the heart of the Savages?”
Ronan’s gaze didn’t waver as it held his. “Yes.”
“No,” Saxon said. “Shejustescaped those bastards. She told you what they did to her, but you didn’t see those jars with the pieces of her father floating in them. You didn’t see her standing there with battered feet because they didn’t give her socks or shoes. You didn’t see those cans stacked perfectly in the cabinets or feel her terror when I opened more than one of them for her to eat. You didn’t watch them break herfuckingarm, and you don’t hold her through her nightmares. They forgot to feed her, they beat her, and they tortured her; she’soutof this.”
No one spoke as they gazed between him and Ronan. Saxon had disagreed with Ronan before, but he couldn’t recall a time when he’d flat out gone against him, but he wouldn’t let this happen.
Ronan rested his hand on the map as he leaned forward. “Without her, more will die. We go into these woods and start wandering blindly around, we will reveal ourselves. The Savages aren’t playing by the rules anymore; they’ve brought the humans into this, and if we don’t stop them, there isnotelling what they’ll do.”
“I won’t have her used like this or put in danger.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
Saxon labored to keep his anger under control while he stared at the man he considered his friend and king.
“I understand how you feel. Do you think I planned to bring Kadence here?” Ronan demanded; his eyes became more red than brown while he held Saxon’s gaze. “I don’t want her anywhere near a possible nest of Savages, but she’s here because she insisted on it, and because her ability could be useful if she has a vision.”
“She’s here, but you’re not taking her into those woods.”
A vein throbbed to life in Ronan’s forehead. Saxon knew he was pushing him toward a breaking point, but he’d fight the entire world to keep Elyse safe.
“She’s going into those woods, and sheisgoing to help us locate those Savages,” Ronan stated.
“I promised her we wouldn’t use her like the Savages did.”
“You’re not using me,” a soft voice murmured, “if I agree to go.”
He turned to find Elyse standing in the doorway of their room; she’d dressed and had the blanket draped around her shoulders. She looked so small and frail it tore at his heart. Sleep had done nothing to ease the shadows under her eyes, and the slope of her shoulders screamed exhaustion.
Elyse studied the men gathered around the map and sensed the friction in the room. Saxon and Ronan looked ready to start fighting. She loved Saxon even more for trying to protect her, but she wouldn’t be the cause of problems between him and his friends. And if she could do something to help keep them safe, then she was going to do it.
“You’re not going,” he said.
She lifted her chin as she stared at him before strolling across the room to them. Declan edged away to make room for her, and she stopped to gaze at the map. “I can’t sense the female Savage anymore; too much time has passed, but my dad is still there.”
“Can you bring us to him?” Ronan asked.
“Yes,” she said at the same time Saxon said, “No.”
Elyse continued as if she hadn’t heard Saxon. “The closer I get to my dad, the stronger the connection will be. I feel him more strongly here than I did in New York.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Saxon said.
She rested her good hand on the map before looking at him. “Yes, I do. Some of those vampires are there because ofme. I put them there, and I owe them… something.”
None of them looked at Killean when he grunted.
“When do we go?” she asked Ronan.
“You’re mortal,” Saxon growled.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, but she didn’t look at him.
