“Where is your room here?” I asked, because it had been one of the many things bothering me since dinner when I’d offhandedly mentioned retiring early to her quarters. Altair had been quite insistent on us staying in the guest quarters I normally stayed in when I was here. He’d said something about remodeling happening in the wing where Rynn’s quarters were.
“Don’t worry about it,” Rynn said dismissively. The annoyance I’d been feeling sparked into hot irritation. Why did she have to be so difficult about everything?
“What happened after I left?” Sorin asked before I could push Rynn for answers. That was fine. He’d be gone soon enough, and it would be easier to get her to talk to me alone.
The trick to getting the truth out of Rynn was to get her flustered. And I was quite good at that.
“Same as usual,” Rynn said tightly. “The rumors about Samara are getting worse. Particularly the one about her secretly possessing the ability to bend wills to her control and that I’m basically her thrall.” Anger flashed in her eyes. “You know neither our uncle nor our father ever approved of my friendship with her. I think Altair half believes the rumors and dad is still pissed I refuse to publicly denounce her. He thinks I’m being insolent as a way to get back at him.”
“For what, exactly?” I asked in an even tone.
Rynn hesitated for a moment. “When I learned I was to join the Alpha pack, I refused,” she said tonelessly. “I was fifteen. I didn’t know any of you. Just your reputations for being ruthless and occasionally cruel. My father was humiliated and told my uncle that I would go. That he would see to it.”
“He made you an outcast?” My brows furrowed together. “We never heard about this.”
“You didn’t meet me in person until Drudonia, and things were different there. Besides, it wasn’t a public proclamation or anything.” She shrugged. “But word got around, and it was made very clear to me that I no longer had a home in the Narchis Order. Only people like Anita interacted with me and only because they wanted something. Everyone else kept their distance.”
Rynn’s gaze remained on me, but I caught the way her brother looked at her with sadness etched in his features. He clearly cared about her, but something must have happened to drive a wedge between them, because Rynn definitely had her guard up around him, and I knew the signs of a guilty conscience when I saw it.
“What was Altair saying to you when I arrived?” I gave Rynn a pointed look. “And don’t try to lie to me. You’re terrible at it.”
“Multiple outposts on the border have been attacked. All signs point to Fervis as the culprits.”
“I saw the reports. The evidence doesn't clearly prove it was Fervis. Monster attacks have increased across all of Lunaria.”
Truth be told, I suspected Fervis was involved somehow, but it didn’t matter. All-out war would mean death for our people. They’d either perish in the fighting or starve to death in the winters when we no longer had enough crops or hunting parties to provide food.
“My uncle recited the names of the children who died.” Rynn’s voice was hollow. “He holds me personally responsible for not getting the support of the Alpha pack.”
“We are supporting the Narchis Order,” I countered. “The alliance has been a boon for everyone.”
“It’s not enough. You know what he wants.” She swallowed. “War. And both he and my father believe I’m not doing enough to save our people.”
“And what exactly does he expect you to do?” I scoffed. “Samara doesn’t have the ability to control people’s minds, and you sure as fuck don’t either.”
“According to our uncle,” Sorin drawled, “Rynn is supposed to earn your loyalty on her back, which she’s always been very adamantly against.”
“Something I made quite clear again today.” Rynn cut me a withering stare. “But it was undermined by all your manhandling. No doubt both my uncle and father now believe we’re already fucking.”
“But you’re not . . . right?” Sorin looked at his sister.
She gave him a flat look. “I have zero interest in Bastian and his misshapen abs.”
“I do not have mishap?—”
“And Warrick would sooner kill me than fuck me. Cade definitely doesn’t care for me like that. And Ryker . . .” Rynn grimaced. “A person would have to be insane to get involved with Ryker.”
Sorin visibly relaxed.
“Great.” I rolled my eyes. “Glad it’s sorted that Rynn isn’t fucking any of us. We don’t have any interest in her either, for the record.”
“The Alpha pack has made it quite clear where I stand with them,” Rynn said flatly.
Sorin glanced back and forth between us. “What does that mean exactly?”
“Nothing.” I walked over to sit on the bed and toed my shoes off. “Rynn’s just crabby from traveling the last few days. Was there something else you needed, Sorin? As you can see, your sister is just fine. I’ll keep her safe.”
Rynn snorted at that. “I’ll keep myself safe, thanks.”
