Eli answers, “He’s doing fine, Mona. He’s upset you were taken under his watch, though.”
“As he should be.”
“Ughhh Grayson, don’t be an ass. It wasn’t Kellen’s fault.” She leans forward over the console and brushes Eli’s shoulder. “I’m glad he’s okay. Oh my god, what about Lily? What happened to her? Is she alright?”
I can’t help it, I spin around in my seat, eager for a scrap of information. “You got her out okay?”
Mona’s eyes widen. If I’m not mistaken, a thread of jealousy pinches through our bond, but she quickly squashes it.
My mouth opens to say something, to assure her Lily’s like a sister, but that feels stupid, so I say nothing.
“She’ll be alright. We haven’t seen her since she woke.”
“What do you mean since she woke? Is she okay?” I ask, worried, directing the question to Grayson.
But then Mona’s jealousy spikes again. Her cheeks are pink. She’s fidgeting with her hands, finding something interesting to look at on the ground. I don’t like hurting her. I try to send a small feeling through the bond, muted as it is—she’s like a sister, pet—but she doesn’t seem to feel it.
“She didn’t wake for a few days. She wasn’t healing fast enough, and… well, Silas, maybe you could tell us more? She was a delta, but now…”
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain when we connect with Ghost. I don’t want to tell the story twice,” I say, turning again to look out at the trees blurring past. We’re back in familiar territory. Conversation helped ease my anxiety, but it’s creeping back again the closer we get to Silent Peak.
Deidre might come here. We need to fortify the grounds. I survey the mountain's perimeter in my mind. The deeper woods are protected by enforcers. Mona explained how the witches were able to get through, how they used Stance, one of Gray’senforcers, to sneak onto our land. They don’t have him anymore, and now that Gray knows the witches were using the rogue wolves, he’ll have changed tactics. So it’s unlikely she’ll come in through the mountains again. A show of force, right through the front gate, maybe?
No… getting her hands dirty isn’t Deidre’s style. She always attacks quietly. In ways you don’t expect.
The more I consider it, the less likely an attack on Silent Peak seems. She has Mona’s blood. She could still use it to track her, but now that she’s lost me, too, will she even bother coming here? I just wish I knew what she wanted.
That’s the one thing I never understood. She wants more power, sure. But why? To what end? She’s already incredibly powerful.
Being the leader of all the witches isn’t enough of a reason. And involving the wolves, making enemies of the shifters, would only hurt her cause. What does Deidre want?
“Kendrick will want to be there,” Grayson says, interrupting my thoughts as he types into his phone.
“He’s still in Silent Peak?” I ask, surprised. I’ve met the man before, a few times, but it’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen him.
Orion nods cautiously. “Kendrick is… Lily’s mate. They are Moon Goddess blessed.”
I can’t hide my shock. I definitely didn’t see that one coming. I’m happy for her, though. She deserves something good, a strong protector, after what happened to her.
Through the open window, I hear Ghost’s bird call from above. I watch him swoop toward the trees, then shoot high into the sky as he follows us. Mona can’t see him, stuck between her two alphas, but she can hear him. I wonder what Mona thinks of his shifted form. I've definitely never seen anything like him before.
The drive is mostly quiet as we make our way closer to Silent Peak. My nerves are drawn tighter. It’s only been five years, and I spent my whole life on this mountain. I traveled some, but mostly, this is where I lived and breathed. Hunted, laughed, played, fucked around. We pass a human bar, then a shifter-owned diner and bakery, and I recall the deltas who owned the place. Lily’s family, I think.
We turn, then rumble up the mountain, and my heart begins to race. Mona tries to soothe me over the bond, but I shut her out.
I don’t want her to see me like this. She makes a hurt sound, but the guys don’t know why. They fuss and she brushes them off.
And just as I start to spiral, as we move deeper into clan lands, closer to the heart, Grayson finally does something fucking useful.
He takes Mona’s attention off me.
“Eli, swing back down after you drop us off and let Andrea out.”
“Out of where?” Mona asks. Orion groans, dropping his head into his hands.
“Jail.”
“Why the hell is Andrea in jail?” Mona shrieks and glares at her mate in outrage.
