Kendrick hums. “Alright. In the meantime, Mona doesn’t set foot outside Silent Peak until every fucking contingency has been analyzed and prepared for. I want plans C, D, and E. And I think, for now, let Grayson and Orion assume Silent Peak is still under attack from the witches, especially since we don’t know for certain what Deidre’s plan is. She may still come here.”
He runs his hand through his hair. It makes him look more human. More normal. He continues, “Silent Peak will protect their omega. They are all feeling responsible for her being taken, they won’t let it happen a second time. But I’ll tell you right now, under no circumstances is she to be used and put in a position to be taken again. She is not bait.”
“Thank you for protecting her so fiercely,” Silas says honestly, surprised by Kendrick’s vehemence. And then I remember—he still doesn’t know Kendrick is her father.
Kendrick’s face remains impassive. I want to tell him what I think of that—keeping Mona and Silas in the dark about hisparentage. But I’m keeping my own secrets, so I swallow the chastisement.
“I’ll leave at dawn,” I say. Kendrick and I are used to working together in this capacity. He doesn’t have to tell me what to do or where to go. As a falcon witch, I can travel great distances in a short amount of time. I’m far faster than these wolves, and Kendrick knows it. And using my witch powers, I can cast a wider net as I try to trace Deidre to find out where she’s hiding until she makes her next move.
Kendrick nods. “I’ll connect with Mona. Perhaps she can remember more of her dream, and we’ll be able to save the delta girl before she’s kidnapped. That will help us narrow down where Deidre is hiding as well.”
“I think she’s a Seeker,” I tell Kendrick. His eyes light in surprise. Then dim as the inner workings of his mind shift through all the possibilities of what that could mean. I am well-read in shifter lore and history. Kendricklivedit. What hasn’t been recorded in ancient texts, all in storage on his lands where I had access to them, the rest lay dormant in his memory.
“Had I known…” his voice trails off, then he shakes his head.
“I don’t know for certain that she is, but from what I’ve read—”
Kendrick cuts me off. “No, I agree with you. But the Sages always roamed the earth together,” he adds cryptically. “Let me know what you find,” he says, then turns and heads back to his mate.
When he’s gone, Silas and I leave the hospital. Once we’re outside, he takes a deep inhale.
“Feels weird to be back.”
“In what way?” I ask. I can’t imagine what anything feels like for Silas. We all have our demons, but I’ve always been able to run from mine.
Silas shrugs. “Everything looks the same. Sounds the same, smells the same…”
“But you aren’t the same.”
He grimaces. “Nope. Sure as fuck not.”
There’s a lot I want to say. To tell him not to punish Mona for his shortcomings by keeping his distance. But who am I to judge?
I am content with my loneliness. I’ve never needed or wanted more than what I have. I’ve spent decades moving from place to place, never settling, never allowing myself to form attachments.
My mother is safe in the West. My mate is safe with her pack.
I don’t know for certain what Silas will choose, though I think he’ll stay. This place was once home to him. But after the torture he endured at Deidre’s hands, this place that once anchored him likely feels like an illusion. He’ll have to figure out if it’s real or not.
I watch him clench and unclench his fists, recognizing that internal tug-of-war. Torn between what we want and what we believe we deserve.
Silas walks off without another word. Locals watch him from afar, like they want to go to him, but the air he gives off keeps them at bay. He disappears into the trees, heading west up the mountain.
I wait a few minutes before following, using my magic to cloak not just my scent, but all of me so that even Kendrick wouldn’t be able to tell I’m there. I trail Silas, keeping several paces behind. His clothes drop, bones cracking and reshaping. Fur sprouts across his skin until a massive black wolf stands in his place. He bounds up the mountain. I follow and tell myself it’s because I’m curious, not because he’s my pack mate, or because I feel responsible for him.
Night falls, and still, he hides alone in the woods, like he’s searching for something and can’t settle until he finds it. Hiswolf howls in pain, splitting through the night air as he drowns himself in loneliness.
It’s a private moment that I spend far too much time observing.
Eventually, I leave him. My feet carry me in the opposite direction. To her.
This time, I tell myself I’m just checking in to make sure her mates have taken care of her. To witness their dynamic, to know that when I’m gone, she’ll be cared for.
Her bedroom door opens without resistance—she lies there, nestled between her two mates, her chest rising and falling in peaceful sleep. The air smells of sex. Something hot and unfamiliar burns inside me, an ugly coil of jealousy, but I press it down, smothering it. Checking on her is about her safety, nothing more.
Waning moonlight spills across the bed, illuminating her naked breasts. Her nipples are perfect, soft and supple. Rosy pink, freckles painted across her skin, her red hair fanned over the pillow, and Grayson’s chest. Orion’s hand drapes possessively over her hip.
Her lips part and I count each breath while my fingertips grip the doorframe until my knuckles turn white.
