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I almost ask. Almost. But I choose to wrangle my attention back to the topic at hand.
Claudia nods slowly and finishes her drink in one go. Strangely, she picked a cranberry mimosa which probably tastes great but looks a lot like blood, while the actual vampire has a regular orange juice mimosa like me. “I thought about that. I can use a cloaking spell, but covering my scent from vampires is a wholly different thing than hiding it from wolves.”
“Yes, and I don’t want to do anything too underhanded,” I say. “If we’re caught, that will totally undermine any trust I’m trying to build with the omegas. I’d rather be as honest as we can.”
The women nod in near unison as Eden reseats herself in the wrought-iron chair.
“Honesty, huh?” Claudia taps her chin, an idea forming behind her eyes. “What if we play into what happened to you?”
I physically recoil at the words.
“What happened to you?” Eden asks.
I didn’t know the witch had seen that in my head.
I can’t help shrinking. My shoulders collapse inward as I fold my arms over myself protectively. “I-I don’t want… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“All we have to say is you’re uncomfortable being around so many wolves that aren’t your pack, so you brought moral support. It shifts the attention to the bad pack’s behavior and off me.”
Eden puts two and two together and squeezes my arm. “If they hurt you, I can only imagine what they do to their own omegas. Whatever you need from me to get them safe, consider it yours, Willa.”
I nod, thankful but still burning with self-consciousness and wishing they’d change the topic.
But the onus is on me to do that. These women won’t brush this topic aside so casually. To do so would seem callous, even if I very much want them to.
I suck in a steadying breath and decide to lean into the only good to come from it. “Nothing really happened. Drago got there in time and made chew-toys of them.”
Eden lets out a small, respectful laugh.
“But more than that, if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have known any of the Laurel Cove pack still had such backward views on designation. I wouldn’t know there were suffering omegas. And I wouldn’t be here making a plan with you two to help them get out.”
At dusk,Jonah, Drago, Claudia, and I pile into the town car Eden gave us to take to the pack lands. We can’t run there in our fur without extra clothes waiting for us, so driving is our only option.
Jonah and Drago didn’t take any convincing to get on board with Claudia coming with us.
But I was more focused on the fact that Rafe still wasn’t back.
I thought for sure he’d show up before the meeting and we’d have time to hash things out. I’d been counting on it.
But that isn’t the case.
I don’t even ask if the others know where he is. I can’t. I have to keep a clear head and asking about Rafe, regardless of whatever Jonah or Drago have to say, will only cloud my mind.
I have to focus on the task.
I’m tempted to reach out to his mind, but even the thought threatens to make me go all snotty and sniffly, so I redirect my thoughts.
Is this working?I say in the newly built, still kinda tingly conduit Claudia made connecting our two minds.
You’re coming in loud and clear, Omega 1. What’s the update?
Um, no update, just testing. And don’t you think code names are unnecessary considering no one else can hear us?
Claudia winks at me from the other side of the town car.We can never be too careful.
I mean, I guess she has a point.Fine, Crow 1, how long will it take you to link with the at-risk omegas?
Moments. It is just a matter of finding them. That might take some time.
