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“He’s doing a lot better, but he’s still struggling, too,” Perdita said. “He’s fine when he stays with us, so we think his surroundings might make a difference.”
Byron looked at me. “Did he tell you what the problem is?”
“He can’t settle there,” I said. “He feels aggressive all the time when he’s stuck there at night. Margo told me she understands the feeling because she feels that way around, uh, somebody else, like she can’t relax. Neither of them feels that way around Jorge.”
“Interesting,” Byron said. “So you all feel that we can kill two birds with one stone and deal with both Victor’s and Jorge’s problems by pushing them together?”
“You keep saying that Margo is doing well because she has the stable influence of her parents to rely on,” Nathan said.
“And Dorian has us,” Perdita added.
“Exactly,” Nathan said. “What if that’s what the teens need? A role model, a mentor, somebody they can trust who gives them a stable environment. Jorge’s a great candidate. Evelyn has a unique perspective. She could be another option. I thought you might want to consider it.”
“I’ll have to get Jorge’s take, first. He might not want the responsibility.” Byron looked thoughtful. “Come to think of it, Amelia relied a lot on Ryan when she first shifted. I like the idea. That kind of guidance could work.” He checked the time. “I should head home.”
“Um, there’s something else,” I said, figuring I needed to share everything I knew. “Margo discovered something strange about Eli.”
I caught them up on the situation.
“That’s a new one,” Byron said. “I’ll need to talk to Vira about this.”
“How is he doing it?” Perdita asked. “Margo helped Jakob’s spirit move on. How could Eli be doing the opposite?”
“What if he doesn’t even know he’s doing it?” Nathan suggested. “The harbingers can’t see death, according to Vira, at least not like Margo. That still leaves the question of how it happened in the first place.”
“Either way, this could be vital information,” Byron said. “A way to put Eli on a leash. Vira said that the Elders would punish him if they knew what he was doing. If we stop him, we could direct their attention away from Margo.”
“Becoming a werewolf has given Margo more advantages than we expected,” Perdita said. “I’m so relieved.”
“She’s done well,” Nathan said. “Better than I had hoped, even.”
“She has,” Byron said. “Not only her control but her influence. That’s thanks to Dorian here, too.”
My face grew hot. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Of course you did,” Byron continued. “With you there to help her, she’s progressed better than expected. I’ve noticed changes in Victor, too. On the pack run, the teens seemed to function well together. Maybe they needed to be balanced out by Dorian and Margo.”
“I seriously haven’t done anything,” I protested.
“You’ve done a lot,” Byron said firmly. “Don’t think none of us notices how you defuse conflict. The others were too close in standing to get along, but now Margo’s brought some security. They can lean on her instead of fighting each other to lead. The teamwork you have is spreading outward. Well done.” He patted me on the shoulder, leaving me speechless.
“I think Byron broke him,” Perdita said after Byron left. To be fair, I hadn’t moved a muscle.
Nathan laughed. “Is it just me or does he look horrified by being praised?”
“It’s not that,” I said. “I’m surprised is all.” I had realised that the alpha had begun to treat me like one of the adults. He included me, listened to me, and seemed to value my opinion. When had that started?
“He’s right though,” Nathan said. “You’ve done a lot. We’re all proud of you.”
Hearing that never got old, no matter what we went through.
CHAPTER31
Margo
My usual playlistkept hurting my ears, so I shoved my earbuds into my bedside locker, slamming the drawer shut so hard that the handle broke in my hand. With a sigh, I sat on my bed and gazed at the broken handle. What a symbol for my life.
“Margo?” Mam asked from the doorway. “Are you ready to leave?”
