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EMILY
Cassian and Griffin were waiting for us when we got back to the apartment. I was surprised to see them both sitting there… together. I was tempted to snap a picture because they actually looked like they were having a good time.
One of them laughed at what the other said, and they were both smiling. As soon as they noticed us, they quickly turned away, their expressions casual, as if they weren’t acting like friends. That’s okay, boys. I know the truth.
They both rushed over to me at the same time. Were they waiting to see who I’d hug first? Nice try, but I’ll give them one better. I swung my arms over both their shoulders, leading them to the couch.
“What? No hugs for me?” Ember teased, playfully pretending to be offended by the gesture. Cassian rolled his eyes, and she returned a smug grin as she took a seat on the chair.
I must admit, it felt a bit awkward sitting between them at first. Griffin seemed to be feeling a little better as he and Cassian were attentive to my every need.
“Are you okay?”
“Would you like a drink?”
“Did you guys eat?”
“I’m fine,” I snapped, harsher than I’d intended. I didn’t mean to, but they were annoying me, vying for my attention in a way that was sweet, but unnecessary and, at the moment, in the way.
Ember and I explained the visit, every little detail. From the fortune teller to the vampire chasing us; we told it all. I think we all bonded over the foul smell of the sewers.
Just as we were nearing the end of the story, Morgan showed up. We finished telling them about the mysterious stranger who swept in and saved us. “Yeah, some guy named Lucas,” I said, and Morgan froze in place. I wasn’t sure if that was a name she was familiar with, but she brushed it off like it meant nothing.
She offered to make a drink for Griffin and surprised us all by asking if we wanted one, too. Though her tone seemed forced, like she was only trying to be a good host but didn’t really want to serve us. Which was interesting since it was Griffin’s apartment. Maybe because she owned the building, she felt a sense of obligation?
When it came to Morgan, it was anyone’s guess what she was thinking.
Griffin declined the offer, but Ember asked for a soda. Morgan handed it to her with a smile. Ember touched Morgan’s arm in a gentle gesture and said, “Thank you,” but watched with her eyes in slits as Morgan walked away.
I told Griffin what Lucas said about someone poisoning him with wolfsbane, and to not drink anything he doesn’t make for himself—not from anyone, not even me—at least until we figured it out.
Cassian suggested that Kellan might’ve somehow poisoned him. “What if he found a way to slip it in your water? Better stick with bottled water, for now.”
A bit far-fetched, but I wasn’t about to rule out anything until we knew for certain what was going on.
“Speaking of other packs,” he said, staring at me with an unreadable expression. Then his gaze shifted to Griffin. “I spoke with the Ash Hounds.”
I turned to face Griffin, whose eyes were like saucers.
“Who are the Ash Hounds?” I asked.
“When we went to the Black Hole, this fortune teller lady stopped us and read our future. It was really weird and intense, but one of the things she said was ‘seek the ash hounds and you seek the truth.’ When I was calling the other alphas about the ferals, I saw the Ash Hounds’ number in my dad’s book.”
“And?” Griffin asked. “What’d they say?”
“I introduced myself and apologized for not doing it sooner. The alpha—Alpha Radolph—told me a story about the alpha before him. He was in love with a witch, and they had a baby together, but he left the pack to be with the witch and disappeared. They said it wasn’t until later they found out Samara had killed him.”
The room fell silent as we took in this new information. Cassian’s eyes fell on mine, and he said, “Em, I think he might be talking about your father.”
* * *
After discussing the possibility of this mystery alpha being my dad, Cassian said, “We should talk about the information the fortune teller gave you.”
Morgan’s head perked up. “What information?”
“Oh, that’s right,” I answered. “You weren’t here for that. Well—”
“You know what?” Ember cut me off. “Why don’t we talk about this later, guys? It’s been a rough morning, and I just want to relax for a bit. We’ve been at it for hours, and I think we all deserve a break. So, why don’t we have a few drinks and loosen up? Have a little fun. We need it after nearly getting our asses handed to us.”
