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“Found the gobbelins,” I croaked, my voice waterlogged and rough from coughing.
There was an instant rush of whispers and questions from the pack surrounding me, until Vento hushed them with a growl.
“Let him recover. Patrol the lake. Begin the hunts. And you - find us cover for the night,” he ordered, pointing to wolves I couldn’t see.
For once, I was supremely glad not to be alpha or anyone in charge of anything. I was fucking exhausted and every part of me ached.
But I was alive, and the triumph of what I’d survived - the shit I’ddiscovered- was gradually bringing my strength back. One of the wolves brought me fresh water, and another handed over some meat. I was given a rare blanket, and soon I felt well enough to relate what I’d found.
Vento watched me silently with narrowed eyes as I described the bottom of the lake, how it turned into an upside-down pool, and the cave full of gobbelins, led by the fae woman. I took a deep swallow of the water as the woman’s request came surging back into my mind.
Lachlan.
That was Rush’s given name. The fae in that cave had claimed to be Rush’smother. And she wanted him back. Then I recalled the threat she’d made about coming for Saori Sang. How did this fae know all of Kana’s business? My own business with Kana? Was Rush a spy or a traitor? Not that I had room to talk, but fuck. That woman had known too much.
“What are you withholding?” Vento growled, kneeling and leaning in close as though he could smell the truth on me. I shook my head to clear the brain fog that came from nearly drowning.
“The fae. There was a fae woman there. She seemed to be leading them.” Something stopped me from adding how she was related to Rush, and who he was to Kana, but Vento only growled louder, his face slowly shifting to his wolf form with huge teeth bared.
I know you still keep information from me. Tell me now!Vento’s voice barreled into my mind, yanking tightly on the mental leash between us that made up the alpha bond. I didn’t really even know why I was withholding the request.
Choking the words out, I said, “The fae. She claims her son is in Saori Sang with Kana. Lachlan.”
“And is this fae in Kana’s court?” Vento asked. I nodded, rolling onto my side and hacking up the water I’d just finished.
“He glamors himself as a vampire, but he’s shared her bed since the second Trial,” I warned, and Vento flicked his eyes at two of the waiting wolves, communicating with them through the wolf speak, but hiding his words from me and the others.
The two wolves shifted into their four-legged forms and bounded away, howling commands to the scattered pack.
Within moments, all of the ice wolves who had traveled to the lake were assembled in a circle around Vento and me. Vento told the story I’d given him, leaving out zero details.
“You have all sworn to protect Khione and hunt the gobbelins, but I will not ask you to risk your hides against the fae. That will be our choice, as a collective in agreement. We are better than blind orders!” Vento cried, and it seemed like a direct jab at the previous alpha. My grandfather.
I wasn’t offended, though. It was a novel way to run a pack, and I was interested in its effectiveness.
Vento gestured to me. “Tell them your recommendation, pup.”
I faltered, but he nodded at me, silently encouraging me to speak up. “Kana will never forgive us if we deliver Rush to this woman, mother or not. If the fae is a traitor, he will be found out and punished by Khione herself. I say we return to Saori Sang and report what we’ve found, but not try to bring the fae here without Kana’s orders.”
“We need to attack these gobbelins first! Now that they’ve been found, they will likely move, and we’ll lose our lead,” a burly male growled, and several wolves agreed with him.
“We don’t have the magic to clear the water, but Khione does. We need to leave guards here and report back to the city,” a female countered. I was inclined to agree with her - there was no way the wolves would be in fighting condition, even if theydid make it to the bottom of the lake and through the magical barrier.
“There was no way for me to tell how many gobbelins were down there. There could be miles of tunnels,” I pointed out, and several wolves began to discuss options with each other. Vento allowed the arguments to continue for several more minutes before he called for a vote.
I snarled in anger when nearly half of the wolves voted to send a small party to Saori Sang to retrieve Rush and use him as bait to lure the gobbelins topside for a fight.
“What kind of protection is it to allow Khione to unknowingly bed a traitor? And our numbers are not great enough to fight all of Aralia as well. We should bargain with the woman now, when we have the chance,” a younger male argued.
“We have no business with Aralia,” Vento shouted, calming the wolves before they got too worked up about the fae. “Khione’s fight is with the gobbelins, and that is where we will focus our efforts. If the vampires choose war with the fae, we will retreat and let them go to war. Khione will retreat,” he added, and a shiver ran down my spine at the idea that the Goddess could just leave Kana, high and dry to fight the fae as well.
Part of me didn’t believe it.
Iaga would never abandon us like that, would she? Why would Khione?
Several more minutes of argument resulted in no further agreement, and I had begun to wonder if this actually was a legitimate leadership technique. Finally, Vento seemed to realize it and stepped into the center again.
“You have all had your chance to speak, and since there is no majority, I will decide. Anyone who disagrees may return to the mountains without shame, but for myself, I refuse to bargain with a terrorist - and any fae demanding one of Princess Kana’s chosen mates is dealing with darkness. We will leave guards hereand along the way for swifter reporting. If any gobbelins are spotted on the shores, scouts will immediately dispatch to the next group.” Vento surveyed the wolves, and none of them spoke a word in return.
