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“And we only have your word for that.”
I smiled. There was absolutely nothing friendly or warm about it. “True, but I’m quite happy to call in an outside independent source to verify my claim. That would of course necessitate contacting the high council and would likely result in not only the council declaring your wellspring an area of national scientific interest, but also annexing a good portion of your lands.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Is that a threat?”
“No, a reality. What is happening here, with your wellspring, is something that hasnothappened for centuries.” I took a deep breath and then went to the one place I really didn’t want to. Not yet, anyway. “But in the interest of complete transparency, Eli discovered some information last night that suggests I could, in part—and very unknowingly—be responsible for the wellspring’s current course of action.”
“Oh, color me so surprised.” Karleen’s tone was sarcastic. “Get her out of here, Aiden. We do not need her kind—”
Aiden surged to his feet so suddenly, I briefly unbalanced. “Enough with your hatred, Mother. Enough with your inability to see beyond the past. Liz isn’t responsible for your sister’s rape and subsequent death. Neither she nor Gabe is responsible for Katie’s death. Liz has put her life on the line countless times to keep this reservation safe. She even saved your goddamn life right here in this building, and yet all you can do is live in the past rather than see the future. I intend to marry this woman—”
“You cannot—”
“You can’t fucking stop me. I’mheadalpha of this pack now and its representative on the council. I have a duty to this pack that I will never ignore, but Iwillchoose the mate of my heart. The only decision to be made here today is where we live once we marry. And that, I assure you, will be happening very soon.”
A soft murmur rose behind us. I glanced around. The other pack alphas had returned. Aiden motioned them inside.
As they filed in, I drew another deep breath and then said, “Before we get around to discussing our living arrangements, it’s probably best I explain my statement about why these quakes are happening, and what needs to be done to stop it.”
Karleen’s expression was contemptuous. “The pack doesn’t need any more of your lies—”
“What the pack doesn’t need,” Aiden cut in, “is the whispers you’ve been spreading about our witches, who even now are working their butts off to stop a goddamn vampire war while trying to catch the basilisk that just turned Jenny Sinclair’s son into goddamn stone.”
Karleen’s face paled. “Jenny’s son? Vander?”
“Yes, Vander. And if you stopped swimming in the pool of your own misery for two seconds and actually concentrated on reservation and pack business, you’d realize that the problem here isn’t the witches, it’s the decision the council made over a year agonotto immediately replace Gabe or protect the wellspring. Almost every single murder that has happened since then is a result of that decision. If you’d had your way six months ago and convinced the council to run Liz and Belle out of town, this reservation would bedead. Or, perhaps even worse, under the control of the goddamn High Witch Council.”
He was so damn angry his fists were clenched. This was the alpha fully unleashed, and I wanted to stand up and cheer.
Karleen definitelyhadn’tbeen expecting it, despite their confrontation yesterday. He’d played the waiting game so damn well she’d obviously believed it was a one-off, that with the backing of the pack she could still rule even if he’d now assumed his father’s place.
Her expression suggested she was now very aware of how badly she’d misjudged her eldest son.
She didn’t say anything, however. She simply turned and walked across to an empty section of seating. Ciara, I noted, was already there, along with a number of other wolves I didn’t recognize, but who were obviously part of Aiden’s extended family.
Aiden glanced down at me. “You want a hand up?”
I nodded and raised my good hand. He effortlessly pulled me upright, then wrapped a hand around my waist and helped me over to the covered firepit.
“Do you need a medic for that hand? You’re dripping blood all over the place.”
I glanced down and saw that one of the cuts was deeper than I’d initially presumed. The price of connection, perhaps?
I doubt any sort of blood price would be needed when it comes to wild magic, Belle said.Especially when that’s the one thing witches have been told to avoid when it comes to wellsprings.
I’d agree, except for the fact we still don’t have a full understanding of Fenna beyond how—and possibly why—they were created.
Which is why I’ve just contacted Eli and told him we need more information about “bathing” a Fenna’s offspring in the wellspring STAT.
Here’s hoping it’s there to find.But even if it wasn’t, I had no choice except to fulfill my promise and walk into the wellspring. Maybe not right now, but sometime soon. The wellspring’s patience would not hold for all that long.
Perhaps,Belle said, you need to wrap a sliver of it around your wrist so that the old wellspring is aware of your intent and actions.
Good idea.I silently put out a call and a solitary thread drifted in and wrapped around my wrist. It felt like I was being branded by fire. The wellspring’s dangerous fury might have retreated from the area, but it very definitely hadn’t abated.
“Liz?” Aiden said softly, making me jump.
“Sorry, I was talking to Belle.” I glanced down at my hand. “The bleeding will stop quickly enough. I might not be a werewolf, but I’ve gained a werewolf-like healing ability, remember.”
