Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Paxton, Nyx, and Edric posted up at different parts of the room, saying nothing, but listening to every word.
“We tried more subtle approaches to get you to lead us to the voice killer,” Orion said. “I got in your face that night in the great room, hoping I could provoke you into wanting to shut me up for good—didn’t work. Then I encouraged Megan to make a scene at the first forum and blew up the projection equipment—still nothing.” He jerked his chin at Badr. “That’s when I told him to come back. Badr walking the halls again would have to do it, but again no.”
I tossed my head, eyes blown at all the secret maneuvering going on right behind my back. Badr was right, it didn’t feel great.
“Is that why you pushed to see Hope, and then insulted her?” I asked. “Because that was quite the fucking risk. I was more tempted to rip your vocal cords out.”
Badr cringed. “I hated saying every single fucking word of that. I pushed to see her... because I just wanted to see her. To know what I was fighting for, because she’s worth you almost taking my head off. I knew that with one look.”
I swallowed hard, eyes filling. “Yes, she is.”
“But we did need to push harder, so... we had Tracy attack you,” Orion forced. “An alpha making one of your friends hit you, that was big-time reason to bust out the voice killer, but you didn’t.”
“So you took the final and most extreme step.” My eyes squeezed shut. “Causing a riot, hurting my friends, getting me beaten within an inch of my life, and making me truly believe you were going to kill me.” I barked a mirthless laugh. “Well, points to you, you were right. That did work.”
“We didn’t want to do it, Daciana,” Badr cried. “Cygnus was getting impatient. The other night, he told us we had twelve hours to deliver, or he was taking over. He could read a calendar too. He knew it was the full moon. He knew whatever he busted in here to do, you couldn’t stop him.
“We believed that nothing we did would be as bad as what he and the secret police were willing to do.” Badr heaved. I knew Melisent’s screams as the blade fell rang as loud in his head as it did mine. “And we were right.”
“Still,” Orion said forcefully. “We’re sorry. We’re so sorry for everything that happened that morning. I hated every fucking minute of it. I showered for five hours after Nyx took you away, and I still don’t feel clean.”
Badr closed the distance, taking my other hand. “I’m sorry, Daciana. I never wanted to hurt you, and I swear on Luame,” he said, shocking me, “I will never hurt you again.”
I was quiet for a long time, considering. Nyx, Paxton, and Edric could’ve spoken up in my head, chiming in with their own thoughts, but they didn’t. They gave me space to think about it on my own, and I appreciated that more than I could say.
My own mates conspired behind my back to destroy my only weapon against the alphas. A weapon that wasn’t just for me, but for Hope. Cooing in her crib in Incepe Din was the most powerful omega in the world. How many alphas and betas would try to use her? And how would she stop them if they did?
I grew that patch to pass down to her and our future children someday, and it was all gone—along with seven innocent lives. I should’ve protected Zarina, Ava, Melisent, and the others. They were never pawns to me. I cared about protecting them and giving them a better future in the way the alpha council was supposed to—unselfishly. So in every way that mattered, we may have struck a victory that day, but we hadn’t won.
“Okay,” I said softly. “This is a war. It was going to be bloody. There would’ve inevitably been days like this, but when a soldier goes to war, they know who and what they’re fighting, and they make the choice to do so. You—” I shook my head. “We took that choice away from them. You two did by running your games and cons, and I did by keeping the shadow and Project Destiny a secret.
“People need to know,” I got out, feeling my chest loosen just that tiniest bit. “They need to know the next generation of super wolves arrives in less than three months. They need to know there’s a lurking, shadow-stealing beast on the hunt, and they need to prepare to protect their children.”
I lifted my chin, holding tight to their hands. “You are the alpha council of Wolf Nation. I am your high priestess. We have a chance to do what the ones before us never fucking did, and that’s fight for all of our people—not just ourselves. Let’s do that by being honest with them. Let’s do that by listening to them.