We met with Sebastian, Williams, and Ethan an hour later. Between Ethan’s heated glances and Kieran’s comforting touches, it was hard to take the situation seriously. I had invited Kat to join us, no longer keeping her at arm’s length.
Kat acted as a bodyguard of sorts, assigned to me by Ethan and Kieran after the rogue incident, which surprised me. Oddly sexist of me, but I hadn’t expected Kat to be such a skilled warrior. She had fought in the battle with the rogues, but I hadn’t noticed. My eyes had been only for Ethan and Kieran that horrible day.
Reflecting on my life in this pack, I found myself astounded. I had gone from trusting no one to having a family of my own. I trusted Kat, Ethan, and Kieran with my life. Sebastian and Williams, I trusted because they needed me alive for an heir to their packs.
We met at Ethan and Kieran’s house, in one of the many rooms I hadn’t yet explored. This one was large and open, like an office. A large table sat in the center, surrounded by swiveling office chairs. A few large maps pinned to the walls highlighted our territory and the surrounding packs.
I could see what Sebastian and Williams were talking about. Their land was pinned directly under Ethan and Kieran’s, making it impossible for them to expand their territory. I hadn’t discussed it with Ethan and Kieran yet, but I was beginning to think of a solution. Once we took over Williams and Sebastian’s packs, the territory could be combined. There would be more than enough room to disperse some of the citizens and possibly expand our territory north.
Williams and Sebastian were the first to arrive, looking worse for wear. While Sebastian and Ethan were searching for more information on my abilities, Williams was investigating the rogue attack. My gut told me there was more to the attack. It had been larger than I thought possible. I shuddered at the thought, wondering what an all-out war between werewolves would look like.
Sebastian stood against the edge of the circular table, his palms flat against the cold surface. His eyebrows were bunched together, and his lips were pressed in a thin line. Williams looked nearly the same, and even Ethan had a frustrated expression, which smoothed out a bit when I walked into the room.
As much as I wanted to stand and feign strength, my muscles were aching bitterly. I plopped down in one of the chairs, thankful Kieran sat beside me. Ethan didn’t sit but leaned against the table to my right, looking like a male model with his shirt sleeves bunched at the elbows and his hair skillfully tousled. Even frustrated, he was incredibly alluring.
“Well, let’s get on with it then,” Sebastian grumbled, caring little about formalities as the Twin’s parents made their way into the room. All eyes turned to Sebastian. “I’ve found next to nothing, but I haven’t exhausted my resources yet. I have a few friends at the High Table who might be swayed to our side.”
“I’d say you found a little more than nothing,” Ethan grunted, flashing Sebastian a quick glare.
“It means nothing,” Sebastian snapped, uncharacteristically agitated.
The heavy emotions in the room were giving me a headache. Williams, Sebastian, and Ethan were all frustrated, but emotions weren’t simple. They were often layered, mixed with one another. While Sebastian was frustrated, he was also anxious and worried. Ethan’s emotions mirrored Sebastian’s. Whatever they had learned, it was something to worry about.
“Sebastian, tell us what you know,” Kieran grunted, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Sebastian’s eyes snapped to Kieran, flickering with annoyance. It was still strange to see myself reflected in those eyes, to know I had inherited that trait from Sebastian. “Any information helps.”
“White wolves were much more prominent a couple of hundred years ago. Hunting them to near extinction has caused a decline in white wolves. Who would have thought?” Sebastian scoffed dryly. “The abilities were categorized. Those who weren’t a threat were usually allowed to live, so long as they didn’t stir trouble.
“There’s more information about the peaceful abilities: speaking to animals, increased knowledge, controlling nature-all seemingly non-threatening. The next tier had even less information: levitation, telekinesis, weather control. Dangerous, but not the worst. Those wolves were either controlled or put to death.” Ethan picked up where Sebastian left off, running a hand over his face. “The highest tier only had a few names, most of which made no sense-except for one.”
“We have no proof that Sophia is what they speak of,” Sebastian grunted, wiping emotion from his face as if he had forgotten my strange abilities. What I felt from him was fear, which only solidified that Sebastian cared for me in some strange way. Love wasn’t perfect, nor always healthy and pure. Whatever Sebastian felt for me, it wasn’t just because I was his daughter. That kind of love was selfish, but did that make it meaningless? I wasn’t sure.
“You’re right, we don’t. Either way, we’re not keeping this from her,” Ethan snapped, not hiding his anger and general dislike for Sebastian. Ethan turned to me, and a flash of comfort settled over my weary bones. “There wasn’t much, but the passage talked about fire-starters and something they called an emotional leech.”
“An emotional leech?” I scoffed, feeling offended. Sure, my abilities had to do with emotions, but calling me a leech? I wasn’t sure I agreed with that.
‘What you did during the battle was kind of like a leech,’ Silver chimed in, not caring about the term. ‘You sucked all those terrible emotions from everyone and gave them back. Hence, emotional leech.’
‘Fine, you’re right about that part, but that’s the only time I feed off emotions,’ I grunted defensively. ‘I’m not feeding off their emotions now. If anything, they’re giving me a headache.’
The frustration and pent-up dislike felt like an insect crawling over my skin. I continued shifting in my seat as the boiling emotions set my teeth on edge. Ethan’s gentle touch was the only thing that eased the bite of the emotions. His lips were tipped down, and concern radiated from him.
“While the name is crude, it somewhat fits,” Ethan frowned, sitting in one of the office chairs and pulling me into his lap. The love from him felt like being wrapped in a thick blanket, chasing away the harsh emotions battering my mind.
“Crude?” Kat snorted under her breath. “More like ignorant. Of course, men criticize what they don’t understand. Better to kill them off than try to understand them.”
“Not all were needlessly killed. White wolves were meant to bring peace, but many were sucked into wars started by Alphas,” Sebastian grunted, fixing Kat with a sour look. He glanced my way, bringing on a glare of my own. “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
“You’re saying Sophia’s power will corrupt her?” Kat scoffed, shaking her head. “Forgive me, Alpha, but you’re full of it. Even a blind person could see she’d make a great Luna. If anyone can handle that kind of power, she can. Besides, she has me-and the twins, of course.”
“Regardless, many Alphas at the High Table will want her dead. Better safe than sorry, in their case,” Sebastian snarled.
“Then it’s your job to convince your friends to join our side,” Kieran chimed in, his voice a deep baritone.
“Alpha Patrick might not be on the High Table anymore, but I still consider him a good friend. Perhaps he could sway some of the others,” the Twins’ dad mused.
“Then it’s settled,” Ethan nodded, turning to Williams, who had remained silent. “What did you find out about the rogue attack?”
“Absolutely nothing.” Williams frowned, and the tension in the room intensified. Noticing my confused expression, he turned to me and continued. “Typically, after a rogue attack, there’s talk among the packs. Rogues rarely do anything quietly. I’ve spoken with every surrounding pack, and none have seen a single rogue.”
“They were all concentrated on our pack,” Kieran muttered darkly, his eyes flickering to where I sat on his brother’s lap. “This was orchestrated by someone. Have you heard any of the other Alphas planning something like this?”
“I’ve heard nothing, not a single whisper,” Williams sighed. “Many of my pack members have family within rogue communities. They have suffered many losses.”
“They remain loyal to your pack?” Kieran asked without caution, souring Williams’s face.
“Of course. While rogues live without rules, they also lack discipline and protection. I offer them that protection, give them a safe life-one where they can find their mates and have families. None would ever betray me, that I am certain of.” Williams responded icily. “Speaking of which, I would appreciate my pack member back-the one I sent to retrieve Sophia. I hear he’s been sitting in your dungeons.”
“I think Josh’s release should be Sophia’s decision, don’t you?” Kieran remarked, the corners of his lips twitching.
As much as I wanted to hold a grudge against Williams’s poor decision, feeling the emotions of others gave clarity to many situations. For example, all I could feel from Williams was concern. He was worried about Josh, worried about the family that missed him. That alone was enough to force my hand, to reassure myself that I was making the right decision.
“Let him go,” I nodded, not once breaking eye contact with Williams.
“Thank you, Sophia.” Williams nodded, his voice steady and genuine.
“Do something like that again, and it’ll be you sitting in the dungeons,” I warned, speaking with more false bravado than anything else.
Kieran let out a booming laugh, which nearly made me jump. Kat’s quiet chuckle followed. Even Williams’s lips twitched into a smile. The only one who remained solemn was Sebastian.
I was horribly tired, and the emotions flitting around the room were only making it worse. As our meeting came to an end, I was more than excited for some one-on-one time with both twins. They were the brief break from the emotional barrage pounding my mind, like the calm within the storm.
Kat, it seemed, had other plans. She wanted a few more hours of training, insisting I learn some basic combat moves. More than anything, I was thankful she didn’t drag me back out to the gym. The twins had a small gym in their house, which suited our needs just fine.
As Ethan and Kieran sauntered into the basement gym, I felt horribly self-conscious. It wasn’t a secret that I had little to no knowledge of self-defense. You’d think dealing with Darren would make me want to learn to defend myself, but I never had the resources to try that route.
My self-consciousness vanished when Ethan and Kieran added their advice to the mix. The three of them showed me how to disarm an enemy, whether they held a gun or knife. Kieran showed me moves for dealing with someone sneaking up behind me. It was much easier training with Kat, if I were being honest. Every time the twins pressed up against me, their strong hands on my waist or arms, it made it hard to focus on what they were saying.
An hour turned into three, and I was practically swaying on my feet by the time we finished. The sun had set, and night now reigned. I watched from the living room window as Kat jogged down the street to her house. Before I could get a word in, I was scooped into a familiar set of arms.
“Looks like someone’s had a long day,” Ethan chuckled, letting out a low growl as I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. A heavy shudder seemed to work its way up his spine, and his fingers tightened around my waist.
“Think we should mention it to her now?” Kieran’s voice sounded distant. I tried my hardest to listen, but my eyelids were so, so heavy. My entire body felt made of lead, and I cherished the weightless bliss of being held in Ethan’s arms. “They’ll expect us to be marked when we arrive.”
“Not right now. Something tells me she’s not listening anyway,” Ethan chuckled, brushing some sweat-coated hair from my forehead. “It’s going to be harder for her, having two mates. One Alpha’s mark is bad enough.”
“If anyone can handle it, Sophia can,” Kieran grumbled sincerely.
While I picked up every word, my sleep-infested brain thought them useless and chucked them aside. I didn’t feel the plush bed beneath my back as I was set down, nor did I feel them pulling my socks and shoes off. I did, however, feel comfort wash over my every aching muscle when the two of them slipped into bed beside me.