by Sara Snow
"He already knows," I said curtly.
Darian's eyes widened. “What?”
“He knows about Will helping us. Will was there the night the pack was attacked. He protected Jackson.”
Darian looked Will's way, but his eyes hardened. “But does the Alpha know you’re in a relationship with this vampire? Hmm?” I didn't answer, and he shook his head. "That's what I thought."
“I have a feeling he does, okay? We just didn't get to that part of the conversation. Listen, hate him all you want; you're entitled to your opinion. But he warned us tonight about Cain, his brother, just before he attacked."
“How do you know he didn’t set the whole thing up just to gain your trust? He’s a vampire, Elinor! And you're a firstborn to an Alpha. Am I the only person who sees how bad this is?” He looked at Will. “Are you sure he’s even a vampire? How can he walk in the sun?”
"We need to keep it down," Cyrus grumbled, and the room grew silent.
I rubbed at my forehead as my head throbbed even harder.
"Do you need something? I can see about getting you some tea," Skye offered.
Will turned to me, his lips parting to speak, and Darian growled at him.
Abruptly, Darian turned and left, slamming the door behind him, and I sighed. Skye and Cyrus looked at each other, but I averted my eyes. We didn't have time for this.
I understood why Darian was struggling to digest this. He was someone who held our beliefs and traditions dear. In his eyes, my relationship with Will was disrespectful at best. And if I was wrong about Will, it could end up costing not only my life but also the lives of any others who trusted him because of me. I couldn’t blame him for that. His reaction was the same as everyone else’s would be once this was all over and I left the pack. I glanced at Will, and a memory of Vivian flashed through my mind.
I'd still be leaving the pack. But right now, with the way I felt, maybe I wouldn’t be going with him.
“It took years for him to accept Cyrus,” Skye started, her voice cutting through the silence. “He’s not the easiest guy to deal with.”
"I don't care about that," Will replied calmly. "It doesn't bother me that he hates me—many people do. His reaction is expected. I don't need his approval, and I don't care if he believes me that I mean Elinor no harm." He looked at me, but I looked away. "We all want the same thing—to see an end to this, and that's what matters."
“What happened with your brother?” Cyrus inquired, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees.
Even if he wasn't behaving as badly as Darian was, I knew he was still skeptical of Will. I groaned inwardly, reminding myself that right now, I shouldn't care.
Will didn’t respond right away, but I could feel his eyes on me. "We argued and then fought each other. And finally, I found out a crucial piece of information—my mother doesn’t want Elinor dead.”
“Then what does she want?” Cyrus sat up. “Elinor has enough divinity to kill her. Your mother clearly knows that, since she sent Cain after her.”
“That’s not why she sent him. She wants Elinor alive because she intends to turn her,” Will said, and Cyrus got to his feet, scraping his chair on the wooden floor. “She knows Elinor’s a threat, but she also knows Elinor will be an incredibly powerful vampire if turned. Vampire Enchanteds don’t lose their power like witches or other supernaturals. If Elinor is turned—and turned by the Queen—she’ll be even more powerful.”
I leaned forward and covered my face. I wasn't sure which was worse—the Queen hunting me to kill me or to turn me into a vampire. But neither was going to happen.
"When white wolves were plentiful centuries ago, a vampire King tried to turn one," Will said, turning his back to us as he gazed out the window. "He succeeded, but the wolf killed him. When a vampire turns a human or supernatural, that human or supernatural becomes bound to that vampire. They're unable to hurt them or disobey them, though that only lasts for a few years until the newborn can break the connection or until their maker releases them. Still, there’s a bond that often lasts for centuries.
"But the white wolf that was turned was different,” Will continued. “He wasn’t bound to his maker or in any way submissive. He killed the King and then himself, but not before murdering several royals.”
When Cyrus began pacing, Will turned to face us.
"After that, the act of turning a white wolf was forbidden. But my mother must think she’ll be able to control Elinor in some way. The old council would have been able to stop her, but all the other royals are dead.”
“I won’t be controlled by anyone,” I growled. “But since I know she wants me, maybe that can work in our favor. She'll welcome me if I go to her."
“No,” Will and Cyrus said simultaneously.
I rolled my eyes. "Obviously, I meant after I’ve received the training I need to fight her. I’d never make it if I went to her as I am now.”
“We stick to our plan,” Will said sternly, and I held back the snarl I wanted to send his way.
"What plan?" Skye asked. I explained to her and Cyrus what Will and I had spoken about, revealing that his venom was poisonous to other vampires, including his mother, the Queen. He’d fight alongside me and Cyrus, and with his venom, he’d hopefully manage to weaken the Queen.
Cyrus stopped pacing and sat down, his gray eyes narrowed at the ground thoughtfully. “That’s not a bad idea. If her power is diminished, we’ll have a better chance of defeating her. Have you ever used your venom on her to know if it works? She might be different than other vampires.”
“It works.” Will's reply was vague, but Cyrus didn't push it.
Typical. Secretive little bastard.
"Transparency, Will. I think that's something you need to learn in order for people to trust you," I grumbled, and I saw the side of his mouth twitch. I waited for his response, but he said nothing. "So, where is your brother?” I asked next. “Is he dead?”
He shook his head, and a few long strands of black hair fell over his shoulder. “No, he’s not dead. We fought about our . . . differences, but I didn’t kill him. If he dies, my mother will respond by immediately calling me back to her side. If I were to refuse, she’d grow suspicious.”
“But your fiancée got away. Isn’t she going to tell the Queen?”
His eyes flashed red for only a second, but it didn't go unnoticed by me, and I doubted Cyrus and Skye missed it either. I knew I was acting petty, but I was finding it hard to even look at him. I couldn't stop imagining him kissing Vivian the way he’d kissed me.
I thought about the time we had shared together at the little cabin in the woods just a few hours ago and how he had probably done the same thing with her, and my wolf whimpered. Sure, I’d been engaged too at one point, but I told Will about it and explained that my father had been intent on marrying me off. And even then, Elijah and I never even held hands.
“She won’t tell the Queen. Vivian knows my mother’s penchant for punishing messengers who deliver bad news. Besides, Vivian is probably trying to figure out a way to use this to blackmail me." He stepped forward, and I stood up. "And she's not my fiancée."
I turned and walked out of the room, and even though I could hear him following me, I kept walking. I made it halfway down the hall before I felt his hand on my elbow, and I pulled away as I turned to face him.
"I'm going to find Darian, okay? I need to speak to him," I protested.
"I need to speak to you, Elinor. We need to talk about this." He stepped closer, forcing me to tilt my head back to look up at him. "She's not my fiancée anymore. We were barely even friends."
“I don't care if you were enemies. Don't you get it? You were engaged. Engaged." I pressed a finger to my temple and glanced at the door beside us. "We can’t talk about this here.”
I turned to walk away again, and he grabbed my arm again. This time I didn't pull away because I knew he'd only keep stopping me. "Okay, you said she's not your fiancée anymore . . . But when were you
going to tell me about her, huh? Am I not an understanding person, Will? Did I not tell you about my engagement?" I sighed loudly, suddenly feeling exhausted. “At this point, you can't blame me for wondering what else you might be hiding from me.”
“There is nothing else.”
I shook my head slowly. I gazed into his eyes, searching for any other secrets they might contain. “I can’t know that, Will, and honestly, I don't believe you. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of the back and forth with us. This isn’t what relationships should be like.”
My eyes blurred with tears, and I looked down, allowing my hair to fall forward and shield my face from his view.
"All relationships have their issues, Elinor. I know I've hurt you, but I swear, I never had with her what I have with you.”
“I know that no relationship is perfect. Skye and Cyrus have the same kind of difficulties you and I do. But they don't argue like we do. Everyone is entitled to have their secrets. But if you can't see that the secrets you keep are too big . . .” I looked up at him, my eyes blurry with tears. “If you can’t see that your secrets are the reason we keep falling apart like this, then maybe we shouldn’t . . .”
He dropped his hand as my words trailed off. “Maybe we shouldn’t what?”
I looked away.
“Look at me, Elinor. Maybe we shouldn’t what?”
I turned and walked away, wiping the tears that now ran down my cheeks. “We can’t talk about this here.”
“We’re going to talk about it now!” he yelled.
I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t turn around and he didn’t step forward.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be together? Is that what you were going to say?”
“And what if it was?” My lips tightened.
“Maybe you should ask Skye if she threatens to leave Cyrus every time she argues with him. Is it so easy for you to be done with me?” When I didn’t answer, he hissed, “Fine.”
A gust of wind blew my hair forward, and when I turned around, he was gone.
3
Elinor
It took a few minutes for me to find Darian at the tree line leading into the forest. We stood together in silence for a moment as we listened to the night creatures calling to each other.
"I know you're disappointed in me," I said, and he took a deep breath. "I know you're judging me hard right now, but—”
“You have no idea what I’m thinking about, Elinor.”
I bit down on my lip at his words.
After another minute, he turned to me. "But if you want to know what I'm thinking, I'll tell you. I'm wondering how you could be foolish enough to have allowed a vampire to get close to you. You once wanted to be a Werewolf Guard. You probably still do. Well, Guards don't befriend predators. We kill them. How in the world can you trust him?"
"The same way our Alpha trusted a demon enough to welcome him into our pack." I tilted my head to the side. "So are you calling our Alpha foolish for trusting Cyrus?"
Darian exhaled heavily through his nostrils and shook his head, causing his locs to dance behind him. “It isn’t the same thing.”
"Isn't it, though?"
He started laughing, the sound a humorless rumble. "It's funny that you're standing here defending the vampire when you just found out he had a fiancée while . . . dating you. That's what you were doing, right? Dating? Or are you a full-fledged couple? Either way, you must be in love if you’re still defending him, even though somewhere out there, your true mate is waiting for you.”
He laughed again, but it was a dull sound.
I swallowed the hurt I felt at his words and turned to stare into the darkness of the forest. Arguing with him about this was a waste of time. Darian wasn’t going to let go of his beliefs—beliefs I once shared. But I wasn't bound to them anymore. I believed everyone had a right to love whomever they wanted to love, even if they weren’t from the same species. Besides, I knew Darian had been with many she-wolves, none of whom were his mate.
"Spare me, Darian. Everyone else might let you get away with that hypocritical bullshit, but this is me you’re talking to. I came out here to explain things to you, but I'm not going to sit here while you feed me that 'your mate is out there waiting for you' crap." He looked at me with surprise, and I held his stare. "Whoever my mate is, he's not out there waiting on me. He's living his life and doing Goddess knows what. You're not mated, and I know you haven't been sitting home all alone waiting for her. So give me a break, will you?"
“We’re different, Elinor. You’re the daughter of an Alpha . . .” He looked around to make sure we were alone. “And you’re dating a vampire, for Goddess’s sake! And a General at that! If the Queen were not already waging war, the moment she or your father found out about this, there would be one."
"Don't you think I know that?" I argued. "I know, okay. I didn't go searching for Will, and he didn't come looking for me. We met, he saved my life, and we grew close. That's what happened. Fuck!"
His brows rose at my foul language, and I sighed and closed my eyes. It seemed I’d picked up a few of Will’s favorite choice words in our year alone together.
He took a few breaths, then cleared his throat. "You're not at all what a firstborn female should be—or a female Alpha-born, for that matter."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
He chuckled, and this time, his eyes twinkled with humor. "Calm down. I meant it as a compliment. Believe it or not, I've always liked that you were rebellious."
"And yet you hated the idea of me becoming a Guard," I grumbled.
He grew serious once more. “Like your father, and literally everyone else, I just thought you should pick a career path that would not put your life at risk."
I looked up at the starry sky and thought of all the supernaturals and humans that had lost their lives lately.
"We could die at any moment, Darian. At least I'd go down fighting." I inhaled the fresh night air. "Look at me now. I’m not a Werewolf Guard, yet my life is in danger anyway. You say you liked that I was rebellious, but me dating a vampire is a little too much rebellion for you, huh?"
"A lot too much," he grumbled, and I couldn’t help smiling.
“I apologize for cursing. My head’s killing me. But we still need to talk about my plan.”
He walked further into the forest, and I followed. "There’s no need. I overheard everything. I was outside the door."
Couldn't stand being around Will, huh?
"Then what do you think?”
He didn't answer, and I tugged on his arm to stop him.
"You don't have to agree with my decision to be with Will. I'm pissed at Will right now myself—don't think I'm not. But we need his help if we're going to defeat the Queen. We need him."
"It's a good plan, okay?" The words left his lips through clenched teeth. "But be smart about it and come up with a plan B, and even a plan C as well. Nothing ever goes the way it's supposed to. And I don't say that because I can't stand the vampire. I’ve learned from experience."
"Yeah, okay," I grumbled and released his arm.
I pressed my fingers into my eyes and then rubbed at my temples. I loved how quiet it was here in the forest, with only a few supernaturals and humans wandering about closer to the village.
From the outside, the town looked peaceful. But inside it, I knew the townspeople were consumed by fear.
“You need to take something for that headache.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I just need to rest a little.” I held my hands up, remembering the burn marks that had been there. “What’s inside me is a little too much for me to handle right now. I know that.”
"That's why we’re doing this—to get you some help with your control." He turned his back to the town to face the forest, and I knew that even though we were talking, his eyes and ears were working, listening and looking for any signs that Bleeders or the Resurrected were coming.
“Where are we going? Tell me.”
He sn
orted and shook his head. "You'll know when we get there. But the plan wasn't to take a vampire with us."
"Then consider this plan B. Things never go the way they're supposed to, right? Someone told me that once.”
Darian looked at me from the side but said nothing.
"We don't have a choice. Like I said, we need him. Besides, he'd only follow me, anyway."
He turned to me, frowning as he looked me up and down. Darian was a gorgeous man, I could admit that, but he wasn't someone I'd want to be with. He was too grumpy, too headstrong. And too often, he behaved like an ass. But underneath that, he was strong, a fighter, and I knew he only cared about my well-being.
Right now, though, I wanted to know what the hell he was looking at. "What are you staring at?"
“Did he feed on you?”
His question caught me off guard, and my pulse quickened. Even though I said nothing, he obviously figured out the answer himself because his face dropped. Something flashed within his eyes, but it was gone before I could examine it.
“That’s none of your business,” I mumbled and walked back in the direction of the town.
"I know it's not. But just so you know . . .” he called after me, and I paused without looking around. "Tracking you will be easy for him if your blood is in his system. He'll always know where you are at all times. Did he tell you that, or was that something else he forgot to mention?"
I bit down until it felt like my teeth would shatter. Then I walked away.
I wasn't bothered by the fact that he could find me whenever he wanted to. He had said he’d follow me wherever I went, and I believed that about him if nothing else. With or without my blood, Will would always find me. A bittersweet smile grew on my lips at that thought. I knew deep down that he loved me. I knew it. But his secrets would ruin us.
He kept things from me. Things that concerned me—or would in the future; things I needed to know about. I didn't consider myself the judgmental type. If he’d told me he was engaged and explained the situation, I’m sure I would have understood.