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“You’re sick,” I whispered.

“I’m practical.” She tilted her head. “And you, dear girl, just made my jobso mucheasier.”

She turned on her heel and strode to the door. “I’ll give them the morning to realise what they’ve done. Then I expect a call. Or I go public. And trust me, Cindy…” She looked back over hershoulder, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. “The next time I come back, it won’t just be for tea and a chat.”

The door clicked shut behind her.

I didn’t move. Couldn’t.

The bond hummed upstairs, full of warmth, still asleep. Unaware of the trap we’d all walked into.

I leaned against the counter. Trembling.

And I made a choice.

I wouldn’t let her win. Not this time.

The second I heard the door shut, I moved.

My hands were shaking. My breath came too fast. But Imoved. I had to.

I ran to the living room, grabbed my phone from the charger, and called the only person I could think of who might know what the hell to do.

Honey picked up on the second ring, voice rough with sleep. “Christa? What’s wrong?”

“She was here,” I whispered, pacing. “Tracy. She washere, in the kitchen, drinking tea like she lives here. She's got something on us. Something that can get the men into a lot of trouble. And she's going to use it to blackmail them. It's all my fault!”

Silence.

“Honey?”

More rustling. “I’m giving you a number,” she said, voice sharper now. “I’m texting it to you. Call itnow. And don’t say anything to the pack until after. Not until you’ve spoken to her.”

Her?

I didn’t ask. I just waited for the number. The second it popped up, I copied it and dialed.

The line clicked once. Then again.

Then... "Well, I have to say I didn't think I'd be hearing from you so soon. Thought you'd be shacked up with those lover boysof yours for a good long while to come before you came up for air."

My knees nearly gave out. “Marigold?”

A low, smoky chuckle. “Tigress, sweetheart. But I suppose I’ll allow it for you.”

I collapsed onto the couch, pressing a hand to my chest. “Fuck. Okay, give me a minute to process. I mean, I know you're alive. I saw you, but you disappeared again so quickly that I almost had myself convinced I had imagined it."

Marigold chuckled through the line, the laughter sounding hollow and cold somehow. "What can I do for you little runaway Omega?"

"It's Tracy. She showed up. Says she has proof that the guys broke a bunch of laws... which I guess they did by mating an unregistered Omega. She’s threatening to ruin them.”

“Shethinksshe's going to.” Her tone turned razor-sharp. “And she's got quite the cheek blaming the guys for breaking the law when she herself isn't squeaky clean. At all.”

“I don’t know what to do,” I said honestly, not able to process Marigold's words. “But I can’t let her hurt them.”

“I didn’t think you’d call me just to cry,” Marigold said dryly. “Good. I’ve been holding onto something for just this kind of occasion.”

I sat straighter. “What is it?”