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“I don’t know anything more than what you know.”

Between the weight of protecting his clan, his sister,and his nephew, if I told him what I knew, he might fracture into a thousand pieces on Six-Mile’s front porch.

“Well…” Olivia interjected.

I shot her a dark look, annoyed at her almost-admission.

Marcus pointed at me. “You know what happened.”

“No, I don’tknow.”

In the distance, Torbin moved into my view, studying us as we conversed. So far, he hadn’t been able to find any clues, any spies, or anything useful in our hunt. The constellation still hadn’t made any sense, and we were quickly running out of time, and everything was spiraling out of my control.

“Come on, Logan,” Olivia began. “Tell him.”

The façade Marcus worked so hard to maintain had completely disappeared. “You have a suspicion. Start with that.”

“Dammit,” I grunted. “We’re not certain of anything…”

“But?” he pressed.

“We believe Acheron is somehow consuming shifter magic to make his own that much stronger.” The terrifying close call with Olivia replayed in my mind.

“What does that do to the shifters he captures?”

“They disappear into him,” Olivia whispered, stepping nearer to Marcus.

“Disappear?” His tanned skin blanched pale, and he swallowed several times, turning his eyes toward the floor between us. “Did you saydisappear?”

“Yes,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Each one makes him stronger.”

“Then we have no choice.” When he raised his eyes once more, fury burned deep in him, and his hands clenched at his sides. “The alphas must align behind Emma. She’s the only chance my sister and her son have, and if they don’t listen, we’ll make them.”

His words unsettled me. Marcus and I hadn’t been on the same side of anything… ever. Not as kids, not as adults. My mouth twisted into a smile. Even absent, Emma was already bringing opposing factions together.

The clans would be shocked if we were now collaborators. Marcus hadn’t been wrong that none of the other alphas would know how to react if we were on the same side. Perhaps we should remain enemies so we could conquer the world… for Emma.

“I have a request,” I said, “one I think will help Emma more than us announcing our new alliance.”

“Yes?” Marcus squinted at me, already suspicious.

“We should remain enemies, at least in public. It’ll make a bigger impact if we despise each other but recommend the same action at the gathering tonight.”

“I don’t have to pretend to despise you,” he said.

I stuck out my hand toward my rival alpha. “Good. Then we’re on the same page.”

Marcus shook it silently.

Olivia’s breath left her in awoosh. “I guess tonight’s going to be one helluva meeting, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.” Marcus jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Now tell me why Torbin is pretending like I can’t smell him?”

As I began to explain our hunt for spies and traitors, I couldn’t get over what was quickly becoming the most unexpected development in a month of history-making.

Teaming up with Marcus.

What a fucking turn of events.