Page 306 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“Really?” An ache spread through me. “I’m sorry I missed it. I’ll have to make it up to him.”

“Oh, he’s expecting you to,” she replied. “He told me and just about everyone else who’d listen that, and I’m quoting this directly, ‘When Bryn gets home, she’s going to read me a whole book after I show her my presentation.’”

Night and I laughed. I could hear Pax with his little voice, the little boy with golden hair whose dark eyes shone whenever hegot some attention. And how precious was it that he’d called Wargs’ territory my home? He was right, but both territories were home to me now.

“I guess my schedule is set when I get down there,” I said. “I can’t wait.”

“Oh, yeah,” Violet agreed. “And Night’s going to have his work cut out for him as well.” Her gaze shifted to her son. “Word about the renovations you promised has spread like wildfire. Everyone’s expecting massive changes.”

Grinning, he nodded. “Don’t worry, I plan to get on that as soon as possible.”

I snagged another piece of bacon, an omelet, and some toast with honey. After only eating toast and tea for breakfast for months, this simple spread felt like a luxury. I could feel Night watching me as I ate. When I caught him staring, he smiled gently. I smiled back, but my head tilted as I stared at him. I got the impression that he was trying to tell me something with his eyes. If he and I shared the same kind of bond that Tavi and I or he and Dom had, I could ask him what he wanted.

There was a knock on the front door before it swung open. Seconds later, Tavi and Dom appeared, as if the scent of bacon had summoned them. Given the way they proceeded to attack the plates, I was almost positive this was the case. They sat near each other at the dining table, and I eyed Tavi. There was something different about her, something brighter.

I chewed on the toast, trying to figure it out by sight alone, and when I realized what must have happened, I straightened in my chair. “Tavi!” I exclaimed. “Did you and Dom…?”

I didn’t need to finish the question. The blush that touched her cheeks and the way she bit her lip to hide her smile was enough of an answer.

I danced in my chair. To everyone else, I must have looked like I was really enjoying my breakfast, but I was ecstatic that my best friend had taken such a huge step with Dom. It meant things were progressing healthily between them at a pace they were comfortable with.

“We haven’t claimed each other yet, but that’s okay,”she said. “We’re taking things slow, but I think Dom is just happy that we’re moving forward at all.”

“That’s wonderful!I’m so happy for you!”

“I am, too.” She touched Dom’s hand where it rested on the table, and he immediately took hold of hers without breaking the conversation he and Mom were having about the chives she’d planted. The gesture looked so natural, so sweet.

After everyone had eaten, Mom left and Damon went to check on the infirmary. Dom and Tavi went last after Frankie, Kai, and Vince arrived. They were headed to the office to resume their search through the documents. Violet, Night, and I stayed seated at the table with after-breakfast coffee and tea. I had chamomile.

“So,” Violet began, “I’ve been thinking nonstop about that ritual, Bryn. When I was at home, I spoke to the elders to get information out of them. They told me the elders here were planning on speaking to you?”

“They did.” The reminder of blood rituals and portals lowered my mood a bit, but I didn’t mind filling her in on my meeting with the elders.

When I finished talking, she nodded. “I brought some books with me, but they didn’t have anything more in them than what you’ve just said: portals to hell, rituals requiring blood, it’s all there. I didn’t know about the symbols, though. It’s interesting that the room you saw through Blossom’s eyes had a new language of symbols written on the walls. Well,” she amended, “I guess it’s more a bastardization of runic languages than anything new.”

“When I remember being in that room with her, all I can think about was how much they’d affected her. Bastardization or not, they had to havesomemagic in them, right?”

“Oh, definitely. But it’s hard to know how much magic or what exactly it was meant to do without translating it.”

“I went on a run with Dom last night,” Night said. “On my way back, I ended up going to the library. I found a book on blood rituals in the glass cases they keep in the back.”

“Oh? Show me.”

Night left the kitchen, then returned with a thick tome. He set it in the center of the table, and when he opened it, its spine cracked in protest. We all bent to take a closer look at the book.

“Oh,” Violet hummed. She started flipping carefully through the pages until my hand flashed out to stop her.

“Wait,” I said. I ignored the words on the page and pointed to the illustration. “I recognize a few of these. I don’t think they were in the books the elders showed me.”

“Fascinating.” Violet bent closer. “These symbols are newer than the others I remember from your drawings.”

“Oh, you’ve seen them?”

She nodded. “The elders in Wargs’ territory had them copied.”

“Gotcha.”

“Mom, do you recognize this at all?” Night asked. “Could this be one of the books that Gregor was using to guide him?”