Page 17

Chapter

Sixteen

A ZALEA

The gravity of our predicament hangs heavy in the air, casting a shadow over our every move. Damian has committed a crime, snatching the child of a council elder, and now we are left to grapple with the consequences.

“Larkin will come searching for his son,” Damian remarks. “Tandi mentioned that he visits every weekend. Unless news of our actions has already spread.”

“I will handle Larkin. From the information I’ve gathered, it seems he isn’t involved in this scheme. Crux, on the other hand, is deeply entrenched. But curiously, I couldn’t find any trace of Larkin’s name in any of the documents.”

Yet despite that, the council now had some answering to do.

What were these secret meetings held for?

And now, it was painfully evident that the council had some connection to the missing children and women that continue to be discovered.

Kyson has more than enough reason to initiate a thorough investigation into the council elders themselves.

“So, if the council is involved in trafficking rogues alongside Alpha Brock, what does that have to do with the hunters?” Damian ponders aloud, genuine confusion etching across his face.

The notion that the council would share the King’s blood with those responsible for hunting their own kind seems absurd.

“I don’t know,” Kyson replies, his brow furrowing in frustration. “It defies all logic. The very purpose of the council is to unite us against the hunters, to ensure the relationships between us and the packs remain strong and protected.”

“Tandi told me they killed her daughter when she tried to run. Alpha Brock killed his own daughter and drowned her in front of Tandi. I want to go over the rogue children later to see if I can match any of the children to her daughter,” Damian tells us.

Kyson nods to him, and I feel my heart break for Tandi. The mere thought of witnessing such a horrifying act sends shivers down my spine.

“So, you think that is how they kept the rogues they trafficked in line? They used their children. But how does that explain the women we have found?” I ask, and my brows furrow, remembering all the trafficked rogue women Kyson had on his computer.

“Probably didn’t come quietly, so they killed them,” Damian offers, wiping a hand down his face.

I listen to them discuss everything and Gannon comes to join them along with Liam, who Damian seems to get along with for the most part.

Yet I notice Gannon remains between them both as they go over everything they know.

Yet Tandi’s words kept replaying in my head.

Talking about how Crux would take over once the royals are dead. Crux technically has Landeena blood.

Hearing a knock on the door, I glance around to see Kyson get up and answer it. When he opens the door, I see Dustin standing there, completely still in the doorframe.

“I release you from my command,” I say before waving my hand at him to come in, still lost in my troubled thoughts of Tandi’s words. Had he not crushed me in his hug, I would not have recognized I even released him yet.

“Thank god! Do you have any idea how annoying it is not being able to touch you?” Dustin growls as he crashes on top of me. I let out a breath and hug him back when Kyson clears his throat.

“Gay or not, get off my mate!” Kyson growls, wiggling his fingers at me to come to him.

I roll my eyes, feeling his jealousy burn hot through the bond.

Dustin chuckles but climbs off me, where I am pinned beneath him on the armchair.

He kisses my forehead but lets me stand, and I wander over to Kyson, who is seated at his desk.

He swivels in his chair before pulling me on his lap.

Dustin moves to Liam’s side, and both have their heads bowed down. They go over the documents Dustin had with him that he gave to Gannon earlier.

“You’ve been quiet,” Kyson murmurs next to my ear. I have been stuck in my mind on one thing Tandi said, but there was something that didn’t make sense. The only part of the entire thing, and that is Claire, Kyson’s sister.

“What are you thinking?” he purrs, tucking me closer to him as I stare at the Kingdoms on the map. More importantly, my parents’ Kingdom.

“I want to go home,” I tell him, and everyone in the room falls silent to look at me.

“You are home,” Kyson growls as worry bleeds into the bond, but I shake my head. Something is pulling me back to where it started, as if it would somehow make sense if I did.

“The answer is at home. I know we are missing something,” I tell him.

“There is nothing there for you anymore, Azalea.”

“You’re wrong. My family’s history is there. My history is there,” I tell him, turning on his lap to look at him.

“It’s out of the question. Do you have any idea how much work goes into rebuilding a kingdom? Getting the security and everything sorted? I can’t leave here, Azalea,” he snaps, clearly not wanting to debate this.

“I don’t mean to live there, Kyson. But the answers are there. We are missing something. So much isn’t adding up. Crux’s involvement doesn’t make sense.”

“Yes, and as Damian and I were discussing earlier, we will go to the council and present our case. At the very least, we need to make sure Tandi’s son is kept with her and Brock’s pack is dismantled.

At least then, we can find out what Crux’s involvement with the hunters is.

There has to be a reason, or Tandi is wrong, and they were newer council members.

The council was built to protect the werewolf and Lycan way of life.

They are bound to the pact they swore to,” Kyson explains.

“When did you take over the council?” I ask.

“After your parents were killed. The council went to the next in-line Kingdom, or the next Kingdom of reigning power,” but see, that is where I am struggling to keep up. If the council is bound to their holder, why would Marrissa kill Claire? She worked for the hunters, or supposedly did.