Page 43 of Wishes in the Moonlight (Rocky Mountain Wolves #4)

~Amanda~

Savannah and Troy both tried to mind-link me at the same time.

Hang on a second, I told my Beta before responding to Troy. What happened?

His report simmered with barely-repressed anger. More shots fired. Someone followed us and tried to do some damage. Everyone’s okay, but you need to stay put. Don’t leave that room. I’ll come and give you a full debrief as soon as I get this bastard locked up.

Did he even realize he was giving his Alpha orders? Based on his level of agitation, probably not, and as much as I wanted to snap at him for being overprotective, a part of me, the part that wasn’t an Alpha first, thrilled at the way he instinctively shielded me.

You weren’t hit?

No, he assured me. I’m fine. I’ll be there soon.

Closing the link with him, I returned to Savannah. How did it go?

Her sunny tone completely contrasted with Troy’s pessimism. They’re all through the barrier. It went perfectly, if we don’t count the bullet in Andrew’s leg.

I rubbed at my temples with my fingers. She and I obviously had different definitions of ‘perfectly’. Andrew’s one of the Crimsontooth warriors? Is he okay?

He will be. Paramedics are on their way and it’s not very deep.

Unlike Troy’s wound, she meant.

I’ll get the men settled in the temporary lodging Jasper set up and then I’ll bring Leo and Darius to meet with you.

Bring Kalo too, I instructed. Thanks, Savannah.

Almost as if they planned it in advance, Savannah arrived just as my security guard was opening the door to let Troy and Jasper in.

Suddenly, my quiet room was filled with people, the genie and the two Crimsontooth commanders entering with my Beta.

Without enough chairs for everyone, we all stood instead, forming a loose circle.

“Report, Savannah,” I ordered to get us started.

“Kalo was able to open a gap in the barrier, as he proposed. The men had to shift to get through it, but they got through. Unfortunately, we had a sniper hiding in one of the trees, but luckily, Troy spotted him before he started shooting or it could have been a lot worse.”

She gave my mate a grateful nod and he responded with a stiff one of his own, obviously unaccustomed to being singled out for praise. I could tell it pleased him, though, especially when his eyes briefly darted over to me afterwards, as if he wanted to double check that I’d heard her commendation.

As if I needed any more proof that he was heroic and selfless in the face of danger.

“Troy brought the man to the cells and I’ll question him,” Jasper added. “But my biggest concern is how he knew where to go.”

Savannah’s brow furrowed. “I assumed he just followed us.”

“And climbed a tree without any of you seeing or hearing him?” Jasper shook his head. “Not likely. He must have been waiting there for you, which means he knew where you’d be. Who did you discuss your plans with?”

“Troy and I were the only ones who discussed the details,” she stated. “And Leo, over the phone.”

“Could someone have tapped the phone line?” I wondered.

“Not likely with the satellite phone,” Jasper replied before turning back to his mate. “Where did you discuss it?”

“In my office.”

The same thought occurred to all of us at the same time but Jasper was the one to state it out loud. “From now on, we assume both the Alpha’s and Beta’s offices are compromised. Discussions in the pack house should only take place in this room.”

“Or by mind-link,” Troy suggested. “That would be even safer.”

“This is getting ridiculous,” I had to point out. “I’m practically a prisoner in this room, and now no one can speak out loud? Are there really that many traitors among us?”

I had fought beside these wolves, shared meals with them, trusted them with my life. Now, every familiar face was a question mark.

Disconcertingly, no one immediately answered.

I turned to my mate, hoping for some reassurance. “Troy?”

His shoulders straightened, as if bracing himself for the words he was about to say. “The man who shot at us claimed there were more people on his side than on mine. I believe that’s an exaggeration, but I also think he wouldn’t make such a bold claim if they didn’t have a significant base.”

“The former Beta is refusing to talk,” Jasper added.

“Or rather, he’s talking non-stop but telling us nothing useful.

He truly believes your time is limited, so all he has to do is wait us out.

And if he won’t give us names, I’m not sure how we can track them all down before the barrier comes down. ”

“There might be a way.” Briefly, I recounted the idea Vaughan, Calista and Felix had suggested, of calling a packwide assembly and finding a way to use my Alpha authority to weed out dissenters there.

Troy immediately shook his head. “You’d have to go out in front of the whole pack. You’d be an open target for anyone who wanted to get to you.”

Jasper wasn’t so quick to say no, but he still had some reservations. “It’s an interesting idea but I’m not sure how to amplify your power. Maybe one of the pack engineers could help.”

“Except we don’t know who can be trusted,” Savannah reminded him. “Right now, anyone who isn’t in this room is a potential suspect.”

“I actually might have an idea.”

The words came from Leo who, until that point, had been silent, and everyone in the room shifted to look at him.

“Ranked wolves have authority in their bloodlines too, though not as strong as the Alpha’s.

If we could form a perimeter around the assembly area, some kind of conduit running through various ranked members like an electric current, it might help to harness the energy inside the circle.

I’m not sure what material could be used for the conduit, but Calista or perhaps Felix might have an idea. ”

“Felix will be coming here tomorrow,” I announced to them all, trying to do the math in my head. That would leave me with Savannah, Felix, Leo and Darius as ranked wolves that I could trust.

And Troy, perhaps, Cinder reminded me.

Yes, perhaps him too. Hopefully the doctor would have his DNA results by then.

Would that be enough? I had no idea.

“In that case, Felix and I can work on it when he gets here,” Leo offered. “We still have some time.”

“But in the meantime, we should get started on the plans for when the barrier drops,” Darius interjected.

“We’ll do that in my office, with my team,” Troy told him. “It’ll be more secure there than in the pack house, and we’ll have more room too. And there’s food. I’m sure you’re all hungry.”

It was past dinner time according to the clock on the wall, so I did a quick inventory of what needed to be done before issuing my orders. “Alright. Savannah and Jasper, you’re done for the day. Go home, have something to eat and get some rest.”

“But…” they both protested, nearly in unison, but I shook my head.

“I need you on top of your game tomorrow. Take the night off.” Not giving them a chance to argue further, I turned to the other men. “Leo and Darius, I’ll leave you with Troy. Kalo, your input would be appreciated there as well if you don’t mind.”

“As long as there’s food, I’ll go,” he replied easily.

“We’ll all meet back here in the morning. Ten o’clock.”

When their heads all bowed in acceptance, I added one more order through mind-link.

When you’re finished, Troy, come back here to see me. It doesn’t matter how late it is.

His eyes locked onto mine as he lifted his head. Yes, Alpha.

Everyone began to move towards the door, but Leo lingered at the rear, stepping closer to me as the others moved further away. “Do you have a minute to speak in private, Alpha?”

“Of course.” Of all the men in the Crimsontooth pack, Leo had been the kindest to me during my short stay there, when we both thought I would be mated to his Alpha.

He’d gone out of his way to give me all the information I needed to step into my role as Luna, and although it didn’t work out that way, I would never forget the time and consideration he gave me.

A few minutes in return now would be the least I could do.

He called out to Darius, who had reached the door. “I’ll meet you over there. Go ahead without me.”

Darius nodded in agreement, and the door closed behind him, leaving me and the Crimsontooth Gamma alone.

“It’s good to see you, Leo.” I gestured to the chairs by my temporary desk since we were down to only the two of us. “Have a seat.”

He sat across from me, as requested, but he didn’t relax into his chair. If anything, he looked even more tense sitting than he had been standing.

“What can I do for you?” I prompted when he didn’t say anything.

His jaw worked, throat bobbing with a tight swallow before he forced out the question. “What do you know about the genie?”

Where to start? “Well, your Luna knows far more about genies than I do. Most of what I know is what she’s told me. Apparently, they’re bound to an object, and when someone handles that object…”

“No.” He interrupted me softly, lips twisting in a grimace. “Not genies in general. What do you know about this genie? About Kalo?”

Instantly, my senses were on alert. “Why? Do you think he’ll betray us?”

I couldn’t see how Leo would have come to that conclusion, and everything Kalo had done so far seemed to suggest he’d been honest about his motives, but too many lives were hanging in the balance for me to dismiss anything without hearing him out.

Leo let out a pained sigh. “No, nothing like that. This is a… personal question.”

“Personal?” I was completely lost. Was he asking me what Kalo was like, as a person? Why would he be worried about that right now?

Leo ran a nervous hand through his short hair, scratching at the back of his neck on the way down. “This is going to sound crazy, but I think he might be my mate.”

Oh.

Oh.

That hadn’t crossed my mind for several reasons, one of which being that I had no idea Leo was gay, but the bigger one being that it seemed utterly impossible for any wolf to be mated to an immortal being that had been human thousands of years ago. How did that even work?

“You think? Your wolf doesn’t know?” Cinder had been pretty damn clear when we met Troy.

Leo huffed a humourless laugh. “No, he’s pretty certain. But without a wolf, Kalo obviously doesn’t know. Sav said he’s dangerous and very powerful. This is very unorthodox, and…”

“And you like rules,” I finished for him.

Perhaps more than anyone I’d ever met, Leo liked order and predictability.

Kalo represented the complete opposite. “Well, here’s what I know: he used to be human.

He became a genie, and since then, he’s had no free will of his own.

He goes where he’s called, performs the magic he’s asked to do, and there seems to be some kind of curse attached to his magic.

He’s asked me to help get rid of his power, which might make him human again, or it might kill him. He isn’t sure.”

Leo absorbed all of that with growing alarm. “There must be a way to control the outcome.”

“Sometimes, there isn’t,” I told him as gently as I could. “But I’m sure there’s much more to his story than what I know. You should talk to him. Get to know him for yourself.”

Leo swallowed again, his face pale. “I wouldn’t know what to say to someone like him.”

“Don’t think of him as a genie. Talk to him like a person.”

It only occurred to me after the words came out that maybe he didn’t mean Kalo’s species when he said ‘someone like him’. Maybe he just meant someone as magnetic and unusual as Kalo, so I offered a suggestion.

“Tell him that I’ve asked you to get more information on his history, that I thought it might be useful for us to know about it before I make the final wish. That should get the conversation started, at least.”

He nodded, slowly at first, then a little more confidently. “I could do that.”

“Good.” I gave him the most encouraging smile I could. “Congratulations, Leo. I know it’s a shock, but the goddess usually knows what she’s doing. If he’s your mate, there’s a good reason for it.”

“Thank you, Alpha.” He bowed low before taking his leave, and once again, I found myself alone.

Other than Cinder, who piped up in my head. At least our mate isn’t five thousand years old. Look on the bright side.

The statement was so ridiculous, yet true, that I had to laugh.