Draven.
A firm knock sounded on the door less than five minutes later.
"Co in," I said.
Jeffery stepped in first, followed by Dennis. Both of them appeared alert as they stopped a few feet from my desk, awaiting my words.
"Brackham finally reached out," I announced, folding my arms.
Dennis arched a brow, a grin tugging at his lips. "It sure took his old arrogant ass long enough."
Jeffery’s expression barely changed, but I caught the flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "What did he say?"
I told them everything—the phone call, Brackham’s offer for an alliance, the thinly veiled desperation in his voice, and the invitation for a one-on-one eting.
redith listened quietly, her gaze shifting between and them as she absorbed every word.
When I finished, Dennis leaned against the edge of the chair, arms folded. "So, he has finally understood where to look for help. What’s the plan?"
"The plan," I said, stepping away from my desk and walking toward the sitting area, "is that we all go together."
I lowered myself beside redith, feeling her warmth close to , her calm balancing the faint charge of tension in the room.
Across from us, Dennis and Jeffery took their seats. The air settled, the atmosphere of a pack council forming without ceremony.
"The eting is set for ten tomorrow morning," I continued. "Brackham wants it at the governnt house."
Jeffery nodded once. "Understood."
Dennis tilted his head. "You think it’s a trap?"
"Not a trap," I said, my voice low. "But I don’t trust him. And I won’t walk into his den without my people beside , no matter how simple or innocent his intentions may be."
Both n nodded in silent agreent.
I leaned forward slightly, letting my tone sharpen just enough to draw their full attention.
"Tomorrow, we will be communicating through the mind-link the entire duration of the eting. No spoken words between us unless it’s necessary. Whatever happens, we keep our conversations private. Brackham, or anyone else he might have in that room, won’t hear a word."
They both gave short, understanding nods. The room fell into a brief silence, the kind of silence that always ca before strategy turned into execution.
"One more thing," I said, letting the words hang for a heartbeat before continuing. "My wife has a special role to play tomorrow."
Both Dennis and Jeffery glanced at redith. Dennis’s brows lifted in curiosity, while Jeffery’s expression sharpened as if bracing for a strategy.
redith turned her head toward , quiet but composed, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
I t their eyes in turn. "You both already know that she is not just another wolf. What you don’t know is that she possesses a rare gift—one even most Alphas don’t have. She can evade the minds of others. Humans, wolves... even so creatures in between."
Dennis blinked, his grin fading into sothing close to awe. "Evade their minds?"
Jeffery leaned forward slightly, his usual calm cracking with interest. "You an she can hear thoughts of non-wolves?"
"Yes, she can," I confird. "And as long as she isn’t dealing with a high-level wolf who is actively shielding, she can read them without being noticed."
A deep and heavy silence followed. I caught their faces, both n trying to mask the surprise but failing slightly.
I let them process it for a mont before adding, "This information stays here. No one else knows. Not even my father. Not the council. No one."
Dennis raised both hands in mock surrender. "Noted. You can trust to keep my mouth shut."
Jeffery gave a slow nod. "Understood."
I inclined my head once in approval. "Good."
Then I turned my gaze back to redith, watching her lift her chin slightly as if ready to take whatever I said next.
"Tomorrow, your task is to get inside Brackham’s head, or any other human present. If you can find anything that leads us to the secret lab, we will act on it."
She nodded once, calm and confident. "Understood."
"Depending on what you discover," I continued, "you can either share it with us through the mind-link while we are still there, or wait until we leave the governnt house. I trust your judgnt."
Dennis whistled under his breath, grinning again. "That’s actually brilliant. We get what we want without lifting a claw."
Jeffery gave a small, approving grunt. "Efficient. Clean."
I could feel a faint spark of pride in my chest as I looked at them—my family, my people. Everything was falling into place just as I wanted.
"Good," I said quietly. "Then it’s settled. Prepare yourselves."
Dennis and Jeffery both rose and nodded, Jeffery calm and composed as always, Dennis tossing a crooked grin before the two of them exited the study and quietly shut the door behind them.
The silence that followed was softer. The only sound was the faint ticking of the clock near the bookshelf.
I leaned back against my sofa, watching redith play with her fingers, a small tell that she was deep in thought.
"What do you suggest I wear tomorrow?" she asked finally, her voice light but edged with a trace of uncertainty.
I reached out and brushed my thumb along her cheek, letting my touch linger there. "Anything formal," I said quietly. "Sothing that says Luna—not just my mate, but a queen standing beside her king."
Her lips curved into a faint smile, but she hesitated again before asking, "Will it be safe for us to travel by road when vampires are on a rampage?"
Her question carried more worry than she wanted to admit. I could feel it pulsing faintly through our bond.
I smiled, tilting her chin up slightly. "Rember, the vampires can sll us, redith. And we are not the ones they are after."
Her shoulders eased, the tension fading from her face. Then she smiled too, soft and sure, and nodded.
"I understand," she said.
"Good." I let my hand slide from her cheek to the back of her neck, pressing a brief kiss to her forehead. "Go rest. You will need a clear head tomorrow."
As she turned and walked towards the door, I watched her steady steps, her quiet resilience. When the door shut behind her, I exhaled slowly.
Soon, Brackham would learn that inviting wolves into his abode was the worst decision he could have made.
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