Page 48 of Crescent Warrior

“I don’t know,” Cole said, his arms folded over his chest. “But he also said…” he trailed off, glancing at Hippolyta. She nodded. “He said someone’s going to die.”

“Die?” Damen demanded, stiffening. “What else did he say?”

Hippolyta shrugged, her brow furrowed.

“He kept saying ‘Him or him. I cannot choose,’ but I have no idea what it meant. He wasn’t lucid, Dame. He needed sleep. He’s been staying up and trying to figure out who the mysterious face belongs to. He might be confused.”

“He is never confused,” Damen voice was firm as he shook his head. “If the reason he cannot sleep is because he is trying to find the face of this person, it is because they can destroy the pack.”

He scrubbed his hand over his mouth, sighing deeply. “And if he says someone will die, we have to do whatever we can to stop it from happening.”

He looked down at his mate who was staring up at him, her face contorted with worry.

“Who?” Selene murmured quietly, glancing behind them.

Their entire family lay around them, laughing with each other.

“And how can we protect everyone if we don’t know what the threat is?”

“Him?” Damen asked, his voice low. “He definitely said him?”

Hippolyta nodded. “He said ‘either him or him,’ so they’re both male.”

Damen tightened his hold on his mate. “That’s one less thing to worry about. Our females are safe.”

Hippolyta agreed, but looking around, there were far too many males who would be vulnerable to the threat. She glanced at Cole, her heart clenching with worry.

What if he’s in danger?

She couldn’t lose him. They only just decided to try to be mates. He caught her eye and sent her a reassuring smile, but she bit her lip, looking away. There was no way she could live without him now.

She reached forward, but stopped herself, glancing around to see if anyone was looking at her. Xander was scowling at them, but she knew he would eventually come to terms with the fact that she was mated.

“I need to discuss this with the Council before we start the hunt,” Damen said tiredly. Selene nodded, rubbing circles on her mate’s back.

He tugged her into him, holding her tight. Hippolyta smiled at them, eyeing Cole covertly. Would they ever be able to have that ease with each other?

I hope so.

Clearing her throat, she bowed to Damen and Selene before turning to go back to the seating area. Xander held a hand out to her and she took it, letting him yank her down next to him. He jerked his chin toward the bedroom.

“Has he seen anything?”

“Yeah.” She sighed, leaning her head back. “He said someone’s going to die and it’s going to be because of that person he keeps trying to see.”

Xander’s swift inhalation made her frown deepen. She glanced at him as his brow furrowed.

“What?”

“I think,” he said, peering around to see if the others were listening, but the only person paying any attention to them was Cole who had moved to an empty seat, watching them. “it’s someone in the pack.”

Hippolyta gripped his forearm tightly, pulling him closer. “What’re you talking about?”

Xander shook his head at her. “Why else would he be trying to force the face to appear when everything else comes to him so easily? He doesn’t want to see it. It has to be someone in the pack, Lyta.”

“It can’t be,” she hissed, looking around, the familiar faces of their loved ones surrounding them. “Everyone in the pack is family.”

He shrugged, shaking his head. “It’s the only explanation I have. He saw Selene and Danielle as soon as he asked the Gods for mates for Damen and Ares. He’s known about you and Cole for years.”

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