Page 19 of Eternal Mate

I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing around.

Auren was absent from the debate again, so it wasn’t like we could ask him who was rooting for us behind the scenes. All the people I’d reached out to since he went on his hiatus were either ignoring us or unable to respond, and I wasn’t sure which was worse.

Elias and Jack were staring intently at one another, while Reese and Atlan did the exact opposite. I was surprised when Elias had insisted they weren’t mates—the two of them were so in sync that it was almost eerie. Reese and Atlan, on the other hand, hadn’t been able to look one another in the eye since Barimuz hauled them home, and the mounting tension was beginning to raise some red flags.

I didn’t know what had happened out there outside of what Barimuz had said, and I didn’t trust the Archdemon as far as I could throw him.

Zuzanna and Ashe, at least, seemed to be interested in coming up with a solution, their fingers tapping out tunes against the polished tabletop, their eyes distant as they considered the challenges ahead. I wondered—and not for the first time—if Ashe was relaying everything to Auren, or if my brother really was as disconnected as he seemed.

The hybrid didn’t pay me a bit of mind, eyes almost glazed as the silence dragged on.

“I’ll go," Jack said with a sigh, rolling his shoulders. "I still have some connections on the inside."

The room fell into another momentary silence as his words hung in the air.

We knew the risks involved in seeking out allies within the community. The Upper Council's reach extended far and wide, and those who dared to oppose them risked facing severe consequences. The Free Kingdom was the same.

Elias's expression grew even grimmer. "We have to take risks if we want to make a difference. This war has already cost us so much—we can't let fear paralyze us."

It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than any of us in the room, but it seemed rude to point it out.

Aria’s elbow was sharp as it hit my ribs. I let out a grunt.

Jack nodded, reaching out and taking Elias’s hand with an almost wistful expression. "I'll be careful," he assured us, although he never looked away from his boyfriend, "but we need to move quickly. Time is running out."

Time already had run out. We were stuck, hands tied, in the middle of the damn woods, like animals in a trap.

You’re feeling very pessimistic today.

Aria’s voice made me smirk, and I shrugged at the accusation. If we don’t do something, we’re going to sit right here until they beat down the gate again.

My mate winced, catching her lower lip between her teeth. You’re not wrong. I just don’t know that this is the right move to make.

I reached for her hand as she swiped at her mousepad anxiously. We’ll be okay.

Her smile was sad—because I didn’t mean the Resistance.

If this all went belly up, I had no intention of going down with the ship. There had been a moment where I thought I would, but it had passed now. All the idealism of getting to save the world and make a change had fled pretty quickly when it had to face up to the amount of destruction that even one malicious person could cause.

I know, she said. She squeezed my hand, then let go to continue her sleuthing.

The room buzzed with a renewed sense of purpose. Ever since we’d been displaced, things had been stagnant, and it actually felt really good to finally come up with a plan of action again.

Even if it was something as simple as sending Jack out to spy.

I glanced at Ashe, and his expression was unusually drawn. There was no doubt in my mind that if it weren’t for Auren’s recent breakdown, it would be him going out there.

The shapeshifter was the obvious choice, after all. Jack had enemies and no real way to hide from them, but going under the radar was apparently Ashe’s specialty.

His jaw flexed as he leaned back in the flimsy chairs we’d all taken up residence in, his leg bouncing with nerves while Elias and Jack whispered to one another.

"Something bothering you?" I asked softly, trying to catch his attention. “Ashe?”

He startled, as if he had forgotten that the rest of us were even in the room. If I had any doubts that he’d been deep in conversation with his mate, they were promptly cleared up.

His eyes met mine, filled with a mixture of worry and determination.

"It's just... Jack shouldn't be the one going out there," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I've always been the one to handle covert operations. I know the risks, and I know how to stay hidden."

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