Page 82 of Understanding Fate

“This isn’t good. If this new drug came from anything related to the Fallon Project, then we know exactly who the players are. If they are working with Marlo, we have even bigger problems with this war,” she says, her eyes turning distant as she starts imaging all the ways this could go wrong.

“I need as much information on this as you can find. Spend the next few hours digging. We will need to meet with the council again tonight. This changes things,” I say as Pres stands and strides out of my office without another word.

Dante: Quinn, I need you to get Ghost on the line and then call the council. I need them back here for a meeting at 8 p.m.

Quinn: Ok, what about Jake? Does he need to come in?

I think for a moment, knowing he’s watching over Brielle’s roommate, and while I don’t believe the LLC would use her as bait, I know Marlo will without hesitation.

Dante: Reach out and see if he can get away. We won’t leave her vulnerable, but if she’s somewhere safe or somewhere we can put someone else on her, have him come in.

Quinn: I’ll take care of it. Thai or Mexican for dinner?

Dante: Mexican, and get enough for everyone. Have it in the conference room for the meeting. Thanks for thinking about food.

I send it before returning to my screens. I have five hours to devise a plan to fight thousands of super soldiers.

Should be a piece of cake.

Fates help us all.

Chapter 33

Cain

Our new connection is both the weirdest feeling I’ve ever had and the most natural. My protective side loves knowing exactly how she is feeling and being able to discern how far away she is. The ability to mind-link with her means that most of our morning is spent in literal silence while we talk about all kinds of things.

My wolf feels settled for the first time in months, and there is a strength simmering across the bond. I can sense her wolf reaching for mine and know we will be a force together.

Flipping the grilled cheese in the pan, I feel the heaviness of the conversation we need to have and know the words must be spoken out loud.

“So, have you decided whether you want to stay in Vegas?” I ask, desperately aiming for nonchalance and trying to shield my feelings from her.

“I thought that was obvious with my choice to be Awakened and Mated to you,” she says, confusion showing in her scrunched brow.

“Not sure it was obvious. I told you I would follow you wherever you wanted to go. I didn’t know if Boston was still something you wanted,” I say, plating her food and walking it over to her.

My grilled cheese is no match for Presley’s, but it's edible.

“Even if Boston was still an option, which I doubt it is as ‘flaky’ as I’ve been already. I can’t imagine taking you away from your family. The pack is your family. I feel it when I think of them because I’ve lived those memories, too. We can’t abandon them, especially now that I’m the reason the whole pack is in trouble with the LLC,” she says, guilt sliding out of her.

“You aren’t the reason for that. I am. I broke the law taking you out of there, and don’t get me wrong, I would do it again in a heartbeat, but it definitely left Dante in a tight spot. I’m sure there are warrants out for me by now,” I say, not wanting to hide the truth from her. When we decide to leave here, I will have consequences to make amends for, with the LLC and with the pack.

“Warrants? Like you could go to jail? Is there wolf jail?” she asks, panic slipping into her voice.

“There are, in fact, confinement facilities, and we can be put there, but for something like this, I doubt that would be the punishment. I embarrassed them by taking you; they will want to save face somehow. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. What I’m most worried about is the pack. With Marlo being given authority over you and me breaking that, he will have the freedom to retaliate against the pack. He could start a war,” I say, the gravity of that sitting heavy on my heart.

“Can Dante beat him? In a war, I mean,” she asks, rubbing her hand on my arm to soothe some of my growing worry.

“One on one, sure. Dante is strong and younger, but Marlo has one of the strongest wolves of his generation. So it wouldn’t be easy, but I think he could win. Pack against pack, I don’t know. Most of our alliances wouldn’t be willing to join us in a war if we are on the wrong side of the LLC. Marlo’s allies won’t have that problem, so he will have more resources than we do. He also isn’t known for being a law-abiding citizen, so where we would try to preserve the lives of the innocent, he wouldn’t have such compunction. He’s not a good man, and he works with even more bad men. We would lose hundreds if not thousands of wolves trying to fight him.” I finish, anger filling me at the idea.

We could be losing them right now.

No, Dante would have called for me.

Wouldn’t he?

Bri: We need to protect them. We need to stop this.

---