It was so freaking cute and sweet, I tackled him the minute we ended the video call.
Yes, Edric was proving to be an amazing, thoughtful, sweet fated husband... and all he asked for in return was my continued brutal rejection of Nyx.
“It’s not fair for you to ask that of me,” I snapped at him, me a heady mix of relaxed and annoyed. “I wasn’t the one who chose the asshole in the first place, and going by the tantrum she pitched when I rejected Paxton, Luame will explode my head if I turn down another one of her chosen mates.”
“Tough.”
I swung on him but he was already dancing away, laughing in my face.
“Surprise attack doesn’t work when I can read your mind, baby.” He winked. “Gotta try harder than that.”
“I’ll get you while you’re sleeping, then.” I gave him a shit-eating grin. “Might even write a few choice phrases on that pretty face too—in permanent marker, of course.”
“Nice try, I’m not moving out,” he threw back, sending my eyes rolling. “And also a nice try on trying to distract me, but I want an answer, Daze. Why are you pretending to be worried about Ash or the council, when it doesn’t matter how long they want to drag this out? We’ve got three months to achieve our goal, and we plan to.”
“I’m not pretending, Edric. Ash is a snake in the grass. For as fast, strong, and agile as a wolf is, it only takes one venomous bite in the right place to bring us down.” My eyes narrowed on her. “Ash is that viper, and I’d be stupid not to see her as a threat. She’s already taken half my power from me, and she did it in one interview.”
“You don’t think intercepting her texts and emails is enough.” It wasn’t a question.
“I don’t.” I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I told you, Luame never gave me a vision of us winning, only what happens when we lose. If you want the quick and dirty plan, lover, here it is: force alpha voice killer down a councilmember’s throat, blackmail said councilmember into giving up the shadow, murder that fucking lurking bitch, force the councilmembers to pass new laws and stronger protections for everyone—giving equality and freedom to everyone. And then kill the voice, or kill the person, of anyone and everyone who fights back or tries to stop us.”
Edric just looked at me. “Wow.”
“What? You disapprove?” My brow bounced up to my hairline. “Need I remind you my first plan started and stopped with killing and muting everyone. You threw a tantrum about it, and swore to stop me, so I’m trying to be more diplomatic. You’re welcome.”
He snorted. “Thank you, baby, I appreciate you thinking of me. But you’ve already ticked off step one. You’ve taken Cygnus’s voice, so why isn’t he here now? Spilling his guts about the shadow? Or taking notes on all the new laws we’re going to force him and the council to pass?”
“Because I had to let him go that day. Badr was on me like brown on rice. That secret policewoman was crawling all over the castle. Plus, we were out in the open. It wasn’t the time or place to grill him on the shadow. No,” I thought, shaking my head. “I didn’t have a choice then, but it was still a mistake.
“Because Cygnus has disappeared.”
“What! Disappeared?”
I gazed at him, wondering if my expression was as grim as I felt. “I’ve tried to contact him every day since I sent him off without a voice. Nothing. No reply. Not even a text telling me to fuck off,” I told him. “Melisent did some checking and found out he’s taken a leave of absence. He sent an email to the rest of the members, claiming that he had a terrible case of laryngitis and didn’t want to risk passing on a bug.”
“Daze, whatever the fuck he’s out there doing won’t be good for us.”
That I knew. I knew it big-time. “Whatever he is out there doing, he can’t risk pissing me off because he needs his voice back. I’m holding on to that fact right now, because there’s nothing good about Cygnus running around loose out there, and Ash being in here.”
Edric put his arm around me, gently rubbing my shoulder. “We need more help, Daze. Outside help. We’re too limited behind these gates.” An idea occurred to him, and came down the bond before his words did. “What about members of the lost packs? They can track Cygnus down for us.”
I was shaking my head before he finished. “They’re on the same side as the omegas. They’re not risking themselves until I’ve proven myself. They’re damn sure not going after the Sun councilman just because I ask them to. Even without his voice, Cygnus is incredibly dangerous. The man is the strongest sun wielder in all of Wolf Nation.”
“You’re right.” He blew out a breath. “Of course you’re right, but we have to do something. If the omegas and the lost packs need to see something big to get off their asses, let’s give them something big.”
“My biggest batch of alpha voice killer will be ready in a few weeks. The plan was to pick a place with the douchiest alphas, poison their water, and let the ensuing chaos make my point loud and clear.”
“Hmm. This is good, baby.”
I blinked. “You really think so?”
“Oh, yes. I love that you’re getting all the crazy, madwoman, never-going-to-happen ideas out of your system so that we can get back to reality even faster.”
“Asshole.” I shook him off, sniffing. “If you’ve got a better idea, let’s hear it.”
“I do have a better idea actually, and it should be sliding down the bond right about... now.”
I frowned, brows crumpling as the vague notion of a plan came together in his head, and then mine. I cycled through all the emotions as a glimpse of the man who blackmailed his fated soulmate, and then the most powerful people in Wolf Nation, reared his handsome head. Luame did throw this guy at me for a reason after all.