Page 102 of Wolf Touched

A council where all species had a say. I liked the sound of that. My chest expanded with hope.

“Dad, I’m staying here.” Stephanie straightened her shoulders. “While you call and make a decision, I want to get to know them.” Her gaze darted to Adam.

We should let her stay if she wants to,I linked.I think she and Adam have a connection.

Raffe sighed.Of course they do. I’m not even surprised.He then said out loud, “If she stays, I promise she’ll be safe.”

Keagan winced but nodded. “Fine. Is there someplace I can go to make a call? I’m not leaving my daughter here alone.”

“You can use the house.” I didn’t want them to get closer to the coven and where everyone else was. “There’s no one inside.”

Pulling on the sleeve of her dress, Ednah rolled her shoulders. “That’s fine with me. That way, I’m close to Sedona.”

My heart hammered. I wasn’t sure what she meant. “The doors are unlocked.”

Ednah and Keagan faced one another, and then they walked together toward the front door.

Before the two entered the house, Priestess Carolinecalled out, “Priestess Ednah, you know Olwyn. Do you think she would really let the Eastern covens go? It would reduce her power.”

The truth of the words knocked the breath out of me, and the two women locked eyes. Then Ednah and Keagan went inside.

Silence filled the area as our nerves teetered on edge. Each moment dragged on like hours, though none of us dared to talk as we waited to find out our future. Unfortunately, the Eastern supernaturals were in control of that.

Several minutes later, the front doors opened, and Ednah and Keagan came out.

They strolled over to us, Keagan’s face set like stone. My power fizzed, but all I could read from him was resolve.

When he reached us, he held out his hand to Raffe and said, “We’re willing to be allies, but we want a magical contract drafted up.”

My heart leaped into my throat. This was everything we’d hoped for.

“That’s fine with me,” Raffe replied, shaking his hand. “Let’s go back in the house and get this done.”

“Sounds good to me.” Keagan nodded.

For the next several hours,Raffe, Ednah, Caroline, Keagan, Adam, Keith, Stephanie, and I talked strategy. We decided we would live in Atlanta with Keagan and the others until Raffe could finalize the property sale to them. Once that was settled, we would be given money to help get us established wherever in the East we chose and would be able to form our own pack and be protected.

Though I hated that this would cause a further dividebetween Raffe and his parents, it was for the best because the Veiled Circle wouldn’t be able to take control.

Overall, it was best for everyone, including King Jovian.

Stephanie and Sedona decided to stay with us in one of the coven houses while Keagan, Ednah, and the other wolf shifters went back to the houses they’d rented here. We would settle everything in the morning so that Octavia, Dru, Fane, and all of Caroline’s coven could relocate with us now that we knew Olwyn knew where we were.

When everyone finally left and Raffe and I were in the house alone, some of that relief vanished. Part of me knew not to hope too much because the thought of having a life where I, Raffe, and our pack weren’t constantly on the run sounded way too good to be true. No. Perfect.

There was one thing that hovered over us.

When we reached the bedroom we’d been staying in, Raffe changed into his clothes while the information we’d learned about Aldric weighed down on us.

“Should we talk to Josie?” My mouth went dry.

He shook his head. “She’s with Dave. I checked on her. She needs time to think before we’re all crammed into cars to Atlanta.”

Fair. I’d be the same way.

But there was more to it than just how Josie felt. Raffe had a stake in this. His dad’s most trusted confidant was working against him. “You should call your dad. You two may not be pack anymore, but the Veiled Circle taking control would be bad. If Olwyn ordered those three wolf shifters to attack me, then your dad wasn’t on board with it. She would never do anything to help him.”

His shoulders sagged, and I could feel his relief. “You’re right, but I don’t want to talk to him. He tried to keep us apart and alpha-will me to be with someone else.”

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