Page 35 of Echoes of War

She was right, but that didn’t make the words easier to digest.

I must’ve appeared lost in my thoughts as Sloan abruptly added, “You think he’s gonna come back, don’t you?”

More silence, what could I say? I wasn’t ready to give up on my brother completely; if I did, that would only prove him right. My love for him was stronger than anything, and though I didn’t justify his actions, I understood. He had acted for the love of his family, even if at some point I had stopped being included in that. The only difference between the two of our actions was that mine had always kept my number one in mind: him. But his number one was different from mine. Our father.

“Reina …” my auntie hesitated, not sure how to finish the sentence.

My voice came out in a shout, “I know! I don’t need a whole speech. Alexiares already gave me one. But my brother wouldn’t leave me here. He’s going to come back; we just have to figure out what angle he’s working.”

Nothing but sympathy lingered in their eyes. My auntie grabbed my hand, placing her other hand on Sloan’s back. “We Moore women have a hell of a path ahead of us.”

We all had a laugh at that. Just a few women who carried our last name like a freaking burden. Sloan rose to her feet, taking a step closer to me before pulling me into a tender hug.

“I am glad that you’re here, even despite the circumstances,” she said in a hushed tone.

“I’m going to have to leave soon?—”

That caught her attention. She pulled back to meet my stare, “Abel’s intel?”

“You should cut him some slack,” I snapped, defensive over him. Admittedly, we were becoming fast friends.

Sometimes my family’s energy had a damper to it. Being around Abel felt good, natural. I was glad to finally have someone who knew how to find humor and fun in the horrible world we lived in. I wanted him to stay with our pack forever, I would not budge on that.

“He’s a traitor.”

“He won’t be,” I said sternly, “not when he comes with us.”

“Like hell?—”

Sloan’s momma popped her in the back of the head for both her language and tone. At least someone served as a check and balance around here for her. I was getting seriously concerned.

“Ow,” Sloan said, rubbing the back of her head.

“Amaia’s not going to leave him here with you. He’s Riley’s family. You don’t know Riley, but he’s part of my new family, that makes Abel family by default.” I loved my cousin, but there was only one option in this world for a discovered spy. “And you could be, too, one day, Sloan, Auntie. I have to leave soon, and Amaia and Alexiares will stay. If you care about your people as much as I think you do, you’ll get off your high horse and stop fighting back. She’s made some mistakes, some more forgivable than others. I’m sure you learned over the years that her plans have an annoying way of always working out.”

“And you trust this Alexiares?” my auntieasked warily.

Sloan’s lip curled up in disgust at his name. “Bloodhound,” she corrected her.

“Stop calling him that, he doesn’t like it. I don’t know what he did before I met him, or even why he did what he did, and I don’t care.Alexiis as much of my brother as Seth is. So, yes, I trust him. He’s a bit rough around the edges, but his heart is good. I can sense it. That’s all that matters to me.”

They both gawked at me, ultimately deciding it wasn’t worth the fight.

Sloan relented, taking a deep sigh. “I don’t know what it is about that man that makes otherwise reasonable women defend him, but if you trust him, then I trust you. I’ll … rein back the insults.”

“And?” I egged on.

“And I’ll stop pushing Amaia. I’ll start listening and stop demanding.”

I smiled at that, satisfied by even the small win. “She has a lot to teach you.”

“Yada yada, cousin.”

Sloan squeezed the three of us into another hug, and for a moment, all was right in the world.

“I think this goes without saying, but what the fuck?” Tomoe said, causing my eyes to dart up at the now open door to the lab.

“Holy moly …” I mumbled.

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