Ember

"I can't believe a bit of seaweed is the answer to our problem," I said after Fiona had picked Ian up and left. "It can't be that simple, can it?"

"Magic is pretty fickle, especially the fae kind," Kane replied. He straightened a book on the desk, whirling his swivel chair around to look up at me. "Why are you standing?"

We were in his study, the room Alpha had wanted me to plant his bug in. It was brightly lit and immaculately organized, with shelves containing files on pack members, their occupations and distant relatives. Information that wasn't safe on computers in case a wandering hacker stumbled upon it. Or the FBI. There was also a desk that was smaller than Light's- and less intimidating- that had two chairs behind it, one for each alpha. But sitting would only make my drowsiness worse- not that I was going to tell Kane that.

"I'll stand. If we're both sitting at the desk it might make him nervous, like he's being interviewed."

"You're sleepy," Kane observed.

I looked away from him. "I'm not."

I heard his chair turn back to the desk. "We should take a nap after this," he said.

My eyes jerked back onto him. "Nap?"

But the study door opened then and Tom entered, posture tense with uncertainty. He wore the look of a cornered animal ready to bolt at the slightest wrong move. It was different from last night when he'd cried from relief, maybe because he'd allowed hope into his heart. The pain of betrayal stung worse when hope had coaxed us into reassurance.

"Have a seat," Kane said, voice firm yet calming. "Or stay standing like Ember if you're afraid of falling asleep."

The tight press of Tom's lips disappeared and a small smile took its place. He sat down, thin shoulders loosening. "I'm not sleepy," he said.

Unlike me he was telling the truth. Unease aside, his face looked both well-rested and healed. Bluebell told us he'd been given injections of silver- hence the reason for the smell but no sign of wounds- but that was another thing Fiona had taken care of earlier. As a result his bruises were gone and he didn't resemble a well-used punching bag anymore. He had a cute face actually, small and adorable like the rest of him. How anyone could raise a hand not once but countless of times to a person this harmless was beyond me. Just the thought of him being in pain stirred at my protective instincts and before I knew it, I'd moved around the desk and started to put an arm around his shoulders.

I caught myself with a gasp, cringing. "Sorry."

Thankfully he didn't look offended or disturbed as he'd been when Bluebell had tried to touch him last night. He only watched me with those dark inscrutable eyes of his. "You're not very good at hiding your feelings," he said.

A snortle from behind the desk.

I glowered at Kane.

He folded his hands. "I told you."

"I think it's a good thing," Tom said, chewing distractedly at his nails. "My mate, Wen-" he sucked in a breath, paused for a moment as if her name had clogged his throat and was threatening to choke him. I put a hand on his back, running it up and down the soft fabric of his t-shirt until the heavy scent of fear in the air faded. "Wendy was very good at hiding how she really felt, at least until it was too late for you to defend yourself," he finished.

"Is she an old wolf?" Kane asked.

Tom shook his head slowly. "Young, but the alpha she took her current pack from was pretty aged. He was my alpha. She killed him and her mate."

My expression tightened but Kane remained calm, and I think I understood why: Tom was watching his reaction and at the sight of no distress from Kane, he visibly relaxed as well. "She used my female alpha as bait and forced my alpha to kill himself. Then she took all of us and joined us together with her brother's pack. We've been traveling together ever since."

"How many werewolves does she have?" I asked.

"Wendy has a total of ten- minus me and three others that managed to run away- and her brother, Julius, has fifteen."

I glanced at Kane. "That's just twenty-five werewolves. We outnumber them."

He nodded. "We're one of the largest packs on the continent, my family's been in charge for three generations and the laws we've enforced are largely the reason why we've attracted so many werewolves. Some alphas are either too cruel, killing off anyone they might see as a challenge, or they're too lax and can't control more than a dozen wolves at a time."

Maybe our large population is why Light was so set on taking our pack. If you thought it was finally time to claim something you wanted, why go for the smaller one when you could take the biggest prize available?

"You said you've been traveling," Kane said to Tom. "Where did you live before Kathleen uprooted you?"

"Canada," Tom replied.

"That's a long way from home," I said. "Why is she in Seattle?"

"She doesn't share much with the less dominant wolves but we've heard rumors that she has an old acquaintance who pissed her off a long time ago. She's been waiting a while to get revenge."

"She holds grudges," I said. What kind of grudge would she hold against someone who took her mate from her?

"I do too," Kane said gravelly, something dark falling onto his calm features. "What did she do to you?"

Tom went back to chewing his nails, gaze shifting to his shoes. They were new, Bluebell had gone out this morning to get him a new pair as well as the clothes he was currently wearing. That, and a bunch of other stuff which they'd put away in his room upstairs while we were having breakfast. I wish I could've helped out. Disadvantages of having a breakdown: you miss out on hanging out with friends.

Kane leaned back from the desk, Tom still hadn't responded to Kane's question. "It's okay. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to relive it."

Tom shook his head. "I want to, it's just..." He fell silent again.

"I'll get you some tea," I offered. "And some jerky, if you're hungry? Bluebell said meat will help you regain your strength."

He nodded gratefully and I smiled, started to move away when a hand caught my wrist. I raised my eyebrows, turned to Tom. But it wasn't him who was holding me, it was Kane. "What?" I asked him.

His thumb caressed the back of my hand briefly before he let it go, gaze lingering on my face. "Thank you."

I pursed my lips, nodded jerkily. I told Tom I'd be back soon and hurried out of the room, hoping neither of them could hear the delighted beats my heart was dancing to.

***

It was a good thing that we found a solution to our fae problem, based on Tom's description Wendy Kathleen sounded like a demon fresh out of Hell. It'd be wishful thinking to expect her to leave Tom alone without a fight. Kane didn't seem worried, but he was pretty good at hiding his concern. Especially when he was the one in the line of fire.

Jett had gone out but I planned to talk with him when he came back home. He wouldn't sugarcoat things, I thought, reaching the kitchen the same moment the doorbell rang.

I veered off my path, smiling. Think of him and he shall appear indeed.

But it wasn't Jett on the other side of the door when I opened it.

A small woman- a werewolf- stood on the porch, a brunette with long wavy hair in an elegant gray dress the same color as her eyes. In her hands was a tray with a fluffy white cake, vanilla from the smell of it. "I heard from the other pack members that you were back home safely," she said, smiling brightly at me. "I brought this cake for you in celebration."

I opened the door wider, wracking my brain for a name to give to the face when the realization came to me- she's not pack- but it was too late. She was still smiling sweetly when she said chirpily, "But I don't give presents to ugly little thieves," and her hand had somehow shot out like a bullet, grabbing the back of my head. She brought my head down face-first into the cake a second later.

Was that vanilla in my nose?

The tray clattered to the floor as she fisted her hands on my shirt and dragged me with sure steps away from the front door, her pink high heels bright in the sunlight. She was down the steps and on the lawn when I came to my senses and threw out a punch. She tilted her head back, easily dodging my fist.

"Donna," she called, letting me go with a shove that had me landing on my backside with a grunt. "I believe I gave you a lecture about the proper way to get revenge last night? Three steps, starting with humiliation, non?"

Donna? I got up, and sure enough, there she was. Both Donna and Sue, standing side by side beside a blue car I've never seen before. A tall man in a black dress shirt and dark green slacks was leaning against the car, eyes hidden by a pair of sunglasses.

"Eyes ici, please," Wendy- who else could it be?- said.

She was smiling, very, very sweetly. But her eyes were the sharpest color of steel and suddenly brimming with dominance. "Kneel," she said.