Chapter 256: Rhys
The ride home was made in near silence. Elara and Margaret were chatting among themselves. They were trying to come up with a plan to bring those who were loyal to them into my pack. A part of me hated the idea of an influx of strangers into my pack, but the other part of me was too tired to care. We needed a plan to screen them all at least, so we could minimize traitors and enemies, but it would have to fall on someone else. I couldn’t take on anything of that magnitude right now. I had people I trusted enough to get it done. Kate would probably love a task like that. She thrived in strategies like that.
“I don’t like that we just left them like that.” Grace mindlinked me.
I could see the worry on her face and squeezed her hand gently. We had explored the hut that Sandra had lived in, but found nothing really of us. Sawyer had grabbed a few medicinal items, herbs and things that he thought might come in handy, and we took the Pyxis, but otherwise we left everything untouched and the bodies right where they had fallen. I didn’t feel quite right about it either, but I didn’t want anyone to know we had been there, so the Vampires had helped us to hide our scents.
“When everything is over, we’ll go back and burn Sandra and bury the guy.” I responded gently.
She nodded, but I wondered what she was thinking. All I could feel through the bond was that she was pensive. When we got back to the pack house, it was late, but I didn’t feel tired at all. Queen Maragret handed me the Pyxis, and her and Elara headed downstairs to their room. I thought they would still want to meet, but they seemed to be in deep discussion about something else that they didn’t need our input on.
I knocked on Leon’s office door to tell him we were back and was surprised to see both him and Heather in there.
“Everything okay?” I asked them, hesitantly. With Leon being back, I had fully expected Heather to disappear from the Beta duties like she used to. She hadn’t been interested in the role of Beta since they had kids, but I was beyond grateful for her help lately.
“Yea,” Leon answered, but his brow was furrowed in thought. “How did it go?”
I filled him in, and we all went our separate ways after I placed the Pyxis in my desk drawer and locked it. I wanted to know where everyone stood, but that wasn’t a tonight problem. Caleb was on the couch with Sammy and my mom. Maizie and Sawyer had gone to find Alana to give her a small debrief. And I headed to my room, my mind still wired to find Grace already showered and in bed.
“Are you okay?” I asked her, noticing that she was looking a little green.
“Yea.” She answered, but she sounded a little distant. “Just tired, I think.”
“You aren’t poisoned again, are you?” I questioned, immediately skimming her skin to make sure there was no mark.
“No.” She gave a shaky laugh. “At least I hope not. I just feel kinda weird.”
I sat down next to her on the bed and grabbed her hand in mine.
“Was today too much?”
“It doesn’t matter if it was.” She answered, surprising me slightly.
“Why wouldn’t it matter?”
“Because we’re running out of time and ideas, Rhys. Those kids need us, and that pack needs us before it’s too late. Before more kids can be ripped away from their families. Before there’s more cases like Maizie and her mom. Or Michael and his dad. They’re coming for us, and we aren’t even slightly ready, but we need to be.”
“What do you suggest my love?” I probed.
I knew that look in her eyes. I knew the way she was talking meant that she had an idea. That she had been giving this a lot of thought and telling me was terrifying to her. I didn’t know how to make it more comfortable for her... We were both trying and changing to the best of our abilities. But I just wish I didn’t terrify her.
“I think we should get married.” She said without blinking an eye with more confidence than I knew she had.
“What?” I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.
“I think we should go with our original plan. Lay a trap. I think we should get married and have the Luna Ceremony.”
“And do what exactly?” I asked unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice and hating that she wanted to do these things for the wrong reasons.
She looked hesitant now, but it didn’t matter. I needed to know what exactly her plan was.
“For multiple reasons,” She said finally after a long few minutes. First, we need to draw Alpha Adrian and Luna Kinsley out. I don’t think they can resist. I even think we send them an invite, make them feel forgiven. 2. We use them coming here to get the kids out of the Program while they are here, since there will be less people there to guard it.”
I thought about her words and asked her to let me sleep on it. She agreed, but I could feel her disappointment through the bond. It wasn’t that I thought her plan was bad... It just- I wasn’t sure that it would be enough. It sounded great in theory, but would they fall for it after everything? Did we need an even bigger twist to truly throw them off or were they gullible? Clearly, they weren’t necessarily stupid. I mean, they had managed to keep their pack hidden for this long, but they did seem to be slipping...
I stood up and made my way to the bathroom to shower and change. I was sure that sleep wouldn’t find me tonight, but it didn’t matter. I could use the time to catch up on pack things.
I had thought that Gracie was asleep already when I decided to go back to my office, but her soft voice caught me by surprise.
“Rhys?” She mumbled.
“Yes?” I answered, turning back toward her curiously.
“Stay.” She whispered.
And with that one word, all my thoughts to get caught up on work dissipated, and I finally felt my exhaustion. I crawled into bed with her and let sleep carry us both away.
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