“We’ll hunt down Grave so he can be the dog this time,” she promised. “My fathers will get it done as soon as we say the word.”
Laughing, I shifted her off my lap and stood to stretch. I wiped at my puffy eyes and then reached overhead until my back cracked satisfyingly. “We might still need him out in the world, sweetheart. Finding Benjamin is more important than my revenge. I can wait.”
She sighed. “Everything loops back to Benjamin, doesn’t it?”
“Only until we find him and lock him up so he can’t hurt you. Then, you can forget about him forever.”
“There might be something more we need to do, beyond locking him up,” Talia said.
I recalled Mira’s offhand mention of killing Benjamin, and Talia’s deflection. I wanted to ask, but that was more of a pack conversation.
“Talk to us about it tonight, sweetheart.” Offering Talia a hand, I helped her to her feet. “I want to hear you play the piano. How bad were you really at the instruments?”
Her cringe told me all I needed to know. “Your ears might bleed.”
“Show me anyway?”
She stepped over to the grand piano, lifting the keyboard cover. “How about this—I’ll play, and then you have to try. That’ll show you how damn difficult it is.”
“Deal.”
I sat down on the bench beside her, so close that our thighs touched. Her fingers were clumsy on the keys, creating a cacophony of noise that drew her sisters into the room to watch.
When she tried to teach me, I wasn’t much better, but by then everyone was gathered around the grand piano, laughing at our attempts.
The cold living room was warmer than I’d thought it could be, after all.
Chapter
Thirty-One
TALIA
West stood at the foot of my nest, arms crossed over his chest.
“I think I’ve been very patient,” he said, “but I need to know what Mira meant about killing Benjamin.”
To his credit, hehadbeen very patient. I sighed, patting the nest beside me. “Come here, then.”
The day had been exhausting, but I loved being back in my own space. Finally having their scents properly marking my nest made it even better. Conrad was busy rolling around in the pillows, though he poked his head out at West’s serious tone.
Mercer lounged against the headboard, tracing the numbers on his knuckles absentmindedly. West came and sat on the edge of the bed beside his packmate, looking tense.
I crawled further into the autumn-scented chaos and patted the bed again. “Into the nest. Not beside the nest.”
“Can you please just?—”
“Listen to her, and we won’t have to wait anymore.” Mercer rolled his eyes. “I’d also like to know how killing her bondmate could be an option.”
West grumbled, but climbed into the nest. He brought a pillow to his neck and scent marked it, and I relaxed with a grin.
“Mira and Lavinia suggested something. An alternative to locking Benjamin up and throwing away the key. It’s a way you’d be able to bond me.”
The start of my explanation was met with hesitant optimism from Mercer, a grin from Conrad, and a frown from West.
“How? You’re claimed already. No bonding attempt would stick.” West glanced at Conrad. “He already tried, and nothing happened.”
“If we can find Benjamin and convince him to accept you all as packmates, then a bonding attempt would work.”
