Chapter 30
Rafe
I grabbed the ends of my hair and pulled gently. It had been a while since I had a haircut but I couldn’t take the time to do anything mundane like that when I needed to figure out how I was going to help Jade. I had no doubts that she could get herself out but I wanted to help. I needed to help. My wolf would have it no other way. I had to at least try to help for his sake.
But we were practically sitting ducks. No matter how many times we had looked at the situation, there didn’t seem to be a solution unless we didn’t care what happened to the other families involved. There was also the possibility that the witches were lying to her to get her to stop fighting.
Archer leaned back in the leather recliner across the war room. “We could always say to hell with the other people and just rescue your mate. No one would know if he punished those people. We wouldn’t know.”
He had said exactly what I was thinking. Mav wrinkled his nose. “I don’t like that idea. Jade would never forgive us. She stayed back for a reason.”
Knox held up his beer in salute. “Jade is already a hellhound, the last thing we need is to piss her off further.”
I sighed as my eyes turned to Tracey, she was sharpening a knife and was the farthest from the Guardians, I didn’t blame her. They were starting to annoy me too.
Gabriel leaned across the bar on the far side of the room. “We need a distraction.”
I looked over at one of the quietest Guardians. “I’m listening.”
“A distraction to get inside, I don’t know, to look through the maps. To survey the room.”
An idea popped into my head. “We have to somehow get in there.”
Archer grinned as he shot up from the recliner. “I volunteer as tribute.”
“You’ve never even read those books,” Tracey grumbled.
Archer made a face. “I’ve seen the movies.”
“Not the same thing,” she sighed.
“Totally the same thing,” he retorted.
I rubbed my temples. “What did I tell you all about being in here? This is a place to talk strategy. We can’t afford to be so flippant about this.
Mav cracked his neck. “Gabriel is right, we have to be ready to either send someone inside and cause a distraction or get a message to Jade.”
“But that still doesn’t solve the problem of families in danger,” Tracey rolled her shoulders. “We should have brought snacks.”
My eyes went to the refrigerator behind the bar. Mav shook his head. “It’s empty.”
“We have been at this for hours.” I ran my hand down my face. “Maybe we will have fresh ideas tomorrow, especially with full stomachs.”
Archer and Knox practically raced each other out of the war room. Tracey gritted her teeth together. “Children.”
I couldn’t keep the laugh from bubbling out of my mouth. I shook my head. “Go get some rest and food. Your dad will have my head if you don’t start eating again. You were always the first one in line at dinner, now you hardly show up.”
Tracey didn’t look at me as she passed. “Why isn’t he here?”
I didn’t know if it was my place to tell her what her dad planned. “I think he was busy. We have been communicating a lot better lately, so he isn’t here because of us not getting along.”
She nodded like she knew.
Gabriel was the last out the door. “Have you been to your home recently?”
I was about to say something about the Manor when I realized that wasn’t what he was talking about. All I could do was shake my head.
“You should go there, you’ll want to have your own place when she comes back. Your wolf will push you to have a den ready for her and your future pups.”
