“Because it knew you would return,” the druid told me calmly. “The Hollow knows their own.”
I nodded because their own logic had made them face what I already knew. “You see it now?” I asked, my voice low but sure. “The Hollow recognizes their own, so tell me, Druid…who the fuck is rising against me?”
They sat back, not at all surprised when the door opened and Diesel stepped back into the house.
“We good?” my beta asked with a glance at the druid.
“We have an understanding,” I conceded.
The druid stood. “My wards are strong,” he told Diesel firmly. “Which means you are either a druid, a shaman, or something much older, which I do not know.” They squinted. “But you are none of those things,” they said. “Just a beta with a little bit of knowledge and an impressive talent to wield it so well. You will come with me, and we will walk the wards.” They moved towards the door. “And we will kneel at the Heartwood and pay tribute to the Goddess for your insolence at attending it alone.”
Diesel sniffed. “And then you will give me the list of the ones I need, and I’ll be on my way.”
The two of them watched each other, the uneasy truce so fragile beside them that I dared not breathe in case the reminder that I was in the room broke it.
“Done.” The druid looked at me. “And when you find our traitors, our alpha will take their heads.”
“And leave us their hearts,” Diesel added, and the two of them looked at each other, and I swear it was with approval.
I felt a trickle of sorrow for the ones who fought me. Only a trickle though, because Iwouldbe taking their heads.
Chapter 10
Rowen
I’d been herefour days, and I was fed up with hiding out in Wolfe’s house.
After my initial disaster with The Grumps, and Killian and Cody both looking at me as if I was the reason we were all miserable, I’d decided to stick to the shelter. The only thing was, I was really very bad at being idle.
So on the morning of the fourth day, I’d slipped out of the house, shifted and run across the Stonefang territory. I knew where the boundaries were because I could run no further. It was an invisible wall between me and the forest, hills, or mountain that lay between us.
I’d never seen anything like it. I hadn’t tried to throw myself through it, or anything as tediously rebellious as that, but Ihadpoked the barrier with my snout and felt the gentle push back. It was fascinating, and I had so many questions, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to ask anyone.
I’d spent the entire day away from the pack, and I found two other areas where shelters stood; none were occupied, and I poked my head in a few of them to see if there was any difference. There wasn’t.
The empty shelters gave me the confidence to explore them further, and eventually, I found what I assumed would be the pack hall. So much of their layout of the shelters lent to the living or sleeping outside. Did Stonefang follow the nomadic lifestyle so much? It had me curious and only added to my list of questions. I wondered how Wolfe had slept so easily beside me while at the house; had his wolf been itching to sleep outside in his wolf form? Did that explain the sense of wildness I got from all of them?
So many questions…I wondered if they would ever tell me the answers.
I spent the next few days learning the territory boundary. I ran free over the territory, and I hated to admit it was nice.
I’d discovered something else new while I had been here and, ultimately, alone.
I missed my mate.
I would never have expected it, but I did. I found myself looking for him, testing the bond, and feeling the gentle, faint tug in return. Did he miss me? What was he doing? Was my pack okay?
It still hurt that he thought I was the one to betray him. But these days alone, with only my thoughts for company, had been enough to give clarity on why he thought that. I’d given him more reason to suspect me than to trust me.
I’d also had time to consider Killian’s contempt for me. I kept going over his words in my head, and Cody’s warning to let it go. What did they know that I didn’t? What did they think I’d done to deserve such contempt?
Almost a week alone was enough of playing by the rules and staying out of the way to avoid conflict.
I left Wolfe’s home and made my way down the hill. They were training again. The pack stood in rows of straightregimented lines, going through basic moves, all eyes forward, with only Cody glancing at me as Killian instructed the pack.
Cody approached me, and I remembered that I had thought I couldn’t tell him or Axel apart. It’s funny now, they were so incredibly different, yet they held themselves the same way. Cody was more sun-kissed, and I saw as he walked toward me that his wife glanced at both of us.
“Finally came out?” he asked with a knowing look.
