Chapter 85

ERIA

Lukas looked appalled by the news. It sounded even more terrible in the stillness of the night. His muscles tightened. I turned away before he could say anything.

"We might as well head back," I muttered, not bothering to ask what he was doing outside himself. I could just see the thin rays of the sun piercing through the clouds, casting an orange glow over the sky. Dawn, I thought.

I came here with the intention of training, but I couldn't help but think of everything that had happened instead.

"You're right," Lukas agreed.

He looked stressed out. He fell into step beside me as we made our way back to the stronghold.

"There's blood on your shirt," I pointed out, peering closely at him. He glanced down at his white long sleeve; just above the cuffs was a stain of red—barely noticeable, but my eyes had been wandering.

"Is Maya up? I think it's time we discussed the plan," he said instead.

"Does the plan have to do with the blood on your sleeve?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked at me, lips pursed. "Maybe. I'm going to take it off. I'll meet you and Maya at the loft."

"What about Raven?" I called out as he turned for the flight of stairs that led up.

He jogged up, two at a time, his hair bouncing over his shoulders. He stopped at the top, glancing down at me.

"Leave her out for now."

"You can't be serious," I sputtered, shocked. I would understand if he didn't want to tell Kael. To be quite frank, I didn't feel like telling Kael anything right now or ever, but Raven had a right to know. Her son was captured too, and she was a part of our inner circle. I could say that she was the one I relied on.

Instead, Lukas shrugged with a detached look. "If you bring her, then I won't tell you anything," he said and then disappeared down the corridor.

I stared at his retreating figure, wondering what the hell was up with him.

"You'll have to explain yourself, Lukas," I muttered before going to Maya's room.

"So this is top-secret info, and you didn't want the alpha or Luna to know about it?" Maya asked.

We were gathered in the loft. It was a small attic space at the highest floor of the building. The huge shelves of books bordering the room gave me the feeling that it once acted as a library or archive. The books were mostly Latin or Arabic—or written in a really ancient language.

To our advantage, there was a long table and chairs, an old lamp, and a coffee maker at the top of the fourth shelf where Jared stood, pouring out cups of coffee. Lukas came back with Jared, and I came back with Maya. And now Maya was glaring at him in annoyance, but no scowl she made managed to look threatening in her Hello Kitty pajamas.

"Yes, I mean, no. I'll explain," Lukas said. He was seated across the table. He now wore a purple T-shirt with 'What Doesn't Kill Me Better Run' printed across it, and he fiddled with a dagger, turning it around in his hands.

"And somehow this couldn't wait till daytime? Like when the sun actually comes up and we all have breakfast?" Maya demanded.

Jared slid a cup of steaming coffee across the table towards her, and she took it, muttering something between a thank you and a threat.

I sat down with a sigh. "It has to do with Vance and Orion. I don't think it can wait."

"Councillor Merrick and I have been fishing out anyone who might be working for the Order. We thought there would be more besides Paul."

My face paled. Jared pressed a cup of coffee into my hand and sat next to Maya, his eyes serious.

"Of course, Paul couldn't have done it on his own," he muttered, his fist clenched.

"And how is that going?" I asked Lukas, trying not to think of how much Paul betrayed us.

"Good," he said grimly. "And that's bad news. Jonah is a part of them. We got him to confess. Viper is in charge of the Order, and she has his family. He has been selling the packs' plans to her in exchange for their survival."

"That's terrible! And we're not telling the alpha?" Maya slammed her cup on the table and rose to her feet.

"That's the problem," Lukas said. He dropped his weapon, looking up. "If we tell him, he'll have to organize a meeting, rally the soldiers, call backup—too much action when we're being watched like hawks. Viper will know what we're up to."

"But just the four of us..." Lukas looked at each of us in turn, searching our eyes.

"You have a dangerous plan," I said slowly, feeling a familiar rush of adrenaline in my veins. "And I like it."

He gave me a small smile. "Jonah will contact the Order, tell them that he has vital information that he has to communicate straight to Viper."

We leaned closer, our eyes serious as Lukas communicated his dangerous and suicidal plan to us.

I let out a deep breath when he was done. Infiltrating the Order.

"We might not survive this," Jared said, reading my thoughts.

"I know. But it's all we have. I helped Raven give birth to Orion. I know that if Viper wants him, then it has to be bad. And I also know that Viper is more crazy than Darian if she's experimenting on babies, and I'd rather die stopping her."

Jared nodded. He was the more muscular of the two, I noticed. He usually trained with Vance when I wasn't training with him instead. And now, he looked just as ready as any of us to plunge into battle for the people we believed in.

"I'm in, then," he declared.

Lukas exhaled. Relief, I thought.

I turned to look at Maya, who was sitting still beside Jared. "Maya, you don't have to do this. It's okay if you won't take the risk..."

"What are you talking about?" She turned to face me, her auburn ponytail flapping to the side.

"You don't really know Vance. You're not fully a member of the pack either. There's no reason for you to sacrifice your life for the alpha's son. Actually, it's totally understandable if you don't want to," I said, which was true. It was one thing for us to aid all this while, trying to track Vance, but I didn't expect her to go through this risk, neither would I judge her for not.

"No, you don't understand." Maya shook her head firmly. "I may not be a part of the pack, but you've seen me fight beside you before, right?"

Memories of the great war against Darian flooded my mind. Maya and I served as Raven's personal guards. And even when the battle began, she fought like she was a part of us.

I nodded.

"It's not about where I belong, Eria," she said, her voice low. "It's about what I believe in. And I believe in fighting evil. You're the closest person I have to family, and so, I'd rather do it with you."

I felt my eyes tear up, and I pulled Maya into a hug, grateful that she was going to do this for us.

"It's settled, then." Lukas stood up.

I turned back to him, my jaw set and ready for battle. "When do we move?"

"Sunset," he replied. "I have to make sure Jonah is ready to play his part. Once we are in, I will send a signal to Merrick, and he'll fill the alpha in. They'll send backup. And the goddess help me, this will be the second battle this year."

He reached the door and looked back at us and with a decisive nod, stepped out, closing the door behind him. For a moment, none of us spoke—the room silent.

All preoccupied with our thoughts. A solid plan, I thought. And I couldn't wait to see Vance again.

If there was a Vance left to see, a voice in my head said.

I pushed away the thought and rose to my feet. Vance is strong. He will get through this.

"Are you okay?" Maya asked.

I nodded, wishing my emotions didn't slip out of my face that easily.

For one thing, I had to go out with Dominic today, and to make my thin plan to hold off the marriage alliance work, I had to at least pretend I didn't hate him.

"I'm heading out. It should be dawn by now," I said, to no one in particular, before stepping out of the room myself.

"Everything will be fine," I whispered to myself. Sometimes, saying it out loud makes me almost believe it.

I didn't have to marry Dominic to unite the packs. Once I found Vance, everything else would be fine.

Or would it?