Chapter 323: Chapter 323

Xander They were all tossing around my father’s name like it meant nothing. My fingers curled into fists, my wolf claws coming out just enough to scrape the palms of my hands. Not enough to draw blood. Just enough for Hunter to let me know he was there.

My father had been an as shole, yes. But he was still my dad. | felt Zane reaching through the mind link, offering support.

Not pity. | wouldn’t have stood for it.

But out of all the people in this room, he was the only other one who'd known my father almost as well as I had.

Or hadn't, | reminded myself. Considering the s hit my father had pulled. It didn’t matter, though. Blood was blood. | didn’t have to forgive him for what he’d done, but couldn’t let myself forget we shared the same blood.

“People are scared. They haven’t started turning on one another yet, but they could, if the Council doesn’t watch itself,” Braden said.

Zane nodded. “Right. You can’t put out the idea that hidden hybrids have infiltrated the entire community without people starting to get suspicious of each other.”

“So far, though, they’ve managed to get everyone worked up to unite against vampires rather than being upset with the High Council for keeping secrets.

They're all victims together, Braden said.

Lanie shook her head firmly. “There were guards there when Malachi killed Orion. Witnesses. They know the truth!”

“The guards are all dead. Anyone wolf-shifter other than you all who was there who could tell the truth has been eliminated.”

Braden sounded grim.

My lip curled. “Let me guess. They were hybrid vamp sympathizer mind controllers?”

“Something like that,” Braden agreed. “All very clever All very pointed “All very selfish, Lanie said with a hitch in her breath Her eyes were fleshing over and over as her wolf rose to the surface Her cheeks were flushed, too.

Charlotte reached for a small bell in the center of the table between her and Malachi She rang it lightly and some staff and to take away our plates A few more brought in a coffee cart with steaming mugs they i poured out for everyone didnt really want coffee but they werent offering whiskey, so i took one Something scoured to me Has at room t Malachi looked around. “Technically, it’s a library.

But, yes. You wolves would consider it a war room.

Does that offer you comfort?”

“If we are going back to war, maybe.”

To my surprise, the old vampire and | shared a smile Mason was looking concerned. “So now the High Council gets to rally their army to fight for them, and when the word gets out about that hybrid testing facility-and it will-all the packs will be fine with it because they'll have been told hybrids are vampire monsters who were sent to destroy them.”

“That’s f ucked up,” Zane said.

Lanie gave the table a soft slap. “It’s wrong. Our babies were in that awful place. Other peoples’ babies are probably still in there. They're not monsters. I’m not... I’m...”

Mason got to her before | could. He enfolded her in his arms and pressed her to his chest. His gaze met mine over the top of her head.

‘She’s suffering. Are we really going to stay here? Can we trust these vampires? Who’s to say Braden isn’t full of sh it?” he thought privately to me.

“| felt at home here as soon as we arrived. | can’t say exactly why. But, yeah. | guess | do trust them.

Malachi’s her grandfather, and he’s already shown he'll be there for her. We’re her mates, which means he'll do the same for us.”

“| knew Gustav was a complete di ck,” | said aloud. “I just didn’t think that all of them would be such a pack of utter pr icks.”

Malachi chuckled lightly. “You know they only did this because your merry little quartet has pushed their noses against the wall.

They have no idea whatsoever where you all got off to or where you could possibly be. A Luna with two Alpha mates, plus a Beta. A former Luna, the widow of the martyr, and three small children. They’re pulling out their fur about it, | guarantee.”

“They even sent people to comb through Stillwood,”

Braden added. “Couldn't find a single hair. You have good friends there. You're very lucky, Lanie, to be so loved”

There was a strange tilt to his voice when he said that.

| didn’t like the way he was looking at my mate. | knew she and Braden had dallied. Nothing serious:

And | couldn’t blame him for wanting her, of course Still, | didn’t like that weird little ring in his tone Larue lifted her face from Mason’s chest The glow in her eyes had faded. “So we can stay here and just live our lives for a bit 972 pter 32