Chapter 23 #3
The smile remained fixed on Bastian’s face, but his eyes hardened at the mention of Alexis. “And why, pray tell, do you need to visit Alexis?”
“I do not need to visit Alexis,” I corrected. “But I do need to get into the hidden treasure he and his clan have.”
Bastian swung his legs over the arm of the chair and leaned forward like a predator who’d caught the scent of blood. “What hidden treasure?”
I smiled smugly, knowing I had his full attention. If there was one thing Bastian loved, it was a secret.
“Prior to joining our pack, Selene belonged to the Novak clan. Their enforcer, Julien, is good friends with Alexis. One day, Julien took Selene to visit Alexis, and they walked past a room full of Fae artifacts, items that have never been reported to Drudonia. I’ve been to that room.
The night I had my fight with Alexis, I wandered around their stronghold.
In and out of random buildings. I saw it,” I said excitedly.
“Selene just jogged my memory. I need that crest to fix the Fae mirror downstairs.”
Selene had only seen it in passing and hadn’t given it much thought.
The only reason she remembered it at all was because of the artwork.
But it fit the description of what Erendriel had told me, and it made sense because I knew I’d seen the crest somewhere before.
If I’d seen it often at Drudonia, surely I would have remembered that, but I’d only glimpsed it in that room beneath the Dragomir stronghold.
“And this is what you need to bargain your way free of us?” Bastian didn’t even try to hide his skepticism.
“It’s what I need to find that something,” I clarified. “I wouldn’t come to you if it wasn’t important, Bas.”
He smiled faintly. “You know, I can probably count on one hand the number of times you’ve called me Bas.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I didn’t say anything. It just felt right sometimes to use his nickname.
“The spring equinox is coming up,” Bastian noted. “We can use that as a cover to visit them and throw in that you want to check on Marie.”
“What will you tell, Cade?” I asked carefully.
“Worried about what our dear leader will think about your plotting?” Bastian gave me a pointed look.
“Yes.” I didn’t bother lying. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m pissed at you all for not being more honest with me.
But Cade has at least been trying in his own way to help me adjust to living here.
I don’t want him to feel like I’m betraying him by pursuing this.
Although he’ll probably be happy to see me go. One less complication in his life.”
Bastian’s brows bunched together, and he opened his mouth before closing it and looking away. He stared at the wall for a few seconds before facing me again, his expression unreadable. “You are a complication.”
I tried to keep the hurt off my face. It wasn’t like I’d wanted to make everyone’s lives harder. And I was trying really fucking hard to fix everything, for both me and the Alphas.
“What are we going to do about Ryker?” I finally asked. “We both know he’ll insist on coming along.”
“There’s no getting around that.” Bastian grimaced.
“Cade could forbid him from going, but Ryker will just disobey again. Besides, despite our recent agreement with the Fervis Order, I don’t trust them, and having a third person with us is a better show of strength.
Someone has to stay with Selene as well. ”
Logically, I agreed with everything Bastian was saying.
I just didn’t know if I could handle traveling alone with both of them again.
The Dragomir stronghold was in the northern part of Fervis territory, so it was a shorter journey than when we’d visited my family, but it would still require staying somewhere for two nights.
I could argue for my own room this time, but what if Ryker didn’t follow the closed-door rule outside of the stronghold? At least if we all shared a bed, Bastian would be there to make sure I didn’t make any bad decisions.
A laugh bubbled up my throat, and I tried to swallow it only for it to escape in a snort-like laugh. My hand shot to my mouth as more laughs erupted.
“What exactly is so funny about this situation?” Bastian stared at me like I’d sprung a second head.
“I need—” I tried and failed to get a hold of my laughter. “I need you to be a cock block.” I fully lost it and dissolved into hysterical chuckles.
Bastian continued to stare at me for several more seconds before his own expression broke and he started laughing. “It’s true,” he rasped. “You really do.”
It took several minutes for us to get ourselves under control, and then we started planning both our trip there and how I could get access to the room.
In a strange way, it was both fun and depressing.
I finally had someone to help me, and Bastian was excellent at working through plans and creating contingencies.
It almost felt like when Samara, Cali, and I would plot ways to sneak out at Drudonia.
But then I remembered he was helping me find a way to leave the Alpha pack.
Bastian wanted me gone, and he was ensuring that would happen.
An hour later, I rose from the chair and stretched. We’d planned as much as we could, knowing we’d have to be flexible once we were actually there. I padded over to the balcony, standing just inside the invisible barrier that kept the rain out. The storm was still raging.
I didn’t love the idea of climbing down in it. But I liked the idea of running into Ryker in the hallways and explaining why I’d been in Bastian’s room even less.
Bastian didn’t say anything, but I could feel his attention on me. An unasked question danced across my tongue. To voice it would’ve been reckless. Almost as reckless as the many mistakes I’d made with Ryker.
I should walk out onto the balcony. Climbing down would surely be easier than the trek up. He’d probably reject me if I asked anyway.
My feet remained rooted in place, refusing to take another step. I was so fucking tired. My body. My soul. It’d been weeks since I’d had a good night of sleep, and while he hid it well, I knew Bastian wasn’t sleeping well either.
“Can we pretend?” I asked quietly, still staring out into the night. “Just for tonight. Can we pretend we live in that other world?”
Silence filled the room. My heart clenched, and I finally took a step forward only for Bastian’s hand to fall on my shoulder.
I went still.
He hesitated. “Just for tonight. And only because it’s raining and we both know you’ll break your neck out there. Wolves aren’t built for climbing.”
“I do just fine,” I muttered, even as a relieved breath slipped from between my lips.
“Debatable.” Bastian’s hand drifted down my arm to grab mine, our fingers intertwining.
He tugged me towards the bed, only letting go when I started to climb in.
I pulled the blanket securely around me, indulging in being surrounded by Bastian’s scent and not letting myself analyze why I enjoyed it so much.
Just for tonight. We could pretend.
Bastian’s arm wrapped around me, pulling my back to his chest. I could have sworn I heard him take a deep breath as he buried his head in the crook of my neck. “Night, Princess.”
I closed my eyes, feeling more at peace than I had in weeks. It might be a lie, but I would revel in it tonight. “Night, Prince.”