78. Elias
Sometimes I truly hated that my beast was so useless.
My raven squawked at my thoughts, indignant and loud in the back of my skull, but I ignored him.
It was true.
I might be savvy with computers. I might be the one who could trace a burner in minutes or wipe a security grid clean without leaving a fingerprint.
But that was just compensation. A way to make myself valuable when the real fighting started.
When the claws came out or when fire fell from the sky, I felt useless.
I glanced up at Kiron as I followed behind Harlow. His massive dragon form cut through the darkness above us, wings stretching wide enough to blot out the stars. Power rolled off him even in flight. He was built for this. Built to defend. To destroy. To protect our mate.
‘We can fly too,’ my raven protested, feathers rustling beneath my skin.
I swallowed hard, the taste of failure already bitter on my tongue. Yeah. Away from the fray, I thought bitterly. Away from the blood and the real danger. Always just out of reach.
“Eli, bro. I don’t think Jack and Danielle are actually here,” Harlow said, breaking me from my self-indulgent spiral.
I slowed, scanning the trees again and cringed.
“Well… it’s possible this whole thing was a ruse and they’re still up in the mountains at Xander’s place?”
Even as I said it, the word ruse sat heavy in my mouth.
I hated guessing. I preferred certainty. Data. Something I could quantify instead of instincts and bad feelings.
Harlow ran a hand through his shaved hair and nodded slowly. He didn’t look convinced either. “Think you can fly up there and back quickly? Just to be sure.”
I nodded once.
“Yeah.”
My gaze swept the treeline again. I wondered again where Keith was hiding.
“Sometimes I wish the mountain lion had surveillance I could hack.”
Harlow snorted softly.
“You and your toys.”
Then his expression hardened.
“But if they’re not there… then this whole thing is bait.”
A cold knot formed in my gut.
Sina.
Then again, if Xander had cameras everywhere, I wouldn’t have sent Kiron’s brother up to Clear View to begin with.
If I had eyes everywhere—if I could see what we were missing instead of reacting to it—maybe I wouldn’t feel like we were already one step behind.
Harlow must have seen the realization hit me because his hand clamped down on my shoulder.
“Go,” he said sharply. “Our mate needs all of her hive,” Harlow’s voice was hard with certainty.
“Now hurry the fuck back, Elias.”
My raven didn’t need to be told twice.
The shift tore through me in a rush of feathers and bone as I launched into the night sky.