Chapter 11 - Silas #2
Elle drew in a shaky breath. “I don't know how they work. They just happen, and they're rare. I’ve had five or six in my whole life.”
“What do you see in them?” Javi leaned forward.
“Different things. Sometimes the past. Sometimes...” Elle hesitated. “I do not know whether it is the past or the future sometimes. They're always unclear and very short. The one in the warehouse was the longest and clearest that I have ever had.”
“Do you think you could use them to find the next auction?” Javi asked.
Elle clasped her hands together. “I don't know. Maybe. But I cannot tell when they will come and what they will reveal to me.”
“But if you practiced—”
“I said I can't control them.” She snapped and sighed. “Look, I do not even know what they are, and why I possess them. Why the hell do you think I can use them to track down a whole trafficking operation?”
“We could experiment with some other methods,” Javi insisted. “Meditation, maybe.
Or exposure to objects from the auction. If we brought you things that the traffickers touched.”
“No.” Silas's voice came out as a growl. “Absolutely not.”
Javi turned to his brother. “Maybe this is our breakthrough. She could help us figure out where the next sale will be.”
“I can't believe this. You want to use her like a bloodhound. You would take her out to the crime scene and force her to see those visions in order to acquire information?”
“I want all resources at our disposal to end this operation!”
“Elle is not a resource!” Silas rose to his feet, his wolf coming close to the surface. “She's a human! She has experienced hell and has already told us more than we had any right to ask about. And now you want to wring her dry. You want more?”
“I want to defend this pack,” Javi replied and stood up to his brother. “I want to clear our name. I do not want to see women being sold as cattle. And if Elle's so-called magic can help, so be it.”
“At what cost?” Silas demanded. “Her sanity? Her wellbeing? And how many times do you plan to make her experience her trauma over and over again before you feel satisfied?”
“As many times as it takes!”
The room went silent. Even Javi appeared to be surprised at what he had said.
Before anyone could do anything, Silas's fist connected with Javi's jaw.
Javi stumbled back. He touched his split lip and stared at the blood on his fingers.
“Silas!” Rael stood up, immediately placing himself between his brothers.
Silas walked towards Javi, his wolf barely contained beneath his skin. “Say that again. I dare you.”
Javi straightened, his own wolf rising to meet the challenge. “You want to fight me? Fine. Let's—”
“Stop it.” Rael pushed Silas back and turned around to face Javi. “Both of you, stop it. This isn't helping.”
“He wants to use Elle as a tool,” Silas argued, not taking his eyes off Javi.
“You protect her, and our pack collapses,” Javi replied.
“Trust me, I want to save everybody,” Silas growled. “Including Elle. Or have you forgotten that this was all about protecting everybody and not only to cover up the reputation of our pack, but to protect and save the women who are trafficked? When did we lose sight of that?”
Javi's jaw worked. “We haven't lost sight of anything. But we cannot do anything unless we can locate them.”
“And we cannot find them by destroying Elle in the process.”
Rael held up his hands. “Enough. Both of you, sit down.”
Neither brother moved.
“I said sit down,” Rael repeated, his voice piercing the tension. “We're a team, and we work together.”
Silas slowly sat down next to Elle, and Javi dropped into his chair after.
“Let's approach this rationally,” Rael said. “Elle, you have magic. The magic of getting visions, from what you've described. That's valuable information. But forcing you to use it before you understand it could be dangerous, both for you and for the accuracy of the information you provide.”
Elle nodded, looking grateful for Rael's measured approach.
“So here's what I propose,” Rael continued. “We leave Elle to discover her magic herself. No pressure. No compelling her to go to traumatic places. When she feels ready enough to try to use her visions to assist with the investigation, she will tell us.”
“But that could take weeks,” Javi objected. “Months, even.”
“Then so be it. This operation has been under investigation for half a year. We can afford to be more patient.”
Silas felt the tension in his body ease a bit at this. Trust Rael to find a middle ground.
“In the meantime,” Rael continued. “We will make use of what Elle has told us. The way the handlers look, the description of the warehouse location, the vehicle's half license plate number. That's more than we had before.”
August, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “I think it's important to be clear about this. Elle has already done a lot. She owes nobody anything.”
“I know that,” Javi turned to face him. “I'm not trying to use her. I'm just trying to save people.”
“You mean save them and break Elle in the process?”
Javi glanced at Elle and noticed the tiredness in her red-rimmed eyes and how anxious she looked.
“I'm sorry,” he apologized. “I pushed too hard. Again.”
Elle didn't respond. She simply sat there, exhausted. Silas watched her silently shut out the world.
“Meeting adjourned,” Rael said. “We will meet again after we've had time to process this information.”
Without saying more, Javi left. August lingered. “I'm okay,” Elle muttered, looking at him. “I just need to rest.”
August walked closer, kissed her forehead, said his goodbyes, and walked out after Javi.
Rael stayed back. “For what it's worth,” he said to Silas, “you did the right thing. Standing up for her.”
“Or did I just postpone the inevitable?”
“There's nothing inevitable about sacrificing Elle for this investigation,” Rael said firmly. “We'll find another way. We always do.”
He left, leaving Silas alone with Elle.
There was a long, silent moment. Then Elle spoke. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “For standing up for me.”
“Always,” Silas said. “I'll always stand up for you.”
Elle stared at him, and her brown eyes searched his face. “Why?”
“Because you're my mate. And because you have a right to be protected. Because—” Silas paused, not knowing how to properly express what he was feeling.
Since somewhere along the line, keeping Elle safe was no longer necessary because she was his mate. It was because of her—as a person. As the strong, loyal woman she had become. He wanted to see her smile rather than cry. He wanted to provide her with reasons to stay rather than run.
But he couldn't say that. Not when Elle still looked at him like he was her enemy.
“Just because,” Silas finished lamely.
Elle nodded. “I'm going to sleep.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No. I simply need some time to myself.”
Silas watched her as she went up to her room. The bond strained painfully, but he didn't follow her. She asked for space, and he would give her. Even though he desperately wanted to go after her.
Because that was what it meant to protect Elle now. Not only ensuring she was physically safe, but also not going beyond her boundaries. Listening to what she needed instead of what his wolf wanted.
It was harder than any battle Silas had ever fought.
But for Elle, he would keep fighting. For as long as it took.