Greylen
Waking up next to Rowan was a fucking dream come true.
After so many years without her, I almost didn’t want to believe it. My mate was lying next to me without a stitch of clothing on, pressed between Bastian and me.
We were all exhausted from the night before, but I struggled to fall asleep, content with simply watching my mate. Eventually, I couldn’t deny the exhaustion, and I’d drifted off into a deep sleep.
Abruptly, Orsen appeared next to me, eyeing me with his hand on my shoulder.
That was why I’d woken up at all. Otherwise, I was certain I’d still be sleeping.
I was slightly peeved. Sleep was a glorious thing, and I didn’t like to miss it, plus at the same time, it meant I got more time snuggling with a sleepy Rowan.
Our mate was usually so strong—she was the perfect Alpha female in that regard—but those morning hours when she was all soft and rumpled were fucking precious to me.
“We need to talk,” he said, then gestured at Rowan. “She’s dead to the world. Come on.” His face was serious.
I cocked a brow. “Huh? Are you serious? Can’t we just—”
“Get up. We’re needed downstairs. Let Rowan sleep.”
Sighing, I looked over at Rowan, wishing I could stay here with her. But Orsen seemed tense, so I had to assume this was something important. After dragging myself out of bed, I threw on some clothing and followed him out of the room.
Bastian and Nix were waiting for us in the kitchen, Ma nowhere in sight. It was far too early for her to be up. It was still dark outside. None of us should have been awake, yet there we were, sitting around the small table.
“So, what’s going on?” I asked.
“I wanted to talk to you guys about Cyrus,” Orsen announced, taking a seat at the table across from me.
“What has the fucker done now?” Immediately, my mind conjured up the many possibilities. Unfortunately, he was fairly well-connected and was proving difficult to handle without starting an all-out war.
“It’s not that he’s done anything new. I just can’t keep sitting on my ass, so to speak.”
“It’s time to stop waiting for him to come to us?” Bastian cocked a brow, regarding Orsen with what could only be described as excitement.
Orsen nodded. My stomach clenched, knowing it was inevitable but still not looking forward to it.
I leaned across the table. “What are you suggesting?”
“We’ve been on the defensive for so long, and that’s clearly not working. It’s time we smoke the bastard out.” Orsen pounded on the table, deep-seated fury glowing behind his eyes.
“Why now?” Nix asked, running a hand through his hair. “We’ve been waiting for him to mess up for the last few weeks. What’s changed?”
Orsen dropped his head, letting out an angry breath. “Rowan needs to be safe. She’s losing weight, she needs more sleep, and we can all see how much stress she’s been under. I can’t explain it, but after last night, it just… feels different.”
He had a point. Everything was different. For the first time in six years, we were together as a clan. The part of us that we’d believed to be well and truly annihilated was back, stronger than ever.
“We found each other again,” I supplied. “We’re all here as a clan, and you don’t want to risk anything happening.”
Orsen nodded. “After Rowan fell asleep, I just watched her. All I could think about was how Cyrus was out there, how he was going to keep coming after her. We’re finally together again, happy and… He could rip that away from us at any moment.”
My belly sank at that thought. Clearly, Nix felt the same because he let out a gruff whine, his brow scrunching with worry.
Our mate was our first priority. Our horde was a close second.
And they were all under constant threat because of Cyrus. Orsen was right. We couldn’t wait around any longer. If we didn’t do something, he’d just keep sending people to attack.
“I should be the one to go after him. I’m the reason this all happened,” Bastian said.
“No.” Orsen shook his head. “Stop that bullshit line of thought right now. You are not the reason. The reason for everything is Cyrus. He’s a jackass, plain and simple.”
“Rowan won’t be happy about this,” I mumbled, shaking my head. She won’t like any of her mates leaving.
Orsen shrugged, making a face. “Well, I have an idea… but I don’t know whether it’ll make Rowan hate me even more.”
I cocked my head at Orsen, who grimaced. “Oh Lord. What are you thinking of now?”
“I—”
The door to the kitchen opened, and we all turned to see who’d intruded on the conversation.
“Looks like I turned up at the right moment.” Griffin sauntered into the room and took a seat. “You rang?”
I looked questioningly at Orsen.
He nodded. “I messaged Griffin to join us. As our enforcer.”
Ah.
“What’s happening?” Griffin asked.
“We want to go on the offensive when it comes to my father,” Bastian explained, tenting his fingers beneath his chin.
Griffin nodded. “I think that’s the smartest thing you’ve said all year.”
Bastian shot him a halfhearted glare, and I chuckled.
“The problem is, I am well aware that Rowan will freak out if any one of us four goes,” Orsen explained.
“You want me to go get him?” Griffin asked.
“Do you think you’re up to it?”
He leaned back, looking at us one by one.
“Of course I’m up to it. If you want him alive, though, I may not be the one to send, because I’m not sure I can contain myself when I see his stupid face.
When I met Rowan, she was still having to take medication to get through the night and apply salves and bandages on her abdomen every day.
I make no promises about his safety because I want to tear that fucker limb from limb. ”
“Do it,” Bastian instructed. His words were simple, resolute.
Griffin glanced at him in surprise. “Are you sure?”
“I want to kill the fucker myself, but I appreciate you want that pleasure as well.”
“Why now?” Griffin asked.
I cleared my throat. There was no point in lying to him, especially as he was about to put his life on the line to keep our mate safe.
“Let’s just say that, after last night, it looks like we are finally a proper clan again.
We don’t want to start our life together with Cyrus still out there, ready to kill her or any one of us. ”
“We want our mate to be safe,” Nix added. “We want this to be quiet and fast, that’s why we are asking you.”
“I’ll happily do it. I’ll tell Rowan that I’m doing some patrolling—things have fallen to the wayside since she came back, with everything changing.”
“We shouldn’t lie to her,” Nix countered. Even though I nodded in agreement, I knew that telling her would be difficult.
“Don’t,” Griffin said. “I will be exploring our borders and hunting down some folks. That’s the truth. It’s all she needs to know for now. We all know she won’t handle me being in danger. She never has. I’ll tell her the truth, but I’ll simply omit the part about me going after Cyrus specifically.”
“Thank you,” Bastian said. “I wish I could do it.”
Griffin smirked. “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to drag him back here so you can have your pound of flesh.”
An evil grin spread across Bastian’s face.
“That’s all I ask. If he doesn’t survive getting back here, I’ll understand, but we’d all prefer it if we could sink our teeth into him, too.
Now, I’m going to go back to bed. Our lovely mate is alone in there, and that just won’t do.
” He slid his chair back and waltzed out of the room.
Risking Rowan wasn’t acceptable, and making her happy had jumped to the top of the priority list, as evidenced by the fact we were sending someone else out there to find Cyrus.
I just hoped Griffin brought him back alive.
Because I wanted to watch the fucker die, like we all did.
And Griffin had to make it back, too. If something happened to Rowan’s best friend, she’d never forgive us, and I wouldn’t blame her.
“Get him back here,” Orsen tacked on, standing and looking Griffin right in the eye.
“Bring him back so that he can answer to the entire horde for what he did. They need to hear it from the horse’s mouth.
And it’ll bring me nothing but joy to force the words out of him using whatever means necessary. ”
Griffin stood and clapped his hand against Orsen’s in a firm shake. “I’m on it. I won’t let that asshole get away. I swear to you.”
“You’re a good man, Griffin.” Orsen nodded once. “And I’m sorry again for the rocky start when Rowan first got here. Go get him. Get the man who tried to kill her.”
I glanced back at him with a nod. Griffin met Orsen’s intensity with his own. “Done.”