<ul><li>Chester 190
Alexander’s POV
“So what you’re saying is that I need to leave.”
+25 Bonus
Jane looked up from herptop and nodded. “Just for a week or two. A tour of some of the smaller packs in the territory. Show your face, shake some hands, remind people why they supported you in the first ce.”
I leaned back in my chair and scrubbed a hand over my face. The meeting had been going on for hours now and I was exchausted–it was well past midnight at this point–but between the press shitstorm from the Santa incident and everything else that had been happeningtely, sleep wasn’t exactly a priority.
“But I don’t want to leave E right now,” I said. “Not with everything going on.”
“I understand that.” Jane shut herptop and folded her hands on the conference table. “But Alexander, your approval ratings are tanking. If we don’t do something soon, Brian’s going to have enough support to actually challenge your position as Alpha King.”
“Let him try.”
“Alexander.” Her voice was firm. “I’m serious. This isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about E too. If you lose your position, what happens to her? What happens to Lucien?”
I hated that she had a point. I looked away, staring out the window. My own reflection, tired and dead–eyed, stared back at me. It was too dark to see outside.
“I’ll even go with you,” Jane offered. “We can make it quick. Hit three or four packs, spend a day in each one. You’ll be home before you know it.”
I was about to respond when the conference room door suddenly burst open. E stormed in like a tornado.
She looked like hell. Her clothes were covered in dirt, her hair was a mess, and there were leaves stuck in it. But it was her face that made my stomach drop. She was pale, her eyes wide and panicked.
I was on my feet in an instant. “What happened?”
“They took her.” E’s voice cracked. “They took my mom.”
“What? Who took her?”
“Stormhollow warriors. We went to the cottage and everyone was gone and there was blood and we followed it and there was a grave and-
”
I grabbed her shoulders. “Slow down. Take a breath.”
She gulped in a breath of air, and when she spoke again, her voice was steadier, but only barely. “My mom and I went to the resistance cottage. Everyone was gone. The whole ce was empty. We found a blood trail that led to a fresh grave in the woods.”
“A grave?”
“We were going to dig it up to see who was buried there, but then Stormhollow warriors showed up. They surrounded us. My mom…” She stopped, swallowing hard. “She told them to take her and let me go. So I ran.”
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“Fuck.” I pulled her into my arms, feeling her shake against my chest. “It’s okay. We’ll get her back.”
“How? We’re banished from Stormhollow. If we go back, they’ll arrest us too, and might punish her even more.”
Jane cleared her throat. “I could go.” We both looked at her in confusion. “I’m your PR manager,” she said. “<b>I </b>can go to Stormhollow as your representative. Talk to Richard, see what it would take to get Lilith released. He can’t arrest me for that.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “It could be dangerous. You don’t have to get involved if you don’t feelfortable.”
Jane nodded firmly. “I’ve handled worse people before. I can handle someone like Richard. Let me see what I can do.”
E pulled back from me and looked at Jane. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.
“”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Jane stood and grabbed her coat from the back of her chair. “I’ll leave now. With any luck, I’ll be back before sunrise. You two should rest as much as you can; you both need it.”
With that, she left, and the conference room fell silent. I knew neither E nor I would be able to sleep while Lilith was in captivity, so instead, I guided her over to a chair and sat down, pulling her into myp.
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<strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.