6. Phaedra

PHAEDRA

T wo days had passed since Penny, El, and I had promised to work together, but I hadn't made any progress on a plan.

It wasn't because I was sinking into a deep depression again, but because Penny and I had been picking up Connor's slack. We spent most our time in her rooms with reams of paperwork surrounding us: work orders, complaints, invoices, requests for meetings, receipts, and so on that needed to filed, recorded, or responded to.

Normally, the alpha, his mate, and their assistants would work through it, but Connor hadn't so much as glanced at it. I guess he intended to ignore it completely. Even the documents from high-wolf society, which would normally take priority, were being ignored.

Miranda was in no state to ease us into this work, and after Edgar's death, his personal assistants had left the island. So, it was up to me and Penny to tackle it, but my frustration was weighing me down.

It was crucial that I come up with some way to undermine him. If only we could make some headway with the paperwork, but new documents kept coming in each day. I pushed back from the table with a sigh and rubbed my tired eyes.

Thanks to our schooling, Penny and I understood things like accounting, infrastructure, invoicing, and organization, but we were playing catch up. And thanks to the nightmare I'd had last night, I was having trouble focusing.

Penny looked at me over the rim of her reading glasses. "You okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Just taking a break."

She nodded and got back to work. I closed my eyes again and took a few deep breaths. My thoughts kept returning to the nightmare I'd had the previous night. It was the first time in days I'd dreamed at all, so the nightmare really stood out.

It would make sense if it reflected what I'm dealing with now—when I was a kid, I used to wake up in a cold sweat after dreaming that I went to a ball in just my underwear—but this nightmare was nothing like that. All I remembered was the oppressive, suffocating presence of darkness, and the feeling of complete helplessness as I floated around in it. A shiver traced down my spine. The nightmare felt significant, but I wasn't sure why.

To distract myself, I got up and poured myself a glass of water. I inhaled deeply, breathing in the rose incense Penny had lit an hour ago. Penny's rooms were painted lavender—her favorite color—and the curtains in front of the large windows were sheer and baby blue. Her decorations were themed after the night sky, with paintings of the Andromeda and constellations.

She'd always been fascinated with outer space, and I felt more comfortable here than I did in my green and gold room, which, while beautiful and comfortable, had none of the decorations or colors I loved.

Now I thought about it, my den in Den City didn't have many decorations either. I was so focused on saving money so I could get away from Isle Royale, I hadn't done anything to make the space mine. That den wasn't meant to feel like home because I was always planning on leaving it.

When I was a kid, I loved ladybugs and flowers. But I was an adult now, and I wasn't sure I still liked those things enough to decorate my space with them.

The hole in my chest widened, and I mourned those years I was banished. Only weeks ago, I had been on autopilot, just making enough to survive. And now I was playing the role of Connor's mate, all while plotting to take him down. When would I have the chance to relax or figure out what I liked?

I took a long drink of water and crunched on the ice cube as I returned to the table. Just as I sat, there was a knock on the door, and Penny and I turned our heads.

"Yes?" Penny said.

Theodora came in, and we relaxed. She was always a welcome sight. But as she stepped farther into the room, her haunted expression became clear. That set Penny and me on alert.

"What's going on?" Penny asked.

"I just saw Selene," she said. "She's here."

At mention of her name, all thoughts about paperwork left my mind, and given the way Penny slowly lowered her glasses, she must have felt the same.

"Why?" I asked.

Theo shook her head. "I don't know. She was walking with Connor when I saw them. He seemed happy to see her."

"And how did she look?"

"Her face was kind of… what's the word? Empty? Blank?" She sighed. "It was hard to read what she was feeling or thinking. She did look uncomfortable, but beyond that, I couldn't say."

That didn't surprise me. Selene struck me as a pretty stoic woman… until she wasn't. I remembered her rage when she confronted Asher and me in front of his cabin. Her righteous passion and fury would never get out of my head.

Penny stood, and the sudden movement made my hand jerk. Water sloshed out of the cup and onto the table.

"Where are they?" Penny asked as I grabbed a tissue and quickly mopped up the spill before it reached the paperwork.

"They were headed to the ballroom," Theo said.

Penny looked quickly at me. "We need to be there, so we can find out what the hell she wants."

I wasn't keen on seeing her or Connor, but Penny was right. We needed to see what was going on. Ignoring her presence could hurt us in the long run.

So, I stood. "All right. Let's go."

As the three of us set off toward the front of the manor, I went through the possible reasons why Selene would come back to Salcedo Manor.

The last time she was here, her aim was to betray the Dagger pack and ensure the safety of her own. Of course, Edgar had already known he could control the Dagger pack's shifts. After Connor had killed his father, he'd sent Selene away, but not before telling her she could have the Dagger pack lands for herself. What was she doing here now? Did she intend to betray Asher and his people further? Or had Connor summoned her?

I wasn't alone in wondering if Connor had something to do with Selene being here, because Theo whispered, "What if Connor plans to ask her to be his mate?"

"Goddess, I hope not," Penny said before I could respond. "The last thing we need is two traitors in control of the Wilcox pack."

Theodora and I glanced at her, then shared a look over her head. An alliance between Connor and Selene would only spell disaster for all of us. Penny's tone dripped with bitterness. She hadn't had time to grieve her father properly because she'd had to take over Connor's responsibilities, yet she was walking right into a scene that might, for all we knew, be another blow to her. I couldn't help being concerned for her.

"I wouldn't worry," I said. "I doubt either of them would go for that. Selene is ruthless and ambitious—the exact opposite of the kind of woman Connor goes for."

"Then, why is he so interested in you, Phaedra?" Theo asked.

That question stumped me, but Penny had an answer. "He wants Phae because he rejected her and she moved on. He can't stand that she found something better elsewhere. Also, she was his chosen mate before. He probably thinks it helps his image to have her by his side again."

"Huh," I said, letting that sink in. "It makes sense when you put it like that."

Penny's expression was still stony. "It's just a theory. If you'd asked me a few days ago, I would be more certain about it. I thought I knew him back then. Now, he may as well be a stranger."

She quieted as we reached the main hallway. Randall was walking in our direction. When he saw us, his eyebrows rose.

"What a coincidence," he said. He inclined his head respectfully, his eyes flitting from each of us, though it lingered a second or two longer on Theodora before returning to Penny and me. "Connor sent me to get you."

"And here I was thinking he was going to leave us out of his meeting," Penny replied, crossing her arms over chest.

"No, no, he wanted you there," Randall said.

Penny tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Do you know what it's about? Why is Selene here?"

He shook his head. "Connor didn't tell me."

"Great, so we're all in the dark." She sighed and started walking, eager to get to the ballroom.

Theo and I hurried to keep up with her quick stride, and Randall fell in step slightly behind us. His presence prevented us from any further speculating.

Without a crowd of the people filling it, the ballroom felt eerily empty. When not in use, the tables were put away and the windows were shut. It was so much bigger than it had seemed the day of Connor's ascension.

Selene stood alone in the far corner. She'd cut her hair. When I last saw her, it was down to her waist, but now it stopped just a few inches below her shoulders. It was too heavy to curl much before, but the shorter length allowed for soft, natural waves. She wore tight black pants and a form-hugging black shirt. It looked like she was about to go to battle.

It was strange for an alpha to leave her pack without her right-hand, but the Coldcrow pack was small. Selene couldn't afford to have her right-hand step away from the pack. So, she was alone. Even though that made sense, I wondered if Connor called us here to announce he was taking Selene as his mate instead.

I didn't want to be his mate, but if he chose her instead of me, would I be exiled again? Separated from my friends all over again? The thought sent my heart racing.

Selene's dark eyes immediately focused on me as we entered the ballroom. Her upper lip curled into a sneer as she looked me up and down. The dirty look put me on edge.

Beside me, Penny scoffed. She turned to me and whispered loud enough for Selene to hear, "She's gorgeous… for a traitor."

Selene turned her glare from me to Penny, who tossed her hair over her shoulder, unbothered. When we were younger, Penny was never so direct or aggressive even to people she hated. Though I was glad she had taken some of the heat off me, it worried me a bit. I hoped this was all in service of a more positive shift for her.

"I'm going to Connor," Randall said. "Behave yourselves while I'm away." There seemed to be a twinkle of amusement in his brown eyes. Penny's comment must have tickled him a bit. Every time I was around this man, he expressed another emotion. Why was he so different lately?

He left the four of us in awkward silence.

That silence lasted only a few moments before Selene started talking. "Whatever you think of me, I'm not a traitor."

"Are you sure?" Penny asked. "From my understanding, a traitor is someone who betrays their loved ones, and that's exactly what you did."

"Asher was the first to break our agreement," she snapped. "Or didn't she tell you that?" She glared at me again.

"Oh, she told me," Penny replied. "Phaedra explained everything. But your heartache is no excuse to betray an entire pack. Your revenge should have been directed at Asher, not his pack. I guess they meant nothing to you."

I expected Selene to get angry, to storm over to us to confront Penny, but she didn't. Instead, she grimaced. She looked like she was in pain. Or guilty. Selene opened her mouth to respond, but Randall returned with Connor.

"Ah," Connor said, his voice echoing through the room. "Did I make you wait long?" He touched my chin as he passed me.

I stayed still, though I wanted to jerk my face away from his touch.

"I was always waiting for my father, but now people are waiting for me," he said, grinning wide as he came to a stop near the center of the room. "Exactly like it should be."

From the moment he entered the ballroom, Penny's anger toward Selene elevated into rage toward Connor. When he finished speaking, she stepped forward. I tried to grab her arm, but she moved so quickly that my hand only found air.

"You know why we had to wait for our father, don't you?" she demanded. "It was because he was working himself to the bone trying to keep our pack from falling apart."

He scoffed. "More like he was in the library reading smut."

I blinked. So, I wasn't the only person who knew about Edgar's love of polyamorous romance novels. I wouldn't have thought that Connor of all people would know.

"Any break he took was because he had earned it," Penny said. "He wasn't lazy, he wasn't just fashionably late. He never had to show off for attention. Father was a hard worker who was dedicated to his people and his family. Something you wouldn't know anything about."

Connor's eyebrows twitched. "I don't have to listen to this from a little girl ."

"Well, you won't listen to it from anyone else. You're more than happy to play the part of an alpha, meanwhile this ‘little girl'"—she spat the words back at him—"and your chosen mate are the ones picking up the slack."

Connor glared at her. "Why don't you shut up, Penny? No one asked you or Phaedra to do any extra work."

"Of course not," she said. "We stepped up on our own."

"If you're so upset about it, just let my people take care of it."

"Your people?" She gave a bitter laugh. "You think any of the people you surround yourself with are trustworthy? Have you vetted even one of them?"

He didn't respond, which was an answer in itself.

"I didn't think so. I can't believe you would put the welfare of our pack in their unvetted hands. You can't let just anyone take care of your people, Connor, and if you were anything but a figurehead of an alpha, you would know that."

Connor's green eyes blazed with venom. " Penny, " he said, using his alpha voice. " Shut your godsdamned mouth. "

It was an alpha command, and she couldn't disobey. Her teeth clicked with the force of her shutting her mouth. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she looked at Connor with unbridled hatred. Theo gasped softly, and I wasn't sure why, but then I glanced down. Penny's fists were clenched tight, and blood dripped from her squeezed fingers onto the white marble floors. She was so angry, her hands had become the claws of a wolf.

Shock vibrated through me at the vitriol the siblings had spewed at each other. I couldn't help but feel a bit devastated that their relationship had deteriorated to this point. When we were kids, they would fight all the time, but they were also quick to make up. As they grew, they spent less and less time together. Connor put on the appearance of being the golden son, and Penny became more studious and introverted, but I'd never doubted that they still loved each other.

Now, Penny genuinely despised her brother, and Connor… Well, he wasn't above using the alpha command to control his once-beloved little sister. It was beyond fixing, and it hurt to watch their relationship crumble. The only person at fault for it was Connor.

I walked to Penny's side and put my arm around her shoulders. She was vibrating with rage, but she didn't pull away from me.

Next to Connor, Randall shifted uncomfortably from side to side. Yet another display of emotion. Was he just as troubled by his alpha's treatment of his sister as I was? I glanced over Penny's head at Selene. She was visibly uneasy at Connor's treatment of his own sister.

"Connor," I said. "Let me take Penny back to her room."

"No." He crossed his arms, not at all bothered by the fact his sister was angry enough to injure herself because of him. "You will stay here. If Penny insists on acting like an unmanageable child, she can go to her room by herself."

The irony of him calling Penny a child. I wished I could point it out to him, but I stayed quiet. Theodora took my place at Penny's side and led her out, a trail of crimson dripping in their wake as they left. Now, it was just me, Selene, Randall, and Connor. I had no one on my side. The dynamics were tipped in Connor's favor.

Until the door opened again.

Asher walked in, flanked, as always, by two guards. My heart pounded so hard it threatened to tear free from my chest. He looked just as surprised to see me there as I was to see him.