Chapter Five

Charles wanted to make Red happy. Right now, that was all he cared about beyond the coven’s plans, and there was nothing he could do about those. There was something he could do about making Red happy, but he wasn’t sure he was capable of it.

His life was a mess. His mind was even worse, still full of pain and loss. He was all over the place emotionally. He wanted Red more than anything else right now, but he was terrified he’d hurt him. It wouldn’t be intentional, but the thought was enough to make him panic.

He eyed Mark. Normally, Charles would go to Rex to talk about this, but Rex wasn’t there, which was one of the reasons Charles was grieving. Rex would never be here again. He would never listen to Charles’s rantings and would never help him find a solution to whatever problem he was creating in his mind. He always said that Charles spent too much time in his head and not enough time out of it, and maybe he was right.

“You’re looking at me like you expect me to do something,” Mark said.

“It’s more that I was wondering if I should talk to you.”

Mark frowned and put down the cup of coffee he’d picked up to take a sip. “You know that whatever you have to say, I’ll listen.”

Charles felt so much affection for his friend. He was glad he hadn’t lost Mark along with Rex. For a while he’d thought he had, and he didn’t know how he would have dealt with it if that had been the case. “Yeah, but Rex was always the one who dealt with the emotional stuff.”

Mark grimaced. “I can’t deny that, but I can do my best to give you what you need.” He hesitated and looked around the kitchen. They were alone. Lester had left earlier to work with his three best friends, while Theo and Chance were nowhere to be seen. The house was silent, giving a sense of privacy Charles wasn’t sure they had.

“Is it Red?” Mark asked, leaning forward. “Because everyone’s noticed the two of you have been spending a lot of time together.”

Mark might have been focused on Lester and their problems with the coven, but he was observant, and he was clearly willing to listen to Charles. There was no one else Charles could talk to except maybe Lester, but he didn’t feel that close to him. Besides, he and Mark were here, even though Rex wasn’t. They’d have to find a way to be friends without him and to fill the hole he’d left behind.

Charles sucked in a breath. “Yeah, it’s him.”

“I thought things were going well between the two of you. I saw you flying over the house the other day. He’s an armadillo shifter, right? It took me a moment to realize you were carrying him.”

“He is, and I was. Things are going well, or at least, I think so.” Everything pointed to that. They weren’t exactly taking things slow anymore since they’d slept together, but they each lived in their own home, and while they spent a lot of time together and texting and calling, they weren’t attached at the hip. Red had his family, and Charles had Mark.

Eventually, Charles would have to find a job. He knew that if he asked Chance, the alpha would help him, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth finding a job when they didn’t know what would happen to the pack. Besides, if the pack was attacked, they would need Charles to be close by. As long as Lester managed to block the coven from casting the spell that would make it impossible for the people here to shift, Charles could be of help. He could turn into his dragon and protect the pack and its members, but that wouldn’t work if he wasn’t around when the coven attacked. They’d choose a time people didn’t expect, just like they had with the clan.

“What is it, then?” Mark asked as he picked up his coffee again.

“I’m a mess,” Charles confessed. He suspected Mark already knew that and that he felt the same way.

If anything, what Mark had lived through was worse. He’d been captured by the coven and taken to their home. He’d been a prisoner and been injured, and while it hadn’t been for long, it still couldn’t have been easy.

Just like Charles had expected, Mark didn’t look surprised. “I get that,” he murmured.

“I know you do. We both lost everything, and I still have nightmares about the attack and what happened to Rex. I don’t want to hurt Red.”

“Why would you hurt him? He knows you’re grieving. I don’t know him well, but I don’t think he expects you to do anything you’re not ready for.”

Mark looked ready to take on Red if he did, so Charles quickly reassured him. “He’s understanding and doesn’t push me. I’m just not sure I can give him what he needs emotionally. He deserves to be loved, and I want to do that, but I don’t know how to get over the pain and the fear I’ll lose him, too.”

Mark didn’t answer right away, as if he needed a moment to think about it. He’d fallen for Lester after losing his home and Rex. Their situation was different, but not that much, and Charles hoped it would help.

“As long as Red doesn’t expect you to be okay anytime soon, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the two of you being together,” Mark said eventually. “Grieving and having lost someone you loved doesn’t mean you can’t open up to someone else. If anything, since you lost your family and Rex, it would probably do you good to have one more person who supports and loves you in your life. As long as Red is a good person, I say go for it.”

“How do I not hurt him when I need some space and time?”

“You talk to him.”

Charles arched a brow. Mark wasn’t one to talk much.

Apparently Mark could tell what Charles was thinking, because his cheeks reddened. “I know I’m not really a talker, but for Lester, I changed that. It’s what being in an adult relationship means. You don’t play games, and you’re honest with each other.”

“That’s what I want.”

“Then do it. What good would it do for you to push away Red? You would only hurt both of you, and I don’t know about you, but right now, I can’t take any more pain and loss.”

“And no one will hurt you ever again,” Lester said as he strode into the room. “Not if I have a say about it. What’s going on? Who’s hurting who?” He looked around the kitchen as if he expected someone to be hiding behind a pan, waiting to hurt Mark.

The obvious love he felt for Mark made Charles smile. Mark was right. They’d both lost so much. Maybe Lester and Red were a sign from the universe. Maybe they’d met them when they most needed them for a reason.

“No one’s hurting anyone,” Mark reassured Lester. “What are you doing here? I thought you were working with the others.”

Lester raised the phone he was holding. “I was, but I got a phone call from someone from the coven. He wants to talk to Chance. Is he in his office?”

“He should be.”

Mark got to his feet to follow Lester to Chance’s office. Charles decided to go with them. He was involved now, and he wanted to know what was happening. He wasn’t sure he could let himself hope that this meant somehow they’d be able to defeat the coven, but at the very least, it sounded like a step forward.

That was all they needed. A chance to stand up to the coven and make it out alive. An ally who would understand that what the coven was doing was wrong and that they needed to be stopped.

For the first time, even though Charles told himself not to hope, he did. Maybe not everything was lost after all.

Maybe against all odds, they would have a future.

* * * *

Red and Theo were halfway through a movie when Theo’s phone vibrated on the coffee table. Red knew he would normally have ignored it. Even though they weren’t homeless anymore, watching movies still felt like a treat, and they always tried to enjoy it. Today they were alone, but often other members of their family joined them. It was one way they stayed close, even though most of them now had their own homes.

Red paused the movie as Theo stretched out with an apologetic smile. Red shrugged, not offended by the fact that Theo needed to answer. He was the alpha mate. Some pack members might not like that, but Chance had chosen him, and it meant he had responsibilities. More than that, Theo was always available when Chance needed him. The two of them were so much in love that sometimes it hurt to see.

But not so much anymore. Now, when Red watched Theo and Chance or any of the other couples he was close to, he couldn’t help but imagine himself and Charles in the same position. Even though they’d slept together, they were still taking things somewhat slowly, and he was fine with that. After spending so much time sleeping in the rough and sharing every single thing he had with his family, it felt good to have his own space where he could be alone if he wanted to.

“Hey,” Theo said when he answered.

Red didn’t have to ask who it was. Theo’s soft tone made it obvious.

He took out his own phone, not wanting Theo to think he was listening to the conversation. He expected Theo to get up and excuse himself, knowing that Chance wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important. The alpha understood how vital these moments spent together were to Theo and their family.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Theo said as he got up from the couch. He started looking for his shoes under the coffee table. “I’m bringing Red with me if that’s okay.”

Red frowned, wondering why Theo would want to take him along. Since he was offering that, it wouldn’t be just him and Chance. Charles still lived in the house with them, so maybe he’d be present, too.

Charles had been complaining about having to sit in on all these meetings, but Red could tell he was pleased. Confused, too, mainly because he didn’t understand why Chance would want him there, but Red had stopped wondering about that a while ago. Chance was honest, and he didn’t want to hide things from his pack members, especially when they were as close to the situation as Charles was. Red had no doubt that if other pack members asked to attend these meetings, Chance would agree. He didn’t make decisions in secret. He didn’t hide.

It made him a great alpha.

“We’ll be right there,” Theo promised, and since Red would apparently be going with him, Red got to his feet and went to hunt for his own shoes.

By the time he was ready, Theo had hung up. He turned the TV off, grimacing. “I’m really sorry we couldn’t finish the movie.”

Red shrugged. “It’s fine. It’s not really about the movies, anyway.”

Theo grinned. “It was nice spending time alone with you.”

Red nodded, feeling the same way. Theo had gotten used to being the alpha mate quickly, or at least, he behaved as though he had. Sometimes Red could see that it wasn’t true and that Theo became overwhelmed too easily. He couldn’t blame his friend. He’d be overwhelmed, too, if he went from being the alpha of a ragtag small group of shifters to being the alpha mate of an entire pack of people who didn’t want him there.

“Apparently someone from the coven wants to talk to Chance,” Theo explained as they left the house. “The person called Lester first, who promised to put him in touch with Chance. Chance is about to call back, but he wants me there.”

“Do you know what Lester thinks of this?”

“I don’t know, but Chance said it’s one of the guys who was on Lester’s list of people who might be able to help us.”

Red told himself not to hope, but it wasn’t easy. It felt like this might be a step in the right direction for them. Hopefully it wasn’t one of the elders calling to harangue them or to find out what they were planning. Just like Chance was trying to get a spy and help from the inside, the coven might be attempting to do the same. It was hard to imagine, but it was possible.

When they walked into the house, they headed straight to Chance’s office. The door was open, and people were talking inside. Red wasn’t surprised to see Charles and Mark were there along with Lester and Chance. If Lester was involved, Mark was, too, and Charles seemed to always be dragged along. He might grumble about it, but Red knew he was pleased. He didn’t want to make a decision or be an alpha, but he enjoyed being involved.

Charles looked up and instantly smiled when he saw Red. It warmed something deep in Red’s chest. A lot of the time, people beyond his little family weren’t happy to see him. The people who’d walked past him when he’d lived on the streets certainly never had been, and while most of Chance’s pack tolerated Red, none of them were friends. Most didn’t mind Red’s presence, but they weren’t exactly happy about it, either, and some of them downright hated him being there.

But not Charles. Charles seemed genuinely pleased to see Red, and as soon as Red was close enough, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed his forehead.

Red told himself he had no reason to be embarrassed as he looked around the room. Theo had noticed the kiss and winked, but his attention soon moved back to Chance, who was quietly talking with Lester.

“Sullivan is one of the best men in the coven,” Lester explained, raising his voice so that the others in the office could hear him. “He’s stood up to the leaders several times, something most mages don’t do. He’s powerful, which I suspect is the only reason the coven hasn’t kicked him out or tried to kill him yet. He’s a danger to their authority, but they can’t afford to lose him.”

“Why didn’t he stand up to them when they attacked my clan?” Charles asked.

Red leaned closer to him. He was curious about that, too, but even more so, he wanted to support Charles. His many losses were still fresh, and they would be for a while. Almost everyone he’d ever loved was gone.

“I asked him,” Lester said. “When he called and said he wanted to talk to you. I emailed him and a bunch of other people with my phone number, and I wanted to talk to whoever was willing to help before putting you in contact with them.”

“Why?” Chance asked.

Lester shrugged. “I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t waste your time.”

“What did he say?” Mark asked.

“He didn’t know. He knew part of the coven would be going out to work, but even though he’s powerful, he’s kept out of the loop. The leaders don’t want him involved in the day-to-day leadership of the coven any more than they want him to be involved in these attacks. From what he said, he wasn’t told anything beyond the fact that some coven members would leave for the night. He was as surprised as I was when the coven dragged dragons home. I didn’t realize it at the time, but apparently he spoke up for them and tried to get the leaders to release them.”

“They didn’t,” Mark pointed out.

“And they threatened Sullivan to kick him out if he pushed. He might be powerful, but he’s only ever known the coven, just like I had before coming here. The coven is our home and our family. We were both born and raised into it and told that the world around us doesn’t deserve us and that we’re too good for it. Sometimes it’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that all of that was a lie.”

“So you think he’ll help us?” Chance asked.

“At the very least, he’s willing to listen to you. He told me he was sorry I ran away, but I told him about Mark, and he understands. I don’t know what he’ll do, but I’m sure he won’t betray us to the leaders. They’d take the info and would probably accuse him of trying to take over the coven or something as ridiculous.”

“All right. I’ll call him,” Chance said.

Red looked at the other people in the room. He didn’t think he was the only one holding his breath.

* * * *

Charles hadn’t expected Red to be present at the meeting, but he was glad Chance didn’t mind his presence there. It felt good to be able to lean against him and to have him lean back. Charles hadn’t been sure Red would want to be obvious about their relationship, but he didn’t seem to care.

The focus wasn’t on them right now. It was on the phone call Chance was about to make, and Charles hated the nervous anticipation. Thankfully, it wouldn’t last long.

He pulled Red toward one of the chairs in front of Chance’s desk, then sat down and dragged Red into his arms. Red squeaked adorably, but he didn’t push away and allowed Charles to hold him.

Charles looked up to see Mark staring at them. Mark winked, and Charles thought of the conversation they’d had earlier. Mark had suggested that he and Red talk and be honest with each other, and Charles believed that was the best way to do this. He disliked the thought of being vulnerable, even though he knew Red wouldn’t hurt him, but it was the only way to make this relationship work. If Charles wanted to be with Red and for the both of them to be happy, he’d have to tell Red what was on his mind and what he feared.

But not right now. Both he and Red focused on Chance as he took the phone Lester offered him. He raised it to his ear, waited for a moment, then lowered it and tapped something on the screen. “My name is Chance Henderson. I’m the alpha of Lester’s pack.”

There was a moment of silence before a voice came from the phone. “Alpha Henderson,” the man said. “I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I’m not sure it is, considering the circumstances. My name is Sullivan. I’m a member of Lester’s old coven.”

Charles tried to relax, but it was impossible. He suspected it would be impossible until the phone call ended. He needed to know why Sullivan had wanted to talk to Chance and what he was willing to do. The possibility of stopping the coven was closer than ever, but it still felt too far away.

“Why did you want to talk to me?” Chance asked, going straight to the point.

That was good. The pack couldn’t afford to waste time, especially when it came to people they didn’t know they could trust.

“I was surprised when I got Lester’s email,” Sullivan explained. “I knew he’d left us for your pack. Our coven leaders tell us often enough that he betrayed us for shifters.”

Lester snorted. Apparently, it was loud enough that Sullivan heard him because he paused.

“Sorry about that,” Lester said. “The phone call is on speaker.”

“I see. Well, as you heard, Lester, the leaders are unhappy with you. They took your leaving as a personal betrayal, especially since you took two prisoners with you.”

“Mages don’t leave the coven,” Lester said as if it was something he’d repeated again and again. Or rather, as if it was something he’d been told again and again.

“They didn’t used to, anyway. With you and your friends gone, though, there’s been some unrest. Your families are unhappy with the leaders and with the fact that they pushed you out of the coven. They’re even more unhappy that the leaders won’t welcome you back if you ask to return.”

“We’re never coming back,” Lester warned. “I can really only speak for myself, but I have a home here.”

“That’s understandable. The coven was never really a home for you, or anyone else for that matter.”

Chance cleared his throat. “You can rest assured that Lester will always have a home here with us.”

“That’s good. As I was saying, the coven leaders seem to be terrified that more people are going to leave. Lester and his friends aren’t the only ones unhappy with what the leaders did when it came to the clan. They have their followers, of course, but most of us are reasonable people who want to live in peace. The leaders are taking us in a direction we don’t want, and they seem to have finally understood that the coven may eventually stand up to them.”

“Does that include you?”

Sullivan paused. “It does. I’m not sure what the leaders have in mind for the future, but it can’t be good, considering what they’ve already done.”

“They killed my family,” Charles interjected. “They killed my best friend. They dragged my other best friend to your home. He was lucky that Lester’s a good person and didn’t want him to be hurt any more than he already had been.”

“I apologize for the pain we caused you,” Sullivan said without hesitation. “As I said, I vehemently disagree with all of this.”

“Yet you didn’t try to stop them.”

“I didn’t know about the attack on your clan until it was too late and the coven was already returning home. When I found out, I went to Linette, but she threatened me. I might be powerful, and I might have allies who see that the coven is going the wrong way, but that doesn’t mean we’re not in danger. We’re all risking a lot by plotting to rise against the leaders. There’s a reason they lead our coven and have done so for years.”

“We don’t want anyone to be hurt,” Chance said.

“Unfortunately, I think a lot of people will be hurt by the time this is over.”

Charles agreed. Unless most of the coven rose against their leaders, it would take a damn miracle to stop whatever they were planning. Sullivan might be able to help, but it still might not be enough. Even if it was, there was no way to know how the leaders would react and what they would do.

But as far as Charles was concerned, it was worth a try. The pack only needed a little help. They needed to know what the coven was planning and to be warned if they planned to attack.

“What are you thinking?” Chance said. “Why did you want to talk to me?”

“I’d like to meet you face-to-face. I understand you’re wary of me and that you believe I could hurt you, and I realize that no matter how many times I promise I won’t, you won’t believe me, but I need to do this. If I’m going to betray the only family I’ve ever known, I want to be sure it’s for a good reason.”

“What the coven did isn’t a good enough reason?” Charles snapped.

Red leaned harder against him, getting his attention. It broke the anger that had been building in Charles’s chest. He resented what the coven had done, but he couldn’t punish Sullivan for it. He trusted Lester, which meant that he also trusted Sullivan because Lester did. If Sullivan said he hadn’t known about the attack until it was too late, that was probably true.

“It is,” Sullivan said. “But you have to understand that I’m not alone. I have a family and people I love, which means I have people the coven can use against me. Do you think they’ll hesitate to take my children and use them to threaten me? Or that they won’t use my ex-wife against me if they can?”

“Are you willing to come to pack territory?” Chance asked.

Sullivan sucked in a breath. “I am. I realize you have no reason to believe me or to trust me. If this is what it takes for you to be comfortable with me, I’ll take it.”

“I’ll be there during your meeting,” Lester said.

“I’d ask for whose benefit, but I think it’s clear you’ve made your choice,” Sullivan said.

There was a hint of humor in his voice, so Charles didn’t think he was angry. He didn’t seem to care that Lester had left the coven to move in with the pack.

Maybe he was a good man, like Lester believed.

“I’ll promise that you won’t be hurt if you come here,” Chance said. “There might be a few people who won’t be happy to see you, but they won’t hurt you. I’ll also ensure you return to your coven once the meeting is over.”

“That’s good. I can make my way back and forth, though. As long as your pack knows to expect me and doesn’t attack me, I don’t have any problems coming to you.”

It was more than Charles had expected. He still didn’t know what to think of Sullivan, but Sullivan mentioning his children had made Charles realize just how bad the coven leaders were.

Until now, when he’d thought of the coven, he’d thought of a group, almost as if they were one person.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

* * * *

Red wasn’t surprised to find out that the coven treated its people as badly as they treated shifters. It was clear the only reason they cared about Sullivan was his power. Red wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that the coven had conveniently gotten rid of people who gave them trouble and who weren’t as powerful as Sullivan was.

And if he had to guess, Sullivan would definitely give them trouble.

Red hated that they had to put more people in danger, but there was no other choice or option. The coven wouldn’t stop just because Chance asked nicely. They’d tried going that route, but it hadn’t worked. The only thing that remained was facing the coven and finding a way to stop them, and hopefully, Sullivan would help with that.

That was something that would be decided in the meeting between Chance and Sullivan. Red doubted he’d be present, although he was sure that if he asked, Chance wouldn’t mind him being there. Red was tempted to attend, if anything because Charles would insist on being present.

Charles felt tense under Red, so much so that Red wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d broken down. He seemed to be both angry and grateful that Sullivan was willing to help. It was a lot of emotions, and Red had no doubt that Charles was overwhelmed. Red was, and it wasn’t his clan that had been attacked.

“Will you be coming alone?” Lester asked.

“There are a few other people who got your email who might want to come with me,” Sullivan said. “They were as surprised as I was.”

“I emailed the people I thought were probably on our side. I know the coven leaders are afraid of you, Sullivan.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Sullivan murmured.

“I am. We both know the only way Linette keeps her power is by using an iron fist. People are afraid of her, and with good reason. That’s not how a coven should be led.”

“It’s how it has been led for years.”

“That doesn’t make it right. I’ve seen what true leadership is since I moved in with the pack, and I hope the coven will have that eventually. The problem is that it’s not just Linette.”

“It’s the entire group of leaders,” Sullivan agreed. “But hopefully, if we can get to Linette, the others will slow down. They’ve always been followers more than leaders, no matter what they make us call them.”

That made sense. It was almost as if the coven had tried to act as if they didn’t have a main leader, but it had to be Linette. It wasn’t the first time Red had heard about her, but he didn’t know much, and he wasn’t planning to find out. The farther away he stayed from her, the better.

But maybe knowing there was a main leader would help. It was too easy to imagine what would happen if someone took out Chance. The pack would be devastated, and while they’d look at Houston to take charge, since he was Chance’s beta, it would still take some getting used to. People would grieve Chance, and maybe some of them would take the opportunity to try to get what they wanted, be it power or something else. Houston was a good person, and he knew how to lead the pack, but he wasn’t Chance. He didn’t quite have the same authority, and Red was ready to bet the same went for the secondary leaders of the coven.

“Lester will email you with the details,” Chance said. “He’ll give you an address in town close by. You’ll get picked up from there and brought here. You can bring others, but I’d rather talk to you alone if you’re comfortable with that.”

“I’ll be there,” Sullivan promised. “And I’ll follow your rules. I’ve never interacted with a pack or with an alpha before, so I hope you’ll excuse me if I do or say something wrong. I do want us to be allies, though. I don’t know what we can do, but the coven needs to be stopped before they hurt more people.”

Red wouldn’t have been surprised if Sullivan had said he wasn’t okay with those arrangements. It was understandable that Chance didn’t want him to drive straight into pack territory, but at the same time, this had to be scary for Sullivan. He’d have to leave his car behind and trust the people who picked him up. Knowing what the coven thought of shifters and what they taught their children, Red could imagine Sullivan would be uncomfortable with the drive and even more so once he was in pack territory, especially if he came alone.

But he’d said yes. He was willing to go through some discomfort if it meant doing the right thing.

Red and Charles looked at each other. Red was afraid to hope, and he could see that Charles felt the same way. They both wanted this stupid war to be over. It was the only way they would be able to explore their relationship and find out just how deeply they could fall in love with each other.

“We’ll see you soon,” Chance promised.

Red relaxed as soon as the phone call was over. He was glad to be present, but he hadn’t realized how stressful these meetings were.

For a moment, everyone in the office was silent.

Red had no idea where things were supposed to go from here, so he stayed quiet and leaned against Charles. It was odd to cuddle in front of so many people, but Red could feel that Charles needed support. After all, he was about to meet a coven member. Sullivan might not have been involved in the attack, but he was still a mage, and Red couldn’t imagine this would be easy for Charles. He wasn’t the kind of man to hold this mess against Sullivan if he truly had nothing to do with it, but it wouldn’t be easy to separate the man from the coven.

“What do you think?” Lester finally asked.

“I think the coven might actually pay for what they did,” Charles said. “If what Sullivan said is true and more people aren’t happy with how things have been going, we might have a chance.”

Lester nodded. “I agree, although it depends on how many people are willing to come to our side. Now that I know the leaders and Linette would use Sullivan’s children against him if they had to, I can’t help but wonder how many times they did so before. I always knew they didn’t actually care about us and were self-serving assholes, but I never realized how bad things were.”

He appeared distraught, but not for long. Mark wrapped his arms around him and hugged him, quietly talking to him. Lester nodded and tilted his head up to kiss Mark, and Red looked away.

“I agree that it depends on how many people will be on our side,” Chance said. “Although, maybe if we convince enough people to look the other way if we decide to attack, that won’t matter. We might not need mages fighting on our side, just for them not to fight on the coven’s side.”

“Whatever happens, we’ll have to get rid of the leaders, starting with Linette. With her gone, things will start crumbling down. The leaders like to think they’re superior, but they’re really not, and they’re always focused on their gain. If Linette’s gone, I suspect they’d start fighting to take her place,” Lester explained.

Red frowned. “You mean it could be as simple as killing one woman?”

“In theory. I’m sure the other leaders would fight us, but with her gone, I doubt they would manage to agree with one another. They’re leaders in name, but in reality, Linette makes all the decisions. She might act as if she cares what the other leaders believe and want, but now that I’ve been away from the coven for a bit, I can see it’s a lie. She doesn’t care about anything or anyone but herself. All the leaders are like that.

“So why don’t we send in someone to kill her? You managed to get out of the house. Maybe someone could sneak in?”

Red realized what he’d said when everyone turned to look at him. He’d just talked about killing a woman without hesitation as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do.

He wanted Linette to die, and he wasn’t ashamed of that. What she’d done was horrible, and if she remained alive, she’d find another way to hurt people. Red might not have been personally impacted by the attack against the dragons, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved. He saw the pain Linette and her mages created in Charles every day, and he hated them for that.

He wanted the coven to stop and for the people responsible for the attack on the clan to pay. If that meant killing them, he’d welcome that solution.