Micah was the one to respond this time, arms crossed over his chest. “That’s the point, isn’t it? Keep everyone in the dark long enough to move undetected. She probably knew we’d catch on eventually, so she built this army as a distraction. A shield. While we’re too busy fighting off her hybrids, she makes her move.”
Alec nodded, his face grim. “Exactly. She probably wanted to unleash her army when she was ready to free Kaden. While everyone else is still reeling from the appearance of a new species and fighting to stop them, there wouldn’t be anyone to stop her from freeing Kaden.”
My heart beat faster at the name. The fear I’d buried began to creep back to the surface. Kaden wasn’t just powerful—he was beyond any of us. A demigod. And the fact that Xena was tied to him made everything a thousand times worse.
“I don’t think we can afford to underestimate her,” I said. “She is smart and calculated. If I am right and Kaden is her mate, then she’s not only powerful but really dangerous. We all know the lengths people go to for their mates.”
I didn’t mean to, but my eyes move to Alec. I remember very clearly the lengths he went to when he thought I’d cost him Lola. Guilt flashes in his eyes. I guess he was thinking the same thing.
I pulled my eyes from Alec and turned them to Raven, voice steadier than I felt. “We need to fix this. We need to find a way to stop the confinement spell from draining the pack without breaking it or weakening it. After that’s done, we find a way to reinforce it and make it stronger so Kaden will never get out.” I took a deep breath. “I don’t care what it takes, Raven. We can’t afford to mess this up.”
She gave me a grim nod, and I knew she understood.
Jason leaned against the edge of the table. “What do we do with Brian?”
“He’s healed now,” Micah noted. “Stronger. He could’ve escaped by now if he wanted to. But he hasn’t.”
“He wants something,” Alec muttered. “Maybe to gain our trust. Maybe to redeem himself.”
“We’ll arrange for him to be taken to the council,” Corra said. “They need to know about hybrids and he is the proof we need to convince them that they are real.”
“No,” Alec said, sharp. “That’s a mistake. If we parade Brian around, they’ll want to dissect him, lock him away, and make him disappear. That doesn’t help us. What helps us is preparing for what’s coming.”
Orion frowned. “You want to use him?”
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