Chapter 71

For a long moment Fay just looked at us, her expression unreadable as the tension in the air wound tighter around my throat. I wanted to throw myself at her feet and apologize, but it felt wrong for me to be the first one to speak. Instead, Elroy did.

"I want to apologize to you and to your pack,” Elroy said, his voice low and earnest. "I won’t make any excuses for the damage I caused with my aura. Is anyone in need of medical help?”

Fay's gaze flickered between us, wariness evident in her taut frame. "A few of the weaker wolves are still feeling some effects," she admitted reluctantly. "But our healer is tending to them. He believes they'll recover fully."

I nodded, relief flooding through me. I felt Elroy’s tension unspool minutely—he’d been truly worried he’d hurt someone in his state of panic. I was grateful that hadn’t come to pass.

“And I’m truly sorry too,” I said sincerely, knowing the words were useless, but I couldn’t just say nothing. “I really had no choice, but I know that doesn’t change anything. Please know that I will take full responsibility for your wellbeing moving forward, if you’ll let me.”

Fay shifted her weight, clearly uncomfortable. I could almost see the internal struggle playing out across her face until, with a deep sigh, she sank down onto a nearby log.

"I understand why you did it,” she said quietly, not quite meeting my eyes. "I’m not happy about it, and I’m not going to pretend I am, but… Well, I’m alive, and I have to be grateful for that.”

She took a deep breath. “But you know I can’t travel to Darkmoon now. Your scent bond replaced what was left of my pack bond with White Paw, there’s no way I’d make it all the way there before losing it.”

My heart clenched. "I know,” I said gently.

“So,” Fay said, blinking bac tears. “So I want you to do something to make it up to me.”

“Name it,” Elroy said. Fay seemed to brace herself.

“Take me in.”

I blinked. Of course we were going to take her in, but something about her tone was off, like she was signing her own death warrant.

“Just me,” she clarified. “Pin it all on me, I’ll take the punishment for my pack. Let everyone else run.”

I gasped. She didn’t mean take her to Eclipse, she meant take her to the authorities. No wonder she was trembling like she was facing the end of her life—she knew she was.

“Wait, Fay—”

“No, I’ve made up my mind,” Fay cut me off, her eyes determined even as her lower lip wobbled. “I’ve said my goodbyes to my pack. This is the only thing that will make me forgive you.”

“Wait, wait,” Elroy said, concerned. “We came up with another plan. Please let us explain it, and if this is still the route you want to take then we’ll respect your decision, but I don’t think you’ll need to sacrifice yourself.”

“Your pack still needs you,” I agreed. “Just hear us out.”

Fay looked between us, uncertain and more than a little helpless. “…Alright,” she allowed. “But if I don’t like it, we’re using my idea.”

“Deal,” I said, jumping on the chance while I still had it. I took a deep breath, sharing a quick glance with Elroy before turning back to Fay. "What if, instead of running or facing trial, your pack joined Eclipse?"

Fay's eyebrows shot up, then pulled down, disbelief and suspicion etched across her features. I could see the reflexive disdain in her eyes at the mention of upper-class wolves, but I pressed on.

"I know how it sounds,” I said, “but here’s the thing—right now, the only people who know about your passageway are your pack, me, and Elroy. If no one knows you left the city, then you can’t be held accountable for something done by Rogues. After all, how could you be both inside and outside the walls?”

Fay’s eyes widened, a spark of hope visible in them. I continued on.

“You’d face repatriation for anything your pack stole or damaged while in the city, but as your new pack it would be our responsibility to cover those costs. Anything done by ‘Rogues,’ like damage to the outer walls, wouldn’t impact you.”

“We’d pay that happily,” Elroy added, “and you would never have to repay us for it. We can have a contract drawn up if that would make you feel more comfortable.”

Fay frowned. “What do you get out of that?” she asked skeptically.

“Help,” Elroy said, looking her dead in the eyes. “Eclipse needs help, and the two of us alone aren’t going to be enough to make the changes that need to be made.”

“We don’t know what Omegas face,” I added, “not really. Speaking with Ines made that very clear to me. There are some things that I’ll never be able to relate to, and it’s easy to be blind to them when the system won’t report them to us.

“But you know. You’re working-class wolves, you’ll be on the ground with our other pack members and you can tell us what they need. You can make sure we know when something horrible happens so we can serve justice, and keep it from ever happening again.”

Fay’s lips pinched. “And the Eclipse Omegas?” she asked. “You expect me to just deliver them right back to the people who traumatized them?”

I shook my head emphatically. “No,” I said, “if they return then we can use their testimonies to shed light on what they’ve been through. We can protect them, get their abusers thrown in prison, and dissolve their toxic marriages. They would be under our personal protection for the rest of their lives.”

“They could be the difference between forcing some laws through and not,” Elroy agreed. “Public outrage is a powerful motivator, one that even our high council has to bow to.”

“And,” I said, “while there are officials who are covering this up, there have to be just as many who have no idea what’s happening and will be outraged, just like us.”

Elroy nodded, adding, "You know about Olivia’s interview, right? Then you know these aren’t empty promises. These are changes we are working to enact regardless of your decision, but if you do choose to stay with us then not only will you be safe, fed, and housed, you will also be helping pioneer a new world for us all.”

I watched Fay carefully, seeing the conflict play out across her face. She was hopeful, of course, but her ingrained resentment of high-class wolves tempered her. It was something I certainly couldn’t blame her for.

"I... I don't know," she said finally, her voice rough. "It's a lot to take in. It seems too good to be true.”

“You’re talking about agreeing to being on ground zero of a social revolution,” Elroy said wryly. “It’s the option I would take, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.”

I cringed. He was very, very right—we had a huge uphill battle ahead of us, and unlike Elroy and I, Fay and her people didn’t have the protection of status. Putting them under our personal protection would mitigate a lot of what they might face, but I knew we couldn’t eliminate all of it.”

"I can’t make the decision alone,” Fay said. “Let me speak to my pack.”

“Of course,” I nodded, watching her rise to her feet. “There are only two people who knew I was going to the casino, and I ordered them not to raise any alarms unless I was gone for an entire 24 hours.”

Of course, I didn’t know for sure that Jordan and Matt would stick to their word after hours and hours of radio silence, but I had to hope.

“I’ll have an answer long before then."

As she walked away, I felt Elroy's warmth at my side. I leaned into him, desperate for any contact I could get after so long without the comfort of his touch. We waited for Fay to return, and prayed that no one from Eclipse showed up to rescue us—and ruin everything.