Chapter 110

Ava

Chris turned to me with a tired expression on his face. “Let’s head back to the hotel,” he said, nodding his head toward our waiting town car. “And have a decent drink that’s not overpriced whiskey.”

I nodded, letting him take my arm as we walked down the steps. For the entire ride back to the hotel, he was mostly quiet—only pointing out the occasional restaurant or interesting sign. It seemed as though we both had plenty on our minds tonight.

Only once we finally slid onto the leather bar stools at the quiet hotel bar did he finally voice whatever it was.

“So,” he said, swirling his wine around in his glass, “what did you think of that?”

“Of what, exactly?”

“All of it,” he said. “The event itself, that one reporter’s question about the moonstone, George… Everything.”

I shrugged and took a sip of my wine. “The event was fine,” I said. “Ran a bit long, but…”

Chris turned to me and placed his warm hand on my leg. “If we’re going to be together, I should warn you now that a lot of these events are like that. Long, sometimes grueling, having to see people we don’t like…”

Before I could respond, he continued, leaning his elbows on the gleaming wood of the bar. “I just want you to know that I don’t expect you to come to all of these events. But having you there—getting to look out and see your face when I’m hit with questions like that last one—sure does make it a hell of a lot easier.”

I blushed, unsure of what to say for several long moments. Chris was right; my presence did seem to bolster him during those moments when that reporter had asked about the moonstone.

And his presence had bolstered me on more than one occasion, too.

Finally, I swallowed the urge to mention my conversation with Degas yet again, although the urge was just getting stronger every time it resurfaced. Instead, sipping my wine, I said, “I thought you promised me that sensitive werewolf and human information doesn’t spread so easily.”

“That’s the thing.” He sighed, passing his hand over his face and rubbing at the five o’clock shadow that had formed on his jawline. “It usually doesn’t. Someone must have leaked it.”

“But who?” I asked, keeping my voice low so only he could hear me. “The only people who know about the missing moonstone are me, you, Leonard, and the Elders. I can’t think of a single one of us who might have leaked it, accidentally or not.”

He nodded and grit his teeth. “I know. We’ll have to call a Council meeting when we return. Maybe our meetings aren’t as private as we think; even if someone overhears and innocently tells someone else, the news could spread like wildfire.”

“But to the human world?” I asked. “If reporters are asking, then…”

“Don’t worry. I memorized that reporter’s face and his name. I’ll send one of my assistants to question him and try to find out where he heard that rumor from.”

I nodded slowly, once again impressed by Chris’s proactive attitude. Finally, taking a deep breath, I continued. “George was a jerk.”

Chris snorted. “Tell me about it.”

“And that Coca-Cola offer…” I shook my head. “You handled that well. I’m glad you didn’t cave like Ethan would have.”

For several long moments, Chris was silent after that. I shot him a wary glance as I sipped my wine, wondering what was going through his head. Just as I was about to prod him, he spoke.

“I don’t think it’s a horrible idea to try and integrate some human innovation into Moonstone, you know,” he said, looking over at me. When he saw my eyes widen ever so slightly, he held his hand up. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t mean in a negative way.”

“What do you mean, then?” I asked. “Because the last time—”

“I know, I know. Ethan tried bringing that human manufacturer to Moonstone and it ended horribly. Trust me, not an hour goes by that the look of that place doesn’t flash through my mind.”

Furrowing my brow, I said, “Then what do you suggest? We can import more goods, sure, but… Is that really necessary right now? What with everything going on?”

He shook his head. “No, that’s not what I’m thinking. But I have been thinking about the blight, and how maybe there are more ways to handle this than simply scrambling to find the moonstone. Olivia has been incredibly elusive, and it could be a while before she pops up—assuming that she even still has the moonstone and didn’t stash it somewhere or pawn it off.”

“Fair enough,” I said slowly, chewing the inside of my cheek.

“So I was thinking that there could be some human methods of killing off the fungus,” Chris continued. “Something more effective. Something that could eradicate it before it can spread.”

My eyes widened of their own accord. “You don’t mean pesticides,” I said. “Chris, the blight is a direct result of the Moon Goddess’s fury. Spraying her land with chemicals would only make it worse.”

“I know. Trust me, I’ve thought about that.” He paused for a moment and chewed his lip, then took a large gulp of his wine as if to steel himself. “I was actually reading up on human plant control—specifically, the systematic use of invasive species that are genetically modified to feed solely on harmful flora or fauna.”

I opened my mouth to let out another retort—to tell him that he was making a mistake, that this was dangerous.

But then I shut it again.

“That’s… Not a bad idea,” I finally murmured, furrowing my brow.

Chris nodded. “I know. We can genetically modify a plant that’s native to Moonstone, changing its biology to feed on the fungus. Then, we simply spread the seeds of the modified plant in affected areas and let it do its thing.”

“It could work,” I said. “So long as it’s a plant from Moonstone, and as long as the methods are gentle and not harmful to any of the other plants or animals.”

“Exactly.” He sat up a little straighter and finished off his wine, rapping two knuckles on the bar to indicate a refill from the bartender. “We’ll have to discuss it in the next Council meeting, of course. And we’ll get input from our chief scientists. But I think it’s something to think about, don’t you?”

I couldn’t help the slow smile that began to spread across my face. Once again, Chris had proven himself as an excellent Alpha—someone who was innovative and proactive while still honoring our land and our people. Someone who really went the extra mile when it came to keeping our pack safe.

But then, my smile faded. Because seeing him like this was a reminder of one glaring problem: me.

With me in the way, his abilities as Alpha would be stunted. Without a true Luna, he would be at risk of weakness in the pack. By insisting on being with me, the Elders would be furious—and so, potentially, would the Moon Goddess.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Finishing off the last of my wine to bolster my nerves, I turned fully toward him and took both of his hands in mine.

“I have to tell you something,” I said, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “What’s up?”

Swallowing, I drew in a shuddering breath before I spoke. “I… talked to Degas the other day,” I said softly. “About us.”

“Us?”

I nodded. “Chris, he… he warned me about doing the right thing. About stepping back so you could truly shine as Alpha. About making the best decisions for the good of the pack, even if it hurts.”

Chris’s face seemed to darken as understanding flickered through his eyes. “So what are you saying?” he all but whispered.

“Perhaps…” I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat, looking down at our intertwined hands. “Perhaps it would be best if you followed the Elders’ orders and found a true Luna.”