Chapter 208

Zane POV

It was odd and unpleasant to spend the evening without Sarah, far more than I would have guessed. The girls ate their dinner mostly in silence, and asked more than once just what their goddess-mother was doing at the temple.

I agreed to let them share a bed, and I was prepared to read to them before they went to sleep, but instead they were suddenly full of questions.

“As Pack Alpha, do you control the Luna Temple?” Chloe asked.

“I have to work with them, but neither of us really controls the other. They help wolves with spiritual matters, and I deal with secular issues, like the law, the military, civil services, education, and so on.”

“Sounds like you do a lot more than they do,” Grace said.

I controlled my snort of agreement.

“Babsy says the Oracles are witches,” Chloe said.

“Babsy is human, I take it?”

Chloe nodded.

“Humans have difficulty understanding some parts of wolf society, and Oracles are like that. They’re not witches, but they are connected to the astral plane, which means they can connect to the forces around us to learn things.”

“Like what?”

“Possible futures, hidden threats, hidden treasures.”

“Treasures?” Grace asked, perking up.

“Yes, but not like gold or diamonds, but the hidden treasures inside us. Some parents take their children to the temple when they want to help guide them.”

“You didn’t do that with us,” Chloe said.

“I didn’t need to. I knew you would find your own way.” I kept my concerns about Grace’s loss of interest in painting to myself.

“What else do they do?”

“Well, they help wolves stay in harmony with the moon, they settle religious and spiritual issues, they help wolves and humans get along, and they oversee various rites. They help when a wolf is having trouble.”

I tapped the tip of Grace’s nose. “When you were having trouble awakening your wolf, do you remember they came to help?”

Grace nodded. “I felt her helping me.”

“Exactly.”

“So, Sarah is having trouble with her connection to the asral plane?”

“Astral plane, and yes. She’s gone to the temple so they can help her understand.”

“What if she doesn’t come back?” Chloe asked.

I frowned at her. “Of course she’ll come back, silly.” I tickled her chin, and she pushed my hand away with a giggle.

“Babsy says when people go the Luna Temple they sometimes don’t come out again.”

“Nonsense,” I said and decided I needed to have a serious talk with this Babsy’s parents. Just think of it like Sarah’s gone on a little retreat. She’ll be home in the morning.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” I kissed them both on the forehead. “Now, it’s time for two little pups to go to sleep.”

I walked out, turning off the light, and headed to my study. Travis responded to my Zoom call within a minute, which was exactly what I paid him for.

“Alpha Zane?”

“I need you to find out who a Babsy is at my daughters’ school and just who her parents are.”

“Babsy?”

“Yes, sounds like she’s a little older than the girls and is human.”

“Done.”

“Has Ted made any progress on finding out who in my household is leaking information?”

“Scott sent several messages to an account that has since been deleted, but she’s working on seeing what she can retrieve. Otherwise, she’s pretty sure it’s someone who’s been added to your household fairly recently, say, within the last six months, because none of the leaking information is older than that, which means five people with access. I’m looking into them.”

I nodded. “Of course, someone might simply have been recruited six months ago.”

“Yes, if the five I have in mind prove clear, I’ll go back farther.”

“Good.” I paused before ending the call. “How are things with you and Agent Rucker?”

Travis grinned just slightly. “Special Agent in Charge Rucker.”

“I stand corrected.”

He chuckled. “Things are excellent, actually. Thank you for asking. We’re more than compatible.”

“Good,” I said as warmly as I could, but I felt a cold pang of jealousy. They had met, wanted to mate, and that was that. No great traditions standing in the way, no threats of catastrophe if they took what they wanted.

“We’ll meet tomorrow to go over the report from Delia,” I said. “I’m surprised she’s not contacting more people from that goddess-cursed auction, and I’m wondering if some of them have been retaken.”

Travis nodded. “I’d also like to go over some rumors I’m hearing about a plot by another of those anti-human terrorists.” He held up a hand. “Nothing concrete, but we’ll need to keep an eye on it.”

“Good. See you here at 9 a.m. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Alpha.”

I cut the connection and looked around moodily. This was ridiculous. I stood up and went to my bedroom for a shower. I got into bed with my laptop and read a report from Shotz about improvements at the mine until I was tired enough to go to sleep.

I awoke instantly, alert and knowing it had been three hours since I started sleeping. I gathered myself and flipped over to the intruder, grabbing an arm and putting a throat to a neck while I was staring into terrified brown eyes.

“Zane! It’s me!”

“What? Ella? What the hell?!” I pulled my hands away

I have never in my life see someone transform that quickly, sitting up, letting the sheet drop, and purring, “I’ve wanted to be with you for so long.”

“Put some damn clothes on!” I told her, leaping out of bed and trying not to look. I didn’t want to turn my back on her, though, so I flung the covers back over her. “I have done nothing to make you think I’ve ever wanted you in my bed!”

“Everybody wants me in their bed.” She was starting to look angry now. Good.

I walked over to the wall switch and flipped on the ceiling light. I saw her clothes hanging over the back of a chair and threw them at her.

“Zane, why are you so angry?” She was going to the show of being pitiful now.

“You stay away from me, from Sarah, and from my daughters. I don’t know what this is or— There was a knock on the door. I strode over and opened it.

Hans was standing there in his pajamas and a robe. “Is there something wrong, Alpha Zane?”

“Yes, Miss Ella has gotten lost. Please see her out.” I glared back at the bed where she was putting on a fur coat, even though it was warm outside. I supposed she thought it looked sexy.

With red spots of fury on her cheeks, she rose from the bed and went over to where her shoes were waiting to put them on.

I opened the door wider and gestured toward the hallway. “Make sure she completely leaves the grounds, Hans.”

“Of course.”

“This isn’t over, Zane,” she hissed at me. “You’ll pay for this.”

“Out of my bedroom and out of my life,” I growled back. “Or do you want to stay here and have me snap your neck? Crawling into my bed in the middle of the night like some sort of omega porn fantasy? No one would blame me for killing you. No one.

Her chin went up, but I noticed her eyes were dry. She was furious, but not hurt.

“If you’ll come with me, Miss Ella,” Hans said, and for the first time I saw Ella stomp inelegantly away.

I closed the door, stood there for a moment trying to make any sense of it all, and then sat on my bed.

Ella had known, I thought. Ella had known Sarah wasn’t here. How? Who was reporting on my family’s life?