Page 36 of Secrets and S'mores
Jasper rubs his hand down his face. “I don’t know.”
“If we send any sort of support, it’ll just make her look weaker. Short of going in and assassinating a third of her pack, I don’t see anything we can do,” Marigold says.
This is going from bad to worse, and I can’t sit silently.
“What about Ember?” I blurt.
“She’s staying here,” Hazel says. “At least we can keep her out of whatever carnage is about to happen.”
“Who is telling her what’s happening?”
Slate’s eyes bore into mine, his dominance pressing down until I drop my gaze. “We aren’t going to tell her.”
“Why?” I ask as respectfully as I can manage.
“What do you think she’d do if she knew?” Marigold asks softly.
Fear and anger swirl together, making me sick. “She’d want to go home and do something to help. But that’s her decision to make. She’s an adult and Heir of Granite Ridge.”
“She’s my sister, and I won’t get her thrown back into that pack as it self-destructs.” Jasper’s words cut into me. “I know you don’t care if she lives or dies, but I won’t see her torn apart.”
“Of course I want her safe,” I snap. “But she has rights. I’m sure if we talk to her about the situation-”
“Have you ever talked with Ember?” Jasper interrupts me, his sky blue eyes blazing bright cyan. Marigold grips his arm, and I have no doubt she’s feeding calming emotions through their mate bond. The rush of his anger lessens.
“I’ve talked with her a lot this week,” I say, unable to stay quiet. “She’s gotten a shit deal, but she’s trying to do the right thing. And everyone is holding her pack’s mistakes over her head.”
“Onyx, I know this isn’t fair to her. But we can’t risk her running home and getting herself killed. If she’s safe here, Sienna can focus on dealing with her pack. It’s the only thing we can do to help. So you can’t tell her anything.” Hazel’s dominance feels different than Slate’s. Slate’s is like a physical force pressing down on my shoulders. Hazel is like a warm blanket wrapping around me, drawing me toward what she wants and coaxing me to cooperate. I know if she wanted to, she could push harder, but she’s gentle.
“Yes, Alpha,” I say. The soft pressure releases me and the wolves around me relax in unison.
Ember is going to be furious when she finds out they kept this from her, but I’m powerless to help the situation.
“Please be extra vigilant. Whenever you aren’t with her, make sure someone else is. Jasper and Marigold will take her whenever they can,” Hazel says.
“Clove and I can take some of that responsibility on as well,” my father adds. Hazel nods, looking between us.
“I’m staying in contact with my mother, so I’ll provide whatever updates as soon as I have them.” Jasper grips his mate’s hand.
“Hopefully this resolves soon and she can go home,” Marigold adds sweetly. Her words churn in my stomach. I want Ember to be safe and have everything she wants in this world, but I also want her with me. And staying here in Bracken Creek accomplishes several of those goals, though it denies her position as Heir. Somehow I know she would trade her safety and happiness if it meant taking up the mantle of Alpha in her pack.
Slate dismisses us and I head back to my cabin, leaving my father and brother behind to talk with Jasper. Not caring about etiquette, I head straight to Briar’s room.
Ember sits up on her bed, her expression open and vulnerable. It almost breaks me. I open my mouth and then close it, unsure of what I can say.
Gracefully, she rises and approaches me. Her hands rest against my stomach. I’d love to bypass our discussion and push her back onto the bed and kiss her until neither of us know which direction is up. But she is expecting an explanation.
“Jasper and Marigold were sharing about their visit, but they didn’t say much.” It’s the truth.
Her brows furrow as she looks up at me, but she’s patient for more of an answer.
“I guess your mom wants you to stay with us. Well, Jasper was the one who wanted it. Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Nothing else was discussed in the meeting?” she asks, gently requesting more information.
I drag my hand through my hair. “There were a few things the Alphas ordered us to keep quiet about. I’m sorry.”
Understanding washes over her face. Her lips part for a moment, forming an “o” shape. I pull her to me, hands on the small of her back, but she leans away.
