*Mark* Tristan, Reece, and I are all just sort of standing here, staring into what can only be a secret tunnel that’s leading out of the library. The doorway seems to have been activated by removing a book about war, so maybe this is a secret place for the king to hide if enemies infiltrate the palace. There’s a long pause while we each assess the situation. Finally, Tristan speaks. “Should we investigate?” he asks. “We should, but maybe that’s something we should save for later,” I say. “There’s a whole hoard of troops amassing out there, and I’m also worried about Eli. Has anyone tried to mind-link with him lately?” Both Tristan and Reece shake their heads. “He’s a competent Alpha,” says Tristan. “We don’t need to babysit him. But we do need to deal with Kane and Stephen before the

