Zodiac Aligned

11

“Your mother?” I pictured Debra, the fierce, beautiful alpha female who had stopped Jordan from mating with me. “What does she have to do with the Sun Witches?”

“She’s half Sun Witch,” Jordan admitted.

Kaden growled low in his chest. “This would have been good information to know a month ago."

Jordan’s hackles rose as he faced Kaden. “Didn't you hear? A month ago, I was still being controlled by the Sun Witches. I couldn't say anything." He shrugged. "Besides, I don’t know how much help this information will be. I have no idea where she is. Or my younger brother, for that matter. They left the Leo pack after Ayla escaped, and I haven’t heard from them since.”

There was silence in the room, and even Kaden looked a bit mollified. He didn’t stop glaring at Jordan though.

"Do you think she's hiding from the Sun Witches?" I asked.

“Probably," Jordan said. "If we can find the Leo pack, my cousin might know where she is. That’s the only lead I have.”

Ethan nodded. “I’ll put out some feelers and see if the other packs have any idea where the Leos have gone.”

“Sounds good,” Jordan said. It was funny to see how much more easily he got along with Ethan than Kaden. Probably because Jordan and Kaden were more alike than either would want to admit—too headstrong and quick to anger, but fiercely protective of the people they cared about.

“I suggest we end the interrogation for the time being,” Ethan said. "My people will get the video ready to send to the other alphas tonight. They need to know what we learned here. Then we'll resume the interrogation after Christmas."

"What about Roxandra?" Kaden asked.

"We'll increase her security for now. As soon as we finish the interrogation, we'll figure out what to do with her next."

None of us looked thrilled about that, but no one spoke up with any better ideas either.

"For now, I suggest we all get some rest," Ethan continued. "I'll keep you updated if anything changes."

He gave us all a nod and then left the room, and Jordan stormed out a few seconds later, like he was eager to get away from this place. I couldn't blame him.

Kaden lingered like he wanted to stay and talk to me, but I avoided looking at him until he finally got the hint and walked out, leaving only Larkin behind.

"Are you okay?" she asked, wringing her hands.

"I think so." I'd known that uncomfortable truths would be revealed while interrogating Roxandra, but she'd still somehow managed to shock me.

We paused as we listened to the shifters take Roxandra out of the other room, her cursing and fighting them the whole way until they disappeared down the elevator. I didn’t want to face her again, at least not right now. My mind was heavy with everything I’d learned, and I suddenly felt like I’d been awake for days in a row.

"Are you okay?" I asked, noticing Larkin's face was paler than normal.

"I think so," she repeated back at me with a small smile.

"Good answer." I wrapped my arm around her and gave her a quick hug. The interrogation had been hard on all of us, for different reasons. I was grateful for a break from it for a few days.

CHAPTER SIX

As I stepped into the hotel ballroom, I was immediately struck by the festive atmosphere, which instantly lifted my spirits. I'd completely forgotten about Christmas, but it was clear that the Libra and Ophiuchus pack members hadn't. The large space was decorated with twinkling lights and garland, giving it a warm and cozy feel, and the air carried the scent of pine from the tall tree covered in ornaments and tinsel. Everyone was dressed in their finest attire, and soft holiday music played in the background.

When I'd heard the Libras were throwing a party on Christmas Eve, I'd been surprised. But as I watched the other shifters smiling and laughing as they mingled and danced, it suddenly made sense. After everything we'd been through over the last few months, we all deserved something fun, at least for one night. A bit of levity after all the horrors we'd witnessed. Though we had many challenges ahead of us, for a few hours we could live in the moment and celebrate being together and alive.

I smoothed my hands down the skirt of the green cocktail dress I’d put on for the occasion. When I’d gone shopping with my friends a few months ago, I’d let them talk me into getting the dress. At the time it had felt silly and extravagant, especially because I'd never owned something so nice before, but now I was glad for it. That trip seemed like an eternity ago, and I couldn’t believe how much had changed in the time since then. The memory was fond, except for what happened after, when the Leos had attacked us in the park. We'd managed to subdue them, but then Kaden had killed them all while they were passed out and defenseless. It had been so unlike Kaden that I still could hardly believe he’d done it. That was when I realized that Kaden had turned into someone I didn’t recognize anymore. A darker version of himself.

That had been the beginning of the end for us.

I found myself scanning the party, searching for a glimpse of him, but he wasn't there. Part of me was disappointed, but I told myself it was better if he didn’t come. I didn’t want to hear another hollow apology tonight, though I couldn't stop my heart from aching at his absence. I noticed Jordan wasn’t at the party either, but that didn’t surprise me at all. He still wasn’t welcome among most shifters here. They didn’t know the truth about what had happened with Roxandra. Maybe that would change once more people saw the video of her interrogation.