Zodiac Aligned

6

"I think we could all use some time to get settled in," Stella said.

“Of course,” Ethan said. “We’ll meet up again in a few hours to discuss our next steps.”

"I'll talk to you both later," I said to Stella and Larkin before they decided to carry me to my room. I started toward the elevator, but the line to get on it was long with so many shifters eager to return to their rooms.

Could I…? I searched out the magic inside myself, relieved to find it already filling back up, restoring itself. There was just enough there for me to make one more little teleport. I closed my eyes and imagined my room. There was a tug on the power, and the noise around me disappeared. I opened my eyes to see my old room, dark with the curtains already drawn.

Perfect. I kicked my shoes off and didn’t bother to do anything else before I collapsed onto the bed. I was asleep before I could do so much as pull the blankets over myself.

I woke to a knock a few hours later. I stumbled blearily out of bed and pulled the door open without even checking who it was first. Big mistake.

All traces of sleep disappeared when I saw Kaden standing in front of me. He held out a small container of food, and it took a moment for my brain to realize he was offering it to me. Not just any food either, but my favorite meal from an Indian restaurant down the street. I inhaled the spicy smell of curry, and my traitorous stomach rumbled.

“I figured you probably hadn't eaten," he said.

I hesitated, torn between accepting the food and staying away from him. I wanted to act like I didn't need him anymore, like I didn't appreciate this gesture more than words could say, but I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and taking the container. Kaden knew that using magic drained me and that the fastest way for me to get back on my feet was with good food. But he also knew I probably wouldn't get it myself, so he'd gone and done it for me, even going so far as to get my favorite meal in Toronto. It was almost enough to make me melt. Almost.

"Thank you," I said, trying not to meet his eyes. Stay strong, I told myself. The curry was damn good, but it wasn't enough to make up for what he'd done.

His eyes lingered on me, his presence filling up the space between us. “We’re going to meet in the conference room in an hour to start the interrogation."

"I'll be ready."

I closed the door before I could say something stupid like, "Come inside." He stood in front of the door for a few long moments. I didn’t move, the container cradled against my chest, and waited with bated breath until his footsteps finally receded. Only then did I slump against the door, letting out a long breath, torn between relief that he'd finally left, and disappointment that he hadn't stayed.

CHAPTER FOUR

I arrived in the conference room and found Kaden, Ethan, Larkin, and Jordan already waiting. The large table had been removed, and a lone chair sat on one side of the room with a camera and tripod pointed toward it. A few other chairs remained, but no one was seated, instead choosing to stand around like they were on alert.

Ethan was adjusting the video equipment when he turned and looked at me. "Good, we're all here now. We can get started."

"Where's Roxandra?" I asked.

"We have her locked up in our makeshift prison, the same one Jordan was held in. We plan to move her somewhere more secure once the interrogation is over, but for now, it's the best we can do."

“It’s nice to be here as a guest and not a prisoner this time,” Jordan said dryly.

Kaden growled, letting it rumble deep in his chest. “Watch it, or you’ll be back in that cell. How would you like it with Roxandra this time?”

Jordan’s lips peeled back from his teeth in a snarl, and he tensed, clearly ready to fight. The two alphas had avoided each other back at the battleground, but now that they were out of danger, I had a feeling they'd be unable to keep their claws out of each other.

Ethan shot Kaden a less-than-amused look, before turning it on Jordan next. “Play nice, or you’ll both be removed from the interrogation."

The two men scowled but looked away, temporarily mollified, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at them. At least Ethan wasn't taking any of their s**t today. I felt the exact same way.

“How are we planning to interrogate Roxandra?” I asked.

Larkin cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. “I can cast a truth spell on Roxandra to get her to talk.”

“Why didn’t you do that to Jordan when he was our prisoner?” Kaden snapped, which only made Jordan's sneer return.

“I did, but it didn’t work on him," Larkin said, c*****g her head. "Maybe because the Sun Witches already had so many spells on him. I'm not sure, but I'd like to try it again." “If it doesn’t work, we’ll have to use other tactics to get her to talk." Jordan cracked his knuckles with a cruel smile, and I realized he meant torture. The thought turned my stomach, even if it was Roxandra we were talking about.

“Either way, we’ll be recording the entire thing so we can share it with the other alphas,” Ethan said. If he was turned off by the idea of torture, he didn’t show it. “They need to be kept in the loop so we can make decisions together. Larkin, would you like to run the interrogation?"

Her cheeks turned red and she shook her head quickly. "No, I'd prefer to not have much interaction with the Sun Witch. I'll cast the spell, but someone else can ask the questions."