“You are her mate now, yes?” she asked. Her eyes were leveled with mine. I could feel her assessing me and judging if I was worthy of her queen.
“I am,” I answered, finding myself oddly proud of this omega’s fiery nature.
“Are you bonded to her? Do you vow to protect her with your life?” she pressed boldly. I grinned wider. I liked this feisty little thing. She would prove useful; I had no doubts about that.
“We are pair bonded. I think you can understand I would do anything to protect her,” I responded.
“Then I will help you,” she said simply.
“Good,” I replied.
“What would you have me do?” she asked.
“Find out everything you can about Thranar’s visit here. Where did he go? Who was he with? Did he talk with anyone inside the castle?”
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t think he could have escaped the castle without help from someone here and I want to know who that was,” I responded.
She nodded with understanding.
“I will let you know what I find out as soon as I can,” she said.
“And Ariana?” I added.
“Yes?”
“I will ensure you are taken care of for all of this,” I offered.
“I don’t expect anything. Freya is just one of the strongest, kindest, and fairest rulers that Valgertha has ever seen and I want to help protect her rule. No one has ever been as kind to me as she has and I have a deep respect for her,” she said softly.
“You’re a good friend, Ariana,” I replied.
She smiled, trying to cover up a sad look that crossed over her face. I said nothing as she turned away and took her leave with the emptied basket. I watched her walk out of the room as the feeling that I’d made an incredible valuable ally crossed my mind. In my segment of the Brotherhood, I mainly guided a number of alphas and a few betas. I had never had to privilege of leading an omega and I had a feeling that I was going to learn more about them just from the spirited package that was Ariana.
That night, I gathered a few supplies to signal the Brotherhood and more specifically, the Ghost. I needed to inform him of everything I’d learned so that I and the Brotherhood might be able to prepare for whatever was to come. I slid open the window and tied a black scarf to the ledge. Then I closed it and lit a candle on the windowsill, watching as the flame flickered in the glass reflection.
The Ghost would come. I had only to wait for him to arrive.
* * *
It took less than a day for a loud knock to bang against the door. It was the middle of the night and Freya had still not woken up, so I answered it myself. I unlocked the door and swung it open slowly. There were no servants to be seen in either direction. When I saw the Ghost’s eyes through his mask, I immediately dipped my head in acknowledgement and moved aside so that he could come inside. He didn’t stop in the entryway as I expected him to. Instead, he walked up the stairs and moved immediately into the planning room upstairs next to Freya’s bedchambers, so I followed silently. He closed the door and peered up at me.
“It’s good to see you, Ghost,” I said respectfully.
“It is good to see you as well, Aric. As soon as I received your message, I came. Tell me, what have you learned?” he instructed firmly, and I began to tell him what had come to pass since I’d entered Valgertha’s gates.
I filled him in on everything, from the way I’d broken into the castle, to the growing pair bond between Freya and me, and eventually to the attack against her and who the culprit turned out to be. I couldn’t see the Ghost’s entire expression, but I could see the lines around his eyes tighten with tension when I mentioned the name of the king who had gone after Freya.
“This is more serious than I had originally thought, Aric. If the Cult of the Blood Moon is moving against Valgertha, they are either preparing or ready to move against the Brotherhood as well. I have no doubt that they know this too. Ravenrath has always been a stronghold for them and it may be possible they are looking to expand their reach here too. They likely mean to push us out,” Ghost replied, his tone gravely serious.
He walked back and forth, rubbing his thumb and forefinger thoughtfully against the bottom of his mask.
“You have the members of your branch in place here in Valgertha as well?” he asked finall
y, and I confirmed that I did.
“Meet with them. Send a few into Ravenrath to find out more about what is happening within their city walls. Gather information, both here in Valgertha and in the cultist stronghold. I will do my part as well,” he continued.