“N-n-nooo?” I had surprising difficulty finding that answer.
“No. I’m not going to punish you.” Gideon said finally.
“…why not? I hurt a subordinate in your territory.”
He sighed and didn’t answer for a long moment. When he did, he didn’t answer directly, but instead told me a story.
“When I was learning to be Alpha, I made a lot of mistakes. The Old Alpha was patient with me, but direct. He would tell me what I had done wrong, and then he would expect me to re-do it. He said, the act of doing it right would be a better lesson than if he’d punished me severely. He was right.”
Gideon held something out to me, I reached out my hand and he dropped something heavy and cold into my palm.
It was a key.
“This is a spare key to my office.” He said, “Do not lose it.”
“Why are you giving this to me?” I asked, confused.
“You need a better, safer place to work until we get you your own office.” Gideon said. “Use here, until then.”
Stunned, I could only nod.
“And, Avery? No one gets to threaten my pack.” Gideon’s glower was thunderous, “That includes you as Luna. I expect you to tell me if something like that happens again.”
I didn’t ask how he knew about the incident in the cellar. I was starting to believe he had eyes everywhere.
“Go take a bath.” Gideon ordered. “Eat and sleep. Then come back here and finish your work. The Old Luna will be waiting.”
Nothing about what he’d done was particularly kind, but I was touched regardless. Tears gathered in my eyes and I blinked them away, turning away so he couldn’t see my emotions.
“Unless…?” Gideon said dryly, “You still need my assistance?”
I blushed again, “No! I mean… No, thank you. I’m doing much better now.”
“Good, because I have more important things to be doing.” Gideon smirked and pointed at the door, “Now go.
I went.
My bath felt glorious on my sore muscles from sleeping rough on the bench, and my tussle with Jessica. I ate a large lunch, napped a little, then woke up refreshed.
To my disappointment, I didn’t dream.
I made a detour to the cellar to grab my paperwork, then hauled all the files to Gideon’s office.
He was gone, but that was fine. I would have had a hard time concentrating with him there.
It took me a few more hours, but I was able to piece together my torn list well enough that I could look up the few parts that were missing. When I was done, it looked like a child’s collage, pieces of paper glued onto a larger sheet of paper to hold them in place.
But it worked.
I copied out a final copy, then made an extra one for myself and hid that one in Gideon’s desk.
I puzzled again over the redacted names. I was tempted to try and research, to find out what was missing. But where would I start?
I frowned. It was a project for another day.
The light outside Gideon’s office was gone when I finished. I was turning into a regular night owl.
I turned off the desk lamp as I prepared to leave. Then, tempted by the pale crescent moon visible through the glass, I opened the window instead and stood for a few minutes just breathing in the cool night air.
I leaned out on the sill of the window, then pulled back when I realized there were people walking along the path that ran below. They were talking quietly as they approached.
They paused underneath the window.
“It will be ready before the next full moon.” One was saying to the other.
“After the insult the Nightwolf Alpha gave to Silvermoon, I’m surprised you’re waiting.” The other voice was lighter, but I couldn’t see either of the figures from where I lurked.
“Some things are better planned carefully, not hurriedly.” The first voice replied, “There are some moving parts, but then the trap will be fully set.”
“Once the Nightwolf Alpha is out of the picture, everything can accelerate.”
“He’s been the biggest thorn in our side, for sure.” The first person agreed, “Self-righteous prick.”
I suppressed a gasp. They were talking about laying some trap for Gideon!
Below the window, the voices had stilled. Had they heard me?
“I need to get back.” The lighter voice said. “You have the list?”
“I do.” The first confirmed. “Wait for our signal.”
“I wish I could be there with you.”
“We need you here as our eyes and ears.” The conspirator said, “The King will remember your sacrifices.”
The pair moved off, and the rest of their conversation was too quiet for me to pick up.
Slowly, I crept to the open window and stuck my head out, trying to get a glimpse of who had been talking, but the shapes were too shadowy and far away to tell with any certainty. One seemed tall and slender, the other stockier, but they could have been anyone.
I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, thinking over what I had heard. Someone was plotting against Nightwolf, that was certain. With the mention of my old clan, it seemed like someone from Silvermoon was involved, but I couldn’t place the voice.
I could take this info to Gideon, but what would I say? That someone was mad at him? That he needed to be careful?
He knew that there were people who hated him. Being an Alpha meant always having a target on your back.
I closed and latched the window, then let myself out of the office and locked it behind me. I would take the list to the Old Luna in the morning,
Unfortunately, there hadn’t been enough details to give any actionable information.
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