circle. We needed to find Blake. The lawyer probably wouldn’t give us his address. And even if he did, we couldn’t face Blake without knowing what we were up against. Michelle thought he was a leader of a large pack. Just how large? Large enough to become a threat to our pack? Up until now, he’d carefully hid his existence from us. If we sent people to try to find out more about him, he’d just as likely evade them. His men had made it obvious back home that they’d only shown themselves because they were after Michelle. That meant the only way to lure Blake out so we could learn more about him was through—
“I need to go back,” she said softly, coming to the same conclusion I had.
Mom and Winifred shared a worried look.
“No, honey,” Mom said. “We’ll think of something else. Now that you’re here, and Nana put out a call about your protection, there’s a possibility he’ll come to you.”
The surge of Michelle’s fear filled the room.
“No. I don’t want Blake here.”
“Michelle, it would be better for you to stay,” Mom said.
“For me, but not for Liam and Aden. They are how he controlled me before. Emmitt said Elders are stronger, more powerful than any other pack member. Maybe one could come with me, and one could stay here,” she said hopefully.
I itched to flatly refuse. But I kept quiet, knowing the Elders wouldn’t endanger a female like this. Better to let them look like the bad guys.
“Neither you nor your brothers will be put at risk if we lure Blake here,” Dad said.
“I understand that you don’t believe so, but you don’t know Blake.”
Michelle’s panic was coating the air, making all of us uncomfortable.
Sam cleared his throat. “Let’s think on this for a while.”
“Not too long,” Michelle said.
“We’ll meet again tonight,” Mom said.
Michelle reluctantly nodded, and I reached over to set a comforting hand on her shoulder. I knew she was worried about her brothers. But no one would get to them here. And no one would get to her. Hopefully she would realize that.
* * * *
We spent the day together. I showed Michelle around the Compound and told her stories from my childhood. We crossed paths with her brothers, Jim, and Paul and Henry several times throughout the morning. Her brothers were always quick to excuse themselves so they could keep playing.
Occasionally people would say hello, and I would introduce her. As the day wore on, Michelle seemed to relax as she continued to meet the people I’d known most my life. I wasn’t naive enough to think she trusted them. But, she didn’t outright fear them, and that was good enough for now.
Gregory and Mary found us while we were on our way to dinner with her brothers. We’d managed to convince the boys to allow us to tag along. However, Michelle was quick to send the cubs ahead when she realized why Gregory and Mary were there.
We didn’t talk as we headed to the soundproofed room. I hated that Michelle was so nervous and afraid and hoped that, after the Elders told her we would stay here, she’d calm a bit. I understood her fears. I really did. But she kept forgetting she had us on her side now. She wasn’t facing Blake on her own.
When we entered, Mom was whispering at Dad, which of course I could hear.
“—have is bad ideas.”
She didn’t say more so I wasn’t sure what she’d meant by that.
Sam and Winifred stood just inside the door with Uncle Grey and Carlos. Uncle Grey closed the door behind us and grinned at Michelle. Carlos nodded to me. It had been years since I’d seen him. He seemed just as serious now as he had back then. Jim and I had done our best to pull him into some of our fun. But he never joined in. We didn’t hold it against him. His past was dark and deep and would take a lifetime to overcome.
I led Michelle to the table. Everyone else took our cue and found their chairs, too.
Both Michelle and I saw the airline tickets on the table at the same time. She was relieved. I was livid. My mom met my gaze, her concern plain. That’s what she’d meant then about bad ideas. Dad and the Elders wanted to send Michelle back into the viper’s nest.
“We spoke at length,” Dad said. “We think an information-gathering trip to your old home, with the protection of