Froston was wearing more emotion than I’d ever seen from him before as he watched Astrid and Skye from afar. Instead of arrogance, I saw regret.
“I’m surprised he hasn’t left yet,” I answered Austin.
“I’m not,” James interjected, his hard eyes trained on Froston. “It’s not easy to find something you thought was lost forever, only to be met with rejection.”
I thought that through. Astrid’s immediate and total rejection may have dented his ego, but it felt like more than that. Nonetheless, I needed to find out who’s side he was going to be on in the oncoming fight.
“Froston,” I called to him. “I’d like to have a conversation.”
“Of course,” he agreed readily. A little too quickly for my peace of mind.
Froston may have followed along with us because of lingering feelings that he had for my mother. However, it could just be a ruse to get close to us.
I enclosed Froston in a sound-proof barrier along with myself and my six wolves.
Froston gave a long-suffering sigh. “Does our conversation have to include half your pack of wolves?”
“No,” I snapped at him. “But it does have to include each and every one of my mates.”
Magic crackled around me. I’d pushed all of my new goddess senses into the background when I came back to myself, but they weren’t gone. I’d always feel that pull to let go and fade back into what I was before. However, I had a tight hold on everything that made me who I was right now, and I wasn’t letting go anytime soon.
Froston smiled in satisfaction. “You’re growing into your power nicely. In a century or two, your power will be unparalleled.”
I sighed. “I don’t have a century. The Morrigan is destroying my world now.”
Froston shrugged. “She’s always been like that. She’ll lose interest eventually.”
“I’m not going to wait,” I retorted.
“Anna, it’s not smart to go to war against her,” Froston cautioned me. “You’re just a baby goddess, and she’s death itself. You can’t win against her.”
“What’s your suggestion?” I asked. “Stand by and watch her destroy everything?”
“Join her side,” Froston said as if it were obvious. “Learn from her, grow your relationship with Drake, then maybe in a few centuries overthrow her. Together, you and Drake could be enough,” he said thoughtfully.
I huffed. Froston was obviously not going to be any help to us whatsoever.
“I’ll think about it,” I told him with a fake smile. “Quite a bit of time must have passed since I pulled you from Winter,” I reminded him. “I’m sure you must have plenty to do.”
Froston gave me a wry look. “I do have some issues with Summer that are going to have to be smoothed over.”
I blushed but didn’t apologize. My mother should have never been trapped in that world, and I didn’t feel guilty for freeing her. It was partially Froston’s fault that she was there at all, so I shouldn’t feel bad for dragging him along and making him clean up the mess.
“Do I need to worry about them coming after me?” I asked bluntly. “Or Astrid and Skye?”
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen,” Froston said darkly. “Astrid was mine first, they had no right to take her from me.”
I sighed but didn’t argue. If he was working to keep them safe, then that’s all that mattered for now. I felt a flash of guilt when I thought about what would happen to Froston if I sealed the Morrigan in Winter with him. She probably wouldn’t be happy that it was his daughter that ruined her plans.
Froston opened a gateway and left without a goodbye, not that I was really expecting one.
“He’ll be fine,” Austin told me. “I can feel your guilt from here.”
I shrugged with one shoulder. “It’s not like we can tell him all of our plans. He’ll either try to stop us or use the information to get on the Morrigan’s good side.”
Austin put his arm around my shoulders. “Speaking of plans, I think it’s time we made some.”
“As long as we stay away from the shadows,” I murmured to him.
The seven of us walked toward the small house we’d been using as our temporary home. It was tight quarters for all of us, but no one wanted to be separated from the others. Now that I was really back, it was time to see what we could come up with.
Chapter 26
Anna
I rubbed my hand against my face in frustration. We’d spent the last few hours talking in circles, and not really getting anywhere.