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"Gross!" Rachel says when she sees it She jumps closer to Sebastian and I notice him slip his arm around her waist "That is just nasty!"

Adria stares at the skeleton, no doubt recalling the very second that the et rid of that, please?" I say

Adria puts her hand on my arm, but keeps her eyes on the skeleton "It’s okay…just leave it"

I nod

And then Iat the head, just like lance down at htly on the edge, also just as my father’s would I shake out of thearound the table, waiting for me to sit down first…andin ainst our kind Adria is next toAdria into the throne of my lap

Everyone else follows suit

"Isaac," I hear Adria’s voice inlike him You never will be You’re better than hi onand trust in her eyes

I thank her quietly for her words of encouragement

And then I look out at everyone

"I kno eance," I say "His only priority will be Adria He’ll want her dead by his own hands But the rest of you--" I look to each of theainst him will be hunted down by his army and also killed It won’t stop with Adria and you all have to know that"

"Like we said before," Sebastian speaks up, "we’re with you in this all the way"

Everyone else agrees by nodding and the occasional verbal response

"But we can’t fight s with hi to have to spread out quickly and recruit the Alpha’s ould be loyal to me"

"Yeah," Nathan says, "the Alphas are the only ones we have to convince Gain the loyalty of the Alpha and his entire pack will follow devotedly"

"Does anyone here have a link to another Alpha?" I say

One of the refugees, a guy nao, raises his hand "I was close to the Kentucky Alpha once"

"Was? Once?" Nathan says warily

Ben nods solidly "Yes, I uht a lot--I kinda slept with hisme but hiht," I say to Ben "See if you can communicate with him Don’t reveal our location" I point at Harry "Harry, can you listen in on his link to see if the Alpha is on our side, or just wanting us to believe that he is?"

Harry nods "Yes, I can do that Not one hundred percent fool-proof, but if he doesn’t know soure out"

"Good," I say and twodirectly linked to Alphas; one in Rhode Island and the other in Maryland

After thirty minutes of discussion, Harry breaks aith all of them to listen in on their telepathic conversations, while Nathan, Sebastian, Xavier and I stay gathered at the table

"I’ to New Jersey to find Treven and Isis," I say and this gets Adria’s attention

"It’ll be fine," I say, placing ers underneath her chin "I trust Treven more than just about any other Alpha that I know and his pack is huge--sixty at least"

Adria’s eyes narrow "I shouldn’t have opened my mouth about this cave"

"Why?"

"Because it’s the perfect hideaway to leave erous stuff"

"My father will kill you," I say, hoping she won’t fight me on this "I just want you to be safe"

"I know," she says, looking away, but then she turns back toto hide like a coward and when the time comes and you need to understand that, Isaac I won’t…"

"I know, baby," I say and sn the argument "I know"

When the time comes, I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep her hidden away and I don’t care if she hates ht you said you’d never close your mind to me?" she says softly intoin response I did close ht now she can’t knohat I’

Ben and the others co rooer and somewhat excited

"They’re onboard!" Ben says "The second I n, ed They’re already on their way to Maine"

"And bringing the West Virginia and Pennsylvania packs with them," Harry adds

"Mississippi is onboard, too," Mari, another refugee speaks up