Juno’s POV
After dinner, I watched as Augustin, Bryloch, and Adrys prepared to leave for Fox’s interrogation. The tension in Augustin’s shoulders was obvious, even as he maintained his composed expression.
“We’ll handle this,” Augustin said, his voice low, “It’s better if you ladies aren’t present. I want to see if he trusts us enough to speak freely. If that proves difficult, we’ll use more… gentle methods to extract the information.”
I nodded, perfectly understanding the real reason he didn’t want us there. This wasn’t about Fox’s comfort or trust, it was about protecting us from whatever they might learn or whatever methods they might need to employ. The protective instinct of an Alpha was sometimes annoying, but in this case, I chose not to argue.
‘Be careful,” I said, squeezing his hand. “And remember he’s still just a teenager.”
Augustin’s eyes softened slightly at my touch. “I’ll do what’s necessary,” he replied.
As they walked away, I couldn’t help but notice the desperation in Augustin’s stride. He was seeking information from people he normally wouldn’t even acknowledge, like Kieran. Those threatening cards had clearly gotten under his skin.
We’d been through too much already. Safety and peace were the priority now, especially with babies on the way. I brushed my hand over my stomach, a protective gesture that had become second nature.
“Ready to go?‘ Scarlett asked, coming to stand beside me.
“Yes,” I replied, turning away from the door Augustin had disappeared through. “Let’s head back.”
Freya joined us, and the three of us made our way toward my quarters. As we turned down the main corridor, we spotted Amelia coming from the opposite direction.
Something was off about her. Her smile was strained, not reaching her eyes, and her body language screamed anxiety, hands clutching her phone so tightly her knuckles were white. The slight tremor in her fingers didn’t escape my notice.
“Luna,” I greeted her.
“Juno,” she replied with that same tight smile. “Ladies.”
Scarlett and Freya nodded politely.
“Is everything alright?” I asked, studying her face. I wondered if her state had something to do with the dinner she’d shared with Evanth, Elton, and Ruby earlier.
“Of course,” she said too quickly. “Just tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Augustin won’t be joining us for a while,” I explained. “He’s working with Bryloch and Adryx.”
‘On Fox?” she asked, her voice almost hopeful.
I nodded. “He wants to see what the boy knows.“,
‘I see.” Amelia glanced at her phone again, her grip tightening. “Good. That’s… good.”
Could I speak with you later? After your friends leave? Her voice came through our link, surprising me.
I kept my expression neutral. Of course. Is something wrong?
Yes. It’s urgent. Her voice sounded strained.
Is it about Elton? I asked, wondering if perhaps something had happened during dinner.
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Chapter 242
No, nothing to do with him. She shook her head slightly. I’ll wait in my room.
With that, she severed the connection and gave us all a tight nod before continuing down the hall.
Once we reached my room and closed the door behind us, Scarlett immediately turned to me.
“What the hell was that about?” she asked, dropping into one of the armchairs. “She looked like she’d seen a ghost.”
“Something’s definitely wrong,” Freya agreed, settling onto the sofa. “Did you see how she was clutching that phone? Like it might bite her.”
I laughed despite my concern. “I noticed that too.”
“Mysterious, Scarlett waggled her eyebrows. “Maybe she and Elton had some instant chemistry and she’s feeling guilty.”
We all laughed at that, the tension breaking momentarily.
Through our mind–link, I called for a servant to bring us tea. A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door, and an Omega entered with a tray of steaming cups.
“Place it on the coffee table, please,‘ I instructed, and she did so before bowing and leaving us alone again.
Once we were settled with our drinks, I turned to Scarlett with a warm smile. “So, how are you feeling? About the baby?”
I placed my hand on her knee, and she returned my smile, her eyes lighting up.
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