“I assume because the potion gave him the necessary strength?” Chase asked.
“That would be my guess.” Greyson abruptly stood, pacing back and forth in the narrow space by the computers. “But I want to know if the use of this potion is restricted to northern Wisconsin, or if it has infiltrated the Midwest in general.”
Chase nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Have you told the Pre-Dominant?”
“Fletching will submit her a report if he hasn’t already, but I don’t want her to know I’m looking into it,” Greyson said.
Chapter 14
Pip
I frowned. “Why not? Don’t you trust her?”
“I trust her with a lot of things,” Greyson said. “My life and my loyalty. But I don’t want her making a big deal about this. If I’m lucky, she’ll never have to find out we’re investigating the issue, and won’t have a chance to parade me around.”
“Understood,” Chase said.
I pushed my eyebrows together, not half as understanding.
But if he means to be the Pre-Dominant…wouldn’t he want the opportunity to show off? Unless he doesn’t intend to become the Pre-Dominant? No—he has to. Why else would he agree to take over the Northern Lakes Pack when he had no connection to us, and Alpha Hudson was nowhere close to retiring?
“Do I have permission to explain the situation to Queen Leila?” Chase continued. “I’ll get farther if I can use the power of the Night Court’s reputation to request documents.”
“Would she mention it before the Regional Committee?” Greyson asked.
“Not likely,” Chase blandly said. “She already dislikes how long committee meetings take, and frequently brings additional work.”
“I don’t believe you that she lacks sense,” I said. “She sounds practical. I had to sit in on a few committee meetings as part of my hunter certification, and they are dead boring.” I shivered at the memory.
Politics—they’re the worst! Give me the forest any day.
I itched to pull out my twin daggers, but Greyson had made me put them in the glove compartment of his car when we first headed out this morning—when I was too groggy to argue.
Chase shook his head at me, then pivoted back to Greyson. “I’ll report in if I find anything.”
“Thanks. Look for reports of wolves inexplicably going feral, too, please. Ember is looking over the statistics of the past few years in North America to see if there’s an increase, but you might learn something different coming at it from a fae base of power,” Greyson said.
“Yes, Alpha.” Chase’s gaze strayed to the door, and after a few moments, I thought I heard the muffled tap of footsteps.
The door abruptly swung open. A beautiful woman scrambled through it, shut the door, then leaned her back against it and exhaled sharply.
Her dark hair was tousled—which didn’t quite match the beautiful silken gown she wore that gleamed thanks to the opals sewn into the skirt—and she was model tall with the pronounced, glamorous features of a fae, though her eyes—a magical shade of purple-ish blue—were bright with a kindness fae didn’t usually have.
But that was the cornerstone of the easily recognizable Queen Leila, the monarch of the Night Court: her kindness.
Queen Leila flicked her hair from her face, then straightened when she noticed our presence. “Good afternoon!” She strolled across the room with a grace that was at odds with the way she’d practically thrown herself inside. “Alpha Greyson and Pip! I’m so glad to see you in Magiford again.”
It was hard not to chortle with glee that a genuine fae queen recognized me, but that’s the kind of person Queen Leila was.
“Queen Leila.” I hovered between a bow and a very awkward curtsey—I didn’t meet many royals.
“Queen Leila,” Greyson murmured as well.
“It’s just Leila, please. You two are practically family, anyway, since you’re Chase’s Pack.” Leila reached the giant windows and peered outside, looking beautiful as she stared into the gardens, which was how I almost missed her checking the latches on the window to see if it would swing open. “Are you staying in town for long?”
“Unfortunately we must leave this afternoon. The drive back to Timber Ridge is several hours long, and we’d like to be home before midnight.” Greyson bowed to her as she moved down one window and tested the locks on that one as well.
“An hours long drive?” That distracted Queen Leila long enough from her lock-testing that she frowned and peered in our direction. “Chase, why don’t you just take them back with the night mares?”