Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
She opens the doors to a large walk-in closet and starts handing me clothes–panties with the tags still on, tank tops, leggings, sweaters.
“The first time I came here, I had no clothes, either,” she shares. “I was stranded here during a snowstorm. Trapped with the wolves for Thanksgiving when they didn’t want me here.”
I hold up one of the sweaters against my body. It’s a soft-knit azure with a scoop neck.
“That will look perfect on you.”
“Thank you. It must’ve been hard to get tangled in pack politics as a human.”
“I didn’t know what they were then. I didn’t even know it when I told Brick I quit and stormed out in a blizzard and then found myself surrounded by a pack of snarling wolves.”
My eyes widen.
Madi gives a soft laugh. “We had a lot to work through.” She glances toward the door. “I imagine you two did, too?”
I bow my head. “Yes. The magic of my Sight was predicated on me remaining unmated. A virgin. I…had to choose between Noah and being Seeress.”
Madi tilts her head. “So…you lost your abilities?”
I nod.
Madi pulls me in for a hug. I stumble into her, freezing at first, then letting the human offer her comfort. I’m not used to being shown empathy or compassion, except from Liora. Now this total stranger seems to understand me more than my entire pack.
I change into a pair of leggings and the sweater, and we walk out of the bedroom together.
“I’m grateful you took the chance to warn me,” Madi says. She keeps resting her hand on her belly, and I don’t think she realizes she’s doing it. “You could’ve just sent a message.”
“We couldn’t risk that you wouldn’t believe me,” Noah says. “It was better for us to come in person. Aster and I believe Fate guided us here.” But he sighs, and Madi’s expression softens.
“You’re worried about your mom.”
“And my sister. Will Brick help us?”
“I don’t know. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, it’s just…”
“He’s responsible for the whole pack,” I say to let her off the hook. “He doesn’t want a war. I understand.”
“He’s in meetings now with his inner circle. But we’ll see him for lunch. In the meantime, is there anything I can do?”
Noah and I glance at each other. There’s so much we need help with, I don’t even know what to say.
I need access to a computer, Noah signs. He doesn’t say anything, which means he doesn’t want the guards to overhear.
Madi leads us back into the hall, where the guards trail us to another library-like room. This one has big, beautiful windows overlooking a green lawn.
“This is my favorite reading room,” Madi says. “I use it as an office.” She holds the door for us but stops her guards from entering. “Noah is helping me with a work project,” she says firmly and shuts the door in their faces.
Once the door’s shut, she’s all business. “Here.” She beckons, leading us to a table that holds a desktop. “You can use this.”
Noah sits down and immediately starts typing.
Thank you, I sign to her, and she nods.
“I’ll be in the next room,” she says and signs and leaves to give us privacy. We’re lucky she’s willing to help us. She probably feels like she owes us.
In fifteen minutes, Noah’s activated one of the dormant drones he left hidden in a pine tree near Moon Hollow. I hover over his shoulder, watching him pilot it. We’re in luck, Liora is still out in the forest, working in her favorite garden. The screen shows the footage the drone is recording, Noah can’t get close because there’s a guard standing near her. Which makes sense–security will be tighter since Noah and I snuck in and were almost caught.
“Can you get a message to her?” I murmur.
He shakes his head. He can’t move the drone any closer. He told me these drones are state of the art, relaying video and audio to us, but they only work one way.
“Wait.” I grab his arm. “Look at the garden.” Liora seems to be tending it, turning the soil as if she’s preparing it for planting, but she’s spelled out a word with sticks and markings in the dirt. The word Purify.
Purify, I spell it out slowly with my clumsy fingers. Of all the messages Liora could send, why would she choose to spell out that word? Is she referring to the purification ritual?
I reach for psychic help before I remember that it’s no longer available to me.
Then it comes to me in a flash. “I think I know what she wants us to do.”
Sure enough, when we read the audio transcript, we find several passages of Liora speaking about the purification rights.
You will be cleansed by the light of the moon. The Warden has proclaimed it. I’ve been given the honor of leading you in the ritual to purify your body, your mind, and your soul. It will only be me, dear one, and another chosen attendant. No one else–certainly no males.