Insight

Rose squeezed his shoulder gently, silencing her mate's disgruntled comments. Duncan moved back to his place beside his Alpha. Flint glanced at him and he nodded subtly. The trio looked over the Lawlers, waiting for more answers.

“He said there was a new Shadow wolf and she was young. Her wolf was out of control. We thought it could be a lie, but it’s always been hard to tell with Bastian.” Rose explained what her husband meant to say.

"You had tea to give him?" Flint asked with obvious interest.

"We haven't kept the stuff for years. I tried to send him off." Jim shook his head.

"I told him where I used to get it from. There was this greenhouse in Sumpter that used to sell the dried leaves. I told him he'd have to find it, himself." Rose stated.

"We don't want any part of his plans. We never have. We just wanted him to grow up well." The rogue farmer sighed.

Flint felt like they were being honest with him. These people never had any animosity toward GraySky for their exile. They didn't seem to harbor resentment against anyone at all. The Alpha knew they wanted to help their adoptive son, but they Lawlers had known for years that they wouldn't be able to. They still had something to protect.

"I believe you. I just have one more question..." Flint held out his hand.

Duncan gave him an envelope from the small table in the corner. It was addressed in familiar, bubbly lettering. The sender was named clearly and the receivers were listed as 'Mom and Dad'. The Lawler's both stood in surprise at the object the Alpha was holding. They looked anxious, nearly frantic.

"Who is Onyx Lawler?" Flint turned the envelope to face them.

"None of your concern." Jim stated sharply as he stepped forward to shield his mate with his body.

"Is it a teenaged girl with blue and purple hair? Another pup you've adopted, maybe?" He probed.

"Leave Onyx out of this! She's a good girl!" Rose replied in a shrill voice.

"If she is who I think she is, she isn't my enemy. I think she's been helping me." Flint handed Jim the letter.

"Helping you...?" He asked suspiciously.

The couple looked at one another for a few moments, before slowly retaking their seats.

"I'll explain a little more but I need to know what she looks like." Flint stated.

Jim examined him closely, unsure as to whether or not the Alpha could be trusted. Since he'd already given the girls details, he didn't stop his mate from responding.

"Onyx is our daughter. She has been since she was small. She dyed her hair a few months ago. Blue and purple. She's only seventeen." Rose spoke hesitantly.

"Why is she with Bastian and not with you?" Duncan asked curiously.

"She was eleven when we moved out of Summerville. We brought her with us but she was worried about Bastian. She's always been the only one he listened to. He's protective of her." The woman explained.

"We all are." Jim added firmly.

"She wanted to go to the Shadow pack. Bastian came back to get her when she was thirteen. We let her go with him. She still keeps in touch with us, they both do." Rose took her mate's hand in a comforting gesture.

Flint nodded, falling into deep thought. James leaned forward, grabbing the Alpha's attention.

"You said she was helping you. How?" The rogue probed seriously.

"One of our people has been taken. She's been helping her." Flint answered vaguely.

"The girl that needs the sedum?" Rose interjected.

"Yes." He nodded.

"She won't betray her brother. It goes against her character." Jim relaxed back into his seat.

"She hasn't done anything against him. She's just doing things for our pack member." Elijah replied stiffly.

"How often do they contact you?" Duncan interjected.

"Onyx writes us letters with no return address. They come every other week. She never mentions where they are or what the Shadow pack is doing." Rose responded.

"And Bastian?" Flint asked.

"He calls once a month, but not consistently. He usually just says he's busy." She answered.

"Since Onyx joined him four years ago, we've only seen him six times." Jim concluded.

"You said Onyx doesn't mention what the pack is doing. What does she write about?" Elijah glanced at the letter on the end table.

"She's finishing high school online, so she tells us about her classes and grades. She complains about Bastian's attitude in one sentence and takes up for him in the next. She talks about her friends without giving us any names or details." Rose sighed as she spoke.

"What are you going to do with this information?" Jim narrowed his eyes at the visitors watching him.

"I need the name of that green house in Sumpter. That's all." Flint stood.

Everyone followed suit, climbing to their feet.

"You won't hurt her, will you?" Rose made a bold show of eye contact with the Alpha.

"No. She's helping someone I care about." Flint replied.

"And Bastian?" Jim asked in a gruff, knowing tone.

"He's already dug his grave." Elijah answered firmly. "There's nothing we can do, or will do, to prevent him from falling into it."

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The trip back to GreenTree was tense. Everyone was deep in thought. Flint recognized the tea as the root of Bastian's insanity. That, coupled with the experiences of his parents deaths, would be enough to make any Lycan lose their mind. Still, the reasons didn't matter now.

All that mattered was what Bastian had done. He killed many StarLight members over the years in his quest to bring death to the Dolan family. He created a pack of rogues, breaking the laws of his exile. He killed a member of the other three packs on the range as well. Last year, he'd even had kidnapped Eve and hurt her. Before escaping his execution.

All these reasons were enough to make Flint and his wolf crave for Bastian's death. Yet, the thought of how long he'd had Eve in his captivity... The thought of him taking care of his mate and his growing pups for more than two month... It made the Alpha feel ravenous. As did the static that crept through his connection to Eve.

Flint was more than ready to go save his Luna, and he was closer than ever to being able to do just that.