Insight

Jay, Skylar, and ben sat on the couch across from three chairs. Seated there were Elijah, Flint, and Duncan. Joshua sat on the end of the line in his wheelchair, as if he were somehow a neutral party.

"You haven't told us anything." Jay stated after Duncan's ambiguous responses to his questions.

"That's all there is to tell you." Flint replied.

"No. That's all he's cleared to tell me." The GraySky Alpha stated knowingly. "I want the real story. And I want it now."

"You know the story. Luna Eve was kidnapped after the Calling by the leader of a small group of rogues. He's the one that killed our men that night." Joshua answered.

Flint was staring at the wall behind them. His mind was elsewhere. He really wanted to watch the camera feed of the cabin again. He had to actively fight against the urge.

"You stopped searching the valley long before us. You knew Evie wasn't there." Skylar interjected calmly. "We simply want to know whatever you do about her whereabouts."

"Your searches were escalating. We pulled out to reduce the chances of deaths and exposures." Elijah replied.

"Flint." Jay drew the other Alpha's gaze.

The sight of his glowing, cyan eyes was agitating for Flint. Jay wore a serious expression. He had the confidence of a man who knew he could move mountains. Even if he also knew Flint would win in a fight against him.

"Just say it." Jay stated bluntly.

The room grew silent as the men examined one another. Flint remained pensive. The more people who knew about Eve, the less control he would have over the situation. He would have preferred to say nothing. Jay eventually grimaced, cursing.

"I warned her about you. You know I did." He growled. "If only Evie could see you now. You think she'd want you to shut us out? You think she'd want my mother to cry for hours every day? No! She'd want you to tell us what you know!"

Flint's jaw tightened as his wolf began snarling in his mind. Eve was his mate and his responsibility. The beast didn't care for anyone else's involvement. In his mind, she belonged to him. Only to him. Flint was her family now, just as she was his.

"Don't tell me what my mate would want." He spoke slowly through clenched teeth.

"We should all take a breath." Joshua interjected in a calming tone.

"No." Jay stood, bringing Flint to his feet as well. Their gazes remained locked. "You're the one that lost her. The least you could do is answer to her family."

A rumbling growl emerged from Flint's chest. Power radiated off of him as he clenched his fists. He was barely containing his inner wolf. The beast wanted out, yearning to release his aggression.

"Boy..." Elijah tried to get his son's attention, to no avail.

"You want to know where she is?!" Flint's deep voice boomed off the walls.

He picked the remote off the coffee table and turned on the television. The video stream of the cliff flickered on. He pointed at the screen angrily.

"There. She's there." He growled.

Ben stood and examined the screen with wide eyes. Skylar and Jay were both staring at the cabin with blank expressions. They didn't know what to think or how to react.

"I trusted your entire family with my daughter." Ben spoke in a low tone. "I expected you to guard her, protect her. She was my youngest child, the pup of our family. I can still see her... Sitting on the porch in pigtails, with her nose in a book and a smile on her tiny face."

As he spoke, Flint looked at him. There was no animosity in his expression. Only bottomless worry and steadfast determination. Ben was speaking the truth, and everyone in the room knew it. They could feel it.

"My baby girl. My Evie..." He breathed, turning to face the StarLight Alpha. "What's happening, Flint? The truth this time."

Everyone looked at Flint, who stared at his mate's father. Silence reigned for a few seconds. Everyone was anticipating his response anxiously.

"The Alpha power that my family has gathered threatened her life, when we found out she was pregnant. Then she was taken." He explained slowly. "The rogue that took her has a temporary solution to it. I know where she is, but I can't get her. Not yet."

"The generational power." Skylar stated. "It stopped me from having children. They would have been too strong. I'm surprised you were struggling with this and never mentioned it."

"You didn't have the solution I needed. SilverCrest did. Now, we're just waiting for the cure to be useable. Then I will get her back." Flint replied.

"GraySky will help retrieving her. Tell me where she is." Jay sat back down.

"I can't do that." The Alpha shook his head.

"Why?" Ben, too, retook his seat.

"If the rogues that have her catch you lurking around, they'll move her. Then I won't be able to save her, when I do get the cure. If you take her too early, or get involved in any conflict with them, her life is in danger. I won't risk that." Flint stated definitively.

"When you have this 'cure', you'll need help. Then you'll notify us." Skylar nodded.

"No." Flint shook his head.

"Why the hell not?" Jay threw his hands up, exasperated.

The Alpha looked at Joshua, who cleared his throat. Everyone's gaze shifted to him.

"GraySky has been overly involved in this matter, already." The elder stated.

"Overly involved?" Jay's face contorted angrily.

"Yes, Alpha. GraySky is being strained by threats from rogues. These were brought on by the searches for StarLight's Luna. To ask them to risk their lives to save her, while under threat from their efforts to find her... It could drive a wedge between you and your pack."

Joshua met Skylar's gaze as he explained. He knew the elder would understand his reasoning.

"Why don't you let me worry about my pack?" Jay growled.

"Listen to him." Ben sighed.

Jay rolled his eyes but he looked to Flint once more, waiting for more information.

"My reputation amongst StarLight is no secret. You've heard it. You know what it is." Flint commented. "You want to be in my position? They'll question your rationality and temperament, then your loyalty, then you'll lose their support all together."

"I-" Jay was silence by Skylar's hand on his arm.

"She's still our family." Skylar met Flint's eyes seriously.

"I know. You're forgetting, she's my family too. My mate." Flint replied evenly.