426 Beating the Drums of War

RETH

The silence after Charyn left was heavy. The Council didn't fault Reth, not exactly. But no one, including Reth, was comfortable about what had just occurred. 

Conversation slowly returned, the men discussing what could be expected from the wolves. But Reth's mind kept spinning back to Suhle. 

She had found her True Mate? But he was a wolf? And high enough in the rebel rankings to be careful to protect her, to deny the draw of the bond to save her from notice. 

The fact that she had taken Charyn's word that Reth sent the message... she wanted to go. Likely would have gone, anyway. But this... this let her go without Reth having to punish her as a traitor if she returned. That was one thing, the only thing in this shitshow that he could be grateful for.