"You must be wanting to rest," Flora said quickly, her voice a pitch too high. "And Noah looks sleepy, too. That’s why I thought I should go." She forced a smile, a thin mask intended to hide the hollow feeling in her chest. She couldn’t let Amelie see how much she was struggling.
"Noah isn’t going to sleep just yet. He took a nap while I was eating," Amelie replied, her eyes scanning Flora’s face with quiet intuition. "But if you need to rest, I won’t stop you."
Noah, sensing the shift in the room, tilted his head back against Amelie’s lap. He fixed his wide, curious eyes on Flora and pouted his tiny lips. With a slow, clumsy wave of his hand, he made a beckoning gesture, silently asking her to come closer.
The sight melted the last of Flora’s resolve. "I’m not sleepy yet," she admitted, sinking back onto the edge of the bed. She couldn’t say no to Amelie. To steady herself, she shifted the subject back to the threat. "Should I call Zander? Maybe I should ask if Alex’s parents somehow made it back into the pack."
"Zander would never allow them to cross the border," Amelie pointed out in confidence. "He knows what they are. I’m certain they contacted you from somewhere outside the pack territory."
"Then who could have possibly helped them?" Flora murmured, the question hanging heavy in the air.
"Well, we’re going to find out," Amelie said firmly. She carefully shifted Noah’s weight into Flora’s arms; Flora adjusted her hold immediately, cradling him with instinctive care. Amelie reached for her phone on the bedside table and scrolled through her contacts until she found Denzel’s name.
"Amelie!" Denzel’s voice chirped brightly from the other end.
"Hi! How are you doing? Are you still here in the capital, or did you head back to San Ravendale?"
"I’m in the capital. Karmen asked me to head back this afternoon, so I just got in. Is everything alright?" Denzel asked, his tone shifting as he sensed the tension in her voice.
"Flora just received a call from Alex’s mother," Amelie explained. "She was asking questions about Noah. Can you check on their whereabouts? I need to know where they are staying these days."
"What? That shouldn’t even be possible," Denzel blurted out, clearly stunned. "Alex’s parents are living under heavy watch and their conditions are worse than slaves. I’ll look into this right away."
"Thanks, Denzel," Amelie said, exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She lowered the phone as the line went silent.
"Denzel is on it," Amelie stated, turning back to her sister. "Let’s see what he finds out."
~~~~
Gabriel and Dominick stepped into the palace late that evening, long after the sun had dipped below the horizon. The journey had been grueling. A sudden, violent storm had forced them to seek shelter mid-way before they could safely get their jet back into the air.
They bypassed their own quarters and went straight to the main hall. It seemed the entire family had been gathered together, anticipating their return only.
As they entered, every eye dropping to the object Gabriel held in his hand.

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