“I’d love to do some bloodwork.” Hollis sat at the far end of the table, watching them. “Until now, Finn was the only one to turn someone. I’m curious to see how her make-up will differ or mirror our own.”
Olivia nodded. “I’m fine with that—”
“No,” Mal interrupted. “Not yet.” Not with Ellen and Tess around. He didn’t know if Olivia’s blood held anything that would interest Cyrus, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to put a target on her back.
Hollis stared at Mal. “Why?”
Mal shrugged, looking first at Ellen then Tess. “I can think of a couple of reasons.”
Finn cleared his throat. “We have things to talk about.”
“We?” Anders asked, tossing his napkin onto his plate.
“The pack,” Finn clarified.
Dante rested his elbows on the table. “As long as it gets me out of clean-up duty.” He stood.
“I’ll take care of it,” Olivia offered, sliding from Mal’s lap before he could stop her.
“You’re part of the pack Olivia.” Finn’s announcement caused a slight reaction in the room, something Mal watched with interest.
Jessa, naturally, beamed at her mate.
Anders, Dante, and Hollis accepted Finn’s announcement with grudging acceptance. She was an outsider, Mal got that. But she had a right to be there—and information they’d find interesting.
Ellen stared at her hands, but there was a smile on her lips.
Tess glanced at Finn, confused.
“I’ll get Gentry and Brown to help me,” Jessa said. “Maybe Tess, too.” She glanced at the girl.
Tess smiled at Jessa, making something sharp and jagged settle in Mal’s stomach. He glanced at Ellen again, but she was ignoring him.
Dammit.
He didn’t want to talk to Ellen. She set his teeth on edge, made him hungry for a fight. Asking her questions, acknowledging she might be able to help him in any way, didn’t sit right. But neither did not knowing who the enemy was.
Hell, he refused to leave Jessa alone until both Brown and Gentry were with her. Tess’s response to her father was equally confusing. She treated him no differently than the rest of them, shying away from him, avoiding eye contact. If it was an act, she was good.
“Mal?” Olivia’s fingers threaded through his.
He led her to Finn’s office, pulling the door shut behind them.
“We might have an opportunity to catch Cyrus.” Finn’s statement caused absolute silence.
“We’ve spent the last ten years avoiding him.” Dante shook his head. “Now we’re going on the offensive? We don’t know how many Others there are—where they all are.”
“We don’t need to,” Finn argued. “If he’s out of the picture, they have no Alpha.”
“They have you,” Mal argued.
Finn shook his head. “I’m not aiming to increase my pack. Besides, killing Cyrus might undo all of this.”
“You weren’t made by Cyrus.” Hollis crossed his arms over his chest, rubbing his chin. “His pack might revert. But you exist. We exist. I don’t think that will happen. You would be their Alpha.”
“Back up.” Anders held up his hand. “Alpha or no, I’m all for killing the son of a bitch. How are we catching him?”
Finn looked at Olivia then. “We have a way to track him—to find out where he’s going and lie in wait. Olivia’s brother is working with Cyrus.”