The Skin Walker

25 | Zoloto

"I know it won't work like that."

I know it won't work Gracie Abrams

R U T H

The week passed in a blur; day after day filled with heart-racing anticipation for the next murder. None came. Not yet, not while the act of exile was still fresh amongst the pack.

Talk about Rueben's reputation floated within the walls of the Pack House, and if it was starting to get better since I'd arrived, that effort seemed to have been for nothing. No one dared to leave their homes, not even when Rueben was absent.

Most of his time was spent in his office, tracking down private investigators from a pack in Slovenia. Adrastea, a pack residing in the vast mountainside of Slovenia, was reluctant to communicate with Rueben. Evelyn and Maeve tried to catch me up on the details of their years-long conflict.

Everything linked back to the Galilean War.

Zephaniah, the Alpha of Slovenia, who I'd last seen at the Lupas Festa, usually stayed in New York for business. I knew nothing of his work, but I knew that he was the closest Alpha around from the Galilean Moon packs.

"And what of Amaris?" Reese inquired from across the lounge room, sitting forward with his forearms resting on his knees.

While Rueben was exchanging calls and meeting with other members of the pack in his office, Ander and Reese had accompanied the twins and I in the lounge, where we discussed ways we could help Rueben assemble allies.

"She's been missing since the war," Ander sighed. "There's been no evidence of her presence in years. If she was ruling Callisto, we'd know. She's got a memorable curse."

"Not that she can control it," Mae spoke with pity in her eyes. "None of them can."

The Cursed Children of the Moon. They ruled their own packs now, each stepping in line as the past generation stepped down.

"If we knew anything about Ganymede, anything at all, we'd be at an advantage," Reese murmured, staring at a spot on the floor as he thought of the options.

Ander's shoulders tensed as he stared at the ceiling, and I knew by now that he had an idea.

"I should go out to Egypt and bring some warriors with me. I've got Ganymede blood in my veins; I could try to sense them, or sense where they've gone to - if anyone is still alive," He finally blurted out in a rush.

Mae's face lit with approval while Eve gulped.

"We can't rule out the possibility that they're gone. What if they're in hiding until someone, like you, goes to their land and they start to attack? They were the most impacted by the war. I'm sure they've got something vicious planned, and you'd get hurt if you go," Eve moved around uncomfortably in her spot next to Ander.

He took a second to consider her words, but Reese shook his head.

"No, we can't. Eve's right. We have no idea what kind of strength they've gained in the last decade, or what their heir to the throne has in store for the rest of us," He said.