“What?” I asked, ignoring the food in front of me despite the way my stomach was growling.
Nikolai gave me an unreadable look. “Your friend asked for her own room.”
“What?”
“When we brought her food, she asked if there was a room available for her.”
I started to push back from the table.
“Sit down,” he told me softly.
My fingers curled around the smooth wood of the arms on my chair. “I need to see if Tate is okay.”
“She’s fine,” he assured me, reaching for his wine glass and taking a sip. “I’ve moved her into the room next to yours. It connects through a washroom.”
That wasn’t good enough. “I have to make sure she’s all right.”
“You need to eat,” he countered.
My eyes narrowed, irritation prickling my nerves. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
A fleeting smile crossed his face. “Last I checked, I am the Alpha and that’s exactly what I can do.”
“Nik,” Natasha murmured, her big blue eyes staring imploringly at him.
His gaze cut to her, hardening for a second before coming back to me. “You did just tell her about the death of her father, correct?”
I nodded, teeth clenched.
“She likely needs space right now. Time to sort out her emotions without prying eyes, no matter how well intentioned they are,” he went on, lifting his fork and knife to cut into his steak. Blood seeped out, pooling under the meat.
Admittedly, my mouth watered a little as my wolf and I scented the meat. It smelled freaking delicious, and I was starving.
“I still need to check on her,” I argued.
“Give her an hour to get settled, little wolf,” he continued calmly. “Eat your food while we discuss what we’re doing in the morning. You can check on her when you’re finished here.”
That didn’t sound like the worst plan, but I felt like a shitty friend. If Tate needed someone, I wanted to be there for her.
“Or you can go to your friend now,” Nikolai said with a shrug as he took a bite of food. “But you’ll miss us discussing what we plan to do with the traitor.”
I stiffened, my interest begrudgingly piqued. “Elias?”
He nodded, swallowing. “I plan to begin his interrogation in the morning. I assumed you would have questions of your own.”
“Damn right,” I ground out. “I want to be there.”
“Then sit. Eat. You’ll need your strength.” He flashed me a grin before forking a bite of whipped potatoes. “Tate isn’t going anywhere. You’ll see her soon enough, and your rooms connect so you’ll have direct access to her.”
Damn, he was convincing.
I slowly sat back down.
Nikolai watched me, waiting until I took my first bite of the steak before he started talking.
“Very well,” he said, smiling to himself. “Is there anything either of you can tell me about the Summit meeting that might help us?”
Dimitri sighed next to me. “Nothing that I haven’t already told you.”
Nikolai nodded, but the corners of his mouth turned down unhappily.
“I still want to know more about why he had that file on me,” I muttered darkly. I took another bite of the meat, biting back a groan of appreciation when it practically melted in my mouth. “And why the hell he would be helping someone like Damien Valois or my uncle.”
“Ah, yes.” Nikolai smiled again, but this time the effect was chilling and terrifying. “Your uncle. I have many questions for him as well.”
“Why?” I asked, trying to ignore the sudden pit in my stomach.
“Dimitri told me how your former pack operated,” Nikolai replied.
The food in my mouth soured. I had to wash it down with a gulp of water. “He did?” I turned my head to stare at Dimitri, trying to figure out exactly what he had said.
That all-too-familiar feeling of shame started to creep over me like a cursed blanket that always showed up no matter how many times I threw it away.
Dimitri cleared his throat, his eyes landing on me. “I told him about the allegations. There was talk of him abusing his role as Alpha, omegas were being treated poorly. It was why you and your mother left.”
Omegas being treated poorly?
That was the freaking understatement of the freaking year.
And Dimitri knew that. He had sat through the hearing where my mom, aunt, and cousin all gave video testimonies of the horrors that were a daily occurrence in Long Mesa. He had looked ready to kill my uncle and Preston when I told the Council some of the things they had done to me.
Dimitri knew a lot … and he clearly hadn’t shared all of those details with his father.
Our father.
I stared at Dimitri, trying to figure out his angle, but his face stayed completely calm.
“Anything you would like to add, Skye?” Nikolai asked, dragging my attention back to him. Suspicion lingered in his gaze. He knew we were hiding something.
“No,” I managed to get out. I pushed back from the table. “I’m actually really tired. It’s making me feel kind of sick.”
“Of course,” Natasha cut in smoothly, paving the way for my exit. “We shouldn't have planned such a heavy meal tonight. I’ll have crackers and ginger ale sent up to your room.”
“Thanks.” I smiled at her, making it a point to ignore Nikolai’s gaze.
“Why don’t I walk you to your room?” Dimitri offered, shoving back and standing up. He looked down at Nikolai. “Don’t want you getting lost.”
Nikolai nodded. “Of course. If Skye isn’t feeling well, she should rest.” He smiled at me, but he wasn’t buying my sudden discomfort as an upset stomach.
Even though thinking about Long Mesa and my testimony was giving me just that.
“Thank you. I’ll see you in the morning?” I frowned as I got up. “I really do want to be there when you talk to Elias.”
“Of course,” he repeated. “Sleep well, sweetheart.”
I followed Dimitri out of the room, waiting until we were upstairs and heading towards my room before I grabbed his arm and stopped him.
“What’s your game?” I demanded.
He looked down at my hand on his arm before meeting my gaze. “What game?”
I let him go, but inched closer, lowering my voice. “You know exactly what happened in Long Mesa. Why didn’t you tell him?”
“Because it’s not my story to tell,” he replied after a beat. “It’s yours, and your mom’s, if you want to tell him.”
“So, you just told him Linden was a shitty Alpha? And he wanted you to bring him all the way to Russia to question him about being a bad leader? That Summit was full of awful men. You didn’t bring any of them for him to interrogate.”
Dimitri sighed. “Dad isn’t stupid, Skye.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I was … Fuck, I was furious for you and your mom and the others I had never met that suffered. What Linden did was fucked up,” he said fiercely, eyes blazing.
“I’m well aware,” I muttered, shaking my head as I wrapped my arms around my waist, hugging myself.