The door handle turned.
Nina pulled it open first.
Rodrigo stood on the other side, his grey eyes locking onto hers in the space of a breath, and she immediately schooled her expression before it could betray anything.
"Alpha," she forced a smile. "You are leaving?"
He looked at her. His eyes moved across her face lingering for a second, then dropped once to the rise and fall of her chest before coming back up.
Nina could barely contain how frantic her heart was beating. She could feel sweat gathering at her temples from how intense his gaze was.
"No.'' he said, ''Come in," he stepped aside.
Nina walked past him, holding her breath.
The long dining hall came into view. Warm and candlelit, the long table at the center with the Alphas and their Lunas, the remnants of dinner still spread between them. Every head turned to her as she walked in.
She smiled at the table her eyes going through their faces.
"Luna." Hades rose slightly, his expression shifting into something that passed for concern. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thank you." She kept her voice easy. "I'm sorry for the disruption. I must have inhaled the dust of the place and the shock of it got to me."
"No need to apologize." Hades gestured toward the table. "The house has been locked for decades. No one has gone near it. Well... until now."
Rodrigo pulled out the chair beside his own. She sat down and he took his seat next to her.
All eyes on the table were on her, as though willing her to explain how she got into the house.
Nina said nothing.
Her hand extended to pick bread-
''Ten powerful witches sealed those doors, what could have opened it?'' an Alpha who sat across from her asked.
Nina's hands stilled on the bread for half a second, before she took it. Murmurs filled the table.
Nina swallowed a lump of bread.
''It must have worn down with time. It's been twenty years now.'' Another Alpha cut in.
''No,'' the first Alpha continued. ''Magic only gets stronger with time. Someone opened it.'' he said, his eyes glancing at Nina.
Her hands reached for her cutlery. Her gaze wandering.
How did she open them?
Rodrigo placed a plate of food in front of her. She looked at him, her lips parting.
Her eyes fell to his plate. It was empty.
The sound of his cutlery dropping cut through the discussions on the table.
''Alpha Elias,'' he called. ''Are you perhaps suggesting my wife did something?''
He asked, raising a brow.
Nina heard nothing else after the word. Wife.
Her gaze snapped to him. He just called her his wife, she quickly turned away.
''No... no, of course not.'' Elias said immediately.
''I was just looking out for her.'' He said. ''Those halls contained evil curses placed by Annalise. Your father may have incurred a curse after killing her, which probably caused... your Lunas to all die.''
Her hands tightened against her thighs beneath the table. The table was quiet. All eyes on her.
She kept her face still and reached for her cup and took a slow sip, and set it back down. If they were waiting for her to crack, they would wait a long time.
Rodrigo's face remained calm.
"Your father was part of the Alphas that killed Annalise," He said casually, "It is not unreasonable to assume the curse also followed him. You have no heir—"
The whole table became silent.
Elias' gaze darkened; ''How is that linked to this?''
"You should think before you speak," he added, his gaze fixed on Elias, "especially when you have nothing to support it."
Hades placed his cup down.
''Now, now. I do not mean to poke at the elephant in the room, but I think we have danced around this long enough.''
Rodrigo's gaze shifted to him.
"The book." Hades let the pleasantness drop from his voice, his gaze hardened. He glanced at the Alphas. "The Vothraki belongs to no single pack. Your father knew that. He planned to hand over the book to my brother before he died."
Nina held her breath.
So that was what the man had asked for in the vision.
Rodrigo was with the book?
Rodrigo blinked once.
"Why," he said quietly, lifting a brow. "do you think, I would hand over a book my father died protecting just because you asked?"
Hades' teeth worked. Murmurs filled the table.
''Alpha Rodrigo,'' Elias spoke, ''We are deeply saddened by the death of your father, but it has been fifteen years. You cannot hold onto the book any longer.''
Nina's fingers tightened around her fork.
The tension in the room tightened.
He leaned back on his chair, his head tilting to the side as he watched Elias.
"And if I give it to you," he said, almost idly, "do you have the earthstone to break the curse?"
Elias' jaw worked.
''We believe it would guide us to the location of the earthstone.''
A moment of quiet followed.
Then Rodrigo laughed.
Nina turned to him. The Alphas at the table had gone still.
He stopped abruptly, then raised a brow. ''A witch hides the location of the only thing that could undo the curse she placed, in a book which could be stolen?'' he asked. ''Do you see how that sounds?''
Elias' expression shifted, unease slipping in.
"For now, we need the book," he said, though the edge had dulled. "Bring it to us. We will find the stone."
"The book," Rodrigo said, "is exactly where it needs to be."
His gaze moved across the table, unhurried, measuring their faces.
"You should spend your energy searching where Annalise lived for the stone, not reaching for what is already found."
His eyes settled on Hades.
"Unless," he said, a pause stretching just enough, "there is another reason you want it."
Something flickered across Hades' face.
Gone almost instantly.
Nobody spoke.
Rodrigo pushed his chair back and stood.
He looked at Hades first. Then let his gaze move down the table, unhurried, touching each face once.
"The Hunt is a month away. I look forward to hosting you all at Vermont Pack," he said. "I trust our next meeting will be more... agreeable." A beat. "Condolences for your loss."
Hades' gaze held his for a moment. Then a small smile stretched the corner of his lips, and he dropped his gaze to his cup, and twirled the liquid.
Rodrigo held out his hand to Nina without looking at her.
Nina's eyes widened slightly. She glanced at the table, then placed her hand in his.
His grip closed around hers. Warmth spread through her fingers, up her wrist, and she felt her breath catch in her chest.
He didn't release her hand until they were back in the chambers, then slowly he let her go.
Rodrigo didn't move. Slowly he turned around.
''I'll ask you one last time,'' Nina froze. Her eyes growing wide.
''How did you get into that house?''