I stared at her, stunned for a moment.  The connection she shared with all pack members could backlash and kill her?  What a scary risk. Then again, putting so much control into one person was a risk, too.  If there weren’t some kind of check and balance, they could grow into a power-hungry Blake.

“So, because you can’t inspect his mind, you don’t know his intentions?”

“He’s been waiting for three years.  He has studied with each of us. We’ve tested him in many ways; but we haven’t been able to inspect his mind.  We can touch areas of it, just like I was able to with the two that appeared last night, but not all of it.  And just like the two that appeared, he can choose to ignore a direct command.”

“So, if he’s an Elder, he might be able to control them?” I wondered.

“He might.  Or, he may die taking the oath,” Sam said.

Werewolves were getting more complex.  Everything I knew about them whirled in my mind.

The Forlorn were on their own, controlled only by Elders, but in some cases even Elders weren’t able to communicate with them.  The pack leaders controlled pack members.  Through the pack leaders, the members were then fully open to the Elders.  Due to the oath Elders took, pack members indirectly controlled them.

One important question swirled in the center of my mental hurricane.  Where did that leave special people like me?

According to Nana, all werewolves wanted us, most protected us, but we answered to none of them.  We were part of their lives but not held to their rules.  Even the Claiming was different for us.  They couldn’t choose us.  We had to choose them.  There had to be a reason for these differences.

Charlene brought us back on track.

“We can decide this later.  Right now, we need to finalize the trip.  I still think it’s too dangerous for Michelle, even with an Elder along.  No offense intended, Grey.”

Grey winked at Charlene but remained quiet.

Dropping my gaze to the table, I considered their condition that I didn’t go near the house and the impracticality of it.  I still thought Blake would only speak to me; but, even with the stipulation, the plan achieved my goal.  I would be closer to Blake and further from my well-protected brothers.  Going to Wisconsin put me in a better position to learn more about Blake’s real plans and would hopefully keep Blake away from Liam and Aden.

“I think it’s worth the risk,” I said quietly.

“All right,” Thomas said, standing.  “The flight leaves at 10 a.m.  We’ll see you at breakfast.”

So soon?  I felt a little tug in my chest as everyone else stood.  While Grey and Carlos left with Nana and Sam, talking about someone named Joshua, I wondered how I’d actually bring myself to leave Liam and Aden.

Charlene must have read something in my expression because she stood when I did and moved to hug me.  I accepted the gesture of comfort without thinking.

As soon as she touched me, the room faded.  This time when I flew through the darkness toward the growing white glow, I prepared myself to focus.  I was determined to look for two things: the outcome of the confrontation with Blake and the safety of my brothers during that confrontation.  If anything looked off, I’d back out of the trip immediately.

The white room closed around me, and I quickly looked about.  Each image flew out of the way as soon as I decided I didn’t want to view it, and a new one crowded forward.  It was like flipping through a book.  Most images I barely gave a cursory glance.

I didn’t find any starring Blake but did see the one of Emmitt and me.  As I focused on it, it started to play again and distracted me from my purpose.  I had complete control of it, rewinding or forwarding through the scene.  Before I bit him, however, the room blinked out of existence.

My consciousness returned just in time to see Charlene crumple toward the floor.  Thomas’s quick reflexes saved her from a complete fall.  He gently laid her down.  I attempted to kneel beside her, but Emmitt caught me by my arms.

“No,” Emmitt said, pulling me back from my semi-crouched position.

Thomas already knelt beside Charlene, tapping her cheek and calling her name.

“What happened?” I asked Emmitt.

“One minute she was hugging you, the next she started breathing funny and fainted.  Did you have another vision?  You had that same look.”

“Yes.  No.”  I stared worriedly at Charlene’s prone form.  “It was different.  I think my ability is changing again, but I don’t know how or why.  I think I did that to her,” I said to Emmitt in quiet fear.

On the floor, Charlene started coming to.

“No, it’s just part of my gift,” she assured me calmly as Thomas helped her up.  “I’ll tell you about it some other time.  You need to go spend time with your brothers.  I’m fine.”

She didn’t look fine.  She looked pale and shaky as she moved to sit on a chair.

Emmitt gave my hand a quiet squeeze of assurance.  I squeezed back.  Had I almost killed his mom?

“She’s stronger than she looks,” Thomas said to both of us.

“She’s still here and listening,” Charlene said with a roll of her eyes, and I felt a little relieved.

Emmitt moved as if to leave, but Thomas stopped us.

“Michelle, could I have a moment with you? Privately?”

Emmitt scowled at his father but left, closing the door softly behind him.  Charlene remained, and I stayed by the door, waiting.

Thomas rested a hand on the back of Charlene’s chair, opened his mouth several times, but didn’t say anything.  This was the first time I’d seen him look anything but confident and calm.

Charlene gave a snort at his prolonged silence.  It seemed to motivate him.  He gave her a look and ran his hand through his hair—a gesture I’d seen his son do numerous times.

“I wasn’t sure what to do about sleeping accommodations.  Jim mentioned Emmitt stayed with you last night, and I was wondering if you wanted one room or connecting rooms.”

Heat flooded my face, and I wished I could disappear.

“I wouldn’t mind if we shared a room,” I said truthfully, hoping they wouldn’t think poorly of me.  “I’d feel safer.”

Thomas nodded and moved to leave, but Charlene stopped him with a slight clearing of her throat.

“Two beds, then?” she asked politely.

I nodded, relieved she didn’t assume the worst.  Sleeping next to Emmitt after I had the bad dream, and again at the Compound, had been nerve-wracking, yet completely wonderful, experiences; but I didn’t want to get into the habit of sharing a bed.  I had Liam and Aden to think of.

She winked at me.  “I know how male minds work.  If you don’t clarify, they’ll weasel their way under the covers and have you believing it was your idea.”  Thomas snorted but didn’t deny the accusation.  “We raised Emmitt to be a good boy.  Set your boundaries, and he’ll respect them.  But like any werewolf, he’ll look for loopholes,” she said with a laugh.

“Are you done?” Thomas said to his wife with an arched brow.  She smiled at him sweetly and stood to plant a light kiss on his lips.  He huffed a sigh and shook his head at her.

She turned back toward me.  “You’ll learn.”  She added with another wink and led Thomas to the door.

I let them step out first.  I needed that extra moment to cool my blush.

Emmitt waited for me in the hall.  After a small wave goodbye to Charlene and Thomas, he and I walked slowly back to our apartment.  We didn’t talk about anything since we were out of the secured meeting room.  Instead, he just reached over to hold my hand.  I willingly surrendered it.

That night, to Emmitt’s disappointment, I slept snuggled between my brothers.  In Aden’s sleep, he tangled his fingers through my hair.  Somehow, he knew something bad was coming.