Neo was a little nervous as he and Gwen made their way the short distance down the hall to his sister’s office. She had sounded more confused than angry over the phone, so he wasn’t too worried.

“Is she waiting for us?” Neo said to Rachel, who looked up as they approached her desk.

“She is. Go on in.” She waved them past.

Neo pushed the door open and held it for Gwen, then followed her to find Teya sitting behind her desk, studying a small stack of papers in front of her. “You wanted to see us?”

“I did.” Teya looked up at the two of them for a moment. “Have a seat.” She took a deep breath then continued. “I had a strange call a little while ago. Now I’m going over the treaty draft you sent and I’m confused.” Teya was looking at Gwen.

“What is it? I’d be happy to make anything you like clearer.”

“It’s not anything in the treaty, as far as I can see. It’s something that’s missing.”

Gwen frowned.

Neo suspected the call had been from Gwen’s alphas about the clause only they and Ellis were supposed to know about.

“What’s not there?” Neo asked.

“Let me back up a moment,” Teya leaned back in her chair and watched the two of them as she spoke. “The call was to ask me why I was asking for ‘replacement persons.’ It made no sense. When I convinced her to slow down, I understood what she was saying, but I was confused as to why she thought I was asking for it. Not that I admitted I hadn’t requested it. Now, looking at the treaty, there’s no mention of it.” She looked from Neo to Gwen and back for a moment. “Care to explain?”

Neo took a deep breath and opened his mouth, but Gwen spoke before he could.

“Before I explain, can I ask who you spoke with?”

“Rhiannon, why?”

“It was my idea,” Gwen said. “One of my bodyguards insisted on attending the meeting this morning. I didn’t think much about it until lunch time, and then he was behaving oddly. I began to suspect he was only there to make sure I did what Rhiannon and Grigor requested, and that he was reporting back to one or both.” Gwen paused and took a deep breath. “While we were at lunch, I asked Neo to make a request to be added to the treaty. One we hadn’t already discussed, and something that should be cleared with my alphas before being added, the replacement thing was what he asked for.

“I added the request to the treaty without checking with my alpha, then moved on. A few minutes later, Ellis excused himself, claiming he needed to use the facilities. While he was gone, I deleted the addition. I never had any intention of leaving it there, the only purpose was to prove he was spying.” Gwen took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “I’m disappointed to find out it’s true. I was hoping I was wrong.” Gwen’s shoulders fell, and she seemed to deflate. Seeing her like this made Neo’s heart ache. 

“I see,” Teya watched them both a moment longer. “So how does this change things for you?”

“It doesn’t. It just proves I have no reason to go back. I’ve already talked to Neo about moving here to be with him. I worked hard to be trusted to do this job. I’m disappointed to realize they didn’t trust me after all.” Gwen fell silent for the space of several heart beats. “Are you still willing to let me join your clan?” Her voice held mixed notes of desperation and hope, making Neo want to pull her into his arms, but he resisted. This wasn’t the time or place.

“I am. I have a couple ideas about where I want to put you, but we’ll worry about that later.”

“Put me?”

“Positions in the Fraction. Jobs I think you would do well at.”

“Oh.”

“For now though, give me a chance to review this,” Teya tapped the treaty in front of her, “and talk to your alphas. Once the treaty is in place and official, then we’ll figure out the details of your move.”

“Sounds good.” Gwen smiled for the first time since they’d entered the room. It was a nervous smile, but it was something, making Neo feel better.

Teya looked up, meeting Neo’s gaze before turning toward Gwen. “Have you thought about hiring someone to pack everything and ship it over? About not going back at all?”

“I have.”

Neo turned to Gwen, surprised.

Gwen was shaking her head. “As tempting as it is, it would also be cowardly. As if I couldn’t face the people there.” Gwen took a deep breath and held it for a moment. “As much as I would like to, it would feel too much like cowardice, and I wouldn’t be able to hold my head up if I let myself hide out here.”

Neo’s heart swelled, and he fell just a little more in love with her.

“I understand.” Teya said with a nod. “I would feel the same way.” She eyed Gwen for a moment. “Does your sense of honor mean you have to make the trip alone, or would you like some company?”

Gwen blinked several times, as if processing Teya’s words before responding. “I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t see why I need to be alone, but I would never ask.” She turned away, Neo thought it was to keep him from seeing something she couldn’t keep off her face.

He wanted to comfort her, to reassure her without making a big deal about having seen the uncertainty on her face. He reached over and laid one hand on her leg. Within seconds, some of the tension drained from her. Gwen covered his hand with hers and leaned back in her seat, more at ease.

“You’re not asking if I offer to give Neo time off so he can make the trip with you. Maybe I’ll offer a couple others the chance to see a little bit of the world if they go with you and help you with the details.”

“Oh, no. You don’t need to send people to help me move,” Gwen started protesting as soon as the words were out of Teya’s mouth. Neo’s sister stopped her with a look.

“When’s the last time you moved?”

“Um...” Gwen’s voice trailed off.

“You’re still living in the same home your guardian left you more than fifty years ago. There will be more to moving here than you realize. I can send a couple people with you, people who will know how to handle details that will just bog you down and make this harder.”

Gwen seemed to wilt. “You’re right. It’s going to be more than just boxing up a few things and selling a flat. I don’t have the faintest clue where to start, other than shipping the things I want to keep here, of course.”

“That’s all right. It’s not your strong point. You have others and believe me, I will make use of them.” Teya’s smile turned friendly. “In time, I’ll figure out just what all your strengths and weaknesses are. Don’t worry though, I rarely use them to torture people.”

Gwen opened her mouth to reply, then stopped and frowned, as if she’d just registered what Teya said. She blinked then laughed, shaking her head. “I’ll have to get used to this. You don’t behave as I am used to an alpha behaving.”

“We are a little different around here,” Teya chuckled. “But part of that is because while I will be your alpha, I will also be family, and family is special.”

“That it is. I haven’t had a family in a long time.” Gwen’s tone turned sad, and Neo squeezed her leg where his hand still sat on her thigh, making her look at him. “What?”

“We have each other now. We will never be alone again.” He couldn’t help the sadness that washed through him when he thought about how lonely she must have been. How hard it had to have been for her since her uncle passed away.

“Give me a bit to look this over and see if any changes need to be made, then I’ll be in touch.” Teya fell silent for a few seconds as she glanced down the page in front of her, then looked back up at them. “What are your plans for this evening?”

Neo looked at Gwen, who shook her head. “We don’t have any, why?”

“Let me make a couple calls, maybe I can put something together. I’ll be in touch.”

Neo knew they had been dismissed and stood, pulling Gwen up beside him.

“Send Rachel in on your way out, please.” Teya called as they headed for the door.

Neo waved one hand to let her know he’d heard, then followed Gwen out of the office.