Althea's lips parted slightly, but before she could say anything, her wolf's voice rippled through her mind, firm yet cautionary.
"Don't tell her, not yet." The voice was resolute, and it was a quiet command laced with urgency. "The Alpha must hear it first."
Swallowing the words that had nearly slipped past her tongue, Althea forced a smile, smoothing her expression into something unreadable. She then gave a small shake of her head, silently reassuring Esme that all was truly well, that she had nothing to worry about.
"I only wanted to speak to the Alpha," Althea said lightly, keeping her tone casual. "There's something I need to inform him about, and I also wanted to know if we'll be returning to the Damned anytime soon, since the boys are leaving tomorrow. That's all, but since he isn't available, I won't bother you."
Bowing her head politely, she turned to leave, but Esme's voice halted her.
"Althea."
