Chapter 403

XENOIS

"Then we'll reassess your imprisonment," I said. "Possible parole, possible exchange, possible permanent imprisonment. Depends on your level of cooperation and what happens in the final confrontation."

"Fair enough," Lazarus said. "For what it's worth, Alpha Xenois—you did what you needed to do. Jerome respects strength. The fact that you were willing to torture prisoners to protect your pack? He'll hear about that. And it might actually make him reconsider his assessment of you as weak."

"I don't care what Jerome thinks of me," I said.

"You should," Lazarus advised. "Because Jerome's next move will be influenced by his perception of your capabilities. If he thinks you're...