“Prick,” Virgil muttered while carrying me through the doorway.
Catcher was trotting too close in front, and Virgil tripped over him. The wolf yelped when we sailed forward. Virgil somehow did a midair spin right before crashing on top of Melody, who had lunged to grab me. We tumbled to the ground in a heap, Melody and Catcher cushioning the fall.
“Are you okay?” Virgil grunted.
I was lying belly up on top of them. “I think so.”
Virgil made a plaintive sound. “Something’s poking me in the ass.”
While crawling out from beneath us, Melody’s hair had come halfway out of her ponytail. She rubbed her face where a bottlecap had stuck to her cheek.
From the bottom of the pile, Catcher’s tail thumped. My shoe slipped off when I sat up and assessed the ludicrous scene. “Maybe I should try walking on my own two feet. It might be safer that way.”
Virgil grimaced as he pulled his arm out from beneath me and sat up. “Can you fit in the car?”
“She didn’t gain three hundred pounds since we got here,” Melody fired back.
I laughed at the four of us rolling around. Poor Catcher looked discombobulated after he wriggled free.
Once we untwisted ourselves, I glanced at the door. “I can’t believe Hamish had the gall to invite me into his pack. Can you imagine?”
Melody stood up. “He made Mercy an offer once, before she got together with Bear. Something tells me women aren’t eager to join his posse, and he’s getting desperate to keep the men from leaving.”
Another cramp hit me, and I cradled my belly. Catcher licked my face and neck before barking impatiently at Virgil.
Once it passed, I clutched Virgil’s arm while he helped me up. “I’m scared. I can’t do this without Milly.”
“We’ll find her,” Melody promised. “Don’t worry. Tak will fly her back home if he has to.”
Virgil snorted. “Good luck. Something tells me that woman looks forward to her vacations.” He put his arm around me. “Don’t worry, sugarplum. You’re in expert hands. Tak oncepulled a foal out of a horse. He said it got stuck and he had to turn it around.”
Melody slapped the back of his head. “Don’t tell her stuff like that! Joy, don’t listen to him.” She flanked me from the other side as they walked me to the car. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ve seen this on TV lots of times. Just breathe. Don’t forget to breathe.”
“How do you forget to breathe?” Virgil asked as we crossed the parking lot. “What we need is hot water. Lots of hot water.”
While the two of them bantered, I dwelled on Hamish’s question. Could Salem handle a risky delivery? He used to work in emergency medicine, but he didn’t have experience with Shifters in labor. Was it a baby or a wolf that was coming out? What if it shifted during labor? Was it turned the right way? What if there were complications?
Atticus, please be okay. Please come home. I need you.
Chapter 28
Atticus waited by the truck while a cold mist frosted his long-sleeved black shirt. They were staying in a cheap motel just northeast of Little Rock. The previous night had been a long one. After checking in, they located the homes of the two employees scheduled to be off during the attack. Though he felt nothing for these people, a quiet relief came over him to know that neither had family. He had instructed his employees not to hurt anyone who wasn’t on the list, and any family would have their memories scrubbed. At least now that was no longer a concern.
For hours they explored the town, memorizing the roads and observing nocturnal activities. Were there cops hanging around? Speed traps? Locals who went out at night? Hunters? Packs or other Breeds? An Air Force base was nearby. Since discretion was key, they didn’t go inside any stores, which might have security cameras. Immortals in small towns took notice of interlopers. When it got too late, Krys skipped dinner and went back to the motel.
While Lucian had given them a satellite image of the building, there were a lot of unknowns. Most of the roadswere long and winding, homes located right off them instead of tucked deep in suburban neighborhoods. They couldn’t afford to be careless, so they chose a motel a decent distance away. That morning Krys slept in, then had pizza delivered to the room for an early lunch. Instead of driving around in the daylight, they stayed put and discussed different plans to get inside the building.
The only thing that gave him comfort was that no one running an illegal laboratory would be foolish enough to set up their operation in Shifter territory. Packs were inherently nosy about newcomers.
Atticus reclined his head and gazed up at the low clouds. The daytime was a harsh experience with bright contrast and blinding colors, but the night—that was when his perception of the world came alive. He drew in a breath of earthy pine and listened to the insects trilling. While most saw nothing but washed-out tones and dark shadows, the colors he perceived with his Vampire eyes were hypnotic.
When he heard toenails clicking on asphalt, Atticus faced the wooded area. Despite their introduction having gone over without any violence, Krys’s wolf bared his teeth and growled.
Atticus assessed him closely. Humans could be reasoned with; animals could not.
The brown wolf snarled before it shifted to human form, his menacing expression never changing. Krys prowled toward him naked.
“Feel better?” Atticus inquired.
