“What was wrong?” I called in my brother-in-law because the cataloging system he’d built for the Public Mythic Library was creating double records of some books.
“Titles starting with ‘the’ were listing twice.The History of Water BeastsandHistory of Water BeastscommaThe. My fault. Now they list the second way.”
“You’re my favorite werewolf.”
Jack throws me a smirk. “I?—”
He freezes, his eyes going pure black.
And I don’t need to ask him why because I spy white tendrils of light—the same emotional spike he felt—radiating from the front of the house.
Ame is afraid.
Jack launches up, leaving the office chair spinning in his wake as he sprints to the front door, me on his heels. When we burst out onto the porch, the wolf keeps going. Meanwhile, I stumble to a stop, horrified by the sight in front of me.
A Mercedes is parked in the gravel lot. A couple climbs out in tandem—the woman short with pinup curves and shoulder-length blonde hair, the man tall and lithe with a head of dark red hair. They look the same as when I last saw them.
Ame stands as still as the statues in the garden, her face as pale as the fear in her aura.
“What’s wrong, Ame?” Jack growls the words as he enfolds his mate in a protective embrace.
“They’re here,” she murmurs, eyes wide and locked on the couple, all blood leeched from her cheeks.
“Who?” Jack’s question is low and urgent. “Who are they?”
“Our parents,” I say so she doesn’t have to. Regaining my ability to move, I jog down the stairs and try to figure out how to make Helena and Alistair leave and never come back.
Why the hell are they even here?
The Shelly parents seemed perfectly content up in Maine.
Those wards really must be malfunctioning.
“Girls. Look at you.” My mother gives each of us a distracted smile as her attention flicks to the house behind me.
The library.
Full of magical knowledge. Endless spells.
“Morgana. Amethyst.” Our father’s focus stays on us, his grin charming. He’s very good at endearing people to him. A skill Anthony inherited, though my brother is also a decent person.My father is missing something fundamental at his core. “It’s been too long.”
“Why are you here?” The question comes in a hard snap from Jack.
He only ever interacted with the Shelly parents as a cat, but he knows plenty about their version of child raising.
Alistair tilts his head. “What a rude creature you are.” Unaware of the danger he’s in, my father saunters closer. “I’m allowed to see my daughters whenever I wish. Who are you to question that?”
“My mate,” Ame pipes up, her voice strung tight. “This is Jack. He’s my mate.”
Alistair frowns and glances toward our mother, but she’s too focused on the library to notice. “Why didn’t you contact us when you were looking for a mate?”
Gods, like she was shopping for a life partner.
“Because you’re not a part of her life,” Jack states, his voice sharp as cracked ice. He glances down at my sister, his voice gentling with his next words. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”
Ame shakes her head.
He turns his attention to me, and I’m surprised by his next question.
