“Beloved renowned warrior,” Aphid finished for her mate.
Kara felt her cheeks heat with a blush as she remembered the name Ember had given to her. “I don’t know about that, but I am thankful I held on. I’ve no doubt that I went through that for a reason, and not just her.” She placed a hand on her stomach. “The Great Luna made it clear that we never endure things just because. There is always a purpose. Maybe this is part of that purpose.”
“So if you tapped into the dark witch magic,” Aphid spoke up, “does that mean the witch power you have now is no longer light?”
Nick shook his head before she could even respond. “I would know. I would feel it through our bond.”
Kara took a minute to really consider Aphid’s question. She looked for the magic inside of her that Peri had managed to change from dark to light. She didn’t feel anything dark. All she saw was the bond between her and Nick, the bond that linked them both to their child and the witch magic that seemed to swirl around all of the bonds. It looked like glowing strands constantly dancing around the other bonds, as if it was protecting them. She looked at Nick and smiled, then addressed Aphid. “No. The magic is light. There’s no darkness in it.”
“So what does all of this mean?” Dalton looked at Jewel as he rested a hand on the back of her neck. “Since Kara used her witch power on her own, do you think that you two, without the other three healers, can utilize your power to contact the healer Cain has?”
Kara shrugged. “We won’t know until we try.”
“Why don’t you and Kara work on that”—Nick pointed between them and then motioned to him, Aphid, and Dalton—“and we will go check out this government compound and get the lay of the land.”
Dalton nodded. “Agree.”
“Okay.” Kara took a breath and ran her hands down her thighs. “You guys do your thing, and we will do ours.”
Nick stood and pulled her up beside him. He tugged her off to the side and took her face in his hands. His thumbs rubbed back and forth on her cheeks as he looked down at her. She could feel his conflicting emotions about leaving her but also needing to check out the safety of where they’d be going.
“I’m going to be fine.” She reassured him through their bond. This would be the first time they’d been separated since he’d brought her home. She wasn’t going to lie and say she was totally comfortable with it, but it was necessary.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. A firm, possessive kiss that she’d come to love. Nick didn’t just kiss her to show her affection. He kissed her to remind her that she was his and he was hers. Every time their lips touched, she felt every ounce of his emotions through their bond, and she reveled in it. He didn’t take it deeper, no doubt because they were in a room with others, but he did linger just a little longer than was probably considered appropriate. When he pulled back, he smiled and ran a finger across her lips. “I’ve no doubt you will be fine, yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiled back.
“If you please?” Aphid held out an arm to Nick and Dalton.
Nick ran his hand down Kara’s forearm, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He didn’t let go until he was forced to by the distance to reach the fae. With one last look, he winked, and then the males were gone.
“Do you have any idea what we should try to do?” Kara looked at Jewel.
“Maybe getting in touch with Peri would be a good place to start?”
Kara thought about it and then shook her head. “This is a healer thing. I think we should call the one that we know is the most powerful, even if she doesn’t have witch blood.”
Jewel smiled. “Sally.”
Kara nodded. “Exactly.”
Chapter
Seven
“If you ever feel your problems are too great that the only answer is to give up, remember this: surrender doesn’t just affect you. People—the people you care about most—are counting on you. Giving up might solve your problems for you—but only for a moment. Every moment after, you will realize how wrong you were. When you see others suffer, you will understand that taking the easy way wasn’t actually easy at all. You’ve only made it harder on everyone else.” ~Decebel
The hunting party jogged through the dark streets of New Orleans. Adam wrapped the shadows around them, not only to keep them from being seen by other supernaturals, but also to shield the enormous wolves from the prying eyes of humans. It wouldn’t do to have a mass panic because two gigantic beasts along with other supernatural beings running the streets of New Orleans. The city was used to the unexplainable, what with all the hauntings and the voodoo, but werewolves roaming the street in plain sight was likely a bridge too far, even for the most open-minded New Orleanian. There was a slight chill in the early spring air. Adam was thankful that his mate was a werewolf, and the cold wouldn’t bother her, though the idea of warming her up definitely had its appeal.
“Focus, mate.” Crina constantly held his attention, and he loved to hear her voice murmuring in his mind.
“I am focusing.” He sent her a grin through the bond, though the look of concentration on his face never wavered. “I’m focusing on the fine backside of the woman in front of me.” Adam felt her pleasure from his admiration through their bond. He loved that his mate was so playful. It wasn’t just the wolf in her, but Crina’s human side, as well. She was his perfect match.
“You think the backside of my wolf is ‘fine’?” She gave him a mental eye roll. “That’s a little much, even for you.” Her paws on the pavement were just as silent as his own footsteps, her movements graceful despite her large form.
“You’re beautiful in your fur, baby. But I should clarify that I’m focusing on my memory of your fine backside. I’m kinky, yes, but you’re right. Getting turned on by a wolf is a little too much.” He used the bond to send an image of his fingers running through her wolf’s pelt. In response, he felt her wolf’s pleasure at his touch.
“If you get us killed because you couldn’t keep your imagination under control, I will have Jen beat you with one of your decayed leg bones.”
