Callon’s head whipped toward the shaman, his eyes narrowing dangerously. A low growl rumbled in his throat. Lola quickly stepped between the two men before her mate decided Nico was encroaching on his territory.
“Whoa there, big guy,” she murmured. Turning her back deliberately to Nico, she wrapped her arms around Callon’s waist and peered up at him beseechingly. “That’s a superthoughtful offer, but you know how picky I am about brands. Remember my motion sickness on the plane?” Had she had motion sickness? She couldn’t remember. Lola mentally face palmed herself. She hoped she wasn’t going to have to keep up some silly charade every time it actually was her time of the month. She forced an abashed smile. “I’m just high maintenance like that.”
Pride mollified, Callon relaxed his threatening posture. His response was for Lola’s ears alone, and he leaned down to whisper. “No other male is permitted to see to your needs.Ialone provide for my mate.”
Lola hid her smirk against his chest. She made a note to tease him about the fact that he was even possessive of the right to buy her tampons. Crisis averted. Now she just had to seal the deal on postponing their departure.
Right on cue, her stomach let out a loud gurgle. Lola pressed both hands to her middle and bent over with a pained hiss. “Uggh, cramp city. You all go ahead. I need to find a place to sit for a bit.”
She made it two steps toward a rickety-looking bench before Callon intercepted her. “Allow me to assist you,” he rumbled, glaring at the others as if daring them to approach. Lola wasn’t sure if she should laugh or roll her eyes.
Instead, she leaned heavily on his supportive frame, hamming up her “pain.” They were almost home free. But the demon’s voice gave her pause.
“This sudden onset of feminine issues seems to be having the effect of delaying our departure,” he remarked. Raphael eyed Lola shrewdly as she limped down the dock, leaning on Callon. “If one was an untrusting sort, he might assume you meant to hinder our departure intentionally.”
Lola grimaced.Damn demon. Thinking fast, she shot him a pleading look over one shoulder. “I just need twenty minutes fora hot pad and the Midol to kick in. We can at least wait that long, right?” Batting her eyelashes pitifully, she allowed Callon to help her sit down.
Once seated, Callon crouched down in front of her and eyed her uncertainly. “Does my mate truly suffer this painful cycle each month?”
Lola swallowed a wholly inappropriate laugh at his grave expression. She reached up to pat his cheek consolingly. “You’re a good egg, Lion Man. Now let’s give this delay our best shot. Go argue with your mom about who should get my products.”
Giving him a quick peck on the nose, she shooed him away, collapsing back on the bench. She just needed to stall a little longer. Surely Katy and the cavalry couldn’t be much farther away. Wherever they were, Lola hoped her act bought them enough time. Settling in and trying to look as forlorn as possible to assuage Raphael’s growing suspicions, Lola sent up a prayer that this would all be over soon.
Chapter Sixteen
Unexpected Fake Aunt Flow.
“Human females are strange.” ~ Gage
Katy blinked against the bright sunlight as they exited the New Orleans airport. She fished out her phone and pressed on Lola’s contact info, ready to hit the call button.
Gage shook his head when he noticed. “Best not to call. We don’t know who could be listening.” His arm settled around her shoulders as they headed for the taxi stand.
Katy nodded. “I’ll just shoot her a text.” Her thumbs moved deftly over the screen.
Katy: Eagle has landed. Bringing a special guest to the rendezvous point. You might want to warn your crew so no one attacks.
As the cab navigated the busy streets, Katy’s phone buzzed with Lola’s reply.
Lola: Roger that. Delayed departure due to unexpected fake Aunt Flow making a fake appearance. My mate and Nico have been sent on a mission to find clothes for Flow. The rest of us are dockside keeping your seats warm.
Despite her fatigue, Katy had to smother a laugh. Trust Lola to come up with the most ridiculous excuse to stall the bayou trip. Though she was immensely relieved their friends had not set out before they arrived. They needed to be sure that Nico wasn’t in league with the Kingdom of Chaos.
Gage instructed the driver to head for the downtown harbor area. His sharp gaze vigilantly scanned their surroundings for threats. In the seat beside Katy, Zeena sat tensely, face turned away from the windows. Being back in her domain must have been nerve-wracking, especially since she’d been in hiding from her mate.
Katy reached over and patted Zeena’s knee. “It’s going to be okay. I feel it in my bones. That’s something my grandmother used to say. And she said, if it was ‘in her bones,’ that meant the matter was settled.”
Zeena turned and looked at her. “Why are you so kind to me? I treated you with cruelty, allowed my mate to hold you captive, and yet you try to make me feel at ease when you should be angry at me.”
Katy nodded and then shrugged. “Are any of us perfect? We all make mistakes. You think I’ve been kind to every customer that came in toNo Name Pizza? Nope.” Katy shook her head. “There were days when I gave attitude to even the nicest patrons simply becauseIwas having a bad day. So show me a personin this world who hasn’t made butthole decisions, and I’ll give them a medal. Otherwise, we’re all on a level playing field.”
Zeena stared at her for at least thirty seconds and then blew out a breath. “All right.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “If you’re willing to give me a second chance, I’d be stupid to turn it away. So thank you.”
“Absolutely.” Something flowed through her that made her feel warm, not temperature wise, but just cozy and accepting. She turned to look at Gage and saw pride shining in his eyes as he stared at her. Katy mouthed the words, “Thank you,” to him. He simply leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple. She soaked in the affection like a dried sponge.
The taxi ride passed in stiff silence until they reached a ramshackle pier, directions courtesy of a text from Callon. Katy peered anxiously at the figures clustered around the ancient boat. She recognized Bane’s form, but there was another male and female she didn’t know. Her eyes bounced all around, looking for Lola. Movement on her left drew her eyes, and she finally saw her best friend. Lola was lying on a bench that looked like it was about to collapse. They had made it in time. Even though she’d had confirmation from Lola, Katy still hadn’t been able to relax until she saw her friend with her own eyes.
As soon as the taxi halted, Katy literally climbed across Gage’s lap and burst from the cab, nearly falling forward. Thankfully, her mate had a firm grasp on her waist and didn’t let her face-plant. When she was upright and stable, he released her, and she raced down the dock, heedless of Gage’s startled rumble behind her. She had eyes only for the small redheaded figure on the deathtrap bench, watching their approach.
