Nesrin claps her hands, and a big smile spreads across her face, while everyone else seems frozen, too afraid to break the tension suffocating the air.
“How does an alpha keep his pack in line?” she says, her hands clasped under her chin as her gaze bounces around. “No one?”
Her presence fills the surrounding air with light and positive energy. “With a strict ‘paw and order’ policy!” The giggle that follows has my lips twitching.
Lukas drops his head, trying to hide his smile.
The Asian man rubs a hand over his jaw. “You need to find better jokes,” he says.
Slowly, the tension begins to dissolve, and the atmosphere shifts into a more relaxed state.
“My jokes work,” she retorts, shooting him a look over her shoulder.
“We are laughing at you, not with you,” the blond man at Lukas’s side remarks.
“Whatever. You’re just jealous you’re not as cool as me. Now come sit,” Nesrin says, gesturing us toward the house.
I see then that Sander and his wife, Kyra, have made their way over to the children. Quickly, they usher them down the hill toward the community of houses. The small dragon and the young girl trail closely behind. Each of them casts a quick glance back at us, their eyes filled with curiosity.
Nesrin hooks her arm in mine and drags me along, my heart jumping in surprise. “You look extremely troubled, Kai,” she whispers. “Your aura is in unrest.”
A sense of calm and peace engulfs me as I reply, the soft embrace of tranquility easing the strain on my frazzled emotions.
“It’s Ash,” I reply.
“I figured. But why are you with one of the Kotov dragon shifters?”
I glance down at her, and she looks back up at me, her head cocked to the side inquisitively. Her eyes, a captivating shade of warm amber, seem to penetrate my soul, as if she possesses an intimate understanding of who I truly am. It’s unnerving.
“Ash works for them. They sent her on one last mission, and she hasn’t returned.”
Nesrin’s eyes narrow and she drops my arm, spinning on her heels and poking Penn in the chest. “What the hell did you do?!”
Penn’s eyes widen and he blinks, taken aback. With a swift motion, Lukas scoops Nesrin up and sets her down on the outdoor sofa, while the Asian man gracefully steps between them, ensuring their safety while the alpha’s back is turned.
“You cannot confront people in your state,” Lukas growls out.
Nesrin snorts and crosses her arms. “I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”
“I don’t care,” Lukas says, placing a kiss on her head before standing. Then he turns to Penn and me, his arms crossing over his massive chest. “State your business.”
Penn’s jaw clenches, and I nudge him with my elbow. His eyes flash in warning as he looks at me.
“I need your help contacting the Puca. Ash entered the Faerie realm with him, and he is the only one who knows exactly where she entered the Outlands. We need to follow her scent and see if she made it to the Valley of the Dead.”
“Well, that sounds ominous as shit,” the blond says.
Nesrin’s eyes bore into Penn, her nostrils flaring with anger.
Penn ignores her and faces the blond shifter, raising an eyebrow. “And you are?”
Lukas shifts his stance, arms crossed and eyes glowing. “This is my beta, Zee, and that’s Gabe.”
Penn eyes each of them strangely.
I step forward, my attention on Nesrin. “Please help me get to Faerie. Ash is in trouble, and I need to go to her,” I plead, a hint of desperation leaking into my voice, but I’m not ashamed. That woman brings me to my knees every damn day, and I don’t care who knows.
Nesrin worries her bottom lip. “I already sent for Nero.”
