I was in a little bit of a daze, so I just nodded my ascent, then thought about Geordie and the men who had helped me get out of Starke alive. If anyone should celebrate my freedom, it would be them.
“Can I invite the men who helped me get out of Starke, Uncle Paul? The men who were undercover from the A.I.D.?”
Paul nodded and waved at me to walk in behind him down the center aisle so we could exit the courtroom. I looked over toward Geordie and still couldn’t see him behind the same dark headed man as before. His short hair was very dark, and his shoulders were broad, hiding Geordie behind him. I could make out a little dark scruff on the side of his jaw when he turned to the side for a moment, but then he looked back toward the rear of the room to answer a question by Luke who was standing to his side.
We came up beside the group, and I could finally see Geordie without any broad obstructions. I walked up with eyes only for him. I still couldn’t handle the sad looks I got from any of the others.
“Geordie, my da is having a get together to celebrate my freedom, and I was wondering if you, Luke, Eugene, Kane, and Jarvis would like to come. If you can get into contact with Sallyann, I’d love to thank her in person, too. Do you think you all can make it?”
Geordie looked even more uncomfortable than he had that morning, and I wondered if I had misinterpreted his kindness as friendship. Maybe he was done with me now that the investigation was over. I couldn’t take the thought that there would be even more pity from the group at my sad assumption that I was anything but a case to solve. I decided to backtrack before I made an even bigger fool of myself.
“I’m sorry, of course, you have other things to do, I’m sure. It’s no big deal. Thank you for everything you did. I’ll be forever grateful for all of your help.”
Geordie looked alarmed when I tried to turn away and make my quick escape. I couldn’t do this with him. Not here. I needed to get away before I cried any more tears over this situation. I was stupid to feel like not only had I lost my mate but a new family as well.
How pathetic they must think I was after this sad attempt to be actual friends.
“Nial, I would love to come, we all would. And of course, I’ll see if I can contact Sallyann, too.”
I paused and turned back toward him to gauge if he was serious. For the first time in a week, I let my energy reach out to see if he was just humoring me, but when I released it, my energy didn’t go to Geordie at all. My magic refused to go where I wanted it to go. Instead, it went past him and surrounded the tall, dark-haired man who had sat in front of Geordie earlier. The feelings I got back confused me at first. It felt like…
No, it was impossible, I had never felt two energy signatures that were alike, let alone identical. But it felt so much like it. How could this man’s energy feel so much like his?
I looked closer at the man’s back and watched as he stilled, then turned around, seeming to move in slow motion. His jaw, covered in a short dark beard came into focus first, followed by his straight nose with a flare at the end. Finally he faced me fully, and I met those oh so familiar golden eyes of my mate, my Ze.
He had shorter hair and had cut his beard, but there was no mistaking him. Ze was alive and standing in front of me, surrounded by his undercover team from the A.I.D.
I was speechless, so Ze filled the silence, and I had to close my eyes at the myriad of emotions that resonant voice brought into my heart and soul.
“You didn’t mention me by name, so I’m wondering if your mate is included in the invitation to your party, too.”
I clamped my eyes shut even tighter to hold back my tears, yet again. But unlike all the other times I’d cried over the past weeks, these were not tears of sorrow, they were tears of rage. I opened my eyes and pierced him with my hardest glare.
“My mate? Seriously? You can take your mate bullshit and shove it up your ass, you bastard!”
His eyes flashed disbelief as I whirled around and marched out the doors of that courtroom, expecting Paul to follow and get me to my da’s house and sanctuary. All of them had known he was alive and let me suffer for weeks. Listened to my keening cries in the middle of the night and not once had they told me there was no need for my mourning. Mate bond or no mate bond he could go to hell and they could all go to hell with him.
