Chapter 5
Standing in the center of the guest room, Brady looked around, taking in the tasteful, understated furnishings. It impressed him more than he wanted it to, upending his preconceived notions about the Blackwood Pack. The wealth this pack had was unmistakable—from the size of their pack house to the fully functioning hospital down below. But meeting the Alpha, and the rest of the pack quickly disabused him of any notion that they thought they were superior to other shifters. Shaking his head, Brady realized his erroneous assumption was based on his experience of how wealthy first tier magic users behaved.
Frowning at a covered plate on a small table flanked by two, soft, club chairs, he wondered who’d left it there and why. Even though he was impressed with the low-key vibes he’d encountered downstairs, he wasn’t willing to toss all his doubts aside. There was too much at stake. Failing at his first attempt to free the lower level magic users had broken his heart but now, for whatever reason, the Fates and gods saw fit to give him another chance and there was no way in hell he was going to screw it up again.
Unzipping his overnight bag, Brady took out his kit bag and headed for the bathroom. Entering, he stopped short at the size of it. It was easily four times as big as the one back at his cottage, but like his guest room, it oozed a welcoming feeling, tempting him to spend the next few hours soaking away his worries in its huge tub.
Knowing that wasn’t going to happen now, Brady quickly unpacked his grooming items, lining them up in the precise order he used them. Hearing a knock on the door, he hurried out of the bathroom, moving quickly across the room to answer it. Pulling the door open, he found Mystia waiting for him. At his request she’d be attending his meeting with Jackson. “Did Daniel finally let you go?” He smiled, remembering the way the young pup had clung to her.
“After a little persuasion,” Mystia said, her eyes crinkling at the corners in amusement “It’s been a while since Jimmy and I have seen him…actually all our grandpups. I think he was determined to make up for lost time.”
Studying his friend’s face, Brady was alarmed when he saw fear written on it despite Mystia’s attempt to keep it light between them. He’d never seen her like this, even when she’d risked her life to help him with his trouble at the Witches’ Governing Council. “I’m not surprised,” Brady said, choosing to keep the conversation easygoing. “If I were Daniel, I’d want to spend time with my gaga, too. What did you have to do to distract him?”
Chuckling, Mystia ignored the question, knowing Brady would tease her about spoiling Daniel if she told him. “Ready to see Jackson?”
“Uhm…” Out of habit, Brady glanced over his shoulder to check that everything in the room was in order before smiling at Mystia. “I am.” Stepping out into the hallway, he shut the door behind him. “Lead the way.”
As Mystia began to walk toward Jackson’s study, she asked, “Did you like Theo’s welcome gift he left on the table?”
Cheeks tinged red with embarrassment, Brady murmured, “I haven’t looked at it yet. Do you know what it is?”
“I do…after I told him about your love for roses, he made you some Rose Petal cookies.”
Stopping mid-stride, Brady was stunned; no one had ever given him a gift like that. Usually people would joke about his obsession for anything rose, but this bear shifter had understood his passion and made cookies for him. Spinning around, he headed back to his guest room, intent on tasting them. Rudeness was not something he tolerated in other people; he definitely owed Theo a “thank you” and sooner than later.
“Where are you going?” asked Mystia.
“Back to have a cookie so I can tell him how much I appreciate his thoughtfulness.” Once inside, he moved quickly to the table and, lifting the pretty napkin from the plate, gasped at the sight of the delicate cookies flecked with pink rose petals. “How stunning,” he murmured, taking one.
Joining him, Mystia said, “Oh my, they smell simply delicious.”
Biting into it, Brady moaned as the delicate flavor beguiled his tongue. “Oh my gods! I must get the recipe for these!”
Picking one up, Mystia took a bite. “Goodness, these are something special, aren’t they?”
Finishing his second one, Brady licked his lips, wanting to taste every last crumb. Then, carefully placing the napkin over the remaining cookies, he asked, “Where would Theo be right now?”
“In the kitchen. He’s been taking over more of the cooking since Dakota is close to delivering his pup and needs to get more rest.”
Nodding, Brady said, “I must see Theo first.”
Raising an eyebrow, Mystia hid her smile at the light shining in Brady’s eyes, raising her hope that everything would work out after all. “Okay, just so you know, Theo is new to all of this,” she said, waving her hand toward the cookies. “Dakota has been his teacher, but now, since he’s been forced to take it easy, Theo has been trying different recipes on his own.”
Nodding at the information, it made the cookies even more special in Brady’s mind. Hurrying out the door, he was eager to thank the young bear shifter for his thoughtful gift.Maybe I should make him my rose petal tea.
~/~/~/~/~
“How close are we?” Glenn asked Sawyer. On edge since leaving the truck stop, he was eager to arrive at the Blackwood Pack where help would be waiting to protect Alex and Sawyer. Both of them were marked men as far as he was concerned, though he did his best not to convey his alarm to either of them. Nevertheless, based on Sawyer’s tone, he doubted if he’d been successful.
“Did you hear what tiger mate asked you?” said Alex, leaning in to speak into his phone, sitting in its holder on the dashboard.
“I heard you loud and clear,” Sawyer’s voice came through the speaker. “Maybe ten more minutes. It’s up on your right. The gate will be locked but I have the passcode.”
“10-4,” Alex murmured, reminding his mate.
“Ah, right. Sorry sweetheart. 10-4.”
“Is our tail still with us?” asked Glenn. “I can’t get a good look with you behind us.”
