Taking a deep breath, Reeve let it out slowly before asking, “Tell me exactly what happened?” Listening to Heath’s explanation, Reeve felt anger suffuse his entire body. If he ever found out who the fuck had leaked the news of Josiah’s death to Kahn, he’d kill him without any remorse. “Where is he now?”
“Still up in his bedroom,” Heath replied. “Do you want me to go check on him and make sure he’s okay?”
Thinking for a moment, Reeve decided to head over to the safe house. Not that he didn’t trust Heath to take care of Kahn, but in his gut he knew his mate needed him now, more than ever. “No…I’ll be there soon…just make sure you have some fresh coffee cuz I’m running on fumes.”
“Will do.”
“And do me a favor and call Eddie…make sure the freezer he put Josiah in is locked up tight.”
“I’ll do it as soon as we hang up.”
“Thanks.” Ending the call, Reeve saw the turnoff that would lead him to the safe house and his mate. Taking it, he muttered, “Soon, mate, I’ll be there soon.”
Chapter 24
Returning from the Witches’ Council, Brady landed on the lane outside his cottage and paused for a moment. Admiring his roses, he asked, “Did you miss me, girls? Did you take care of Lucius for me? I was worried he might be lonely. And I can see how much you enjoyed Vasile’s visit again…he spoils you with all the compliments he hands out to each of you.” Smiling at the rose blooms nodding in the gentle breezes, he opened the gate, making sure to latch it behind him. There weren’t many travelers that passed by, but with the witch and demon still hunting his mate, he wasn’t taking any chances. As long as the gates were closed, Mystia’s spells would warn him if intruders were nearby.
Approaching the door to the cottage, a shiver went up Brady’s spine. Glancing around, Brady saw nothing to cause that reaction in him. Shaking it off, he opened the door and gave the room a quick once-over to make sure no one had been there since the day before. His goal was to pack a bag of clothes for his mate since he assumed Lucius and Vasile had left in a hurry.
Taking a few steps into the living room, he paused, listening for anything amiss, but only silence greeted him. Relieved, he headed to the bedroom, intent on his mission.Quietly opening the door, he entered silently, finding everything in place, exactly the way it was when he left.
Making quick work of it, Brady had Lucius’ stuff packed in no time. Hefting the bag of clothes over his shoulder, he returned to the living room. He paused in the middle of it for a moment, inhaling the scent of his mate. It was faint; Lucius hadn’t been there for at least a day.That makes sense.Suddenly a wailing alarm jolted Brady into action. The witch had found him.
~/~/~/~/~
As soon as the door to Jackson’s study opened, Theo rushed in, narrowly avoiding a collision with Reeve. Grasping Smokey’s head, he held it while his eyes assessed him—only letting out the breath he’d been holding after seeing a smile on his mate’s face.
“What did he want?” asked Norm, joining his mates. “Do I need to kick his ass?”
“Absolutely not,” Smokey growled. “If there’s any ass-kicking to be done, I’m gonna be the one doing it.”
Jackson watched Reeve leave, contemplating what had been discussed in his private conversation with Smokey to change Nicolet’s aggressiveness into that of a laidback dude. Mentally shaking those thoughts aside, he headed back to his study, stopping in front of the three bears. Looking at Smokey, he said, “Sorry to break up the lovefest, but I have a few questions…like what the fuck happened with Nicolet that turned him into a purring kitten?”
Laughing at the image Jackson had planted in his mind, it took Smokey a few moments before he could answer. “He’s not a cat,” Smokey got out, before laughter overtook him again.
“Cat…wolf…I don’t really care what he is but…”
“He’s a white buffalo,” Smokey was able to finally spit out. “An honest-to-goodness white, fucking buffalo.”
Jackson’s eyes widened. “A buffalo shifter? I never knew they existed.”
“I didn’t know about it either, but Reeve’s a Tatanka Spirit…one of a kind.”
“Fine…whatever,” Jackson growled. “What does that have to do with you?”
“Long story short…he was sent by the Great Spirit to help me,” Smokey replied. Seeing the doubt in Jackson’s face, he added, “He’s not a threat to the Blackwood Pack.”
“How can you be sure?” asked Jackson.
“Trust me, I know. Look,” Smokey entreated, “can we continue this conversation tomorrow? I’m exhausted and so are my mates.”
Glancing at Theo, Jackson saw how tired he looked. Nodding at Smokey, he said, “Go ahead…we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Grateful, Smokey grasped Theo’s and Norm’s hands. “Thanks…I appreciate it.” Leading his mates out of the room, he headed for their bedroom.
Tatanka Spirit…a white buffalo…one of a kind…fits right in with my pack.Checking the time, Jackson left his study to find out more about Reeve. He was sure Oracle would know, but whether she’d answer his questions was anyone’s guess. Walking through the great room, he hesitated for a moment when he heard his mate cajoling Danny’s wolf to shift. Chuckling softly, he knew he’d have to have a talk with his son soon about his fascination with his wolf form. It wasn’t unusual for a pup to prefer it, but ignoring his human form wasn’t a good thing either; it could cause problems for him in the future.
Reaching Oracle’s room, Jackson knocked just as the thought entered his mind that she might be on assignment for the Fates. He tried to remember if she’d said anything, but the only thing he could think of was her trip to see Cain Foster. When no one opened the door, he concluded that’s where she was. Walkingaway, he wondered if her husband had gone with her this time. It made sense, especially after Maximus now knew about Cain’s criminal past.
