I shook my head. I knew they were curious about her, the same way I’d been curious about my brothers’ mates. We’d all been waiting for so long, and it was such a miracle when we found them that it was impossible to even fake nonchalance.
But somewhere deep in my head was the relentless thought that if they knew nothing about Rosemary—if they couldn’t tell anyone where she was, or who she was, or anything about her—she’d be safe. I’d never believe that someone in my family would knowingly put her in danger, but there were plenty of ways that they could accidentally slip up.
Ambrose and Beau, along with their mates, were also still targets. If, Gods forbid, they were taken somehow… well, it was just better if they didn’t have any information. Not yet.
“How are you still on your feet?” he asked with a huff of laughter.
“It’s a close thing,” I admitted. The entire back of my T-shirt was soaked in sweat. My skin was so hot that anytime my clothes brushed against me, it felt as if I were being burned. “I need a shower.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Where are Mom and Dad?”
“Lower bedroom. I don’t think Mom’s awake, but Dad is. Don’t leave without seeing them.”
I nodded and turned toward the back of the house. “I’ll go now.”
“Hey, Danny boy?” Chance called, grunting as he lifted the rug from the floor.
“Yeah?”
“Uh, is she great?” he asked awkwardly.
I smiled as the memory of Rosemary screeching with laughter as I tossed her over my shoulder came to mind. “Yeah, brother. She’s perfect.”
“Good,” he said. He hefted the rug over his shoulder and carried it out of the house.
I found my parents right where Chance had said they’d be. Poking my head through the door, I locked eyes with my father, waiting until he’d given me a nod to step inside.
My mom was lying on her back beneath the blankets, pale, but breathing steadily in her sleep. “How’s she doing?”
“She woke up a few hours ago,” he replied quietly, reaching out to brush her hair away from her cheek. “Just long enough to curse me, the house, Alice, humans, and the sheets on the bed, before falling back asleep.”
“She’s never been a good patient.” I grinned softly, perching on the end of the bed. I wrapped my hand around my mother’s foot through the blankets.
“True.” He looked me over carefully. “You’ve found her?”
I nodded, my throat going tight as I held back everything I wished I could say. I wanted to tell him about Rosemary’s laugh. Marvel with him that she’d grown up around Vampires and had accepted that we were mates from the very beginning. I wanted to mention that she smelled spicy, like herbs, which was so appropriate considering she was named after one. I wanted to tell him about Gary, how he’d dedicated his life and sacrificed his mobility working with Command. Explain how I’d seen Dalton Cavendish and his son, because he was Rosemary’s godfather.
Instead, I said nothing.
“Your mother will be pleased,” Dad said carefully, his eyes shining. “What’s she like?”
That I could tell him.
“Strong,” I replied. I cleared my throat. “Gorgeous. Sarcastic as hell. Quick. Funny.”
“All good things.”
I nodded again.
“She’s not here?”
“I…” I paused, unsure how to explain why I’d left her behind without hurting him. “No.”
“Things are going well, though?”
“Better than I could’ve imagined,” I confirmed.
