Patrick shrugged stiffly before taking a seat halfway down the table. “Hades burned out the anchors Persephone set in my bones. Holding up my shields has been painful.”
He’d skipped that defense since regaining control of his body and soul in Central Park. It meant his emotions were an open book to every werecreature coming around, but Patrick couldn’t fix that. Not right now.
“Does she know?”
“I’m not in the mood to deal with gods right now, and it’s not like I need her shields anymore. I’m done hiding.”
Persephone had set the anchors when he was eight to help keep him hidden. She’d reset them last year after he nearly burned himself out before the soulbond came into existence. Both times had been painful experiences, and Patrick had no desire to go through it again.
With his identity revealed to the public, there was no need to hide his magic and soul from anyone who would be searching for him. The world knew who he was, what he was, and where he lived now. There was no shoving all of that back into Pandora’s box.
Setsuna’s gaze shifted from Patrick to Jono, the faint concern becoming a cool reserve. “You’ve caused quite a commotion, Jonothon.”
“I wouldn’t have needed to if the government actually dealt with the hunters back when we warned it of the threat. Don’t try to blame us for your failure. We aren’t having it,” Jono said with a mean smile.
“It’s theweaspect that is a problem, specifically Patrick’s inclusion in it.”
“I’m not giving up my pack,” Patrick said, looking her dead in the eye.
Setsuna sighed irritably. “I’m well aware of that, as is the rest of the country at this point after what happened Saturday. It’s still a problem with your position.”
Patrick eyed his gun and badge where they rested on the table. “Are you reinstating me in full?”
“With ethical restrictions. You’ll be recused from any case involving werecreatures. If a case you handle leads to anyone with ties to any werecreature community, you will be immediately removed from the case, and it will be transferred to someone else.”
“That’s a legal headache I can’t believe the lawyers allowed.”
“The Dominion Sect is still a threat. You are too integral to stopping them to deny you the support being an SOA agent provides.”
“And after?”
Setsuna tapped a finger gently against the tabletop. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Patrick turned his head to look at Jono. “That means I’m getting fired.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Jono settled his hand on Patrick’s thigh, squeezing gently. “There’s enough work running our god pack. Pay is decent. You could even have a holiday.”
Patrick snorted out a tired laugh. “I’m still owed airfare and hotel from my interrupted vacation to Maui last year.”
“We’ll get there one day.”
If he crashed and burned out of the SOA after this, it’d be worth it to stay by Jono’s side.
Setsuna slid his gun and badge closer to him. “Welcome back, Special Agent Patrick Collins.”
He didn’t hesitate to reach for them.
* * *
“Patrick.”
He jerked awake, pulling free of a nightmare where he was being dragged underwater by some unseen force, drowning while something else crawled inside him and hollowed him out. Patrick blinked his eyes open, staring up at where Jono stood over him next to the bed. The worried frown on his face made Patrick feel guilty.
“Yeah, I’m awake,” Patrick muttered, rubbing at his face.
Jono’s touch on his shoulder tightened a little, but not enough to wrinkle the button-down Patrick wore. While Jono had showered, Patrick had meant to close his eyes for only a few seconds. Apparently those few seconds had turned into longer, because Jono was now out of the shower, fully dressed, and ready to head out to Sage and Marek’s rehearsal dinner.
