Mathan grunted. “It doesn’t surprise me. She looks fully capable of using those pistols she carries around.”
“And the knife down her boot.”
“Yeah, a lieutenant she’d served with gave us a ride to Dragonspire.”
“That’s a long ride,” Alistair said.
Matteo shook his head. “It wouldn’t have been too bad if we hadn’t gotten caught in a storm. Normally, it would have only been a little over four hours.”
Having finished my first burger, I made another one, slathering on the mayo and mustard, then adding tomato, lettuce, some grilled onions, and then some chips. I smashed it all together and took a satisfying bite. “Anything to add about your time in Alaska?”
Matteo shook his head as he struggled to get up for something, but I waved him down. “What do you need?”
“Dip?”
“Let me get it.”
He sat again with a pained sigh. “I heard Sullivan made French onion dip. That one, please.”
I grunted as I dug into the fridge. Finding it, I grabbed a spoon from the drawer and got a few bowls down in case anyone else wanted some.
I set them on the table, then sat again to finish my second burger.
“Nothing more than I told you,” Matteo said to my question from a moment ago. “I told you about the attack on the bridge. What I didn’t tell you is that the cops weren’t going to let us go.”
Alistair snorted. “I’m surprised you both didn’t get arrested.”
“Yeah, I thought the same,” Matteo said around the crunch of a chip, his expression puzzled. “We had to go down to the police station to explain everything that was happening. At first, it didn’t look good for us, but after about an hour, they let us go.”
I sat back, my stomach finally satisfied. “Do you think a command came down from higher up?”
Matteo shrugged. “Sure, but who? No one mentioned anything to us, and I can’t figure out who would know enough about who we really are and about our situation to just let us go.”
“The Prime?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I mean, he would have, I think, but it wasn’t him. He seemed fairly surprised when Piper and I showed up.”
Mathan smirked. “Maybe you guys have a fairy godmother?”
Matteo gave him an unimpressed look. “Or a godfather.”
Alistair said, “Now you’re switching genres on us. It doesn’t matter how, just that it did. Be grateful.”
Matteo took his prickly words in stride. “I am, truly. I think Piper would have come unglued if they’d detained us any longer.” He looked at me, then away. “I could tell it was hard for her, being away from Alanna.”
Alanna.
Everyone grimaced, then set their hamburgers down and pushed them away. Mathan said what I was sure everyone else was thinking.
“Alpha, you really have to figure things out with your mate. We need Alanna to stay.”
Alistair nodded. “Yeah, she’s… a little bit of sunshine.”
Frustration welled, spiky and hot within me. Needing something to keep my hands busy, I got up to start putting things away, and even though it seemed as though everyone had lost their appetite, I got out the cobbler.
“I’m trying,” I said. I tried to keep my voice level, but it was difficult with the intensity of everything surging and rioting painfully inside of me.
Mathan sighed, his shoulders slumping. “We know you are, Alpha.” Then his expression brightened. “We could watch her for you guys for a while, and you could do a date night here at the Lodge?”
