Keeping his eyes on the man in front of him, Zane asked, “Who can’t find you?”
“Zane, is it?” asked Captain Brian Crannach. “Are ye the Fated Mate of my friend?”
“Your friend?” asked Zane. “David, do you know this man?”
Grasping his mate’s arm, David tugged at it, signaling Zane to relax. “He’s the only one I trusted to go to who would help us.”
Brian extended his hand, saying, “Nice to meet ye, Zane.”
Zane studied the man, carefully analyzing his face and, when he saw only friendly concern, he shook the hand offered to him and replied, “Same, here. Again, sorry for the intrusion.”
“Naw, tis’ nothin’. Have a seat and then the young High Priest can tell us why he brought ye here.”
Glancing at his mate, Zane mouthed ‘High Priest’with raised eyebrows before sitting.My mate is a High Priest? Holy Shit Balls!
David rolled his eyes when Brian called him that, knowing his mate would now want to know all about him. Hoping to keep Zane from asking, he sat next to his mate, grasping his hand before beginning. “Brian, tonight I was with Zane in our hotel suite sleeping when I heard a shifter in the living room.”
“Someone broke into our hotel room? Why didn’t you wake me?” asked Zane.
“Because I couldn’t risk your life. Brian and I are friends, and no one knows him so they won’t be looking for me here,” David said.
“And these shifters who are after you? Why?” asked Zane.
“Because I have a Fated Mate. One of their spies must have told the High Priestess I found you…well, technically, you found me,” David answered.
“Why would that be a problem? Fated Mates are gifts from the Fates and are to be treasured by all shifters, no matter who the Fated Mates belong to. That’s why once we claim each other, we’ll wear a permanent mark,” said Zane.
“They don’t believe in the Fates,” answered David.
“But they know about Fated Mates, right?” asked Zane.
“Yes, but they think it’s Satan at work, keeping shifters weak, by burdening them with other shifters,” David said.
Zane’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Do you believe that? Is that why you disappeared when I first saw you?”
“No. My mother told me I’d meet my Fated Mate some day and, when I did, I’d find what I’d been searching for,” David said.
“Ay, maybe we can sort that out later,” Brian said, interrupting their discussion. “Maybe ye’d tell me how ye knew someone was in your room?”
“I woke up, startled, and I didn’t know why, but it reminded me of something that used to happen all the time in my childhood, and I heard careful footsteps, you know, like someone didn’t want anyone to know he was there. Then I sniffed and recognized who it was, so I did the only thing I could think of to keep my mate safe…and here we are,” David said, taking a deep breath.
“You knew who the shifter was? Where is he?” asked Zane.
“I don’t know his name or where he is now, but he was the one who gave me my last warning,” said David.
“Ay,” Brian said. “So what is it ye crave me tae do?”
“Can we stay here for a while?” asked David. “No one knows we’re friends, not even Morgan.”
“Babe, I can’t stay here,” Zane protested. “My brothers are going to freak out when they wake up in the morning and find out we’re gone.”
“But it’s not safe for us…actually for you…back there. I’m sure the shifter was going to give me more than just a warning this time and then you would attack him and get hurt. Trust me, it’s better if we stay here for a while. I was hoping Brian could do some snooping for me and see if he could find the shifter,” David said.
“Ay, I could do that but Zane has a point, too. I know two of his brothers and they will nae be happy,” Brian said.
“How do you know any of my brothers?” asked Zane.
“I helped them save Fionn and Slate,” Brian answered.
