Logan caught it and unscrewed the top. Worry coursed through him, and he covered it with calmness. Letting Zane get all worked up wouldn’t help anybody. “Nope. But I think it’s time we went in and got him. He’s given me the ‘kiss’ signal twice, but if he hasn’t gathered enough intel by now, he deserves to be yanked out.”
Zane snorted. “Agreed. I have every computer expert in the Realm on it right now. We’ll have a location soon.”
The constant muscle ache at the base of Logan’s neck released a fraction. It felt right being in this room with his oldest brother, figuring things out. Why had he thought to do it any other way? “Good. It was hell not telling you.”
“Well, now your big secret is out.” Zane held up his beer. “No more fucking secrets.”
Logan clanked bottles with him, finally feeling settled for the first time since finding out about the Seven. His brothers were his blood, and he needed them covering his back, even at a distance. “No more secrets.” Then he perked up. “Hey. It’s really great to see Hope doing so well.”
A wide grin split Zane’s hard face. “She’s special, that’s for sure..”
“Agreed,” Logan said softly. The happiness flooding through him took him away from the constant tension and danger for a moment. This was what mattered. Family and the future. He’d do what he had to do in order to keep it all safe. That meant becoming one of the Seven. “You’re a good brother, Zane.”
“A good brother would probably stop you from doing what you plan,” Zane murmured. “You might have a mate to think about.”
Logan had known his brother wouldn’t be able to leave it alone. “She really is a pain in the ass.”
“The best ones usually are.” Zane chuckled. “Ask Mom.”
Logan laughed. Their mother liked to rob banks in her spare time, and she’d drugged her mate a few times before mating him—once to steal his motorcycle. After a lifetime of being a widow, she was finally happy with her enforcer. “I think Mom would really like Mercy.” Hell. They’d probably rob banks—just the bad ones—together. He frowned.
“I’m sure she would,” Zane said quietly. “She’s in Sweden now but could be home quickly.”
Logan shook his head. That was one complication he didn’t need right now. “After the ritual, I’ll see her.” She was a good mom, and she loved her boys, which meant she’d try to stop him from undergoing an initiation that would probably kill him. Her willingness to cross the line into sheer lunacy to protect family made Mercy look like a sane person. That was saying something.
The front door shut loudly, and footsteps pattered closer. “Uncle Logan!” Hope launched herself at him from across the room.
He caught her, putting her next to him and tickling her ribs. “How’s my favorite niece?”
“I’m your only niece.” She giggled and kicked, slapping at his hands. “I’m good. Hit my head but it’s all better now. Where’s the fairy?”
Logan stopped and kissed her on the top of the head. “Who told you there was a fairy here?”
Hope rubbed the intricate blue prophet mark on her neck. Her blue eyes sparkled. “Um, nobody?” Her brown hair was mussed up, but it looked like it had been in a braid at one point.
Logan kept his body relaxed. “It’s okay if the universe is speaking to you, baby doll.” He hated that fact with every fiber of his body, as did his brother, but if it was happening, they couldn’t let the girl hide it from them.
She clapped her hands on his scruffy jaw. “She’s my fairy, Logan.”
Logan blinked. What the heck did that mean? “I thought she was mine.” He grinned. “Is she? What do you know?”
Hope rolled her eyes, giving a quick glimpse into what she’d look like as a teenager, way too soon. “I can’t answer that. Boys are so dumb.”
Logan hugged her close. “You have that right, little one. Definitely. How about we make dinner, and then you can meet our fairy?” He leaned in. “Though she prefers to be called Fae.”
Hope giggled. “That’s silly. She’s a fairy.” The girl sobered. “Though you should make her just yours…before you become a Seven.” Pushing herself up, she turned and jogged toward the kitchen, oblivious to the sudden silence from the two Kyllwood males. “Hurry up. I’m hungry.”
Logan caught Zane’s concerned look. Shit. The girl shouldn’t know a damn thing about the Seven. “You ever think it’s all been decided already and that we’re just pawns?” he asked.
Zane shook his head, standing. “No. Fate’s undecided, and that worries me more.” He moved to go after his daughter. “For now, let’s get Janie, and your fairy, and have a nice dinner. We can pretend that the world isn’t about to change on us again.”
Logan finished his beer as he walked, letting the bottle cool the raging ache on his palm.
The marking was becoming more insistent.
* * * *
With the covers over her head and Pax and Libby on either side of her, Hope watched a movie on the tablet. They were being super quiet because they were supposed to be asleep. She got tired more easily than her friends did, but she tried to pretend she didn’t. She was the only girl vampire in the world. She should be tough.
