After Peter had sliced off a good ten inches, she’d combed her fingers through her thick locks, trying to remember how she used to wear it. Before the Thirteen had taken her life away. Back when she’d been her own person. With her eyes closed, muscle memory had taken over, and she’d separated her hair into three sections, crafting a perfect french braid in just a few minutes.
“Peter?” she called. He’d retreated to the bedroom to give her some privacy, but came running.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. I just… I need a rubber band. Or a hair tie.”
He pulled open drawer after drawer. “I don’t want to know why every bathroom in this place has a full supply of makeup, ‘feminine products,’ and enough condoms for an army base on leave for the first time in a year.”
“Everybathroom?” She almost lost her grip on the end of the braid.
“Yep. I asked Liam, Caitlin, and Livie. They’re all weirded out by it too. I’ve only known Regulus for a couple of years, but he’s never breathed a word aboutfemalecompanionship. Here you go.” Peter pressed a wrapped elastic band into her palm, and she twisted it like she’d done so every day of her life.
“Well?” she asked. “Did I do it right?”
With a chuckle, Peter cupped her cheek. “You’re asking the wrong guy. Liam would be the better one. I offered to cut his hair once when we were hiding out in Dublin after Cade was taken, and…it didn’t go over well. The man is obsessed with finding the perfect curl cream. But don’t tell Caitlin. She thinks he just wakes up that pretty every morning.”
Sameen stifled her laugh, but all too quickly, fear dashed away the sense of belonging. Of family. When Eli had dropped the protection spell, she’d felt Celia. Felt the sigil on her side burn. Reminding her she’d never be truly free. Not unless the Thirteen were dead and gone. She’d even wondered if the practitioners had somehow known she’d be unprotected. Celia’s calling had been almost immediate. The werewolves—everyone in this house, really—were confident they could put an end to the Thirteen, save Mara and the baby,andmake sure Sameen would always be free if they worked together, but her doubts crept closer every minute.
“Sweetheart? What’s wrong? I may not know anything about hair, but...you’re beautiful. You were gorgeous before, but this…” Peter skimmed his fingers over the braid, careful not to mess it up. “It’s perfect. It’s you. In every way.”
His reassurance brought a smile to her lips, even if she couldn’t quell her fears for long. She’d reclaimed a small piece of herself. One she hoped she’d never lose again.
* * *
Peter
Regulus opened the cabin door, and a stiff breeze swirled around them. The Isle of Skye was only barely accessible by car, and large parts of the island had no cell service or even paved roads.
The plane had touched down in a clearing at the base of a small mountain where Caitlin believed Mara was being held. “It should be less than a fifteen minute drive,” Regulus said. “But wait here until I ensure the men I hired to bring us the SUVs do not speak of what they see here tonight.”
Sameen peered up at Peter. “What does he mean?”
“Vampires can affect people’s thoughts. Control their minds,” Peter replied. “Regulus can cause them to forget everything so no one knows where we came from, how we got here...”
“Is he...would he ever...?” his mate asked, her eyes wide.
“No. Regulus owes me a life debt. He wouldn’t. Not to us. Any of us.”
From the way Sameen fiddled with the hem of the black jacket Farren had loaned her, she wasn’t reassured.
The vampire returned to the plane and nodded. “The drivers will wait here with the pilot. Assuming we survive this night. If not, myglamourwill fade, and they will eventually regain use of their faculties.”
Dividing themselves between the two SUVs, Farren, Eli, Liam, Caitlin, Regulus, and Ewan in one, and Peter, Sameen, Cade, Livie, Paddy, and Tierney in the other, they set off with Caitlin directing them.
Cade’s phone buzzed, and he put it on speaker. “How much longer?” he asked.
“Another five kilometers, at most,” Caitlin said. “The map shows a pretty steep climb ahead, so we should park maybe halfway up and go on foot the rest of the way.”
Regulus, whose vision was better than anyone else’s, agreed. “There is a large stone structure on the peak of that cliff. With light emanating from it. Weak, but most definitely present.”
“When we get close,” Eli said, “it’s possible they’ll sense me. My magic. And Sameen’s mark.”
Next to Peter, Sameen shuddered. “I can feel them. They’ll know I’m here. If they don’t already.”
“But the protection charm...” Peter tightened his arm around his mate’s shoulders, his wolf demanding to be freed. “Eli, tell me it’ll keep working.”
“It should stop their magic from controlling her. Should. But that mark is more powerful than any I’ve ever felt, and I can’t promise everything won’t go sideways when we get there.”
