“We’re going to the Meat Locker on Friday!” Kieran shouted.
“Doesn’t your brother, Steel, own that?” Dakota asked his mate.
“Yep, he does,” Slate answered. “Have any of you been there?”
After seeing hands go up except for Zane’s, David’s and his own, Dakota asked, “I take it you all had fun?”
“We did, that is, until some dudes tried to kidnap Fionn,” replied Norm.
Kieran jumped off Logan’s lap when he saw Brian. “Hey everyone, take a seat, we got important stuff to do today,” he said, walking over to the sea serpent, “Brian, you sit next to me. My spirit told me you have some good news?”
After claiming his seat, Brian slipped his phone from his pocket and, after selecting a photograph, said, “Ay. I have a picture of my mate and his name.”
“That’s fantastic,” Logan said, leaning forward to see the image on Brian’s phone. “Can you send that to Zane? What’s his name?”
“Ay. Reif Markos,” replied Brian.
“He’s Greek?” asked Dakota.
“Sounds like it,” replied Slate.
“Do you know what kind of shifter he is?” Ian asked.
“Naw,” said Brian.
“That’s not exactly true,” Kieran said.
“Ye know what he is?” asked Brian, surprised.
“Babe, did your spirit tell you?” asked Logan.
“Nope,” Kieran said, “but I know he’s some kind of serpent.”
“How?” asked Colton.
Kieran looked at Brian, “May I tell them what happened?”
Through years of keeping to himself, Brian’s automatic response would have been ‘no’, but if there was any hope of finding his mate, he had to take it. “Ay.”
“He kissed Brian yesterday afternoon, claiming him,” Kieran said. “Serpents claim their Fated Mates by kissing. The only problem is Brian was sleeping when it happened so he hasn’t claimed him back…yet.”
“Oh, pooh bear,” crooned Theo, “that’s so romantic! Just like Sleeping Beauty.”
“If I remember correctly, isn’t there a deadline for sea serpents to claim their mates?” asked Ian.
“Absolutment!” exclaimed Kieran. “Which is why we have only two days to find Reif.”
“What happens if we don’t find him? Does Brian get another chance?” asked Zane.
“No,” replied Logan.
Listening carefully, David knew there was more to the story. His eyes roamed over to Brian, seeing the tension in his body, observing Kieran’s hand resting on his arm. Now, worried about his friend, David asked, “What happens to Brian if we can’t find his mate within two days?”
Kieran exchanged glances with the sea serpent and, after getting a nod from him, said, “Brian will die.”
David’s cry filled the room as a tear rolled down his cheek. Turning to Zane, he pleaded, “Please, please save my friend.”
Lifting his mate onto his lap, Zane murmured, “I’ll try, babe, I promise.”
