Nia snorted. “Gimme a break. I want at least a few decades with Lore before we even think of that.” Yes, they had time. Now that they were soul-joined, her lifespan would be as long as his. Eternal.
“So, what’s the news?” Aethan asked.
Lore watched his mate. While she was happy to be with her friends back in New Orleans, this was her blood kin, something she’d longed for.
“Yes, what’s the news?” Echo repeated, glancing at him, then back at Nia.
Lore remained silent. This was Nia’s news to share.
“Well…” Nia rubbed her palms down her jeans. “My boss, Gil, where I do my internship, has a friend here in New York, another vet. He offered to let me finish my hours here.”
Echo went motionless, then her eyes brightened with tears. “You…you’re coming back to the castle?”
Nia nodded. “I missed you.” His mate also fretted over her sister, who still appeared wan, probably due to her pregnancy.
Echo sniffed and hugged Nia again. “This makes me so happy.”
“Did you have something to do with this?” Aethan asked him quietly.
Lore shook his head. “No. Her boss knew she had found her long-lost family and was moving back to New York once she finished her internship, so he proposed this instead. Nia said the male’s a family man…”
“I’m glad. Echo already looks happier, and that’s all I ever want for her.”
Lore could understand that. “I guess they both need each other.”
“Yeah.”
Echo’s pet, the massive gray feline, stalked inside from the hall. As usual, the king of the castle ignored everyone, prowling toward the open door and terrace. He froze at the excited sounds of yapping. His furry head turned, amber eyes like headlights as two patchy brown and black blurs raced toward him and skidded on the marble floor. The cat leaped back, took one look at them, and bolted for freedom, the puppies chasing after him.
With shrieks of laughter, the sisters darted after their pets, Kira behind them.
The guys chuckled.
Lore smiled, a sense of contentment settling within him at being part of this group, though he had begun his Guardian duties back in New Orleans.
“How’s Race?” he asked. The warrior had been there for him when he needed backup. He would never forget.
“Gone,” Týr muttered, racking the numbered balls again. “Vanished.”
“What do you mean ‘vanished?’” Lore frowned. “He must be somewhere, probably on a stakeout.”
“Soon after you guys left, he disappeared. No sign he’s been to his cave in the mountains for weeks,” Aethan said. “Dag andShae have gone back to Romania. Michael’s out searching for him.”
He glanced at Blaéz, but the warrior shrugged. “All I’veseenis the storm he’s embroiled in, nothing else.”
“We all have telepathy,” Aethan said, picking up a cue. “He’ll call if he needs us. Doubt anything can bring him down.”
Lore slid his hands into his pockets. Well, the dragon was lethal. He could handle himself.
The conversation dropped as the women returned, along with Darci, Blaéz’s mate, and the scampering puppies.
“Poor Bob.” Darci laughed, glancing outside. “He’ll eventually realize he must now share the limelight.”
“What limelight?” Kira snorted, stopping near the bar on the other side of the massive room. “That cat prefers outside. We’ll be lucky if he seeks the castle again. But then again, the food’s here.”
“Lore, c’mon,” Týr called out. “I’ll teach you the rules of pool. Then we’ll pair up for a game.”
Nia’s laughter distracted him, the sound lighting up the room. She’d stopped near the bar with the females. Kira got out sodas for them from a small fridge.
