Caspar’s delighted chuckle followed her from the dwelling.
Chapter Ten
Theinstanttheshuttlelanded at the resort, Felix, Leo, and Casey jumped out.Betrys shadowed them while wondering if she should follow or make herself scarce.
Leo halted and turned, his tail swishing.
“Leo, what—” Felix broke off, his gaze connecting with hers.
Betrys came to a complete halt at Felix’s expression.There was worry and concern for his brother, and a fierceness that made her fear for her safety.
Leo growled low in his throat, and Felix severed their connection.
“Come with us,” Casey said.
“No, I don’t think—”
At Leo’s sharp grumble, she stopped her verbal thought.
“Come with us,” Felix ordered.“We’ll need to ask you questions about Iseult.We need to know what we’re dealing with.”On uttering those words, he stalked off.Casey fell in behind, but Leo didn’t move.At her hesitation, he padded up to her and gave the back of her legs a hard shunt in the direction his brother and sister-in-law had taken.
“Okay.”Betrys sighed.Meeting the rest of his family felt like an ordeal, one she’d love to dodge.Another sigh whooshed from her.Hiding wasn’t an option.
Felix and Casey disappeared inside a building.
“Where’s Leo?”a masculine voice demanded.
“He’s coming,” Felix said.
Leo waited until she entered, then followed on her heels.The interior was spacious, yet Betrys found it difficult to discern the use of the space.An exercise area or perhaps another holo room.A sturdy table stood in the middle.Stacks of building materials and tins of paint filled the far corner.A work-in-progress, she decided.
“Betrys,” the man said.“I’m Saber.”
“Yes.”She shifted her weight from foot to foot, trepidation doing a number on her nerves.After a hasty breath, she forced a smile.“You did the welcoming speech.”
He gave a curt nod before turning his attention to Leo.“Scarlett hasn’t discovered much.It seems the Spiderus race is secretive.We’re going to need to make a decision.Do you want us to cut this thing out?”
“Bearing in mind the task might be beyond my skills,” Casey declared.
“But if it’s a parasite of some type, it would need to come out whenever it’s finished its pupa stage or whatever the hell it’s doing inside you.”Felix added his opinion, and it wasn’t difficult to discern his worry.
“He’s in a lot of pain,” Betrys said.“Caspar gave him a tonic, which helped a little.I’ve noticed him pressing on the wound, but I didn’t realize it was bothering him so much.Almost overnight, the area has bulged out, and I could feel something moving beneath the flesh.”Emotion built, became a heavy weight expanding up her throat, and she had to stop, swallow.
Leo moved closer and leaned against her legs.He butted her hand with his head and a choked laugh escaped her.
“You’re not meant to comfort me.”Her hand slid over his silky head, and she found herself scratching behind his ears.“This is my fault.”
“Your fault?”Saber said in a sharp voice.“How so?”
Leo growled—a low and mean don’t-mess-with-me snarl—and his older brother lifted both his hands in silent surrender.Then Leo butted her hand in a demand for more petting.
A shaky laugh escaped Betrys.“I guess Leo hasn’t told you everything.”
“You were the one who got him on the shuttle and sent him home when he was sick,” Saber said.“For that, you have our thanks.Leo told us you have a son who is living at Spiderus Mansion.If I had a son, I’d want to protect him.I’d do anything to keep him safe.Anything.”
“Thank you for understanding.”Some of the tension leached from her muscles, and her hand resumed the slow up-and-down stroke of Leo’s silky head.He leaned into her a little more, and a rumbly purr emerged from his throat.
Two more people arrived—another dark-haired man who resembled Leo and Felix, plus a young woman who wore her hair piled on top of her head in a donut-shaped bun.Her green eyes and black hair spoke of her relationship to the Mitchell brothers.
