I played with the handle on my mug. “I know.”
When I didn’t offer anything else, Axel said, “Want me to send a message through for you?”
“Yeah, please.” I sighed. “As soon as I work out what I want to say.”
“Surely that’s easy.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“Just tell him you’re helping Falon find out who hurt Callum. Ask him if he knows who might have had access to Blue Alhuirn and how they could’ve got it through a gateway, because they sure as fuck didn’t come through this one.”
“The police will no doubt ask them that, if they haven’t already.”
“True, but the fae won’t necessarily tell them everything.”
I huffed. “And you think they’ll tell me?”
Axel shrugged. “Your dad’s married to a member of the high court. Lady Sarhin is technically your stepmother.”
I shuddered. “Goddess, don’t ever let her hear you say that.”
Axel grimaced. “More than my life’s worth.” He met my eyes, expression serious. “I still say it’s worth a shot.”
“Yeah, unfortunately I agree.”
After Axel had got dressed, we spent the next half hour or so constructing a request for my father to meet with me. One that wouldn’t make me sound as though I was struggling to protect my pack.
When it was done, Axel sat back and stretched his arms above his head. His back cracked from sitting hunched over the worktop for so long, and I suddenly realised how late it had got.
“I should get going, let you get your beauty sleep.” I grinned at Axel’s glare. “But before I do, there was one more favour I wanted to ask.”
Axel smirked. “Maybe I should start charging you.”
“I think you’ll like this one a lot more than contacting the fae.”
“That’s a low bar you’ve set.” He crossed his arms and waited.
“I want to go to Midnight on Saturday night.”
Axel cocked his head to the side, considering. “And what? You want me to be your wingman?”
“No.” Like I had any interest in picking up a stranger. My life was complicated enough. “I want you to see if you recognise anyone that Callum talked to the last time he was there. Falon’s coming too.”
“You think that’s a good idea?”
He had good reason to be sceptical. An alpha’s need to protect his pack was a primal urge, one that could often take precedent over rational thought.
“He’s going anyway. At least if we go with him, then we can stop him doing anything foolish.” And I wanted to go too. Wanted to see for myself who was messing with shifters.
“You can stop him, then. I’m not getting in the way of an overprotective alpha.” He shuddered.
“Fine, I’ll rein him in if he gets out of line.”
“Good. Then I’ll come.” He tapped a finger on his bottom lip. “You know there’s a good chance that Max and Mase will be there.”
I grimaced. “Don’t call him Mase when you say their names together like that. They sound like a comedy act.”
Axel grinned. “Watching you with them is definitely entertaining.”
