“Good,” Talis growled beside me. “The sooner that arsehole is behind bars the better.”
We didn’t use bars in our prisons, but I didn’t correct him. Neither did Lady Sarhin, but her lips twitched.
“Has there been any word from the high court about my request to remain here?” I asked.
She grimaced and my grip on Talis’s thigh tightened. “Nothing has been decided yet. I’m trying, Axel.” Her gaze flicked to Talis. “If you were joined—”
“No.”
She sighed. “It was just a suggestion.”
“One I respectfully choose to ignore.”
She stood, so Talis and I did the same.
“Oh,” she said, stopping in the doorway as we headed to the front door. “I will be escorting Blake Tehlin back through the gateway in the next couple of days, and I would be grateful if you would drive us both to his house when we come through.”
“Of course.” I smiled. It’d be good to see him again. “I’ll ask Rys if I can borrow a car.”
“I’ll let you know when we’re ready.”
“Lady Sarhin?” Talis asked, making us both look round. “How did Zh’alek get through the gateway undetected?” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I thought everyone had their own magical signature that you could trace?”
She hesitated, probably wondering how much to tell him, if anything. “Detective Knowles has a detailed report on the matter, but suffice to say he found a way to mask his so it was untraceable.”
“By using magic?” I asked, thinking about that box she’d brought to the paranormal police station.
“It would appear so.”
I saw her out to the gateway, watching until she walked through and disappeared. I knew Zh’alek hadn’t come through this gateway, but I shuddered at how easy it had been for him to slip through undetected. I hope the fae guards had uncovered all the magic Melhak had stockpiled. I’d hate to think of any of it getting into the wrong hands again.
* * *
Talis
Three days later, Lady Sarhin sent word that she and Blake would be coming through the gateway later that day.
I’d been back to the pack house since her last visit, but I’d been antsy about leaving Axel. Not that I thought he wasn’t safe in his house, but I’d spent so long wanting to be with him, now that I could be, I found it hard to let him out of my sight. Rys had taken one look at me and told me to take another week off from pack duties. So here I was, sat in Axel’s kitchen watching his face go through a range of emotions.
“Everything all right?” I set my mug down, stood, and put my arms around him from behind.
“Yeah, just thinking about Blake and how he gets to come back and stay here with no trouble at all. I don’t hold it againsthim,Chlah’alknows he’s had a shit time of it recently, and his work with plants is important, but it’s so fucking unfair.”
“It is. Lady Sarhin aside, the high court seem like a bunch of dicks.”
Axel laughed. “They really are.”
He leant back into me, and I nuzzled the side of his neck, breathing deep. He smelt incredible, he always had, but even more so now he seemed to permanently carry the scent of us and sex mixed in with his usual forest and grass scent. I hadn’t mentioned that to him in case he was horrified at the thought.
As it turned out, I maybe should’ve done because we were about to have visitors. At least one of them with a keen sense of smell.
Bollocks.
I heard Max’s car approaching before Axel did. “So,” I began, trailing kisses up his neck to behind his ear. He shivered, letting out a little moan. “Max’s car is almost here and there’s something—”
“Max?” Axel asked, tensing against me. He shrugged out of my hold and whirled around to face me. “You’ve made me fucking hard when we have ashifter”—he tapped the side of his nose—“about to come in here.”
We both glanced down at the obvious bulge in his grey joggers.
