He felt and saw their surprise in their raised eyebrows and parted mouths before they smiled at him. “It’s nice to meet you,” Liam said and extended his hand.
Declan clasped it, and once he released Liam’s hand, Sera embraced him. The woman exuded warmth, but unsure what to do, he stood with his arms at his sides for too long before giving her an awkward hug back and patting her back. Abby shushed Brian and pushed him past when he started laughing loudly. Willow scowled after him.
“Just think of all those times you drove me nuts because I didn’t know how to react,” Brian said as he grinned at Willow, who gave him the finger. “Right back at you, Sis!” He blew her a kiss before Abby succeeded in pushing him inside.
When her mom released Declan, Willow looped her arm through his. She hated that she was going to have to apologize to Brian for all her teasing over the years, but seeing Declan in Brian’s position, it wasn’t so funny.
Damn it,she hated being wrong. But there would be time for apologies later. Now, she wanted to shower, catch up with her parents, and hopefully make it so Declan didn’t consider bolting out of the room every time he saw her family. Before they went inside, she returned to the vehicle to retrieve the sword and walked inside with them.
* * *
Willow’s parents,Abby, and Brian spent the night, and then Nathan blindfolded them and took them off the grounds. When he stopped to let them take over their vehicle, Saxon picked him up and brought him back to the compound.
Tomorrow, Declan and Willow would meet up with Brian and Abby to resume the search for Lucien. But Abby and Brian wanted to return home to gather some more of their things before leaving again. They intended to meet up with Killean in Maine to formulate a plan before splitting up to search different areas.
Declan was a little more relaxed around her parents by the time they left, but that also might have been his relief over their exit. Still, she knew he’d eventually grow to love them and her massive family.
While she waited for Saber, Logan, and Asher to finish the mission Ronan sent them on, Willow moved her things from her room and into Declan’s. She’d never shared a space with a man before, but after growing up with all her siblings, she knew how to deal with another vampire’s stuff.
Fortunately, Declan was neat, had plenty of room for her things, and a large jacuzzi tub in the bathroom they would one day get to enjoy together. After sharing a room with her sister Cassidy when they were younger, Willow had never planned on sharing a room again. But living with Declan would have a lot of perks.
However, they had a lot to take care of before those perks could start.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Willow staredat the abandoned warehouse where Saber, Logan, and Asher stashed the Savages they caught. Years ago, Ronan bought and remodeled a prison to hold Savages. After she, Lucien, and the others disappeared, Ronan killed the Savages there and abandoned the facility. He said he couldn’t risk the prison being under surveillance; they were already taking that chance with the compound.
Willow hadn’t expected to have possession of the sword still, but so far, no one had taken it from her. Unfortunately, that was changing today. Her hand tightened on the hilt as she strode toward the warehouse with Declan, Ronan, Kadence, Saxon, Nathan, and Vicky.
They were still ten feet away from the sagging front door, with its broken windows, when Saber opened it and stepped aside to let them enter. Declan studied Saber standing stone-faced inside the warehouse. The man was as unreadable as always, but his cobalt eyes flickered with unease when they settled on the sword in Willow’s hand.
Despite its incredible power and usefulness to them, Declan had grown to dislike the thing too. But he suspected that was because Willow touched it whenever she got the chance.
It was a vital weapon to have, but it was a demon weapon, and he didn’t want it in her hands anymore. He was glad Ronan would most likely claim it as soon as he saw what it could do.
They’d decided to keep the knowledge of the sword’s ability to a minimum. It would be impossible to hide its power once it was used in a fight, but for now, very few knew it was anything more than a sword.
When they entered the warehouse, Willow took in the brick walls and busted out windows set up high in the walls. From years of neglect, the roof sagged, and chunks of brick had fallen from the walls. Overhead, the second floor was missing large pieces of wood flooring, and the rickety stairs across the way looked like the weight of a ghost would collapse them.
“This way,” Saber said and led them toward the back of the building.
Other than the cobwebs hanging from every nook and cranny, the building was empty of equipment or furniture. Beneath the musky scent of mildew, she detected the aroma of oil and wondered if this was once a garage or if it housed machinery.
They entered another room, which was a cavernous space with four, twenty-foot-tall garage doors. Willow rested the blade against her shoulder as the scent of oil and gas grew stronger, but the building remained empty.
They left the garage behind for a side office where Logan and Asher sat on a forgotten, dusty desk. Asher stopped drumming his fingers against the desk when they entered, and Logan stood.
Willow studied Logan as he walked over to another doorway. She was aware Declan was the one who turned him into a vampire, but this was the first time she was seeing him for more than a minute since becoming Declan’s mate. It was a little weird to knowhermate’s blood changed another.
“We’ve got them chained up in there,” Saber said and waved at the doorway Logan stood beside.
Ronan held his hand out for the sword. “Let’s see what this thing can do.”
Willow hesitated before lifting it from her shoulder and placing the hilt on his palms. Feeling a little like Gollum with the ring, she almost snatched the sword back before Ronan’s fingers curled around it. She restrained herself by fisting her hands, but her teeth ground together as Ronan walked away with the sword.
It’s not mine,she reminded herself. Ronan would keep the sword safe, she didn’t doubt it, but she still wanted it back.
Sensing her frustration, Declan wrapped his arm around Willow’s waist and kissed her temple. He was glad to see the sword go, but he understood her emotions. He wouldn’t have been happy to hand over something he wanted either, but Ronan was their king, and he was stronger than Willow. The sword belonged in his hands.
