Grayson spends the next thirty minutes telling Ignatius and Nimue everything he can remember from his time during his private lessons with Professor Kirwan, and most of it goes over Leo’s head.
In no time, the food arrives, courtesy of an on-call driver Quest employs for special clients.
“Food’s here. I’ll get it. You guys keep going,” Leo murmurs, heading toward the security panel in the front entryway to access the gate’s intercom.
Something about the way the delivery guy buzzes a second time makes the hair on the back of Leo’s neck stand straight up. Changing his trajectory, he swerves into the security closet off the kitchen so he can see all the cameras at once.
“What is it?” Nix whispers from behind him, causing Leo to give an undignified squeak.
“Will you stop doing that? For the love of all that’s holy.”
Nix giggles. “I could, but my wolf likes it when you make that noise, so…” He shrugs, and Leo resigns himself to a lifetime of squealing like a baby pig.
There’s a dark blue Ford Edge at the gate, and it’s not Jeongsung from Quest.
“Who’s that?” Jay whispers behind them, and Leo feels like that’s a little karma when Nix jumps. His victory is short-lived when Gideon joins them, and now there are four grown men in the small security closet—and only Grayson is left entertaining their guests.
“I’m going out to get a closer look,” Nix says, already trying to push Jay and Gideon out of his way.
“No!” they all say, and no one needs to mention what happened the last time the delivery guy wasn’t a delivery guy.
“I’ll go,” Gideon says.
That night flashes behind Leo’s eyes: Gideon unconscious, getting his head slammed on the hard concrete.
“No, I’ll go, and you will stay here.” Jay’s tone brooks no argument.
“We’ll all go,” Ignatius says from the foyer, and the little man is already on the porch.
“We’ll all go!” Nix is hot on his heels, determined not to miss a single moment.
Sighing, Jay chases after them, with Leo and Gideon bringing up the rear.
“Leo, if this turns ugly, get the kids to the safe room, okay?”
Ugly? No. Leo refuses to have any more ugliness. This is supposed to be their Happy Ever After.
By the time Ignatius, Nix, and Jay get down to the gate, the SUV has reversed and is speeding down the road.
“Seems they’re afraid of you and little old me, Ignatius,” Nix says, looping his arm through the older man’s.
“It would seem so. We are the fiercest of the lot, no?” He lets a tiny flame dance the hula on his palm.
Leo laughs, too, but something doesn’t feel right.
He could understand an envious teacher using a student to garner prestige, or even an overly enthusiastic one determined to get as much from her student as she could. That she arrived after the foci was discovered confirmed that it had been her magic. But showing up at the house? Angry and demanding entry? She is either ignorant of Were customs in general, or that Grayson is part of a powerful pack.
Or worse—whatever she has planned is worth the risk.
That she drove away before she’d had her say seems too easy.
Slipping his hand into Gideon’s, he laces their fingers together for comfort. “That feels like a close call, and a bit too easy.”
“I agree. When something feels too easy, it often is.”
Grayson
Grayson tips his bottle of beer back, gazes at the stars and the three-quarter moon. He hadn’t spent any time looking up since Nix had come back into his life. Why would he, when his sun, moon, and stars were sitting around the table finishing a good meal, drinking wine, and passing around his giggling daughters with their friends?
