Page 44 of Freed

“Has anyone heard from Cody?” Gage asks and it’s Jon who answers this time.

“Yes. He’s still working on getting a facility location from Dr. Jovanek.” Everyone glances at one another, nobody willing to say out loud exactly how he’s extracting that information.

“He’ll let us know when he does,” Jon adds with a nod. “He knows we all want to take down as many of those places as we can.”

I nod. We’d like to help too, though I selfishly hope it happens after we take care of Blaze. I’m not willing to leave Cherry again.

Even now, I can feel the sever of the mate bond like an open wound in my chest. We haven’t had to take anymore of Philip’s potion since we got her back. Apparently being near her is enough to keep the worst of the pain at bay, but it doesn’t mean I don’t still feel it every moment, though. It definitely feels best when I’m touching her, like that physical connection tells my body that she’s still here, despite the bond being gone.

“So, any ideas on how to take down Blaze?” I ask, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand.

“Well your home is safe now. He can’t get in there without triggering at least several of the alarms we’ve set,” Philip explains. “As for killing him. Decapitating him and burning his head is my best guess.”

“Phoenix lore is highly speculative,” Gage agrees with a nod. “I’ve read several references to extinguishing his eternal flame. Whatever the hell that means.”

I frown, my eyes finding my mate as she smiles at her new friends. Talking about how to kill Blaze also feels like revealing her weaknesses too. And although it doesn’t seem like Blaze wants to kill her, he’s pretty unhinged and might change his mind. Not to mention what someone else might want to do if they find out she’s both an omega and a phoenix.

“Well, if that’s the plan, we need to be ready to strike at any time,” Bain says, suddenly joining our conversation as he appears at my side, arms crossed over his chest.

“How do you suggest we do that?” Gage asks. “Carry swords with us everywhere?”

“Yes.”

Everyone’s eyebrows raise in surprise as I look up at him and nod. “Good idea.” Turning back to Gage I ask, “Can you order us some?”

He looks at me in question before conceding. He pulls out his phone, and I know he’ll have swords at our home within two days.

“What if he never reveals himself?” Zack, the other mage, asks.

“He’ll have to eventually,” I tell him. “He won’t be content to just watch her from the shadows forever. Eventually, he’ll make his move. And when he does… we’ll be ready.”

Chapter 16

Cherry

After my coffee with the girls, we picked up lunch at the diner and took it home to eat. Chase was his usual chatty self, bantering with Hunter, and they asked me all about my coffee date.

I noticed the other three seemed a little quieter than usual but decided not to comment on it. I assumed it was because they overheard the entire thing already. But when lunch is done, I’m surprised when Bain gets up, mumbling, “I need to go cut some logs,” and heads outside.

Gage stands as he tells us, “I need to do more research. I’ll be in the office.” He kisses the top of my head and moves down the hall. I turn to Maddox, expecting him to leave, too, but he just smiles at me. It looks a little strained, but I feel better by his next words.

“It’s a nice day, why don’t we go in the pool? It’s been a while since we gave you a swimming lesson.”

I glance at the twins, who look excited by the idea, and nod.

Maddox pushes out his chair and holds his hand out to me. “Come on.” I place my hand in his, letting him help me stand as we walk hand in hand down the hall. I notice they all like to do this, hold my hand when we’re walking. And I love it. I rest my cheek against his arm and bask in his closeness.

A niggling feeling in my gut wonders if he’s in pain. Unlike me, he’s suffered the loss of a mate bond, and none of them have really spoken about it. At least not to me. He leads me into my room and moves to my dresser, opening a bottom drawer, and revealing a pile of swimsuits I didn’t know I had.

“Which one do you want to wear?” he asks, squats down, and shuffles through them.

“I don’t even know what’s there,” I tell him as I step up behind and place my hands on his shoulders. “You pick.”

I watch as he pulls up one piece at a time, holding them up to examine before dropping it and grabbing another. My body starts to ache with the need to be closer to him, and as he looks through the drawer, I slowly bend over his back until I’m pressed against him, and wrap my arms around his neck. I shove my face in his neck, inhaling his cedar, leather, and ash scent.

He freezes, then his hands, holding pieces of my swimsuits, tighten into fists as he whispers, “What are you doing, Cherry?”

“I miss you,” I whisper, spotting my mate mark on his neck and pressing a kiss to it. His whole body trembles, and I feel him take a deep breath, letting it out slowly before he responds.