Chapter 157

[ 1,419 words ]

Aria

The infirmary is quiet as Quinnie and I wait for the males to come back from the interrogation room.

“You really should be resting,” Quinnie says, stroking Jace’s hair in an affectionate and soothing gesture.

The poor boy hasn’t left his mother’s side since she got back onto the territory.

“Look who’s talking. Didn’t Thomas tell you to take a nap.”

She looks down at her son, choosing her next words carefully, not to scare him.

“I’m waiting for Sebastian.”

Meaning, she wants to know what the hell the male said just as much as I do.

I can’t blame her. If it were me in her position I don’t know what I would have done with all that adrenaline coursing through my system.

Hearing the sounds of footsteps coming down the hall I say, “That sounds like them now.”

The door opens and Kade and Sebastian enter the room smelling like they just came out of the shower.

Sebastian makes a beeline for his mate. “How are you feeling baby,” he murmurs looking at her as if he can still see the injuries on her body although she is healed.

“I feel completely great. Thomas healed me, see” she gestures to herself, “not a scratch.”

He grunts, sounding a little disbelieving before tucking Quinnie and Jace under his arm in a protective gesture.

The anxiety coming from Kade is palpable. I stand running a hand down his arm.

“Let’s take a walk,” I say, conscious of Jace being in the room.

He gives me a weak distracted smile and nods leading the way.

We don’t stop when we are out of the room, we keep walking until we are past the patient room and end up in one of the supply rooms in the back.

“What happened?” I ask as soon as the door closes behind us.

“Barric got some answers,” he says, his expression still clouded.

“Some? What does that mean?”

“It means we’re in a swirling storm of shit. The male was working for someone but he didn’t have a name. Said the male never gave him one.”

“How the hell do you work for someone but never know their name?”

“It happens in a lot of instances. None of them are ever good. Secret organization, illegal gangs and the like.”

“Okay, what else do we know?”

“It’s not just one person. There is a web of people like him sent out on offerings.” Kade spits the word.

That word sends a chill down my spine. The image of dead bodies being lined up in front of a shrouded figure comes to mind.

This is bigger than we thought, my wolf surmises. Possibly more than just derailing peace.

“Where does Quinnie fit into all this? Why did they try to take her?”

“He did not know. He just said that he and his partner got a message to grab her and bring her to a specific location alive.”

“Shit.”

“Ronan already has enforcers heading to the location but we don’t have high hopes for what we will find. More than likely whoever was waiting there has already left by now.”

“Should we assume that whoever this leader is still wants her?”

“It’s safer for everyone if we operate in that capacity. So for now Quinnie is officially on lockdown. She’s not to leave packed territory for any reason.”

I nod my ascent. “ Where does this leave us exactly?”

“We don’t know yet. But Ronan sends out a call to Rick so we’re expecting that the meeting he’s setting up with the Alpha’s will happen sometime soon.”

Something about these murders and quinnies almost abduction makes my skin itch.

My wolf feels much the same like there’s something obvious I’m missing.

I need to speak with Felix.

***

At the end of the day, Theo, Barric and I head to the child center to go and pick up Low. We greet the other pack members who are also picking up their children and stop to have small talk and conversation.

Low runs to his father’s and is instantly engulfed in recounting his daycare tales.

I take the opportunity to go and approach Felix.

He and Dex are standing in the corner monitoring the dismissal.

“ Luna to what do I owe the pleasure,” Felix teases knowing how much I hate being called by my title.

It’s just weird.

Like some egotistical reminder of status that makes me feel like I’m Lord of some weird medal manner.

I have no problem being Luna.

I just don’t want to be called Luna.

I glare at Felix and he laughs.

“I honestly wish I was finding you and pleasant circumstances but I need your help.”

Instantly the humor fades from his face and he takes on that serious analytical expression that means in business.

“What do you need?”

“I need you to look into something for me but I need you to keep it quiet.”

Dex raises his bra behind him but doesn’t say a word.

The enforcer is like a shadow. He’s also highly private so I trusted this conversation won’t go for these two.

“Are you asking me to do something illegal?” Felix asks, sounding more intrigued and perturbed.

“Highly.” I admit.

Actually, I’m not sure if it’s fully illegal, but we most certainly will be invading several people’s privacy and directly ignoring orders of the Magnus Alpha.

But hey, desperate times am I right?

“Count me in.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. I’m going to get a list of names for you tomorrow and I need you to get me everything we can find. Not just on them but on their family tree.”

“What constitutes everything?” He asks.

“Ancestry, presentation, who they married, who they had issues with, and if they had any enhanced gifts or abilities.”

Felix raises a brow. “ You know I’m going to ask you questions about this later right?”

“If you manage to get me the information I need, you’re welcome to ask any question you want.”

“Just who do you think you’re talking to? There is nothing I can’t dig up. so you just work on getting me that pretty little list and be ready to slate my curiosity.”

I feel my mate’s presence behind me before his scent hits my nose.

“What are you two whispering about over here?” Barric asks with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

“We were deciding when would be the best time for me to babysit Low,” Felix says smoothly.

It never ceases to amaze me how quick he is on his feet.

Barric looks at Dex but the male is like a wall. Nothing in his expression gives anything away.

Then he turns his attention to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “I hope you’re behaving.”

“When do I not?” I ask with outrage.

“Mmm.”

I roll my eyes at him before telling Felix and Dex my goodbyes and letting Barric steer me out the door.

Low is on Theo’s shoulders. Theo is pointing out different star constellations while Low listens with interest.

I never thought a single person could make me feel happy and worried at the same time.

I know Low is safe.

I know his fathers would give their lives for him.

But I also know how fast the world can change and no matter how much we want to, we won’t always be there to protect our children.

“Hey, hey,” Barric says softly. “Where did you go just now?”

“Sorry I was just thinking,”

“Care to share?”

“I just…I want Low to be safe, always.”

Barric’s face softens and he cups my cheek, rubbing his calloused thumb across it in a hypnotizing rhythm.

“He will because we will do whatever it takes to make sure he is. And once he gets older, we’ll also make sure that he’s strong enough to protect himself and others.” He spreads his large hand across my round belly. “All of our pups will.”

Yes, they will, my wolf agrees.

Barric carefully brushes away the tiny trail of tears at the base of my lashes then kisses each cheek before kissing me with so much tenderness and affection I almost melt.

“Mama look at Sirius,” Low says pointing up into the sky at a cluster of stars that looks like a dog.

I sniff, pulling myself together. “Oh wow. That’s really cool.” I say.

“Poppy taught me how to find it,” he says proudly.

Theo gives me a look like he can tell I’ve been crying.

“Let’s get Mama home, sweet boy, it looks like the baby is making her tired,” Barric says.

As we walk home, Theo takes my hand, kissing the back of it.

“How about I help you relax when we get home,” though his tone is soft, the suggestion in them doesn’t go amiss.

A feeling like warm honey slides down my spine and my hormones peel up at the thought of Theo’s talented tongue.

“Don’t tease me,” I say.

“I would never joke about comforting my mate.”

No he wouldn’t.

Thank the Goddess for that.

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