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He’s out the door, but they’re back, with Grayson held up between them shortly after.

Grayson is pale and not standing on his own.

“Angel.”

He holds out a hand, and Gideon almost drops him when they reach the couch, but as soon as they’re touching, that feeling of dread and pulling lets up considerably.

“Sorry.”

Sorry? Nix hasn’t any idea what he’d be sorry for, but at least the color is returning to Grayson’s cheeks.

Sinking to his knees beside him, Gideon puts a hand on Grayson’s forehead. “What happened?”

“Fucked if I know, but holy shit,” Grayson mutters, his voice hoarse.

“Someone needs to start talking because my wolf is buzzin’,” Rowan growls, his big palm lying protectively over Nix’s naked belly.

“I was out like I always am, you know? Checking the perimeter, putting my feet on the ground. Wolf likes that,” he whispers like it’s an afterthought.

He leans back on the couch but keeps a tight hold on Nix’s hand. “It felt off. Like…something on the edge of his nose. And then I saw Carnell.”

Jamie is on his feet immediately. “Here?!”

“No…there. He’s furious. Guess he found out we’re not in Jacksonville.”

His voice is far away, and the pressure in Nix’s chest picks up a bit, butnot like before.

The pack is silent; no one wants to break the trance Grayson is in, and he continues, “He’s livid, but he’s got a human there, and the guy…told him we’re here. And then he saw me. I saw him and he saw me,” he says again.

“Grayson, what are you saying?”

“He saw me and then he tried to grab me. I panicked, tried to pull back, and now here I am.”

The tugging in Nix’s chest and along the bond finally peters out, and Nix takes a deep breath.

Gideon is pacing the room like a caged tiger. Perhaps at the mention of his father, but it feels like more.

Jamie frowns at the convoluted explanation. “Gid?”

Gideon scoffs, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

“You were about thirty feet from the bottom of the stairs, and you were…” Gideon stops and shakes his head. “It was like you were…floating off the ground, hair swirling around your head, and your chest was bright pink.”

“Seriously? No way. How could you see his chest? He’s got a T-shirt on.”

“Through his T-shirt. It was a light through his fucking shirt.”

It’s obvious to everyone that Gideon is 100% telling the truth.

“What the fuck is going on?” Grayson whispers.

“Do you think that Carnell has a strong enough magic user to reach us here? Control Gray from two hours away?” Luca asks. “He could have hurt him!”

Magic.

It was another one of those mythical things Weres knew about but didn’tknowabout.

The pendant had been magic, and they all knew how real that had been.