Page 2 of Briggs (Paranormal Council Enforcers #16)
Dimitri looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded once. “Understandable. I had much the same growing up. But Yéye would not let me be too much of a recluse here. Although he isn’t too intrusive, he is very happy that I am willing to come to supper every so often.”
I snorted. It was no secret that Alpha Mate Chin was all over Caspian and the baby dragon that Dimitri’s mate had given the alpha.
Would I ever find my mate? I was not going to go down that path of thought again.
At least not right now. It seemed as if the enforcers were lucky when it came to finding mates.
Several had done so since I’d been with the enforcers.
“You must be doing it again.”
I nodded at Dimitri’s comment. I didn’t feel up for having that conversation with the dragon shifter.
He was nice, and I honestly trusted him with my life, but I didn’t want to have a deep conversation at the moment.
We were about to go on an assignment, and now wasn’t the time for such discussions.
We were back at our office, and it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Carrington was sitting on Benjamin’s desk.
Damien wasn’t around, but that didn’t mean the hellhound wasn’t nearby.
I had to assume that the warlock had already been briefed by Master Edison since he was in our office waiting on us.
Perk of being one of Master Edison’s warlocks, obviously.
Not that they seemed to be getting special treatment.
“Damien had to go back to his office to grab something he forgot. Personally, I think he just wanted to go kiss Ledger, but that’s my opinion,” Carrington told us. I chuckled, Dimitri snorted, and Raiden smirked. If Felix did anything, I didn’t pick up on it.
“I cannot blame him for wanting to spend time with his mate,” Raiden said.
“I wouldn’t know,” Carrington said. “But perhaps someday.” The warlock slid from the desk and picked up a folder. “I’ve already been briefed since someone had to take Benjamin’s place. I didn’t have anything else going on, so I volunteered.”
“When do you plan on leaving?” Raiden asked.
“Just as soon as everyone is packed and ready,” Carrington said. “I was told you already knew to expect an assignment.”
“Yes,” several of us responded.
“If you need to go get bags, please do so. If you need to go kiss someone goodbye, also recommend you do that. I’ll be hanging out in the cafeteria waiting.”
I shrugged as the others left the office. I’d brought my bag with me, because yeah, we had been told we were going on assignment. I didn’t know if I’d brought all that I would need, but I’d make do. Carrington raised an eyebrow at me. I just pointed to the bag that was on the floor by my desk.
“Ah. You are prepared, then.”
I raised one shoulder at him. “I don’t have anyone at home to go say goodbye to. And I can’t exactly just poof my bag here to me. Although I guess I could have left it at home since even Benjamin hasn’t told us we had to leave immediately.”
“That’s all you are taking?”
“Do I need more? I have several days’ worth of stuff in there.” I sighed. “Not enough?”
“I’m not one to tell you how to pack. If you are comfortable with only that bag, I have no issues with that. We are going to be gone for at least a week though, most likely two.”
I groaned. Not that I had someone to come home to whom I would miss. I didn’t. But I hadn’t realized that the assignment was going to be that long. “I guess I didn’t realize we were going to be out for so long. I’ll run home and grab my other bag,” I told him.
Carrington just nodded before he left the office ahead of me.
While he went to the cafeteria, I left the council building.
I checked out with Slater on my way out and then looked up at the morning sunshine.
It was probably going to be a gorgeous day today, but we wouldn’t be around to enjoy it.
I hadn’t ever been to New Mexico, but that was about to change.
I took another deep breath, getting a whiff of the scents of the reopened bakery.
I liked a good cookie every now and then, and pie was my absolute favorite, but I wasn’t like some of the enforcers who could eat entire meals full of sweets.
Give me a good slab of meat, followed up with half of a pie for dessert, and I was a happy wolf.
As I walked around the council building, I caught the scent of something I’d smelled before.
I wasn’t sure what it was, but every time I’d scented it, my wolf had taken notice.
He very much enjoyed whatever it was, but I’d never been able to find it.
Every time I’d come back after work in my wolf form, the scent had always been gone.
It wasn’t that I was terrible at tracking, but the scent was simply gone by then.
It didn’t take long to get to my place since I was in the front row of houses on the far left.
The scents inside my place were different than outside, and familiar.
I had collected some things since joining the council, but I didn’t have a whole lot when compared to others.
I didn’t need much. I had a place to sleep, somewhere to eat, and was able to watch television.
Not that I did a whole lot of that. I spent a lot of my free time in my wolf form, exploring the mountain.
It was something that my wolf enjoyed, and overall, it made me happier.
It wasn’t like I had anything else to do.
It only took ten or so minutes for me to transfer the items from my small bag to the larger one and add enough stuff for the rest of the trip.
Of course, now that I was bringing enough for two weeks, we would only be gone for a few days.
It wasn’t as if it made any difference for Carrington.
Or Damien, for that matter. Either one of them could handle the entire team, as well as all of our luggage.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed back to the council building.
Once outside and partway to the council building again, I picked up on that other scent that always caught my wolf’s attention.
I would be long gone this afternoon, just as I knew the scent would be.
Perhaps at some point, my wolf and I would discover what exactly it was that kept grabbing his attention. Not today though.
After signing back in with Slater, who just shook his head at me, I went to the cafeteria, where I found Carrington sitting with Felix.
The two seemed to be deep in conversation, and I didn’t want to interrupt whatever they were discussing.
Although I tried to go to the other side of the cafeteria to wait, it was too late as the warlock had seen me.
He waved me over, which grabbed Felix’s attention as well.
I nodded at Carrington, and after I crossed the cafeteria, I heard what they were talking about: magical abilities.
I couldn’t really contribute to that conversation, but I could certainly listen.
I sat beside Felix, who offered me a beaming smile.
Whatever had been discussed since I’d seen him not long ago seemed to have improved his mood.
“Since we’re the only ones that are single, you might as well join us,” Carrington said. “The others are probably going to be a bit longer since they have someone to say goodbye to. Not that I’m begrudging them their time with their mates. I’m not.”
I nodded in agreement. “There always has to be a last one. Which of us do you think will find our mate first?” I asked Felix. We were the last two on our team to find mates, and although I wouldn’t say no to one, I honestly wasn’t expecting to be that lucky.
“Yeah, not me. I’m not really looking for a mate,” Felix said. “I’m not sure I want everything that goes with that. I don’t have anywhere to go if I do, and I don’t have a whole lot of money saved up just yet.”
Carrington and I looked at Felix like he had two heads. “You do know you can live in mated enforcer housing as well, right?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure. But I don’t have a whole lot of funds. I get it, I have magic to provide, but that’s not the same. I’m only twenty-two. And although I’m getting up there in years when it comes to fae finding their mates, I’m not nearly ready for the responsibilities that come with it.”
Carrington stared at Felix for a moment before he turned his eyes my way. I shrugged. When exactly did fae mate? I’d never really thought to ask, but if twenty-two was getting up there, then did they all find their mates right after they came of age?