Page 47

Stacy

“Anya Starling would like me to bring Halla to them as soon as possible,” Dani casually says after handing out the last dose of her healing elixir in the mess hall. “I haven’t met her yet. Is she here somewhere?”

“We don’t know where she is,” Grey replies. “Meadows took her somewhere after he took the girls and dropped them off at the massage parlor, which was two days before the attack on Erica’s birthday. Talked to Stacy’s cousin Luke and he said their convoy stopped thirty minutes from here for half an hour on the way to The Falls. He wasn’t in the same vehicle as Meadows, was in the back of a windowless van, but Meadows was heard on a phone call that was presumed to be with a witch going over his need for more potions. Half an hour is the same distance as the place Brody rescued the girls from last night.”

Dani’s eyes flare with alarm. “This could be a problem,” she says. “Obviously my first concern is that a little girl is missing, but also, it needs to be said that things are tense after what happened with Aviva Starling. The Starling coven leader Anya has her hackles up. Big time. And we expected Halla was going to help smooth some of that out.”

“Lay it out for me,” Grey requests.

“Well,” she replies, “to begin with, the Starlings are asking for a formal investigation against our coven. Particularly you, Aunt Mimi, Erica. Also the pack because of Riley’s involvement.”

“Mitch filed his report,” Grey reasons. “Didn’t Lucinda Alexander do so as well? Have they read them?”

“Reports have not only been filed, I’m told copies were supplied to Anya. But also, Vivi explained things to them in a courtesy call, but questions are still being raised. They want due diligence, want to know there was no negligence on our side because Aviva died. They’re also beyond unhappy about their ancestor’s wand and cauldron not being returned to their coven. Lucinda called Vivi and said they got on the phone to her when they were notified those would go to the global shifter archives, and to say they’re incensed about that is putting things mildly. Lucinda wanted assurances that those artifacts are safe so got on the phone with Erica last night to ask that the pack does their best to guard them but also to get them to Bucharest as soon as possible as she’s uneasy with Anya Starling’s reaction. I was planning to bring Halla home to Marblehead and then pack for Bucharest immediately, getting on a plane before the Starlings came to Marblehead to pick up Halla. That way the artifacts would already be out of their reach. When Vivi brought up Halla and Aphra, giving them that update she could tell returning Halla to them would be a good olive branch. Now telling them that I’m not returning her because we don’t know where she is? Based on Vivi’s conversations with them so far, which were contentious at best, it won’t go over well.”

“Shit,” Grey says.

Shit, indeed.

“I mean, if it were someone in my pack, I’d want due diligence, so I get it,” he adds. “What are you thinking we should do about this? Want me to talk to them?”

“I want to attempt a locator spell before we give them the news. Maybe we can find her before they hear she isn’t here.”

“Okay,” Grey readily agrees. “Lookin’ forward to seeing how that works.”

Dani turns her attention to me. “Are any of Halla’s belongings here?”

“Possibly in the trailer,” I reply. “But if you can do a locator spell successfully, can’t Halla’s family do one as well?”

“They’ve never met her, so while it’s possible, it might be more fruitful if we do it because of your connection with her as well as the fact we can use some of her belongings. But Aphra Starling has been missing for five years and none of their spells worked to find her. Their coven leader says they’ve been worried about her. They’ve never met Halla, didn’t know she existed, and are anxious to meet her.”

“Whoa,” I say.

“Vivi sensed some dissent there. If Aphra put a block to stop her coven from finding her, that block might extend to her daughter.”

“Oh no,” I say. “Aphra never told me about her family, her life before Wyatt took her. I don’t even know how Wyatt wound up with her. He never said and I never asked.”

Dani says, “I’d like to do two spells. Look for your brother as well as Halla. They might not be in the same location. Greyson, you can help. Stacy, if you could see if you can find me some of Halla’s belongings we can give it a whirl?”

“Sure.”

Grey pipes up, “Let me walk Stace to the trailer to fetch that stuff first, Dani, yeah? Riley’s brother Brody is there with his newly identified and unclaimed mate so it’s… delicate.”

***

“ Why are things delicate here? Is Addy okay?” I ask as Grey and I walk down to the trailer.

“You smell Brody’s claiming scent yet?” he asks.

“I don’t know what that would smell like, but I don’t think so.”

“When it happens we’ll all smell it and know just what we’re smellin’. He hasn’t claimed her yet because she’s been through a lot, obviously. While I trust Brody, I’m not sending you into a den where a wolf shifter has been waiting almost a day to claim his mate for the first time. Where he’s holding his temper being pissed at what she’s recently been through. Brody’s someone I’m tight with, someone I trust. But as your mate and protector I won’t ever put you in front of an alpha fighting off the rutting urge.”

“Eek,” I whisper.

“Yeah, Blossom. Eek.”

“I hope he’s as kind and gentle with her as you were with me.”

His eyes warm for me and he grabs my hand and squeezes it affectionately as we continue walking. But I’m feeling troubled for Addy, wanting to put her mind at ease if at all possible.

“Not to worry, babe. This is Brody we’re talking about. He’s a Savage.”

“Pun unintended? Because… well… not sure that makes me feel better. Tyson Savage kidnapped Ivy and he has a track record of getting pretty extreme about… mating. And I heard about Riley Savage and Erica’s mating from your sister and it sounds like…” I put up air quotes with my fingers, “ Savages ” I drop my fingers “can get pretty … uh… savage in the mating department.”

He tips his head in a way that shows I’m making a good point.

“Then again, it’s not just the Savage family, is it?” I add. “Because Bailey said Mason walked up to Amelia at the gas station and kissed her, then kidnapped her and brought her home to claim her. Then you and I both know you carried me out of that cell to your house to claim me, almost getting into a fight with the alphas on your council, deciding to wait because I was scared, then very creatively claimed me a few hours later anyway.”

“Ended the runnin’ away were doin’, though, didn’t it?” he asks, mischief filling his features as he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it.

I beam a smile at him. “Sure did. But me sneaking off aside, I suspect the Arcana Falls extra alpha alphas have a difficult time with a lowkey claiming.”

Grey throws his head back and laughs. “Good point.”

And it’s good to see him laugh. So good.

He kisses the side of my head. “Love to see that smile, Blossom. That dimple. Don’t see enough of it.”

“I was just thinking the same about you. Haven’t seen enough of yours in the past couple days.”

“Yeah, well, things have been a little…crazed.” Darkness clouds his expression.

“Understatement. Are you nervous about the Starling coven?” I ask.

“Not particularly,” he replies. “We did nothing wrong.”

“I’m worried about Halla,” I admit. “She’s a beautiful, sweet little girl. We all got really close to her. I hope she’s okay.”

“I hope so, too. What did your brother threaten where she’s concerned?”

“It was vague. He warned we’d never see her again, but didn’t say what he’d do. I wouldn’t have thought he’d hurt a little girl. Then again, Larry giving Kimmy that soup… he’s shown he’s capable of some pretty heinous stuff. I suspected he planned to hold onto her until she was of age to start practicing magic, so he could use her to his advantage.” My heart sinks as I again hope that Halla is safe.

“And you don’t have any ideas about what could’ve happened to Aphra Starling?” he asks.

“None,” I respond. “I was looking after Halla after Wyatt hurt Aphra. Coming in twice a day to see Aphra, bring her food and help her with her healing. But only a few days later, Aphra was just… gone.”

“When?”

“A week or so before I left to go to Drowsy Hollow. She was staying in his house with Halla, had been here a couple months, but he sent Halla to stay with us while she was recovering after he did what he did. Then suddenly my brother went ballistic looking for her with his betas, said she vanished in the dead of night. That’s all I know. She loves her little girl so much, I couldn’t imagine why she’d leave without her, but like I said, I promised her I’d take care of Halla for her. I just didn’t know how long I’d be doing it and then of course Addy and Misty had to take over when I got sent to Drowsy Hollow.”

We get to the trailer and Grey lifts his phone out of his jeans and dials.

“Hey, Brode. Got to get some things of Halla Starling’s from in there. Needed for a locator spell.”

A moment later, Brody comes out, handing a bag to me, saying, “Adelaide put that together.”

“How is she?” I ask.

His mouth tightens. “Traumatized.”

“Can I see her?” I ask.

He looks me over for a brief moment and nods. “I think that’d help. Go ahead.”

Grey pipes up, “Maybe that should wait. I need to do a few things with my cousin Danica, Brody. I’ll bring Stacy back after that.”

“It’s all good, Grey. I’ve got a lock on it,” Brody says.

Grey looks uncomfortable.

“You have my word,” Brody adds. “But…I’ll sit outside.”

“Appreciated,” Grey says. “I’ll ask Linc or Jase to come get Stacy when she’s done? Walk her back.”

“I’d do it, but I don’t want Adelaide by herself,” Brody says.

“I could walk myself back,” I offer. “It’s just over there.” I point.

“No,” Grey denies. “I want you accompanied by an alpha at all times. Just in case.”

“In case what?” I ask.

He gives me a serious look and flexes his jaw muscles a few times before he replies with, “In case anyone thinks to turn on you.”

I’m thrown by this statement. “Turn on me?”

“Blossom,” he says gently, “There are folks here who have lost their sons due to the conflict with our pack. There are folks here who might also still think of Meadows as their rightful leader and us as the enemy. You’re my mate. Getting back at you would be a fuck you to me and my pack. Your brother could even be calling those shots so it could be him telling someone to lash out at you.”

“Absolutely,” Brody chimes in.

“Oh,” I breathe, absorbing what he’s saying.

It gets even harder to absorb once Grey tells me the rest.

“Heard the ping of a text last night in the mess hall and found a cell phone on one of the men we took to that bunkhouse. Last number dialed was dialed a few minutes after we came in.”

“Wyatt’s cell phone?” I ask.

“Yep.”

This is why all the men got moved last night.

“Who had the phone?” I ask.

“Said his name is Warren. Asked what he said to Wyatt, and he said he left a voicemail that we were here, because he was ordered to do so if anyone showed. Said all he did was leave a quick message telling your brother that several alphas from Arcana Falls were here. I don’t know if anyone else got in touch and got through. Also don’t know if any of the others have been in contact and gotten any orders from him. I lined them all up and demanded answers and nobody copped to anything, but I was takin’ no chances, so we kept all adult men other than the sick ones or the two that slept on the floor last night to be on cleanup duty in that bunkhouse.”

Would Warren hurt me? Maybe. He’s in his late forties, walks with a limp, but he’s strong enough to do some damage, for sure. And he’s a throwback to my father’s inner circle so I suspect he’d hold loyalty to Wyatt. His wife, Priscilla, is one of the poisoned, though… so is he loyal to Wyatt after learning that?

“You good here? I’ll go meet Dani back at the mess hall and then we’ll meet at Wyatt’s house.”

“Yeah,” I say, frowning.

He kisses me soft and sweet and shows how well he already reads me with what he says next as he gently tucks my hair behind my ear. “I know it hurts, seein’ what he’s done to your people. I know it kills imagining any of those people you’ve worked so hard to help stabbing you in the back, but folks under someone’s thumb will go to extreme behaviors when under the gun. As you well know.”

“Boy, do I know,” I whisper.

“It speaks of the fear they need to be liberated from. And that’s what we’re doin’ here. Change is hard. We’re giving people leeway, but nobody gets a chance to fuck you over. Your safety means the most to me in all this. Okay, Blossom?”

“Yes, Grey.”

“Good girl. Gimme another kiss to last me the next few minutes until one of the guys brings you to me.”

I step closer and put my hands to his jaw. “I love you so much.”

“Good. Me, too.”

“That was our first fight, right? Technically?” I ask. “Before Dani got here?”

His eyes scan my face. “Guess it was.”

“Make up sex is customary after a fight’s over, isn’t it?”

A smile spreads across his face, but then it dies.

“Not fucking you here, babe. No goddamn way.”

My heart sinks at the look on his face. I suddenly have the urge to shower. Shower in the clean water of Grey’s house, washing away Silver Hills first.

“Maybe we can take a run later,” I suggest. “Have makeup sex in the woods?”

His smile returns and I feel relief that he’s not repulsed by the idea of sex after learning so many ugly facts about my life.

“Sounds like a plan, sweetheart.”

I kiss him once more before I turn back and see Brody has left the door open, but is strolling along the fence line about a hundred feet away.

I suspect he’s giving me and Grey space as well as showing me he’s giving me and Addy privacy, too, while making Grey feel safer about leaving me here.

Jase walks up before I go inside and I see and feel the relief from my mate that I’m not being left with a male fighting off the rut. After waving at Jase, I pull in a deep breath and walk across the threshold of the four walls, leaky roof, and soft floor of what was once called my home, though never felt like it.

No, this never felt like home. It never felt safe. It never felt like a haven. Not this building nor the other buildings I lived in while here, at least not since I was six years old before I moved in with Father and Wyatt. Sure, there were times when things were quiet, calm, but this was never a home to me. It was shelter from the elements but with a threat continuously looming just outside those four rotting walls, but that was all it was... a building.

I want things to be right here. I want things to be good for the people I grew up with. I want all the kids raised here to have enough to eat. To feel safe. To know they can be themselves instead of being repressed, under someone’s thumb. I want this pack to always have medicine for the sick. Clean water. A capable leader.

But along with all this, I’m also really, really anxious to go to Arcana Falls. Because I think when we get back, the relief I’ll feel on the other side of that pretty bottle green door in that lovely white house that Greyson bought and decorated in anticipation of meeting me will mean that finally, for the first time since I was six years old, I will feel like I’m home .

The Arcana Falls pack has welcomed me. And when all this is behind us, maybe I can lean in to being me – the me I’ve suppressed here.