Page 78

Week Three

M ovement on the bed awakens me, and I roll over, my eyes searching for Lucy immediately. “What time is it? Is Magpie home?”

His gentle smile usually calms my nerves without fail, but even when he reaches out and cups my cheek, it doesn’t lessen the anxiety coursing through me. “No, love, she’s not here. Unless they passed out downstairs, which seems unlikely, I just woke up so I haven’t gone down to check yet.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” I ask as I fumble for my glasses. “This doesn’t feel right—she’s not the type to not come home without contacting us.”

“At some point she was, babe. We’ve heard her and Saoirse talk about their wild days in Europe. Maybe it’s like a reunion, and they’re curled up somewhere sleeping off their hangovers.”

I know Lucy is trying to soothe my frayed edges, but something inside of me is pinching and I’d bet it is for Boone as well. My guess is that we’re going to have a rabid hellhound stomping all over magpie’s house soon if we don’t…

“ Where is she?!”

Huh. I doubt Hugo could have predicted that outcome any better.

Lucy gives me a longing look—he probably had morning plans —and hops up to head for the shower. He’s oddly unconcerned about Edgar walking in as he strolls naked across the bedroom, but it only confirms my suspicions about those two. There’s something there and every time I feel the sizzle, it makes me grin. Personally, I enjoy the thought of a big, polyamorous family bunking down in an Alaskan king.

My people spend far too much time on their own and I’d like to break the cycle.

“Both of you need to calm down or I’ll never be able to focus,” Lucy calls over his tan shoulder. “Too much emotion is making me fritz and we’re too naked for me to get frosty by mistake.”

My eyes widen, and I shake my head. “Focus, Lucy. If you lose control of the icy shit, your real mother—not poor Aurelia—will make an appearance. She’s the last thing we need in town at the moment.”

Wolfgang Lucien Fletcher may be a dual hybrid like most of the kids raised in this town, but unlike many of them, he knows at least one of his birth parents. Unfortunately, the one who made her presence known is as trustworthy as a jewel thief in the Tower of London and cuddly as a cactus. She purposely withholds the identity of his real father, despite knowing his adoptive father was killed and his adoptive mother is living in an institution. I wholeheartedly believe the bitch never wanted a child and the father, despite needing to remain anonymous, forced her to have Lucy. Not allowing them to meet is a narcissistic control method she uses to exact her revenge.

But you don’t get to pick your bio parents, and knowing one—no matter how evil she is—is more than most of us in the enclaves get.

My love chuckles as he enters the en suite , and I hear Boone tramping up the stairs like Hadrian’s army.

“ Is no one listening ?!”

I head for the closet, tugging on sweats and a tee shirt before he bursts in the door. Whereas I know he’s warming to Lucy, he’s not there yet with me, and it’s probably because I’m not submissive. When I step out of the walk-in, he glares at me as if I’ve offended his ancestors.

“Hamilton, I don’t care what we have to do. I need to know she’s okay!”

“Take a benzo, Boone. Magpie’s a big girl. She can handle herself.” My words are more confident than I feel, but if he’s this volatile, the rest of us have to be calmer. Poor Lucy is probably having a bitch of a time keeping his ears in as it is. He’s so sensitive about Jolene, and Edgar’s fear is radiating from him like an emotional dam bursting. My words of reassurance don’t seem to help because he keeps pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.

I’m at a loss because while my gift is healing bodies, his problem is solely an emotional one. That’s much more Lucy’s oeuvre, and until he…

“Guardian. Seer. Is. A. Guardian,” my love says. I have to bite back a chuckle when I realize he’s stark naked, towel drying his hair as he breathlessly runs in.

Boone doesn’t even react, just rubs his hand on the back of his neck, looking confused. “Uh, yeah, pup, she is. What’s that got to do with the war tax on whiskey?”

“It means she wouldn’t ever let our magpie be in danger, no matter how blasted they got. My darling boy is trying to tell us the Irish lass probably took her home—to her home.”

That sparks the dominating Edgar I’m more familiar with. “Clothes now, gentleman. We have a lady to rescue from a fiery haired warrior.” He beams at Lucy, walking over to ruffle his hair fondly, and I watch the fae’s face light up like a Christmas tree.

Oh, yes, I love it when a plan comes together…

* * *

“Sorry, folks. No time for introductions. I’m going to take Tilly home to get cleaned up and see if she can sleep the rest of this off. The rest of you can fuck off until I call you.”

Lucy turns back to us as Boone tugs Jolene out from under me and bolts out the door. His perfect features pull into a pout and my heart gives a squeeze. He doesn’t realize that out girl is so damaged from whatever happened to her with this Trevor idiot that she’s struggling to parse her emotions about some new woman who is stealing all the attention from her bestie and her lover.

Sure it’s a little immature, but who among us is without some sort of trauma that makes us behave in a less than healthy way at times?

“Prez, where’d they go?”

Pushing to my feet, I walk over and pull him to my side, pressing my lips on his temple. “Jolene was a little overwhelmed by whatever drug they gave us and maybe a smidge of jealousy. Your Guardian and her men are a bit flashy, and our girl is admittedly gun shy about relationships. I think Edgar swooped in to take her for some decompression time.”

The faux Legolas gives me a saucy wink. “Understood, mate. We’ve got one like that as well—and looky there, she’s the Guardian of your broken toy.”

“She’s not a broken toy!”

My eyes widen when Wolfie’s wings pop out and sparkles fill the air as he glares at Zasha. Despite the small control issues he’s having since Jolene arrived, I’ve never seen my darling absolutely lose his temper like that. Every bit of his bearing shows the royal blood in him as he strides over to his former Guardian’s entourage.

I’d interrupt, but honestly, this is hot AF and the other half of our polysquare is going to be so pissed they missed it.

“Fletcher, I did not mean?—”

“Wolfgang, calm down. You know you can’t?—”

“Aren’t you going to tame your little mate?”

I arch a brow at the last statement, giving the huge wyvern a disgusted look. “I don’t tame anyone. If Lucy feels you owe him, and our girl, an apology for your careless words, far be it for me to correct him.”

His ethereal coloring and dust from his gorgeous wings distracts the others long enough that the submissive Fae is able to gather his thoughts. When he speaks, it’s with an authority I rarely hear. “Julia, I have missed you, but your men need to mind their manners. You all may have the advantage of age and natural aggression on your side, but I believe you’re aware of who’s got the biggest… wand… in this room.”

I mean, he’s probably not wrong, but I doubt that’s what he means. The wyvern might give him a run for his money based on size…

He blinks and turns a light purple as the blush on his cheeks mixes with his blue coloring. “ Not that kind of wand, Presley! ”

Whoops. I must have emoted that too strongly.

Julia gives us both an amused look, nodding at Tharin and Zasha. “Wolfgang is correct. His lineage makes him the most powerful person in this room—though age and experience might give us an edge for a short time. He’s also correct that Zasha was careless in his wording and you, Tharin, were defensive. Apologize so we can move on.”

Mumbled words and petulant pouts are their response, and I sigh. I hope to hell that’s not what we look like when magpie takes us to task. “Good enough for you, love?”

Lucy nods, taking a deep breath as he calms himself so he can slip back to human form. Once he’s gotten his magic under control, he looks over at Saoirse. “You’ve been extremely quiet during this hullabaloo. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Her expression is mournful. “I’m mired in guilt for lettin’ Peanut get dosed—hell, all of us get dosed. Also, I’m having a bit of trouble processing Zasha’s broken toy claim, so I’ll need a tick before I’m useful.”

Zasha raises a brow at us as if to say ‘see what I meant?’ and I chuckle. Clearly, he wasn’t wrong, and Seer is going to be distracted by figuring out her own love life for a while.

“I can give you that, leprechaun, but we’re going to need a plan. We have to confirm or deny that you were all dosed with fairy dust, and we need to make sure Jolene is checked out. Being unemerged and still under the suppression spell, she could have an adverse reaction to anyone using supernatural powers on her.”

Tharin strokes his beard and rumbles, “You are a caladrius, are you not? You can do it yourself.”

“He is Tharin, but we will need to run blood tests and take samples. Caladrius are the magical healers in our enclaves, but they are also familiar with scientific methods. At times like these, it’s a blessing that the Society sends them to medical school and to apprentice with an elder—Presley will be able to identify our issue regardless of whether it was caused by a supe or an incredibly talented human.”

Lucy gives me a bright smile and I return it, grateful to him for explaining. The older the supernaturals are, the harder it is to get them to understand that my vocation is as much science as it is magic in this day and age. Most humans are unaware of our existence, but it doesn’t mean all of them are, and there’s still a possibility a idiotic bounty hunter could have been targeting their group. That kind of enemy wouldn’t be concerned about whether or not his weapon killed other humans if it didn’t hit his target exactly.

Supe hunters are terrifying, but they’re less common than rogue private military companies and scientists who’d love to get their hands on us.

“Then what do you suggest we do, Dr. Hamilton?” Julia asks wryly.

Her cool efficiency is appealing—I’ll give her that. She smells like some sort of reptilian, but I can’t get a read on her outside of that. “I’ll have Boone bring magpie to my office after she’s rested up. As for the rest of you, I’m going to fly home and grab some supplies so I can do what I need here. I don’t need all of your traipsing around town inviting questions.”

The rainbow haired Guardian nods. “While you are away, Saoirse will contact the Society. They will want an update on this situation as well as to confirm the orders we were given to stay in Whistler’s Hollow for the time being.”

“Aye, Julia! You dinna mention you were shacking up here for a while,” Seer grumbles. “That explains why Boone built the ruddy biggest place he feckin’ could, though.”

She’s not wrong.

“Guys, we can iron all of this out later.” Lucy pulls away from my side as he walks towards the kitchen. “I’m going to make breakfast. The rest of you—off you go to your assignments. If you don’t have one, for the love of everything holy, take a shower . This place stinks like a frat house.”

I beam at his back as he leaves us. From the moment I met Jolene Whitley, I knew she’d be good for Lucy and I, but this spunk is better than I ever could have imagined. I’m watching him blossom right in front of my eyes and I adore the hell out of it.

“You heard him… scoot!” I add as my wings pop free and I head for the door.

I have a good feeling about this turn of events, even if it started with magpie getting magically roofied. Something wonderful is forming and I can’t wait.