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Week Five

W hen we get back from the college, my Tíogair goes with Boone to grab food. The docs and I are left in charge of the animals, so we return the SUV to the lot and stand outside of our respective cars for a few to go over what we’ve learned without having to worry about giving away Society secrets in front of our girl.

“I didn’t find the signal anywhere, but I learned that someone outfit all of the dorms specifically for each of the disciplines students are studying. It’s not something I’ve ever seen advertised by State U, so I can’t help but feel it’s significant somehow,” the vet says as he rakes his hand through his hair. “Also, out of all the buildings, the law and arts dorms had the most students still in residence.”

Presley tilts his head. “I only attended med school, and I don’t think I did much of anything besides study and go to class during the semester. I wonder if there’s some kind of enchantment on the professional dorms to keep us working or something.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking! I was so intent on graduating early with honors that I didn’t take part in the normal college shit. Do you think it’s keeping the supes away from the humans? Hyde was really squirrely in two dorms, and she flatly refused to go into any of the study areas with me.”

The serval in question lets out a loud “ Mow!” and I stroke my chin. I wouldn’t put it past the Society to put measures in place to prevent lost ones from witnessing supe activity or spells that wring the highest productivity out of their future members. An ensorcellment on that scale would take a lot of magic users, though, so it’s more likely to be woven into the fabric of everyday life rather than blanketing the campus.

“It’s possible, but I believe they’d need people to freely accept their control to make the spell less draining for the casters,” I reply. “But what does that have to do with Jolene’s parents’ death, or why she still hasn’t emerged?”

“Every clue seems to lead to a dead end!” Wolfie grumbles. “Neither of you found any evidence of that signal, either, right?”

The doc shakes his head, and I frown. “No. I found a lot of questionable research notes, and some locked doors I had to finagle to get past—only to find absolutely nothing behind them. And trust me , I used every power at my disposal to see if something was being covered up in them.”

They both look at me and I shrug. I can’t admit what I truly am, or who my mother is, so all I can do is give them what little truth I can muster.

“Doyle, there will come a time when we will need to know what kind of support you can offer if Magpie is attacked. You realize you’ll have to come clean eventually, right?” Hamilton pushes his glasses up, looking annoyed that he had to mention it.

No shit, Sherlock, but now isn’t the time. It will only make things worse.

“Boys, you needn’t worry about what I’m packing,” I bob my brows and they both groan. “I’m more than enough to supe to care for our girl appropriately.”

“Jesus Christ on a stripper pole,” his partner grumbles. “It’s not like we’re asking you to whip it all out here . We just need to buy a vowel.”

The young ones have so little patience. It’s amusing, really.

“Fine. Don’t tell us,” Presley sighs. “But Boone is going to be a lot more strident about it.”

“I can handle the three headed doggy; don’t fret.”

“What did you think they were hiding behind all the doors, Doyle? And what kind of questionable research?”

Frowning, I shake my head. “Something to do with DNA cloning and blood samples. I recognized a symbol on some papers, but it’s not from anything my Tíogair has in her treasure chest. I had the feeling I’d seen it elsewhere, but I can’t put me finger on it. As for the doors, my experience has been that when people lock things away, they don’t want them found.”

“Kind of the purpose of locks, dude, but yeah.”

I roll my eyes at the doctor, sucking in an annoyed breath. “Yes, it is, but locking empty rooms with no equipment, files, or anything worth hiding or stealing is extremely suspicious, wouldn’t you say, Watson?”

They exchange another one of their looks, and it smacks me in the face. “Oi! You assholes can mindspeak, and you’re not telling anyone!”

“Shhhhh!” Wolfie waves his hands, looking around us as if there’s a paparazzo in the fucking bushes. “We don’t want anyone to know.”

Why in the hell would you keep that shit secret?

As if he can hear my thoughts, Hamilton glares. “It’s because it’s part of a mating bond that isn’t complete, and we don’t want people nosing around our business with their fake sympathy.” He pauses, thinking for a moment, and murmurs, “Though I suppose now it’s also a tactical advantage.”

“Too fucking right, it is! I wonder if you’ll be able to do it with our girl… Or if she really has a passel of bloody gits like us as mates, will all of our gifts be shared?”

That’s a terrifying thought on so many levels, and now I’m going to need to chat with dear old Auntie again. Just fucking great.

“I have no idea.” Presley scratches his chin. “Truthfully, I’ve not heard of a supe with over three mates, and definitely not one with hybrids or species like me. Caladrii don’t mate outside of our kind, but in this case…”

“My mother’s kind usually don’t,” the vet whispers. “But I’m not asking her because we know she won’t tell me who he was or how anything happened.”

I tilt my head, studying the submissive Fae in a new light. “Your mother is a raging bitch who doesn’t give a feck about you and won’t ID your da?”

He nods, shrugging as if it doesn’t bother him—which it obviously does. “Yeah. She likes to dangle it to get what she wants, but she’s never given me even the slightest hint that would help me figure it out beyond what I already figured out on my own.”

Zeus strike me down. Am I feeling kinship with the eejit? How very odd.

“Same. My mother has no interest in me at all—her sister is the only relative on that side who gives me the time of day and even then, my Auntie is… a challenge on the best of days,” I reply. “But I turned out just fine, Sparkles, and I didn’t even have an adoptive family like you.”

“Aurelia did her best, that’s true,” he murmurs. “Until her break, she was a wonderful mom.”

Break? Fuck, I’m going to have to do actual research into the members of this motley crew, so I know what I’m dealing with. I’ve avoided doing the most tedious part of my placement here for years by simply dipping into the minds of the people I deal with and using their thoughts to help me manipulate anything I need. Something about doing it to the people I’ll have to live with has me feeling dirty now, and as if that wasn’t a big enough shock, I find I also want to know about them for no other reason than to fit in.

I fucking hate research. What is wrong with me?

“I grew up in boarding schools until my mentorship. Our kind considers all children part of the clutch, so I’m not sure which healers are my parents. It’s a sort of… collective thing.” Presley rubs his neck and shrugs self-consciously. “I was happy, though. Lots of random visitors and gifts and such on holidays… under the cloak of secrecy because of poachers, but I didn’t want for attention.”

I snort. “Aren’t my Tíogair’s mates a bunch of misfits, then? We all know the biggest assholes in the state adopted Boone, and Jolene’s parents seem like they were indifferent to her. I wonder what other orphans she’s going to gather before she’s done.”

“Do you really think she has more mates, Doyle?” Wolfie looks at me, his expression curious. “I mean, four is a lot for a hybrid as it is. Maybe not for a wolf or some of the cat shifters, but…”

The residents of the Hollow are so fucking sheltered.

“Not for dragons or a few rarer species, it’s not. You’re right, though, cats and dogs can have packs of mates. We only know she has a hellhound in her—or something compatible with it, but the temperature spike seems to confirm it. The rest of her makeup is a mystery, so yes, I believe she’s got some unclaimed baggage out there. MacAuley seems likely given his willingness to help at the trial; after all, he tends to stay out of everything .”

Hamilton grins. “That will be an interesting addition. I have no idea what his preferences are because he isolates himself so much. Like you, I only know he’s a seer, but not what his species is. Plus, he’s quiet as hell, so maybe he’ll balance out you and Boone.”

Shooting him a glare, I whistle for the animals. They’ve been roaming the lot and surrounding area as if watching for intruders, and it’s time we get home before our girl thinks we all abandoned her. “Watch your mouth, Doc. I’m well aware of your proclivities and I’ll happily join the judge in tying the lot of you down until you learn some respect.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Haggerty.”

He winks saucily and I roll my eyes. Wolfie bites his lower lip in a way that I’ll have to admit is a wee bit enticing. No wonder Boone’s falling ass over end for this shiny little praise slut—everything damned thing he does seems geared to entice and he doesn’t even intend it to be.

“You, too, Sparkles. Behave or I’ll have to think of far more creative punishments than the other two. I’ve had millenia to come up with my repertoire.”

They look at me in shock and I realize I just ratted myself out. Face palming, I mutter under my breath as the dogs and cats finally return. I’m not giving them any more information than I already have until I know their secrets. I’ll have to be more cautious and less distracted by possible fun and games. “Not a word, either of you. I know I look thirty-something and I don’t need people realizing what I truly am. I’ll eventually tell you all, so keep your yaps shut for now.”

Eyes sparkling, the vet gives me the most adorably evil grin I’ve seen on his face yet. “That can be arranged— if you help the three of us with a project we want to get done at the house.”

Uh-oh. What have I stepped in now?

“Don’t get your boxers in a bunch, Doyle. We want to start adding on to Magpie’s house so we all have our space and what we need to move in. It’s going to freak her the hell out because of whatever damage she won’t tell us about, we need your help to keep her calm when she finds out.” Presley shrugs. “Then we can repurpose or ditch our old places and offices, which will help Nelia get more businesses on the strip.”

I eye them suspiciously. Never in my thousands of years have I actually lived with anyone other than my mother’s relatives, and even then, I was always glad to be assigned somewhere to get away from their bullshit. I certainly haven’t cohabitated with humans or supes. They don’t even know about Odie, much less what kind of chaos being around me 24/7 will bring into their lives.

Let’s just say something in my father’s DNA aches for disorder, and I have to feed it frequently.

“Quit thinking so hard, Haggerty,” Wolfie murmurs. “We all have our quirks and we’ll learn to exist without killing each other or the animals. Which, by the way, I have a theory about: they tie to her mates somehow, and we’re going to see more of them appear if she draws what you think she will.”

Gaping at him, my mind rushes to put those pieces together as the realization that he might be correct floods my system. The cats are his—Fae are generally sneaky, unpredictable, aloof, and refuse to hide their emotions. Euryale is Hamilton’s because she’s a giant fucking bird. Boone came with his own spirit animals—literally—and the ruddy snake is me. Not my mother’s side, for certain, but the attributes of dear old dad fall easily into a reptilian guise.

Son of a thieving hind hunter.

“ That is the most erudite piece of information we’ve managed to glean all day, and I can work with it. By Hephestus’ fiery beard, now we’re getting somewhere!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

I roll my eyes at Presley and sigh as I open my car door. “The companions are tied to her mates, and it might help us identify who’s next, but also what if her mates and the companions are tied to her lineage? Compatible species or inherited species, doesn’t matter which. We can prepare for what piece may emerge next, you dolt. Right now, the ratio is four to sodding one!”

“Holy jumpin’ Jehosaphat,” Wolfgang murmurs. “If we take it further, the hybrids in the group have multiple sides and her inner monsters will have to fit with them as well. Boone has three, though we only know about one.”

“Ah-ah-ah,” I reply, waggling my finger. “ I know all three. We’ll see if you can get him to admit it, Sparkles, but that means you and the doc will have to come clean about your wicked mother.”

Ushering the animals into their car, Hamilton gives me a knowing look. “We’re going to need quite a lot of alcohol for that conversation. And you will be required to share as well, you snarky motherfucker.”

I grin charmingly, waiting for them to pull out of before I disappear into thin air to visit my auntie. I’ll need to ask permission and since time moves so differently on the Mount, I’ll be there and back to my Tíogair’s place before they even realize I’ve gone.

Here’s to finding the wisest woman alive in a generous mood…