“Yes. Sometimes. She’s a great friend and thinks she’s some mother hen approving my dates left and right. I think she likes this one…and yes, we are going to remain friends.”“Again, I didn’t say anything.”Reese smirked. “I can’t say the same about your brother and Tina, though.”Luke agreed with that but didn’t say anything, unsure how Eric and Tina were navigating their complicated relationship now and how many people knew of its progress. When Reese left, Luke sat on the grass to continue monitoring Maya’s progress, aware of how strictly she kept to their barrier while also avoiding venturing deeper in. The private corner remained private as no one noticed what she was up to other than him and Reese, and that show of trust in them had him making sure they remained alone for the rest of her activity.When her movements slowed, he was ready with her clothes, handing them over the moment she shifted back to human form. She shimmied in them, unashamed to face him naked. The confidence
The woman didn’t question her excuse, already too preoccupied with the seeds lined up for planting. Maya took advantage of it and was out of there, walking at first before she burst into a sprint as far away from the center of the territory as possible. She avoided the guarding spots, too, and headed straight for the mansion, then snuck towards the back until she arrived in the greenhouse. The empty rows of wooden stands indicated that it hadn’t been used in a while, but a sweet scent drew her towards the back where pots of colorful blooms lay. She stopped in her tracks, eyeing the budding stems.An image of the little girl who had once been so real popped into her head, holding a flower just as small. The dam she had been holding on to broke so hard that she could only fall and curl up on the ground as she was hit with memory after memory of how it felt when she had first given birth: that same unbearable joy whittling at her defenses before everything had been torn away from her. Sh
“You could have killed me but you didn’t,” the woman blurted out.Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Luke saunter close and give a slight shake of his head out of Hannah’s view.No intruders.Stupefaction made her dizzy, but she focused on the woman. Hannah was alone?“You could have alerted them, but you didn’t,” she said slowly. “What do you want?”“I wanted to tell you what I think you don’t know, even after all these years. The trap and the sabotage. The infiltration and the burning of your clan.”Maya’s spine stiffened. “Yes. Because I was foolish enough to trust Sam.”But the woman’s words were yet another shock to the system.“No. They already knew before you got there. Someone else tipped them off—someone else in your clan who knew what kind of man your clan leader was. You were the backup plan.”“Who? What kind of man?”“Nelly. She was—”“My cousin.” Her brain processes the information, and anger seeped in. “She would never have betrayed us. She would never have…”Except
“Space?”“I need to be alone. I need to think.”Luke examined her, trying to figure her out. Then he let it go and trusted, nodding. “You can shop in the city. Book a hotel. Unless you want to stay in our territory….”“The city sounds good.”She swallowed down her guilt at not telling him yet but felt like her state of mind would ruin the moment. So, Maya returned the kiss he gave her and walked away, but not before assuring him of one thing.“I will be back. I won’t leave New York.”“I know,” was his reply. Then, “Call if you need help. Lie low.”Despite how light his tone sounded, there was no missing how he struggled with letting her go, his worry apparent. Having Reese escort her outside felt like a relief as the younger man didn’t ask questions, just as preoccupied. When they arrived on the streets, she turned to him.“She wasn’t with anyone?”“What?” Reese snapped out of his reverie. “Oh, Hannah. Yeah, alone. I tailed her until she left the city.”“Hmm.”“Would you like to come
“I sense evil…something sinister. It’s brewing in the air.”The words felt familiar enough that her back stiffened.“Angelo?”“Sorry, I’m talking to myself. The path’s safe, as I said, so don’t be afraid. I’m headed to the city to lead an event. It’s a pretty important one that will push our clan to even more success, so I needed to walk by myself for a while and clear my head.”Lead. Powerful.He will lead you all to success and destruction.Maya felt her heart rise to her throat as she stared at Angelo and understood that the Fae might be talking about him.Chapter 17“It’s Angelo. It’s your clan leader. He’s evil.”The words were barely out of Maya’s mouth before she was dragging Luke to a private corner, her face pale and her body shaking. He took the boxes in her hands, but she didn’t notice as she was too preoccupied with trying to get his attention. Automatically, he set the boxes to the side and took her face in his hands, wordlessly assuring him that she did have his attentio
“I promise to check it out. Please believe me.”“I believe you.”“Now, tell me what you got.”She blinked. Then she looked down at the boxes. “Oh.” Maya visibly struggled to get back to normal conversation, but she succeeded as she nodded. “Food. For everyone. Different kinds. But the cupcakes with the cartoon toppings are for the kids.”This was the woman who was after his heart without her even knowing it. He held it close, keeping silent instead of pointing out how much she loved the children already. Casually, he picked up the boxes.“Thank you. So, just food?”Silence.“Yes. Just food.”“Cool. Let’s take it to the others, then.”She smiled. But the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.***Maya still accepted him in her tent or slept in his bedroom, their unofficial relationship more open to the rest, but the details were still private. His kin just seemed to accept it, anyway, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. They still made love, and she still mingled with the oth
Her tone was so serious that he knew he had to cut the conversation short. Luke patted her shoulder.“I’m glad you are not on the brink of death. Thank you, Daria.”“Whatever were those questions for?”“Curiosity,” he said, which was partially the truth. “Anyway, I have to go. Thanks again.”He left her wandering and trudged off, intending to find more answers. Along the way, he bumped into Tina, who brightened with an innate glow.“Luke!” she exclaimed, throwing herself on him. He hugged her back, then glanced at Eric as the man stepped into view. The lack of jealousy had Luke relaxing as he nudged her back and grinned.“Hey, you. You seem happy.”“I am happy. We are getting married in the fall, and want you to be our witness.”Confounded, he looked at the two and realized that Eric was wordlessly asking him, too. The hopeful expression on Tina’s face had him nodding before he knew it, and the way she lit up made him glad that he didn’t refuse. But when she left and Eric lingered, Lu
He skipped the new room that Angelo used and went to the room containing older files, dating back more than five years and dusty from being stored for so long. It was a mess, clearly not as organized as the new room had been, but the dates and general titles gave him guidance as to where to start. He sifted through his memories while he opened folders and read their contents, detailing most of the previous clan leader’s business practices and information. They were all closed now as Angelo had decided to nourish his brewery business instead, refusing to touch something that Dan Bennett’s dirty, racist hands had allowed to flourish.He read the clan reports next, not as detailed as the business side but with keywords that revealed a lot of things: enemy encountered, territory seized, mission success, and failures. Then he found a folder with a map, and his heart pounded, anticipation bubbling that he was close.“West. The Western Cub. Now, where is…?”A sticker with smudged scribbling