Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
JAMIE
Y ou’re my mate, Jamie.
Those words had been playing over and over in Jamie’s head since Sigurd had said them. When Jamie had asked about Sigurd’s secrets, Sigurd suggested they head home first. He promised to tell Jamie everything.
Now, they were in the SUV with their Hellhound escort in front of them as they made their way through Solston’s daytime traffic.
Sigurd was quiet and focused behind the wheel, gaze sweeping side to side and consistently to the rear view mirror. Wylder was in his car behind them. He’d wanted to stay and keep the gym open, but Sigurd had insisted that Wylder come home.
“Would it be alright if I made a phone call?” Sigurd asked into the quiet, startling Jamie out of his thoughts.
“Of course. It’s your car.”
Sigurd shot him a look that said he didn’t entirely agree with that statement but gave a little nod.
He muttered a few words under his breath and pressed his hand to the dash.
The inside of the car went quiet. Jamie thought it had been quiet before, but now he couldn’t even hear the sound of the tires on the road.
In front of them, Rook glanced over his shoulder at them. Sigurd shot him a thumbs-up. The Hellhound nodded and drove on.
Just when Jamie thought Sigurd was going to do some other magical thing to contact someone, he pressed a button on the steering wheel and said, “Call Silva.”
A moment later, ringing sounded from the speakers.
”I’m already on my way,” a voice, presumably Silva’s, said. Jamie had never heard anything like it. Smooth, rich, and higher-pitched than he’d expected, yet undeniably masculine. It was so different from Sigurd’s deep baritone but just as commanding.
Sigurd blew out a relieved breath. “Thank the gods.”
“Where is he? And who’s there with you? I can hear them breathing.”
Jamie abruptly held his breath.
“He’s in the car behind us, and my mate is with me. Jamie, meet Silva.”
“Lenette mentioned she’d been playing matchmaker again. Congratulations. Jamie, I look forward to meeting you in person.”
”Um, thank you,” Jamie stuttered, still processing the whole mate thing and what it even meant. What he even wanted it to mean. “You, too.”
“Sigurd, where are you headed?”
“To the house. I’m going to keep us there as long as possible. Lenette told you about Jamie’s situation?”
“She did.”
“So you know this could be a false alarm?”
”Even if it is, I’m happy to lend a hand with this Marcus pest. And it’s been too long since I’ve seen Bell.”
Sigurd snorted. “Too long since you’ve seen her cheese dip.”
”Five centuries in this realm, and I’ve never found its equal.”
Jamie’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. Five centuries? He knew that a lot of paranormals had crazy long lives, but five hundred years? Just in this realm? Where else had he been? Jamie couldn’t imagine moving between worlds like that. Moving to a new city was overwhelming enough.
“You should know, it seems Kerak’s kept his word. Derek doesn’t know, or he deserves an Oscar,” Sigurd said, sounding serious again.
“Good. The Demon King has proven himself a trustworthy ally in the past. I’m glad it continues to hold true. I’ll be with you before dawn.”
“See you then.” Sigurd pressed the button on the steering wheel again and glanced over at Jamie.
“Why is Wylder in danger?” The whole conversation was buzzing through Jamie’s head, but that seemed the most pressing. He didn’t even want to think about Sigurd knowing the king of demons. That was too much.
Sigurd sighed. “Years ago, I was on a team of paranormals whose mission was to keep the Fae, specifically, the Wild Hunt, out of our realm.”
“Fae are real? But…everyone says they’re a myth.”
“They’re very real. You just spoke to one on the phone.”
Jamie stared at the dashboard screen where it’d shown the call was connected. “Holy shit.”
“The short version is my sister fell in love with a Fae and had a baby. When we managed to close the door between our realms to keep the Wild Hunt out, she got stuck on the other side.”
“Are you saying…Wylder?”
”Is the baby, yes.”
”Those eyes.” Jamie looked in his side mirror, only able to see the side of Wylder’s car, but knowing he was back there all the same. Something occurred to Jamie. “Is Silva his father?”
”Gods no.” Sigurd laughed. “As far as I know, his father was on the Fae side of the door, too.”
“You said your sister is dead.”
”I have to assume she is. Most Fae wouldn’t let a human—even a witch—survive in their world for long.”
Jamie sat with that for a minute. Knowing Sigurd had been a part of protecting their world and had lost his sister in the process made his heart clench. Then he’d raised her son. “Does Wylder know any of this?”
”No. He knows his mother died a hero on one of our guardian missions. I’ve never told him about the Fae.”
“What did you tell him about Silva, then? If he’s half-Fae, doesn’t he have, like, Fae powers?”
”He’s never met Silva. Not even as a baby. After we closed the door, most of our group disbanded. Silva has spent the last thirty years monitoring the few Fae still on this side and squashing any attempts to unseal the door.”
Jamie narrowed his eyes. “He seemed awfully concerned for Wylder for someone he’s never met, and you didn’t answer my other question.”
Sigurd sighed again, a deep aching sound. “Wylder does have power. He just doesn’t know it.” Sigurd lowered his voice even though Jamie was sure the spell he’d cast completely soundproofed the car. “Wylder is the key to opening the door.”
SIGURD
With only a couple of exceptions, Sigurd hadn’t uttered those words to anyone in thirty years. It was a secret he’d expected to take to the grave, yet somehow, telling Jamie was as easy as breathing. Right in a way he couldn’t really explain.
Jamie reached over and laid his hand on Sigurd’s forearm, thumb sweeping gently on his skin. Sigurd glanced at him, meeting dark eyes full of compassion. Overwhelmed, he tore his gaze away, getting his eyes back on the road.
“That’s a lot to bear.”
Sigurd nodded, letting Jamie’s hand slide down his arm so he could lace their fingers together. It was a lot to bear, but he bore it gladly. Wylder was worth all of it and more. Still, it was strangely nice to have someone acknowledge it.
“Since you’re so worried, I assume there are people who want to hurt Wylder or…”
“Use him to open the door, yes.” Sigurd looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Wylder whole and focused behind him.
“Silva, Lenette, Kerak, and I are the only ones who know. But there are always rumors. Whispers that seem to have no source. There are those who would kill him to make sure the door stays sealed and others who worship the Wild Hunt and wish to unleash it on earth.”
Jamie pulled his hand back. “And now you don’t know who’s after him and who’s after me.”
Sigurd reclaimed Jamie’s hand, pulling it across the distance between them to press a kiss to the back. “Don’t do that.”
“But if I wasn’t here?—”
“Then I wouldn’t have found you. I know it’s fast and not how I’d have preferred us to get to know each other, but I wouldn’t have you anywhere else. You are my mate, Jamie.”
Jamie’s cheeks turned pink. “I know.” He squeezed Sigurd’s hand. “I feel it, too.”